Dear Amcrest fans!
I'm a D-Link IP Camera fan who decided to try out an American IP camera brand - Amcrest. I read the specification for model - IP3M-941B and found it compelling. Just what I was looking for: Nice resolution, micro SD card functionality and, above all, a built in FTP-client. Add to that, an Andriod app, Web browser or PC software for connecting to the camera.
I have a been using and administering personal computors, workstations, servers, printers, web-servers, print servers and computer networks since the beginning of the 1990's. I have been fortunate to try out a dozen of different brands of computor and computer related elecronics. But I must admit that the IP3M-941B Amcrest stands out. It is, without competition, the most useless piece of shit I have ever encountered on the computer electronics market.
Outdated software and firmware. When I use the full resolution of the camera (3M) for recordings, I get a network error trying to playback ( no, there is nothing wrong with my LAN; nothing at all); If I reduce the resolution down to 1280*720, however, the camera playbacks normally; configuration of the camera is a nightmare with a trillion of unneccessary options; but, should I use the outdated "Amcrest Surveillance Pro" (1), or the Android App (2), or why not the Chrome browser (3)? The tragic thing is that they don't provide for similar configuration options.
The main reason for trying out Amcrest was its claimed ability to store recordings using FTP. That, however, is just a bloody hoax resulting in a "FTP Server Test Failure; user read only rights only"- error message. OK, so FTP does not work. What about logging into the camera, using e.g. Chrome, to take a look at the SD card content (and possibly download to the computor/phone you are connecting from)? Such a simple functionality is of course NOT provided for. Why? I guess that cloud storage is a more profitable way to go.
I wish I had studied the Amcrest forum prior to purchasing the cameras from Amcrest. Why? Because the FTP problem has been around for many years without Amcrest doing anything about it. It seems to me that Amcrest just wants to sell their shit without taking any repsonsibility for their products. OK, I did receive an offer from Amcrest support people to externally connect to my LAN/Workstation for their technicians to solve my problems. I cannot allow that because I have sensitive client information on my hard drive... They could have simply suggested a few ways to solve the problems I'm facing but no. "We need to log into your system, in order to help you" !!! Nope! That kind of support is not for me. Sorry!
The bottom line is: Amcrest sucks! Why? Because they dont solve, or even acknowledge, the problems presented by their customers. If they did, I wouldn’t be facing problems that were presented to Amcrest many years ago. Period.
In conclusion: I'm not asking for any help here. Why? Because it seems there is no solution to the FTP problem. It's been around for many years now and has still not been solved by the Amcrest technicians. As for the rest, Amcrest has no other interest than to sell cloud storage to their customers.
Stay safe and keep away from corona!
Kind regards,
Staffan Carlsson
Sweden
IP3M-941B - not meeting its own specification
Re: IP3M-941B - not meeting its own specification
Sorry I have not much to say other then BS... Normally and while I won't do it but normally if someone is not looking to ask for help or offer help to others and only want to Bash Amcrest the Comment would or could be removed.. At this time I will leave it I can't say a different Mod or even an Admin won't remove it.. However there are some things wrong with what you SAY...
One you said that you have an issue and Amcrest Offered to help by logging into your Computer and making the adjustments you need for your Camera to work the way you want it to... SO your BOTTOM LINE IS BASELESS...
Second you said that you don't want them to access your computer because of your Client Data, Ok WTF if there is su much CLIENT DATA on your computer that you have access to an AMCREST Camera then your Clients are at RISK for you to have to much Data on them... (By the way there are many ways around that issue 1 and FIRST they would not do anything outside you being able to see what is going on, you have total control of the computer while they are online and if and I said IF THERE WAS A TIME THAT you feel they seen enough or had enough time in your computer you can just HIT a BUTTON to kill the Connection. 2 you could have used a Workstation that has no data on it connected to your network with access to the camera IP (Easy as a Laptop or another desktop that has no CLIENT DATA ON IT) 3 Your Conclusion is Baseless as well..)) Don't want help and only want to VENT it might be that your topic will be removed... However before that happens I can tell you that FTP works just fine.. I have all my cameras setup and I have yes seen that same message and I can't get a Test to work with the test button to show on screen but with the Server setup right and access rights given to the account holder and even after a message that the FTP failed going to look in the FTP page shows that it clearly worked because there is a Test.txt message in the thing... The one time I had the message I didn't have it setup with Read/write and I was able to get it fixed by making the fast adjustment to adding permission to the user.. Another issue I had even though I had other cameras going to FTP without a problem I was not able to setup another one because I couldn't remember the Password.. My fix for that without asking my Son in WA that was also using the FTP server is I just setup another account same IP different Port and was able to just make it go to that until I could get the Password sorted out... My issue was on that server I was trying to add a Digit that was removed from the password few weeks earlier and now have all my systems going to 2 different FTP servers only because I have my Amcrest and Dahua set of cameras going to one server and my Samsung cameras going to another one..
One of the things that Amcrest has over others around is that They do have FW updates.. While some updates others might feel are down grades and I will admit some might have been however in time they get sorted out.. However everyone wants Chrome and IE is going away so have to have HTML5 and Chrome and sadly what might have worked 1 way in older Camera from 2015 or 16 might not work the same in 2020 so things might have to change and the R&D can make updates to bring them back one...
One you said that you have an issue and Amcrest Offered to help by logging into your Computer and making the adjustments you need for your Camera to work the way you want it to... SO your BOTTOM LINE IS BASELESS...
Second you said that you don't want them to access your computer because of your Client Data, Ok WTF if there is su much CLIENT DATA on your computer that you have access to an AMCREST Camera then your Clients are at RISK for you to have to much Data on them... (By the way there are many ways around that issue 1 and FIRST they would not do anything outside you being able to see what is going on, you have total control of the computer while they are online and if and I said IF THERE WAS A TIME THAT you feel they seen enough or had enough time in your computer you can just HIT a BUTTON to kill the Connection. 2 you could have used a Workstation that has no data on it connected to your network with access to the camera IP (Easy as a Laptop or another desktop that has no CLIENT DATA ON IT) 3 Your Conclusion is Baseless as well..)) Don't want help and only want to VENT it might be that your topic will be removed... However before that happens I can tell you that FTP works just fine.. I have all my cameras setup and I have yes seen that same message and I can't get a Test to work with the test button to show on screen but with the Server setup right and access rights given to the account holder and even after a message that the FTP failed going to look in the FTP page shows that it clearly worked because there is a Test.txt message in the thing... The one time I had the message I didn't have it setup with Read/write and I was able to get it fixed by making the fast adjustment to adding permission to the user.. Another issue I had even though I had other cameras going to FTP without a problem I was not able to setup another one because I couldn't remember the Password.. My fix for that without asking my Son in WA that was also using the FTP server is I just setup another account same IP different Port and was able to just make it go to that until I could get the Password sorted out... My issue was on that server I was trying to add a Digit that was removed from the password few weeks earlier and now have all my systems going to 2 different FTP servers only because I have my Amcrest and Dahua set of cameras going to one server and my Samsung cameras going to another one..
One of the things that Amcrest has over others around is that They do have FW updates.. While some updates others might feel are down grades and I will admit some might have been however in time they get sorted out.. However everyone wants Chrome and IE is going away so have to have HTML5 and Chrome and sadly what might have worked 1 way in older Camera from 2015 or 16 might not work the same in 2020 so things might have to change and the R&D can make updates to bring them back one...
Be Safe.