Annke RTSP and ONVIF setup

Most current Annke IP cameras run firmware based on Hikvision’s, so their stream addresses and ONVIF settings match Hikvision’s. If the web interface looks like the Hikvision one, this guide applies.

At a glance

Replace USERNAME, PASSWORD, and CAMERA-IP with your own. The main stream is the full-resolution one to record; the sub stream is a lighter copy for small previews. Some older Annke cameras use /h264/ch1/main/av_stream and /h264/ch1/sub/av_stream instead.

Before you start

• Give the camera a fixed IP address with a DHCP reservation on your router, so its stream address never changes.
• Use a strong password, but avoid @, :, /, and #. They have special meanings in stream addresses, and some cameras mishandle them.
• Update the camera’s firmware. Menu names differ between firmware versions and models, so treat the ones below as a guide to where to look.

Turn on RTSP and ONVIF

1. Open the camera’s web interface at its IP address and sign in as admin.
2. Go to Configuration › Network › Advanced Settings › Integration Protocol and enable ONVIF.
3. On the same page, add an ONVIF user with the Administrator or Operator level.
4. Save.

Turn on motion events

1. Go to Configuration › Event › Basic Event › Motion Detection, enable it, and draw the detection area.
2. On the Linkage Method tab, tick Notify Surveillance Center, or the similarly named option, so the camera sends motion events over ONVIF.

Add the camera to Loki Eye

1. Add the camera in Loki Eye with its main stream address from the table above. Loki Eye probes the stream to check that it plays.
2. Enter the ONVIF port so motion events can reach the recorder. Loki Eye tests the port as you add the camera.
3. Choose continuous recording, or recording on motion with pre-roll and post-roll.

Things to know about Annke cameras

• Annke battery and app-only Wi-Fi cameras, set up only through the Annke Vision app, may not offer RTSP.
• Annke has sold cameras on more than one platform. If the web interface does not look like Hikvision’s, the stream address will differ; ONVIF Device Manager can read the right one from the camera.
• The Hikvision guide covers H.264+ and RTSP authentication, which apply here too.

If it does not work

• The stream will not open. Try the same address in VLC, under Media › Open Network Stream. If VLC cannot play it either, the problem is on the camera: RTSP switched off, the wrong port, or the wrong password.
• You are not sure of the stream address. ONVIF Device Manager, a free Windows tool, finds cameras on your network and shows their stream addresses.
• The stream drops when another app is watching. Cameras accept only a few stream connections at once. Close other viewers, or point them at the sub stream.
• No motion events arrive. Check that motion detection is on in the camera, that the ONVIF port is right, and that the camera clock is correct. ONVIF requests carry a timestamp, and a camera whose clock is minutes off can refuse them. Setting the camera to sync with an NTP time server fixes this for good.