I've installed a IP3M-943 and it appears to be performing normally. I can access it through the Chrome app on my PC and the Android app on my phone. I am finding, however, that the camera's response to a request for a snapshot via http://<server>/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi[?channel=<ChannelNo>] (from the API manual) is very unreliable. I can get a snapshot probably 10% of the time this way, the other times it gives me http error 500.
Does anyone know why this might be happening? Firmware version reported by the camera is 2.420.AC00.26.R, build : 2016-08-31.
Retrieving snapshot via http works only sometimes
-
elocutionist
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:06 am
-
elocutionist
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:06 am
Re: Retrieving snapshot via http works only sometimes
Has anyone else tried this? It would be interesting to know if others with the same model & firmware can duplicate the issue or not.
Thanks!
Thanks!
-
elocutionist
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:06 am
Re: Retrieving snapshot via http works only sometimes --> Solved <--
Well after some trial and error I wanted to post my solution to this issue in case anyone else comes across the same problem. It turns out the camera was behaving per its settings, and I didn't realize how two functions are related.
What apparently happens when the snapshot.cgi command is called is the response (a JPEG image) is provided if a snapshot image is generated by the camera in the time period the browser waits for a response. The snapshot is generated on the schedule set in Camera/Video/Snapshot Interval setting. My trouble came about because I had set this interval to 60 seconds, so much of the time when snapshot.cgi was called no snapshot would be generated in the wait period of the command. Once I changed the interval to 5 seconds, I can reliably get a snapshot every time the cgi is called.
What apparently happens when the snapshot.cgi command is called is the response (a JPEG image) is provided if a snapshot image is generated by the camera in the time period the browser waits for a response. The snapshot is generated on the schedule set in Camera/Video/Snapshot Interval setting. My trouble came about because I had set this interval to 60 seconds, so much of the time when snapshot.cgi was called no snapshot would be generated in the wait period of the command. Once I changed the interval to 5 seconds, I can reliably get a snapshot every time the cgi is called.
Re: Retrieving snapshot via http works only sometimes
I am experiencing the same delay issue. I did set my interval to 1 second but I am still finding that even with a web interface on the same subnet as the camera, I have to wait 5-10 seconds before I can get a refresh. If anyone has any other suggestions for a fix, please post.
Re: Retrieving snapshot via http works only sometimes
I'm having very similar issues. When my security system senses a door opening or closing it takes a picture. Generally I can get one or the other image to retrieve.
If I open and close my door 3-4 times, the resulting 6-10 requests CRASH THE CAMERA and require me to walk down and unplug it and plug it back in.
Generally the timeline is as follows:
- First snapshot captures normally
- 2nd snapshot gives a "Bad Status Line" error and no image
- 4th+ attempts, result in "Bad Status Line" until the camera is no longer responsive, at which point I just get standard timeouts.
I have 5 D-link cameras that I used to think were really bad (failed to stay in full color, could not reliably use Samba shares, SSL impossible to apply) but Amcrest has given me a new perspective on what constitutes garbage hardware.
If I open and close my door 3-4 times, the resulting 6-10 requests CRASH THE CAMERA and require me to walk down and unplug it and plug it back in.
Generally the timeline is as follows:
- First snapshot captures normally
- 2nd snapshot gives a "Bad Status Line" error and no image
- 4th+ attempts, result in "Bad Status Line" until the camera is no longer responsive, at which point I just get standard timeouts.
I have 5 D-link cameras that I used to think were really bad (failed to stay in full color, could not reliably use Samba shares, SSL impossible to apply) but Amcrest has given me a new perspective on what constitutes garbage hardware.