IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

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msturtz
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IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

Post by msturtz »

Hi, I have a bullet cam deployed at a remote location (power, but no broadband) connected to a cellular router. My goal is just to get a picture via FTP every couple hours -- I have that set up. No live video, no motion recordings. I also disabled cloud. I did install a micro-SD card because it was cheap, but I don't intend to check it very often (I do have secure remote access to manage the camera via VPN, but cellular data is expensive).

First question: Any other settings I can change to conserve bandwidth? I don't mind stuff like NTP, that's real small, but any other chatter that doesn't involve the primary task I'd like to disable.

Next question: Is there an API call I can hit that will cause the camera to take a snapshot and send via FTP, just like the schedule would do? I only see snapshot.cgi to download a snapshot, not send it via FTP. My use case is, my cellular router can execute a script via SMS, I was thinking about a way to send an SMS, the router will hit the API, and make the camera send a picture via FTP.

Thank you, much appreciated. So far I'm liking these cams a lot more than my old Foscam's!!!
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Hello and Welcome to the Forum..

Personally I don't have that info and not sure that can even be done. Not sure really why if your on a Metered connection you would want to use such a high MP camera. Looking at pictures taking from my 2496EW-V2 using curl command from my linux box at this hour each of the pictures are 1.22mb..

There are some people that have in-depth info about CGI from Amcrest and Dahua line of camera that if they see could point you in the right direction if there was one.

About other things that always reach out you will want to turn off P2P seeing you say you make a connection over VPN and that P2P will reach out a lot making sure to keep your access open for service 24/7. Log into the Cameras WebUI, Then Setup, Then Network, then TCP/IP. There will be 2 tabs in that window one will say P2P and look like picture below. Uncheck the Enable and save it will take 2 hours maybe more before the server and camera no longer reach out to one another that is normal.

Not sure why your trying to setup a CGI outside of taking a snapshot like normal. FTP has the ability to setup a Time snapshot to ftp and events to ftp within the camera already?
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msturtz
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Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:46 am

Re: IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

Post by msturtz »

Revo2Maxx wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:57 am Personally I don't have that info and not sure that can even be done. Not sure really why if your on a Metered connection you would want to use such a high MP camera. Looking at pictures taking from my 2496EW-V2 using curl command from my linux box at this hour each of the pictures are 1.22mb..
I wanted an outdoor camera that would survive the elements and take decent pictures, that's how I ended up with this model. I previously used a cheap trail-cam, but obviously can't get the pictures in real-time (yes I'm aware newer trail-cams have cellular). This seemed like a good way to do what I wanted, and a fun project (and probably no more expensive than a cellular trail-cam).

I am getting images that are about 500kb -- that's with image quality set down pretty low on the snapshot settings. I will monitor the bandwidth usage and adjust this accordingly. Obviously its a careful balance between the number of images I can get, the quality of those images, and the cellular bandwidth cost. :lol:
Revo2Maxx wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:57 am About other things that always reach out you will want to turn off P2P seeing you say you make a connection over VPN and that P2P will reach out a lot making sure to keep your access open for service 24/7. Log into the Cameras WebUI, Then Setup, Then Network, then TCP/IP. There will be 2 tabs in that window one will say P2P and look like picture below. Uncheck the Enable and save it will take 2 hours maybe more before the server and camera no longer reach out to one another that is normal.
Yes, this is the setting I was referring to when I said I had disabled cloud. The question was if there's any other settings to disable other unneeded communications.
Revo2Maxx wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:57 am Not sure why your trying to setup a CGI outside of taking a snapshot like normal. FTP has the ability to setup a Time snapshot to ftp and events to ftp within the camera already?
Yes, I'm aware, I have the Time snapshot to FTP set up already. Humor me here... I was thinking this would be a way to easily request an ADDITIONAL picture, not on the schedule. The camera has the potential to pick up some great sunset photos, so triggering an additional picture might be useful. That's why I was asking about the API.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Hello again, Sorry I am not aware how you have your camera setup and so I wanted to offer some of the things that might seem obvious to some and not so much to others..

So about trying to do a image to your FTP I again don't have that info. I am sure if there is a way that it could be done on demand someone might post of such a way...

However until then this is only way that I could give you a way to take a Snapshot but there could be a large issue with this and I will get to this issue in a moment.

$ while :; do curl --digest -o "$(date +"%Y%m%d%H%M%S").jpg" http://admin:[email protected]/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi; sleep 1; done

That above will take a picture with a name of date and hour and seconds with all that needs to be changed is your username, password and the IP address for your camera.

Now for the issue. When you run this command there is a sleep time this is the time that the camera is setup and while I was able to get it to work kind of well with a longer time between it seems to make it a Constant and Stable picture taking the sleep 1 is the best.

While using either my Mint or Ubuntu there are some other things I can and have run but seems this is the best for a clear photo from my cameras on demand and will keep running until I press ctrl c. I can and have made time lapse from those images as well.

In the end. Keep in mind that above will not work if the time setup in your cameras setup isn't set a 1 second. I mean it can work if you set the time to the time you have it setup for however if your camera and the sending computer with command drift from time then the image when it was taken say 1, then 2 was 3600 seconds was next issue is if there is a drift then the computer might send at it's 3600 however the camera could be at 3598 so that command would fail if that makes since. In some of my testing there was some time changes I was able to get each command and maybe only at a 75% to 80% of that time.
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jack7
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Re: IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

Post by jack7 »

msturtz wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 10:25 am Yes, I'm aware, I have the Time snapshot to FTP set up already.  Humor me here...  I was thinking this would be a way to easily request an ADDITIONAL picture, not on the schedule.  The camera has the potential to pick up some great sunset photos, so triggering an additional picture might be useful.  That's why I was asking about the API.

I don't use FTP, but the API snapshot URL should also send the snapshot to whatever you have camera Snapshot Destination set to; SD card, FTP, or NAS. 
I know it will go to SD card and have seen a post saying it goes to NAS.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: IP8M-2496EW-V2 -- on cellular connectivity

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Geez never even looked.. Thanks Jack your RIGHT..

So to the OP when you run this command
http 10.0.0.72/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi?channel=1 your M will or R will have an F and look like this in your server
ftp 10.0.0.139/8mp-AI/AMC06xxxxxxxxxx/2022-06-24/001/jpg/00/54.41[F][0@0][0].jpg

had to take out the rest after http and ftp or it makes a link
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