How To Setup a Local FTP Server For Your Cameras In Windows 10

This article will demonstrate how to set an FTP server for your camera using Windows 10. For more information on how to perform the procedure please refer to the information provided below. 

Step 1: Create a folder for your files. In this example, we will be creating a folder labeled FTP-Folder on the desktop. 

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Step 2: Press the Windows key (mceclip0.png) and the R key and type cmd to access the command prompt. In the command prompt, type in ipconfig and press enter. Locate the IPv4 Address and Default gateway. We will need this information to set up the FTP server. 

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Step 3: Install and configure IIS. To do this, go to Control Panel and in the "View by" dropdown menu select "Small icons" and click on "Programs and Features".

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In the Programs and Features menu, click on" Turn Windows features on or off". In the Windows Features menu, scroll down and locate the Internet Information Services folder. Click on the (+) option to expand this folder. Locate the FTP Server folder and click on the (+) icon to expand this folder as well. 

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Click on the Internet Information Services checkbox to enable Internet Information Services, Web Management Tools, and World Wide Web Services. Also, click on FTP Server to enable the FTP Service folder. Ensure to enable the FTP Extensibility folder as well. Click OK to install the services. 

Once the services have completed installation, click on Close to close to complete the process. 

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Step 4: Now we will need to create a new site and configure it. Click on Control Panel Home in the upper left corner and click on Administrative Tools

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In the Administrative Tools menu, locate and click on the option for Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager. 

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In the IIS manager, expand the root menu and expand "Sites". This will display a default site that is already created however, we are going to create a new site for our FTP server. Right click on the Sites option and click on "Add FTP Site..."

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In the Site Information menu, enter a name for your FTP site, in this example, we are using "AmcrestFTP". After entering the name for your FTP site, click on the "..." icon in the Content Directory field to locate the created folder from Step 1. Click OK when finished. 

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Click "Next" to continue. 

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In the Binding and SSL Settings menu, click on the dropdown menu in the Binding section to select the IP address for your computer. The port number will remain as 21. Regarding SSL, in this example we will be selecting "No SSL" however, for security reasons, it is recommended to select "Require SSL". Click Next to continue. 

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In the Authentication and Authorization Information menu, click on the Basic checkbox located in the Authentication section. Next, click on the "Allow access to:" dropdown menu and select "Specified users". In the field below enter the Window's user name (the name that was created when you installed Windows, or the one you are currently using). Next, check the Read and Write checkboxes to set the read/write permissions. Click Finish when done.

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Note: Sometimes Windows can be buggy and not display the newly created site. the new site created should be displayed in the Sites menu as shown below. 

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If this happens, delete the created site and try again. The site will then be added to the Sites folder afterward. 

Step 5: Configure Windows Defender Firewall to allow FTP access. To do this, navigate back to the Control Panel and click on Windows Defender Firewall.

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In the Windows Defender Firewall menu, click on "Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall" 

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Click on Change Settings and scroll down until you see FTP Server. Enable the checkbox for FTP Server and make sure both the Private and Public check boxes are marked. Click OK when finished. 

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Note: To guarantee a proper connection, it is advisable to turn Windows Firewall off completely during initial installation. Windows Firewall can then be turned back on after installation however, please make sure the FTP server options (Private and Public) are enabled.

To disable Windows Firewall completely, click on "Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off" and turn each setting off. Click OK when done. and close out the menu.

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Step 6: Now that the Firewall is properly configured an FTP user needs to be created. To create an FTP user, click on Start mceclip0.png ) and then click on Settings (Screenshot__54_.png) icon to access Windows settings. In the Windows Settings menu click on Accounts.

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In the Accounts menu, select Family & other people from the left then select Add someone else to this PC from the right. 

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Click on "I don't have this person's sign-in information". 

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Click on, "Add a user without a Microsoft account". 

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Enter the user name for this PC, which in this example we are using "FTP-User". Create a password for this user and answer any security questions related to the account. When complete, click Next to continue. 

The new user will then be added into the Other people section of this menu. 

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Step 7: Navigate back to the IIS Manager menu and select the newly created site that was created on step 4 and click on FTP Authorization Rules

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The default Windows user will appear by default, right click on this menu to add a new user. To add a new user to this menu, click on Add Allow Rule ISS1.PNG

In the Add Allow Authorization Rule menu, click on "Specified users" and add the user we just created in step 6 (FTP-User). Make sure to enable the Read and Write permissions for this user. Click OK when done. 

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Step 8: Since the new user was created after the folder for the FTP was created the user will have to be added to the security settings of the folder. To do this, navigate the the FTP folder that was created in step 1 and right click on it and select Properties. 

In the properties menu, click on the Security tab and click on Edit

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In the Edit menu, click on Add and enter the FTP user name into this field. Click OK when finished. 

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 Make sure to click on Apply in the Permissions folder to save and apply the settings to the folder. Click OK when finished. Press OK again if necessary.

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Step 9:  Now that everything is configured properly on the computer side we will now need to configure everything on the camera side. To begin, open a web browser and log into the web user interface (web UI) for your camera. For more information on how to log into the Web UI for your device, click here.

Once inside the web UI, click on Setup>>Storage>>Destination. In the Path tab, select FTP from the checkbox menu and click Save.

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Next, click on the FTP tab to set up FTP settings. Enter the Server Address (local IP address of the computer), leave the Port number as 21, enter the Username and Password for the FTP server, and enter the Remote Directory folder information, which in this example was FTP-User. When finished click the Enable checkbox and Save to save the FTP settings to the camera. 

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Click on Test to test the connection. 

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Step 10: Now that everything is setup its time to access the FTP. To access the FTP, open a web browser and type in ftp://.. your local IP address for your computer and press enter. Type in the username and password for your FTP server and click Sign In.

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Once signed in you will be taken to an index folder for the FTP. You will notice the remote directory folder created in the Amcrest Web UI is visible. 

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To access recordings stored in the index, click on the remote directory folder and then click on the folder for your device. The folder will be designated as the S/N for your device. All recordings will be retained in the FTP according to date. To access the recordings, select the date of the folder you wish to access and click on the remaining folders to continue. You will be taken to all data listed for that day in the FTP. 

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