POE Message: Channel already is use...

[Bugeyz]

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About once every other day (always in the morning when I first turn on the monitor), I get a message on my NVR monitor that states:

"Channel 2 is already in use. Replace with camera connected to POE port 2?" Followed by a choice of "YES" or "NO".

The number may change from day to day, i.e. it will say channel 4 and port 4 or channel 3 and port 3, etc. And sometime there will be a series of messages all with different channel and port numbers.

If I choose YES, I usually have to reinstall the camera. If I say NO, everything seems fine until it happens again a day or two later.

How do I resolve this issue so this warning does not come up?

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum...

Generally, the issue of "video loss" on CCTV security cameras or DVR-NVR, in some cases, can be tracked down to a few factors, Insufficient PSU aka Power Supply, Unstable Network, Hardware (cameras wiring, NVR-DVR or monitor) failures, IP address conflicts

[Bugeyz]

Thank you for your reply.

I did not see this a "video loss" as all the video signals are still there (I can see them in the background). Maybe an IP address conflict but I can't find it.

The channels affected are only the ones directly connected to the NVR. (I forgot to mention that.)

[Revo2Maxx]

To me it almost sounds like a Cabling issue... Also could be outdoors and if wind it could make connection issues.... Always Strain Relief connections going into the Camera or Box and never leave Cable hanging around where it can move in the wind... Also never leave an area with say your NVR mounted on a Shelf that a Cat can get to... Most times you can find them sleeping on them or if they are mad at you marking them... Loads of contact with the cabling going to the NVR can't over time mess up the connections or even the NVR it self...

Video Loss could be Fast and a glitch do to cabling... This could do it and I just had the issue the other day Myself when I swapped out cable from my Switch to a different port... I just ignored it and hit no... then reboot the system... If I did it slower I don't get the error...

[Bugeyz]

Thanks for that last suggestion. The system has never bee rebooted and it is on a UPS for power interruptions (I live in Florida....lots of lightening in the summer).

As for the rest of the suggestions, they are all good but do not really apply: Cables are all in the house attic with holes drilled through the soffets for mounting. No cabling or connections are exposed to the outside. We have no cats and the NVR is mounted on a shelf (eye level) in a ventilated closet which is rarely disturbed.

I will reboot the system. That sounds like a great idea.

[Revo2Maxx]

Understand... Just things I have seen so thought I would mention it... Also attics and things can have little critters that make the way in there at times,, Could be even a Faulty Cable could be from when connections made first time just takes time to cause faults... Also you mention you have in Vented closet. If it is used for other things want to make sure that the system cables are protected from touching...

[spleen911]

I was getting that message on two of my four 4108E. Those two have a mix of directly connected cameras and channels connected via IP from the LAN. The other two only have directly connected cameras.

The PoE cameras were connected to ports 1-2-3 and the LAN IP cameras connected to channels 4-5-6. All was fine for a few months (I do not have weekly NVR restarts scheduled). Last week, I did UPS battery replacements and got the channel already in use message for 1-2-3 when the NVRs started.

Watching the monitor during a restart, the LAN IP cameras previously configured for channels 4-5-6 were showing in positions 1-2-3 until the PoE cameras initialized a 10-15 seconds later and the messages appeared about channels 1-2-3 being in use ... did I want to replace with PoE ports 1-2-3 ?hmm? "that's odd".

I moved the PoE cameras to ports 4-5-6 and connected the LAN IP cameras via channels 1-2-3.

RESULT = no more messages when the NVR [re]boots.