Problem: FTP upload snapshot

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dm33
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:37 pm

Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by dm33 »

I have two 8mp (4k) cameras, IP8M-2496E.

Bottom line: I'm having problems having the camera upload snapshots via FTP based on motion trigger. It does work, but stops roughly between 7am-8pm. But I have no schedule set other than defaults that are constant 24x7.

This is working on a second camera. In fact it was working on this camera until I upgraded from V2.622.00AC000.0.R.191024 to V2.622.00AC000.0.R.200320.

I tried everything I can think of.

I've reset the camera. Restored old working configuration.
Reset the camera, done new manual configuration.
I've even done hardware reset and new manual configuration.

In many cases it seems to work, but only once or twice during the day. When the next morning hits, it stops capturing snapshots then resumes in the evening.

I'm out of my wits. I thought this camera was super reliable. Was working great for 3 weeks until the firmware update. Now I can't make it work. I've even tried reseting, went back to old firmware, set did the configuration and it behaves roughly the same way.

Any ideas? All I can think of is to try and RMA it.


----- Details ------

The first one I had a few weeks. Everything working great. FTP upload on motion of snapshot and video. It was running 2019 firmware, Amcrest_IPC-HX5X3X-Rhea_Eng_N_Stream3_AMCREST_V2.622.00AC000.0.R.191024

I bought a second one, same model. It was running firmware from 2018 so I upgraded it to the latest, Amcrest_IPC-HX5X3X-Rhea_Eng_NP_Stream3_AMCREST_V2.622.00AC000.0.R.200320. Since I updated that one, I upgraded the first one even though it said no update was available because its the same version number but different build date.

I saved the config on the 1st camera and restored on the 2nd camera. Strange things started happening.
On the first camera, the path that the camera writes to on the ftp server is <camera_name>/<date>/pic_001 or video_001.

But on the second camera, it wrote to a path, <camera_name>/<date>/001/dav/<hour>/
Why the different path?

Eventually I restored the configuration from the 1st camera onto the 2nd camera and it used the path from the 1st camera, with vid_001 and pic_001. I did have some trouble getting the config to set, enabling disabling options and reboot, but the 2nd camera is now working without a problem.

I thought all was well until I noticed the 1st camera had stopped writing snapshots. But it turns out it doesn't upload the snapshots only between roughly 7am-8pm.

I've tried everything. Software firmware reset, hardware reset, refreshing old and new firmware, restoring configuration and setting the options fresh. I can never get it to consistently work.

Any ideas? I had been so happy with these cameras. Now this buggy behavior doesn't seem to be fixable. Could it be a hardware failure? What would have happened to the first camera that a hardware reset doesn't fix?

Thanks
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Hello and Welcome to the Forum

There is a lot there to chew though so I will do the best with what I can and work out more as we go along lol...


Different Path could be because they were from different FW.. If you are saying that you did the first Config back on the older FW and then restored it on the new FW they are different written paths...

about the FW.. If your first camera you moved to the new FW of 2020 there could be the old FW or if you have the old FW you might want to try and Re flash that on to the first camera that you had working right... Another issue that you may not want to do a Restore of the old config but just redo all the settings because it might be that your Config file is corrupt! Also at times depending on the FW your moving from and into a Config from the say 2018 camera profile will not work on the JS of the 2019 or 2020 profile aka FW because they are different formats and things may not work right... Odd thing for me is I tested this out and I took a 2017 FW camera updated to the 2019 FW and tried to do a restore on the config from the 2017 settings and the camera Rejected it without even trying...

About the Time that it is uploading.. I would look over your Camera under the Schedule and make sure of a couple of things 1 that you have it setup for the times you want it and that it is and not just 7am-8pm unless that is the only times you want also make sure that it is every day not just the day you are working on the camera...

Now about going from 2020 camera FW to older then the 2019 camera FW is said not to do that that you can Brick the Camera.. While I have and others have gone back to old FW main issue is that the reason for going back didn't cure the issue it is still present

Another issue when you took the Camera from 2018 into a 2019 JS FW you would want to do a Hard Factory Reset of the camera to flush out any of the old 2018 FW because some things might still be in the hardware without a reset.. Also if you were to go back to the 2019 FW because you said that the Problem wasn't Present in the older 2019 FW as long as it was after Aug 2019 if you still have that FW package aka BIN file it is safe to or should be safe to go back to the 2019 FW However if you have the older Bin file from 2018 I Caution you not to go back to the 2018 FW as you might brick the camera...
Here to help the best I can.
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dm33
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:37 pm

Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by dm33 »

Thanks. I basically have tried all those permutations. Maybe some nuance or sequence I haven't tried but I'm at a loss to figure out what. Bottom line it looks like software or hardware reset, setting configuration by restoring from backup or manually entering new configuration.... all permutations result in the behavior I'm seeing there snapshots from motion detection are only saved to ftp during night and not during the day.

I do NOT, nor have i EVER set any schedule. Everything is default 24x7.


Revo2Maxx wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:23 pm Hello and Welcome to the Forum

There is a lot there to chew though so I will do the best with what I can and work out more as we go along lol...


Different Path could be because they were from different FW.. If you are saying that you did the first Config back on the older FW and then restored it on the new FW they are different written paths...
I had done a backup of the 1st camera running 2019 firmware. I upgraded the 2nd camera to 2020 firmware and manually configured it. Thats when the ftp path written to was <date>/001/dav/<hour>. I then restored the configuration from the 1st camera onto the 2nd camera and the expected path started appearing.
about the FW.. If your first camera you moved to the new FW of 2020 there could be the old FW or if you have the old FW you might want to try and Re flash that on to the first camera that you had working right
I have tried that. I did a full software reset, flashed the old firmware and restored its configuration and it behaved the same way. I have not tried a hardware reset in this scenario. I only tried a hardware reset once with new firmware. But since it worked on the 2nd camera I thought it should work.
... Another issue that you may not want to do a Restore of the old config but just redo all the settings because it might be that your Config file is corrupt!
I have tried that. I have tried manually entering a new configuration fresh. Same issue.
Also at times depending on the FW your moving from and into a Config from the say 2018 camera profile will not work on the JS of the 2019 or 2020 profile aka FW because they are different formats and things may not work right... Odd thing for me is I tested this out and I took a 2017 FW camera updated to the 2019 FW and tried to do a restore on the config from the 2017 settings and the camera Rejected it without even trying...

About the Time that it is uploading.. I would look over your Camera under the Schedule and make sure of a couple of things 1 that you have it setup for the times you want it and that it is and not just 7am-8pm unless that is the only times you want also make sure that it is every day not just the day you are working on the camera...
I have NEVER set a schedule anywhere on any of these cameras. They are all set to perform the same actions 24x7.
Now about going from 2020 camera FW to older then the 2019 camera FW is said not to do that that you can Brick the Camera.. While I have and others have gone back to old FW main issue is that the reason for going back didn't cure the issue it is still present

Another issue when you took the Camera from 2018 into a 2019 JS FW you would want to do a Hard Factory Reset of the camera to flush out any of the old 2018 FW because some things might still be in the hardware without a reset.. Also if you were to go back to the 2019 FW because you said that the Problem wasn't Present in the older 2019 FW as long as it was after Aug 2019 if you still have that FW package aka BIN file it is safe to or should be safe to go back to the 2019 FW However if you have the older Bin file from 2018 I Caution you not to go back to the 2018 FW as you might brick the camera...
The 2nd camera came with 2018 FW. I updated to 2020 FW, restored the config from the 1st camera and its working fine now.

Its the 1st camera that has become all screwed up after updating to 2020 FW from 2019 FW. Using its own configuration still has this weird issue where ftp snapshots won't upload during the day. I can't tell if its related to what the camera considers to be day, ie day mode vs. evening mode.

I've tried countless full software resets but only once tried a hardware reset.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Sorry it is hard at times to give ideas of what one I would do if I was in this problem..

I am sorry I am lost... When setting up FTP there has to be a Schedule of some action either it be full time or snap shots.. Once one is updated it can move all things back to factory depending on the FW and how Written not always but maybe that is the issue? Sadly I don't have all Amcrest hardware to Test things or I would try and test out why and what is going on to see if can get it to do the same on mine...

So because I am a PAIN and like to make myself Crazy I just reset my 2116-HS back to Factory lol (Dumb Move) While I know this is an NVR I go to my FTP and on my first page to setup I add all my info for my FTP, then what Change I want, then it is asking days so I pick all channels and all days and then next it is asking for what type of FTP Alarm, Motion, or Regular and my Camera say the same thing... Then it gives me time periods in my NVR 1 and 2 and I can set any 1 or all 3 of the options for Alarm, motion, Regular...

I will put 3 pictures into 1 and upload what my FTP for one of my cameras looks like without doing something for a Schedule I am not sure how it would be setup to record full time on FTP as mine after a reset only was set with Motion and alarm This is after I did a Factory Reset and Setup my FTP server but didn't make any changes inside of the Schedules
3Pic in 1
3Pic in 1
Screenshot (2533).jpg (284.23 KiB) Viewed 1141 times
Here to help the best I can.
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dm33
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Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:37 pm

Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by dm33 »

Revo2Maxx wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 5:06 pm Sorry it is hard at times to give ideas of what one I would do if I was in this problem..

I am sorry I am lost... When setting up FTP there has to be a Schedule of some action either it be full time or snap shots.. Once one is updated it can move all things back to factory depending on the FW and how Written not always but maybe that is the issue? Sadly I don't have all Amcrest hardware to Test things or I would try and test out why and what is going on to see if can get it to do the same on mine...

So because I am a PAIN and like to make myself Crazy I just reset my 2116-HS back to Factory lol (Dumb Move) While I know this is an NVR I go to my FTP and on my first page to setup I add all my info for my FTP, then what Change I want, then it is asking days so I pick all channels and all days and then next it is asking for what type of FTP Alarm, Motion, or Regular and my Camera say the same thing... Then it gives me time periods in my NVR 1 and 2 and I can set any 1 or all 3 of the options for Alarm, motion, Regular...

I will put 3 pictures into 1 and upload what my FTP for one of my cameras looks like without doing something for a Schedule I am not sure how it would be setup to record full time on FTP as mine after a reset only was set with Motion and alarm This is after I did a Factory Reset and Setup my FTP server but didn't make any changes inside of the Schedules

Screenshot (2533).jpg
By default, after a reset, schedules are set to be motion and alarm all the time, every day from 0-24hr, just like in your screenshots. I never set anything different, not on the camera that is working, and not on the camera that isn't working.

I also do not have anything different set for snapshot vs. video, yet video segments are being recorded when triggered on motion, but snapshots are only sometimes captured.

It looks like a bug in the software. It's very disappointing that software factory reset and even hardware reset is unable to fix the problem.

Looking at what it did last night is even more confused, yesterday it was working saving snapshots, then stopped after 5:12, but then started saving them again on its own starting at 20:28. But it apparently stopped after 21:06.
Today it started back up on its own at 4:30 then stopped again at 6:10 and nothing since so far.

So it doesn't look like its following a defined schedule. There's something else messed up. And video segments are working the whole time.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Yeah I don't know sorry i can't see what you have on your screen and I don't know why it would or seem like it is working when it isn't...

However seeing it is setup for Motion and Alarm..

What is the color of the lines when you do a search for playback or in the listing I am not sure if yours is list only or playback bar as some are different in way they are setup... Green Red or Yellow?

So I just setup a camera that has loads of traffic, I setup only motion and I setup to FTP when I look at the Recording I have full days worth recording as I set this yesterday and have full folder of images and full folder of videos and is beause it is on a constant motion

If you had something like this I am going to guess that is why or what is happening.. While you think it is full time Recording it isn't the issue is that it is getting something in Motion and making a recording... Also what did you setup for Delay of recording? and Anti Dither? How long do you have your system setup for recording? that don't matter really unless it is set up for full time recording as only thing that matters really is Anti Dither and Delay when it comes to the motion recordings?

Now I have to go delete 100gigs of recordings from that camera just from yesterday to today lol
Here to help the best I can.
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dm33
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Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:37 pm

Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by dm33 »

I discovered on the failing camera, that setting video resolution of the camera to any value less than 8mp would make snapshots work properly.

Support recommended returning the failing camera and getting a replacement. The replacement arrived today, I've imported the same configuration and is working great. No issues. So it does look like there was something defective in the camera.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by Revo2Maxx »

I am glad to hear that you were Able to get a New camera fast and things setup to get it working for you... Thanks for the update as it might help others with the same issue
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SlippyTippy
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Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2022 9:41 am

Re: Problem: FTP upload snapshot

Post by SlippyTippy »

I am experiencing a similar issue with my two IP8M-T2499E saving snapshots to an FTP server. With quality set to 6 for snapshots, it only works when IR is active and sometimes randomly during the day. Setting quality to 5 improves reliability during the day but it will miss snapshots. I believe I have discovered that any snapshot over 2mb doesn't get sent to the FTP server. At 5 quality setting I can see the file size grow as the image had more brightness and when it gets to the around the 2mb mark the snapshots stop until the image brightness comes back down. At 6 quality it seems any color image is over the 2mb limit so it only works with IR or if the ground is covered in snow. Not sure if the 2mb limit is a bug, feature, or limitation of the internal hardware.
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