Phone app setup
How to view your Digital Watchdog cameras on your phone
Digital Watchdog has two phone apps: DW Mobile+ for VMAX recorders and DW Spectrum Mobile for DW Spectrum servers. Here is how to connect each without opening ports.
VuePoint
Digital Watchdog (DW) splits its phone apps by system type. On the App Store both are listed under the developer name Kaltec Electronics, Inc.; they are DW's official apps.
| Your system | Phone app |
|---|---|
| VMAX DVRs and NVRs, and COVA bridge recorders | DW Mobile+ (listed as DW Mobile Plus) |
| DW Spectrum IPVMS on a Blackjack server or PC, version 4.0 or higher | DW Spectrum Mobile |
Most small-property systems are VMAX recorders, so the steps below cover DW Mobile+. A Spectrum section follows.
What you need before you start
- The recorder online, connected to a router with internet access.
- The recorder's admin login. Not your myDW account password.
- The recorder's QR code for P2P connection. Where it appears depends on the VMAX model and firmware; check the recorder's network settings and the label.
- A myDW account, which DW Mobile+ uses to hold your registered sites.
Add your VMAX recorder to DW Mobile+ by QR code
- 1
Install DW Mobile+ and sign in
Download DW Mobile+ and create or sign in to your myDW account.
- 2
Add a site
Choose to add a new site or device. DW Mobile+ supports unlimited registered sites.
- 3
Scan the recorder's QR code
Use the QR scan option and scan the code from the recorder. DW lists QR scanning as the way to connect to any VMAX recorder.
- 4
Enter the recorder login
Type the recorder's username and password, then name the site.
- 5
Check live and archive
Open a camera live, then pull up archived footage. Turn on push alerts for the events you want.
DW Spectrum systems
For Spectrum, connect the server to a DW Cloud account from the Spectrum desktop client first. Then install DW Spectrum Mobile, sign in with the same DW Cloud account, and the system appears. Share access by inviting another DW Cloud user with a limited role from the desktop client.
The alternative: IP address or DDNS
Both apps can connect directly by IP address or hostname, but from outside the building that requires port forwarding on your router and leaves the recorder or server exposed to the internet. See how to set up port forwarding for a camera recorder if you have no other option.
Troubleshooting
- Site offline. Confirm the recorder has internet: cable, router, gateway and DNS settings. P2P needs outbound internet access.
- Locked out after wrong passwords. DW recorders can block logins after repeated failures. Wait, then use the correct credentials; DW support handles forgotten admin passwords.
- P2P turned off. If P2P was disabled on the recorder, the app can't reach it remotely. Turn it back on.
- Firmware or server too old. Update VMAX firmware from DW's website. DW Spectrum Mobile needs version 4.0 or higher, and DW has announced it will drop 5.1 servers in its next major release.
VuePoint Secure can add live monitoring to the same DW cameras through an on-site edge device that needs no port forwarding.
Common questions
- Which DW app do I need?
- DW Mobile+ for VMAX DVRs, NVRs and COVA bridge recorders. DW Spectrum Mobile for DW Spectrum IPVMS, including Blackjack servers.
- Is the app free?
- Yes. DW describes DW Mobile+ as free, and DW Spectrum Mobile is free to download.
- Can I see several properties in one app?
- Yes. DW Mobile+ supports unlimited registered sites on one myDW account.
Stuck getting your Digital Watchdog system online?
Tell us the recorder model and what the app is showing. We'll tell you what we'd check next.