CCTV Manuals

How I Set Up Gmail SMTP Email on Hikvision NVRs, DVRs, and IP Cameras — Motion Detection Alerts Sent to Email

Configure Email SMTP Server on Hikvision NVR DVR IP Cameras

Currently, the email or SMTP server feature is not widely used because notifications from the Hikvision DVR can be received directly in the Hik-Connect app. The Hikvision DVR email feature is used to send information from the camera to a designated email address. If the camera detects motion, the DVR will send a notification to the designated email address with details such as Event Type, Event Time, DVR Name, DVR SN, Camera Name, or Channels, along with several images from the camera.

For those of you who still want to try out the email feature on the Hikvision DVR, you can read this guide I’ve written all the way through.

How I Installed macOS Monterey on a Unsupported Mac — Here’s How I Did It — A 2026 Guide Using OpenCore Legacy Patcher 2.4.1

How to Install macOS on an Unsupported Mac

After trying again and again, I finally managed to install macOS Monterey on my 2012 MacBook Pro, even though it’s not officially supported. It took me about 24 hours to get it working!. At first, I kept getting errors while creating the installer with OpenCore Legacy Patcher. I tried many times, but nothing worked. So, finally getting Monterey installed felt like a big achievement!

This is an article about my experience installing macOS Monterey on a 2012 MacBook Pro using the OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

Can the TP-Link Tapo Camera Use ONVIF and RTSP? Here’s How I Enabled Them

Tapo CCTV Cameras That Support ONVIF and RTSP

Which Tapo Cameras Support ONVIF and RTSP? If you’re considering a Tapo camera, you may be wondering whether it supports ONVIF or RTSP. These two protocols can be especially useful if you want to connect your Tapo camera to other devices or apps. ONVIF lets Tapo cameras work with recorders and apps from other brands, while RTSP lets you access the camera through media players like VLC and other apps that support the protocol.

Instead of spending time figuring out which Tapo CCTV camera models support ONVIF and RTSP, I’ve put together a complete list for you in this article.

How I Connect or Pairing the ORION Security Camera to WiFi and My Phone—A Complete Guide from Start to Finish

ORION is a security camera brand that’s better known in Australia, so it’s more popular there than in other countries. Personally, I see ORION as a local Australian security camera brand. It’s kind of like Bardi in Indonesia. Bardi is quite popular as a security camera brand in Indonesia, but it’s not as well known in other countries. You can monitor the cameras live and watch playback through the app. ORION also offers cameras for both indoor and outdoor use.

In this article, I’ll walk you through how to connect your ORION camera to Wi-Fi and your phone, step by step.

Installation Costs for Analog CCTV Cameras, IP Cameras, and WiFi Cameras in 2026—My Calculations as a Security Camera Technician

“How much does it cost to install a security camera?” This is one of the questions I often get from potential customers who message me on WhatsApp because they’re planning to install security cameras at home. Quite a few of them stop replying after I send them the price list. In my experience, people who ask for extremely detailed pricing are usually—probably 99 percent of the time—not going to reply after that. Some people also ask for the price simply to compare it with other options. But that’s totally fine with me. I’m still happy to help and provide them with the information they need.

In this article, I’ll explain how much it will cost to install security cameras in 2026, based on my experience.

My V380 Pro CCTV Camera Not Recording—When I Playback the Footage, It Says “No Recorded Files Found”—Here’s How I Fixed It Quickly

I wrote this article based on my experience when I received a call from a V380 Pro camera user. The customer explained that they were unable to play back recordings on their camera. They said that the V380 Pro camera had been installed a month ago, so it should have saved some recordings by now. However, when the customer tried to play back the recordings, the screen only displayed the message “No Recorded Files Found.” Why can’t the V380 Pro camera find the recordings?

In this article, you’ll find the reasons why recordings aren’t found on the V380 Pro camera and how to fix the problem.

EZVIZ C6N vs. TY1 vs. H6C: A Comparison After a Month of Use—Which One Is the Best?

TY1 Pro vs. C6N vs. H6c—These three cameras have identical designs. It’s hard to tell them apart—especially once they’re installed. The only differences between them are in the packaging and the app. As of 2026, based on the data I have, the EZVIZ TY1 series has the most models. The EZVIZ C6N has three models, the H6c has two models, and the TY1 has eight models. So, out of these three series, which one is the best?

In this article, I’ll explain the differences between the three based on my experience after using them for one month.

My EZVIZ Camera’s Color Night Vision is Not Working—Understand EZVIZ Camera Night Vision Modes to Fix It

Why is the image from my EZVIZ camera black and white at night? When I first installed an EZVIZ camera, I would always get questions from customers that same night asking, “Why is the night vision on my EZVIZ camera black and white? Shouldn’t it be in color?” So, not many customers yet understand the menus on EZVIZ cameras and the night vision modes available. EZVIZ cameras offer night vision modes that can be customized to meet customers’ needs.

To understand the EZVIZ camera’s night vision mode, I’ve written a comprehensive article on the topic. Please read it all the way through.

My V380 Pro CCTV Camera Won’t Connect to My Phone—It’s Stuck on “Connecting”—How Do I Fix V380 Pro CCTV Connection Problem?

V380 Pro CCTV Camera Stuck on Connecting Screen

On August 19, 2026, I received a call from one of my customers who uses a V380 Pro WiFi camera. The customer reported that the camera installed on the side of their house was malfunctioning—it wouldn’t open on their phone and was stuck on “connecting.” My customer suspected that the power cable was damaged, so they unplugged the camera from the power source before I arrived at their home to inspect it.

This article describes my experience fixing a V380 Pro camera that wouldn’t open on my phone and kept showing the “connecting” status.

Why Hikvision NVR and DVR Firmware Upgrading Failed? But I Downloaded It From the Official Website—How Do I Fix This?

I tried to upgrade the firmware on my Hikvision NVR and DVR, but it failed. An error message appears: “Upgrade failed. Firmware mismatches.” What should I do? Actually, you don’t need to update the firmware if all the DVR’s functions are still working normally. It’s very rare for a Hikvision DVR to malfunction. Generally, the most common issue with DVRs is that they fail to record. As a technician, I rarely perform firmware updates myself, unless a specific function on the DVR isn’t working or the DVR prompts me to update the firmware.

I’ve also had a firmware update fail before; in this post, I’ll explain what you can do if you encounter a failure during a Hikvision DVR firmware update.

The Dahua Pro Challenge 2026 Has Begun—Read the Terms and Conditions to Become the Champion

It’s started! Yes, Dahua is once again holding a competition called the Dahua Pro Challenge 2026. I’ve participated in this event before, but I haven’t won yet. The video I submitted didn’t get many views, so I didn’t win. The winner received the grand prize: a trip to Dahua’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China. The Dahua Pro Challenge is a program/competition created by Dahua Technology to recognize camera technicians who install Dahua products.

For those of you who would like to participate in this competition, please read the terms and conditions I’ve outlined below.