Advice setting up IP security cameras with FreeNAS

[eddie200112]

Hi, I would like to install a couple of wired POE IP security cameras in my garage and shed. I would like to be able to record to the FreeNAS and ideally have the data auto delete and write over itself every couple of days. Is there stuff out there already to do this? I haven't ordered any cameras are there specific ones that might work best with FreeNAS?
thanks!

 

[Scareh]

well you can use any IP camera that writes it's data to a share tbh.

About the overwriting/auto delete stuff, i'm sure its possible with a script or 2, but i'm sure someone more experienced will chime in soon.

I've been using a verry old usb webcam in combination with a raspberry pi to catch stuff happening in my garage. It starts to film when it detects movement and just writes its "movie" to a share on the FreeNAS disks. Didn't bother with auto deleting, because i like to keep an eye on things there.

 

[danb35]

Cameras that you can configure to write to a share are one option--in that case, there's no need for any software running on the server. Another option would be something like Zoneminder--a search around here will find some threads describing the installation process. I have it installed in an Ubuntu VM on my FreeNAS server. Of course, if you're going to use a VM, you can run pretty much any OS you want, and there's lots of software out there for Windows.

I'm not aware of camera monitoring software that runs well under native FreeNAS/FreeBSD. There's a package for Zoneminder, but it's pretty out of date.

 

[eddie200112]

OK so I finally bought a camera to try out. The Trendnet TV-IP320PI. It is working but im having trouble getting it to record to the FreeNAS. I think im just not entering the correct directory path. My volume is called "Ravenrock". I right now have tried "\\FREENAS\SecSys" . or does it need to be something like /mnt/Ravenrock/SecSys or something else.. Thanks!

 

[Darren Myers]

How are you configuring this? Through the camera software? You could try mapping the drive to the computer the software runs on and then point it to there, or if its a full web bases GUI of where to save the video files then err....maybe permissions issue? Or you could try \\<FreeNAS IP>\SecSys

 

[eddie200112]

Yes im trying to set it up using its Web GUI. Thanks ill give the IP address a try when I get home.

 

[eddie200112]

These are the options I have. in picture

 

[Darren Myers]

Mhmmmm so i would put in \\<IP ADDRESS>\ and then put in the share name , id also check the CIFS permissions and all. i would try a different combination

 

[eddie200112]

what would the share name be so for example \\192.xxx.x.x\Security\
or would I have to include the volume name in there before the folder? or even "smb://" etc?

 

[Darren Myers]

Thats a good question, i would put in \\192.xxx.xxx.xxx\ and then in the share name put in the share then folder. So for example my FreeNAS is \\172.0.0.10\ so if it was me i would do IP \\172.0.0.10\ then share \Internal\Security . Internal is my shared volume and Security is the folder within that.

You could check to see if you have it right on a windows PC or mac by going to \\IP ADDRESS\ and then navigate to the folder from there. if your FreeNAS displays \\IP ADDRESS\Security then that is what id put "\Security". If it comes up as \\IP ADDRESS\Pool1\Security id put in "\Pool1\Security"

 

[eddie200112]

These are the settings I have on the share in FREENAS 192.168.0.188 is the cameras IP I put that in the host to allow box but didn't help

 

[rogerh]

For what it is worth, I have a no-name IP camera (purchased from Maplin, which will mean something (not particularly good) to UK inhabitants) which is supposed to use 'shares' (protocol unspecified) but won't recognise a FreeNAS CIFS share. It does work with FreeNAS FTP. I set up an FTP shared dataset in the GUI and the camera GUI accepts the IP address and the name of the shared dataset (with no additional path information) and uploads to it. It is supposed to overwrite files when the share is full, according to the manual, but in practice it doesn't and I have to prune the files when the dataset is full. YMMV!

Edit: I set FreeNAS to allow anonymous FTP, and the non-deletion could be a permission problem, but I can delete via anonymous FTP from other clients.

Edit2: This particular camera web GUI doesn't need any \ or /, just the IP address and share name in the relevant boxes.

 

[eddie200112]

I think from finding another post that I just have to enter the final folder /Security/ I now see an option to format the disk as it says its uninitialized while logged into the trendnet camera via IP. However it won't format or still create a file. I think it has to be a permission issue. The camera has an IP GUI with a username and pword, do you think I should change that to the same username and pword for my NAS?

 

[eddie200112]

these are the folder settings I have now

 

[yourmate]

I'd like to chip in the conversation to ask about the "security" side of things...

I have a pfSense router installed and all devices with "questionable" security measures are on a separate VLAN from my FreeNAS (TV, internet phone, etc). As I would also classify IP cameras as such did you think about a solution for this?

I am in the same boat - having my NVR system broken recently - but have not started with the project yet...

 

[yourmate]

(purchased from Maplin, which will mean something (not particularly good) to UK inhabitants)

The camera has an IP GUI with a username and pword, do you think I should change that to the same username and pword for my NAS?

I don't think that would help. That is - as you've said yourself - for the camera GUI.
Have you tried to access your dataset from a pc? W/ or w/o password and try to copy/delete stuff around?

Regarding the address issue: I had used \\nyx\media\ for access from the PC until I figured it wouldn't work with VPN - since then I use \\192.168.xxx.xxx\media everywhere and it just works

 

[tfran1990]

i have an amcrest camera and the way it "checks" to see if everything is working, it creates a folder inside the remote directory path then puts a test file inside of it then deletes everything. if it can do that then it passes the connection test. If it can't due to permissions then it will give an error saying saying right verification failed.

i think the reason for this is because that camera has a setting to delete old files. from what i can see the only permissions aloud with the ftp service is to Read,Write,Execute there is no delete option for directory...

EDIT if you check ch root that will allow you to do everything right?

 

[zznico]

I think from finding another post that I just have to enter the final folder /Security/ I now see an option to format the disk as it says its uninitialized while logged into the trendnet camera via IP. However it won't format or still create a file. I think it has to be a permission issue. The camera has an IP GUI with a username and pword, do you think I should change that to the same username and pword for my NAS?

could you share a screenshot of your configuration, please ?
It doesn't work with my camera.

Thanks for your help

 

[siconic]

So, a few things:

1. Why not just use Zoneminder, so much better, so much easier, and you can access it from the web.
2. Just making sure, but you are using either a POE switch, or a power injector, correct?
3. I have 5 cameras, and not all of them play nice with anything other than their web interface. The cheap Chinese ones for example, but Zoneminder can pick them up by doing the auto search function.
4. In order to use the CIFS shares with "smart/dumb" devices, you will likely need to check "allow guest access" and remove all the VFS objects. Not necesarrily safe, but its just a home network, so....

Or, like I said, just install Zoneminder. Its even a plugin in the newest version of Freenas 11.2. Then you don't have to worry about anything other than adding a mount point, adding your camera, and going about your day.