When using the SADP software to find my DVR's MAC address it only shows one entry which does not start with 'bc51fe'. The name of the device type is listed as DVR8-1500 so I assumed it is the correct device I am looking for. IVMS – For Windows and Mac, this includes SADP functionality but also is a full video management program to view cameras and playback footage. You can also edit the device setup via ‘remote configuration’.
How to Activate and View a Hikvision Camera on a Mac
Typically, support for surveillance cameras on a Mac is quite limited. Many manufacturers limit their camera's plugins to only work with Internet Explorer, and video management software is often not developed for or compatible with Mac OS. In the past, this has often been a problem for Mac users who either can't setup or view their cameras without a Windows PC which they might not have access to.
This problem was then further exacerbated by Hikvision's security firmware update, V5.3.0, which necessitated users activate their cameras before being able to configure or indeed access them at all. This wasn't possible on current versions of the Mac version of iVMS 4200.
Thankfully, starting from iVMS 4200 V1.02.02.02 (which you can grab from the Resources section of our Forum) this is now possible, and Mac users will be able to activate, configure and view their cameras without requiring a Windows PC at all.
The process is fairly straightforward and is covered below.
Downloading iVMS 4200 V1.02.02.02
We've recently uploaded a beta version of iVMS 4200 for Mac, V1.02.02.02, in the Resources section of our website linked above. We've had a chance to test and play with it on a Mac we have in the office, and it is currently the only version of iVMS that allows you to activate the cameras which, as previously mentioned, now come inactive.
You'll need this installed to proceed further.
Do keep in mind that whilst we've not encountered any bugs or issues, it is still a beta version and there might be a couple we're unaware of. We will keep the resource updated with future releases however, and it's highly unlikely that Hikvision would remove such key functionality in future updates so you shouldn't have to worry if the version number is different to what is mentioned in this guide.
Activating the Camera
Once you've installed iVMS 4200, you'll be greeted with the below. Users of the Windows version of iVMS 4200 will find it very familiar.
Navigate to Device Management, and then click on the Show Online Devices button.
In the list, look down the 'Safe Status' column. Any inactive devices will be listed as Inactive. In the below image, there's only one I wish to activate - a DS-2CD2142FWD-I. Once you've selected it in the list, click the Activate button.
A window like the one below will appear in which you'll be prompted to activate the camera with a strong password. It is highly recommended you set a 'Strong' password as defined by the device as this will eliminate any potential compatibility issues with other devices such as an NVR (we see this problem too often!).
Viewing your Hikvision Device
You can view your Hikvision camera or NVR in a few ways.
Now that you know the IP address of the activated device (see above), you can enter it into a web browser such as Safari or Firefox and connect to it this way. However, as we're already in iVMS 4200, we'll add your device and view it this way too.
Once again, in the same 'Show Online Devices' list as above, select the device you wish to add in the list and then click the Select Device button in the bottom right, indicated below. You'll be greeted with a confirmation window - select Yes.
Sadp Tool Windows 10
Tick Export To Group and then hit the Add button.
Viewing Your Camera
There's just a couple of easy steps after this point to view your camera. Go back to the Control Panel tab (the screen you're greeted with when you first open the application) and select Main View this time.
You should be greeted with a large blank grey screen and a column to the left which contains any groups of devices you might have set, such as External Cameras for example. In the column will be a folder with the same name as the nickname you set for the camera previously. Click it, and a dropdown menu will appear.
Your camera will be contained within. Select the camera from the list and hit play, or simply drag it from the list into the grey space to view a live feed. You can do this to view a number of cameras simultaneously.
You'll now be able to view and configure your cameras in the same manner as you would on a Windows machine, either via iVMS 4200 or through a web browser.
If you do bump into any issues along the way, please feel free to leave a reply and we'll try and help you out.
Update 24th June 2018
Please follow this link to a newer post with the latest Hikvision downloads for Mac users
Phil
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(link to latest version download at the end of the text)
- SADP is a basic software tool for finding Hikvision devices on your network
- It scans your network and looks for devices by MAC address - all manufacturers have a MAC address convention they can recognise as their own
- It will produce a table showing those devices
- One device per row in that table
- If you tick the box to the left of the row for any device, it will populate the fly-out at the right with the settings for that device - you can edit them there
- It allows you within that row to see lots of information about the device e.g. full serial number, current firmware version, IP addresses, etc
- By default SADP opens in a small pop-up view - you'll need to maximise it to full screen size to see all the info without a lot of sideways scrolling
- It is free to download - link at the bottom of this post
- Hikvision have now launched a new Mac version of SADP
- SADP stands for Search Active Devices Protocol
- It lets you activate and set a password for your Hikvision devices
- It lets you enter your router's IP address so that your device can join the network (Hikvision refer to your router as a 'gateway')
- It lets you either use DHCP to give your Hikvision device a valid IP address or set a fixed IP address of your choosing
- If you need to reset the password for a Hikvision device which does not have a physical reset button, then you will need to use SADP's 'forgot password' feature to export a file which you send to your supplier. They will in turn send this to Hikvision Technical Support and obtain a password reset file for you to import via SADP. Please note that when doing this - your device must remain powered-on from start to completion (the device's powered-on time is used as part of the security checks when resetting passwords) - click for our SADP password reset tutorial (NB - screengrabs are from an earlier software version)
- It will not show cameras which are directly connected to your NVR - only those devices on the same network as your PC (within the same domain range)
- The manual for this SADP software tool is attached below
- There's a video from our YouTube channel below that covers using SADP to find a Hikvision device on your network
Version V3.0.0.160 for Windows PC users:
HIKVISION UK PORTAL
Version V3.0.0.160 for Apple Mac users: