Swann camera dvr? Recommendation needed

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Silvrav

469 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#319041 16-Mar-2025 17:43

Hey all

Helping a friend who bought a house but never sorted the cameras out. See below photo of a spot in the house where I believe all external camera cables run to. There is also a hdmi cable that I assume runs up into the TV outlet behind the TV.

It looks like there was a dvr here but the previous owners took it with. Any recommendations around what dvr to get? I assume will have to provide poe for the cameras?

richms

28168 posts

Uber Geek

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#3354423 16-Mar-2025 18:11

The cameras will have the password from the last user of them set on it, so you may be having to chase up the password reset procedure for the cameras.

They are probably nothing special so at that point a complete system replacement becomes viable. I would first of all get a POE switch there, see if you get link and put it on the network and run onvif device manager and see what it can find, assuming the cameras are onvif capable. I have not updated onvif device manager in years and its now looking like a sketchy download site to perhaps there is a more modern tool that is less questionable someone else can suggest.

Richard rich.ms

MarkM536

309 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3354632 17-Mar-2025 16:30

You are after an NVR - Network Video Recorder. Not DVR. Seen in your photo is Ethernet/network cables from the cameras.

Another Swann NVR is probably the best option. Buying a 3rd party NVR might have compatibility issues connecting the cameras and getting motion detection working. Swann is a cheap home user brand I wouldn't trust to have decent ONVIF compliance.

You will probably need to remove each Swann camera and perform a factory reset, they will have a password set on them. Then add to your new Swann NVR. Buy a Swann NVR with built in POE switch.

Or rip out all that Swann junk into the bin were it belongs. You've got cables ran and ready for a better quality system to be installed.

Side note: My guess is those coax RG6U cables might have been for Sky TV satellite, and/or a TV modulator connected in.

wired

187 posts

Master Geek

#3354641 17-Mar-2025 17:26

Agreed that you need a NVR rather than a DVR.

Having worked on Swann NVR equipment in the past, they never required passwords to be set on the cameras. Maybe because the cameras plugged directly into the NVR and did not connect to any LAN so weren’t accessible.

Silvrav

469 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#3354644 17-Mar-2025 17:44

Thanks everyone

wired:

Agreed that you need a NVR rather than a DVR.

Having worked on Swann NVR equipment in the past, they never required passwords to be set on the cameras. Maybe because the cameras plugged directly into the NVR and did not connect to any LAN so weren’t accessible.

Can I use a pc and swann software or must it be an nvr?

MarkM536

309 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3354647 17-Mar-2025 17:47

Silvrav:

Can I use a pc and swann software or must it be an nvr?

Maybe...? I don't know if Swann's software supports using it as a PC-NVR recorder.

If you do/can; make sure to have a proper CCTV rated HDD inside. E.g. WD Purple or Seagate Skyhawk. Otherwise you'll burn through hard drives as they record 24/7 at full drive capacity.