It is possible to access your camera offline locally without the use of the internet. You will need the following items to make this possible:
- A router (POE Switch if your camera is POE)
- Ethernet cables
- IP Camera (w/power adapter, if applicable)
This method will bypass any Local Area Network completely. However, when using this method you will not be able to access the camera remotely, over LTE, or other remote networks.
Note: Any cameras powered by POE will need a POE switch or other related POE device to power the camera, otherwise a power adapter will be needed to power the device.
Wi-Fi Connection Method (Using Amcrest IP Config Tool)
Using the Amcrest IP Config tool is the preferred method in obtaining an IP address for your camera. An IP address is necessary to access the web UI for your camera even in offline status. To get the Amcrest IP Config tool, ensure you are online and click here
If you are using Mac and need to access the IP Config tool, click here
After you have downloaded the IP Config tool, you can disconnect from the internet and proceed with the setup process. Please refer to the setup process below.
Step 1: Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet port of the camera to the router. Make sure the router and camera are turned on. Then, go to your computer. If you have a Wi-Fi router, locate and connect to the SSID for the router. You will notice that no internet is present.
Step 2: Open the Amcrest IP Config tool and allow the software to automatically locate the IP address for your camera.
Step 3: Open a web browser, preferably Internet Explorer, and type in the IP address for your camera to load the web UI.
Step 4: Log in to the web UI with the login credentials for your camera and enjoy.
Direct Connection Method (Using Amcrest IP Config Tool)
Step 1: Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet port of the camera to the router. Then, connect an Ethernet cable from the computer directly to the same router. Make sure the router and camera are turned on.
Step 2: Open the Amcrest IP Config tool and allow the software to locate the IP address for your camera.
Step 3: Open a web browser, preferably Internet Explorer, and type in the IP address for your camera to load the web UI.
Step 4: Log in to the web UI with the login credentials for your camera and enjoy.
Wi-Fi Connection Method (Not Using the Amcrest IP Config Tool)
If you do not want to hook your computer to the internet to download the config tool, or would prefer to not use the software please follow the steps below to access your camera offline.
Step 1: Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet port of the camera to the router. Make sure the router and camera are turned on. Then, go to your computer. If you have a Wi-Fi router, locate and connect to the SSID for the router. You will notice that no internet is present.
Step 2: Open the command prompt on your computer. The easiest way to access the command prompt would be to click Start and search "cmd".
Step 3: Type "ipconfig" and press enter. Locate the Default Gateway for your router. The Default Gateway address is what we will use to log into your router and find the IP address for your camera.
Step 4: Open a web browser (preferably Internet Explorer) and enter the Default Gateway's IP address into the browser. Enter the login credentials for your router and click "OK" to log in.
Note: In this example, we are using a Netgear N600 router. This process may vary based on the manufacturer of the router. For more information on how to log into your specific router, please consult the user manual for your router.
Step 5: Inside your router, you will notice that no internet is connected to the router. Locate the connected devices section for your router and click on it to access the attached devices menu.
Step 6: Locate the IP address of your camera. You can verify this is the IP address for your camera by verifying the serial number (Device Name) in the related field. For more information on how to locate the serial number for your device, click here
Step 7: Type in the IP address for your camera into a web browser (preferably Internet Explorer) and press enter. The web UI will load. Type in the login credentials for your camera (if this is your first time accessing your camera the username and password will be admin) and click Login.
Direct Connection Method (Not Using the Amcrest IP Config Tool)
The same concept applies if you have a direct connection to your computer using an Ethernet cable. The only difference is you will not have to access the SSID for your router since you will not be using a Wi-Fi connection.
Step 1: Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet port of the camera to the router. Then, connect an Ethernet cable from your computer to the same router. Make sure the router and camera are turned on.
Step 2: Open the command prompt on your computer. The easiest way to access the command prompt would be to click Start and search "cmd".
Step 3: Type "ipconfig" and press enter. Locate the Default Gateway for your router. The Default Gateway address is what we will use to log into your router and find the IP address for your camera.
Step 4: Open a web browser (preferably Internet Explorer) and enter the Default Gateway's IP address into the browser. Enter the login credentials for your router and click "OK" to log in.
Note: In this example, we are using a Netgear N600 router. This process may vary based on the manufacturer of the router. For more information on how to log into your specific router, please consult the user manual for your router.
Step 5: Inside your router, you will notice that no internet is connected to the router. Locate the connected devices section for your router and click on it to access the attached devices menu.
Step 6: Locate the IP address of your camera. You can verify this is the IP address for your camera by verifying the serial number (Device Name) in the related field. For more information on how to locate the serial number for your device, click here
Step 7: Type in the IP address for your camera into a web browser (preferably Internet Explorer) and press enter. The web UI will load. Type in the login credentials for your camera (if this is your first time accessing your camera the username and password will be admin) and click Login.
Accessing the Offline Camera using Amcrest View Pro.
If you would like to use the Amcrest View Pro app to access the offline camera you can. However, please keep in mind, you will not be able to access the camera remotely, over LTE, or other remote networks, and will need to be connected to the same local Wi-Fi network to access the camera.
Additionally, you will need to add your device as a DDNS connection, so you will need the IP address of your camera to proceed. For more information on how to get the IP address for your camera, please refer to steps 2 - 6 for more details.
Step 1: Connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet port of the camera to the router. Make sure the router and camera are turned on. Then, go to your mobile device and connect to the SSID of the router that the camera is on.
Note: The SSID will show no internet is available for your router since it is not connected to the internet.
Step 2: Open the Amcrest View Pro app and tap on the (+) symbol in the middle of the screen. Then, click on Add Device.
Step 3: Tap on Wi-Fi camera, then tap on the "Add Connected Device" menu. Tap on IP/Domain/DDNS to begin adding your camera.
Step 4: Type in the IP address for your camera into the IP/Domain/DDNS field. Leave the port number as 3777 if it is not port forwarded already. Tap "Next" to continue.
Step 5: Give your camera a name and then type in the username and password for your camera. If this is your first time logging into the camera the username and password will be admin. Tap on Start Live View to view the camera.
You can now view your offline camera locally using the Amcrest View Pro app. Please remember, you will not be able to view your camera remotely or use features such as SMTP (Email Alerts) or other features that require an internet connection.
Comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.