NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

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bryeartem
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Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:44 am

NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

Post by bryeartem »

So I'm looking for a little advice/suggestions on what to try next. My NV4216E-AI has frozen randomly 3 times. When it gets to that state I can still ping it but the web interface won't load, the image on the screen is frozen, button presses do nothing, remote API commands do not work (tried rebooting via API) so I have no choice but to flick the power switch.
I had a 2TB and 4TB HDD installed but recently switched the 2TB for an 8TB (all WD Purples). My first thought was that when it filled the new drive it got confused as some of the data was split between the old a new drive in an inconsistent manner (I was using a single HDD group). It has always been set to automatically delete when full. I thought in order to clear things up I could reformat both drives *using the NVR, so I did that and I ran fine again until the new drive was full. (that's as far as I can notice when checking after hard rebooting) So my next attempt involved formatting and splitting the drives into 2 HDD Groups and balanced the load of cameras based on the size of the drives so they would hold approximately the same number of days... it then froze again. I have since switched back to a single HDD group since it didn't seem to help
The unfortunate thing is I had made a few changes to my system within a couple days, the new 8TB HD, swapped out an IP2M-843EB for a IP8M-2496E, changed the recording frequency for a few cameras that were on MD only to 24HR (now that I had more space) and also changed an HDMI cable because our TV was moved. Also a different surge protector is now powering the NVR. So with all these changes happening close together it's hard to think for sure its the drive.
The HDD test/detect all shows as fine and detects no bad sectors on either drive. Last night when it happened I finally I thought to look at the logs and saw nothing overly suspicious. There was a "shutdown" command listed for the time I cycled power which had the approximate time I thought it froze in bracket in the info field, unfortunately it was late and I didn't think to export it or save it and now I can't bring back yesterdays logs. I also noticed quite of few connections and disconnections from my Home Assistant instance so I disabled the software in case the extra connections were causing the issue (but doubtful as that has been like that for months with no issues). Also last night I decided to stop all recording and format them with recording stopped so I wasn't trying to save data while formatting to give me a fresh start. So now I wait to see what happens when the drives fill up again. I believe last night both drives were full and it should have been deleting old data (it was on 2HDD groups evenly filling both drives at same time). Aside from putting the old 2TB drive back in and waiting for everything to fill up again I'm not sure what else to try.
I'm hoping maybe someone has had similar issues before and could give me some suggestions.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

Post by Revo2Maxx »

IF I had to guess it is an Drive issue. I personally have 2 drives in mine a 6tb and a 4tb. However I don't try anything fancy I just record the most important info to the newest of the 2 drives and I do all the Snapshots and less important cameras on the second drive.

I haven't had any issues that you mention in your post.

About the Logs I will admit I think they are driven by the HDD. So if you have taken the drive in and out and or changed around things then it can make you loose logs even without clearing them..

So in the HDD Manager under Storage, you have drive 1 and drive 2 listed in my case oddly sda and sdc. I normally Format mine at the same time to keep things going smooth.
In Advanced you can see both device names and you can set what is group 1 and group 2. Then in the top there is main stream, Sub Stream and Snapshots there is where you can choose what HDD you want the system to record what type of recording.

Keep in mind also that if you have under Record setup to Manual on Sub Stream1 on any or all channels on your page them cameras will record full time so if you say choose all channels to be setup for Manual then it will record full time even if you have in your schedule to only Record Motion (Fills up a HDD fast) Also keep in mind that some I can't remember now if my 4216E-AI NVR was same or not but most my NVR's came factory fresh with full time recording and full time snapshots and if that isn't changed can fill up a HDD fast too..


Also don't setup your weekly or however long to delete old files it don't work and your HDD still fills up and your device will error out.. Let me be clear on this.. Lets say you choose to Delete old files after 14 days. When you look at the footage (Space) in the HDD after that 14 days that space is not recovered and only thing it does is remove the footage from your ability to play it back..

Between DVR's and NVR's I have had more issues with NVR's HDD running when I leave them un attended. I have had DVR's running for 2 years without having access to the device (Remote location no internet) the DVR had no issue recording constant over old footage, However same type setup with a 4116E-HS and 5 days after the HDD in logs showed it was full the NVR crashes with Error to HDD.. That was because I made a mistake before going on 2 weeks vacation and didn't format the HDD.. I have tested this theory and again it still is same way.. If I keep track of the space on the 4tb HDD and it never gets full longer then a day it is fine as long as I keep the HDD not full over that 1 day.. No Errors on the 4tb HDD and I have had it in service since 2018 However if I let it get full and a day or 2 after the first time it reports full in Logs 2 or 3 days at most later it will error out and stop recording then it will only work if you have it setup to Reboot however if no reboot it won't even stay online without acting like yours.. I have not let my 4216E-AI get that way. That is my Main constant NVR. Sometimes don't even let my HDD's get close to full before I format them 1 4tb and 1 6tb. Also do the same day so my footage can playback to same start date for all cameras no matter what hdd I am recording them too..
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bryeartem
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Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:44 am

Re: NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

Post by bryeartem »

Thank you for all that helpful information. I'm debating how to proceed... whether I wait to see what happens in a week or two or try maybe similar to how yours is setup and do all video on the 8TB and just snapshots on the 4TB (I had snapshots off for longest time and just recently turned them back on a couple cameras but I was considering having it on for all again)... Also I used to have auto-reboot turned on and I can't remember exactly why I turned it off but maybe I should have it reboot every week or so..
one other random thought I had was the positions.. not that it should really matter but currently the bigger HDD is in position 2, I could have swore I switched them when installing the drive so the new one was position 1. Maybe worth opening up and possibly swapping positions just for an excuse to verify that everything it tight. Although I would assume a loose cable would give me more issues than what I am having.
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Once you make the setting changes for what you want to what HDD that is all there needs to be from then on it is just playback like you normally would. So take for instance. 4 Full time Recording going to main drive along with some other IVS or Motion use. I then have all snapshots going to the other drive with some less critical footage..

When I go to playback I only do search for the footage type and the machine will without any info from me take the data from the right HDD where it is stored. I mean I have a 12 year old DVR where you had to choose what HDD you wanted the footage from that isn't the case with the 4216E-AI and I am sure other Amcrest Multi Drive systems...

1 Last thing I thought I would mention as well. The 2496EW-V2 and not sure if yours is first or second gen however with mine it don't like to play nice with the 4216E-AI when it comes to snapshots.. What is strange I don't have the same issue when it comes to my 2108E-HS, 4108-HS or my 4116E-HS NVR's they will record the snapshots just as I ask from the recorder. 4216 some reason don't..

Thought I would ask, Are you using the 4 built in IVS rules for non AI cameras? For me it is one of the greatest benefits to the recorder..
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bryeartem
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:44 am

Re: NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

Post by bryeartem »

I’m only using one IVS cross line rule for my porch light.. i had a docker container that watched the alerts and sends them to home assistant over MQTT.. (it’s off now to reduce extra connections)
That worked pretty reliably.. the built in AI was nice but I never really got it fine-tuned and had some issues with false detections in the background (you may remember as it think you responded to that post while back)
I ended up getting a Google coral and use Frigate with Home Assistant for all of my person detection. Although I do need to have another look at the face detection because my hope was to get that working to send face images. Either way my Amcrest stuff has been super reliable up to this point and I hate the thought of the cameras being useless and frozen when we actually need them.
As far as the camera recording I have 8 that should really be 24hr recording and another 2 that I had MD only that I wanted to be 24hr but was also trying to keep alot of days of video.. there is also another 2 onvif cams I don’t actually record just use to view… but anyway maybe I need to stop worrying about having so many days of video and get all the cams on the new drive and eliminate the old drive for now for troubleshooting, or try snapshots only for that one
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Revo2Maxx
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Re: NV4216E-AI Freezing/Unreponsive

Post by Revo2Maxx »

Ok so not sure why so many full time recordings but that is your right.. Can I give you an idea?

I would setup your system with MD on your 8 cameras. I would then in the Storage, Record area make sure that the Sub Channel 1 is checked for Manual and here is why..

Full time Recording of the Main Stream will take loads of space on your HDD and have fewer days. However the cameras setup for Full time Recording by doing what I said with Sub 1 you will have lower res full time recording that you can refer to if you needed because some thing that might have been missed in the MD.. Also I record all my Mic cameras this way just so I have full time audio as the footage I don't need as much detail if there was something that needs to be heard before or after an event..

Just an idea
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