Sentinel VMS—a Self-Hosted VMS Security Camera for Mac, Linux, and Windows—How I Download, Install and Used It

How to Use a Self-Hosted Sentinel VMS

How to download, install, and use Sentinel VMS—Most security camera manufacturers offer their own VMS software, which is usually designed to work only with their cameras. For example, iVMS-4200 and HikCentral Lite are made for Hikvision cameras, while SmartPSS Lite is designed for Dahua cameras. But with Sentinel VMS, you can manage cameras from almost any security camera brand using a single platform.

In this article, I’ll walk you through Sentinel VMS and show you how to add a camera to it.

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I Tried Download, Install and Use the CameraFTP Software on Windows 10/11—Virtual NVR DVR Software for All Security Camera Brands

How to Use CameraFTP Software

Whenever I searched Google for security camera software, CameraFTP kept showing up in the results.

Seeing its name so often made me curious, so I decided to give it a try on my PC. According to its website, CameraFTP is a video surveillance system (VSS) that can work as a virtual NVR or DVR. This means you can connect your security cameras to CameraFTP. If your cameras support ONVIF and RTSP, you should be able to connect them to the software as well. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to use CameraFTP, from downloading and installing it to setting it up and adding your cameras.

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How I Find the Locations of Installed Flock Cameras Using MapQuest, FlockHopper, and DeFlock—Here’s How

How I View the Locations of Installed Flock Cameras

Flock cameras are cameras installed to monitor certain areas and read vehicle license plates.

The use of Flock cameras has become a pretty hot topic in many parts of the United States lately. A lot of people feel uncomfortable because they feel like they’re constantly being watched whenever they step outside their homes. On top of that, there are growing concerns about privacy and how their personal data is being protected. Flock cameras collect data that can be shared with various partner organizations, including law enforcement, police departments, government agencies, and other community organizations.

More than 140,000 Flock cameras have been installed across the United States.

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Does the Ring Camera Support ONVIF and Have an RTSP URL? Here’s Everything You Need to Know Before Buying a Ring Security Camera

Ring Camera ONVIF RTSP URL

If you’re planning to buy a security camera for your home, it’s always a good idea to check the technical specifications first.

This happened to someone who had just purchased a Ring security camera. They wanted to connect it to another device in their home, an NVR. They assumed that Ring cameras worked like regular IP cameras and could connect to devices from different brands. However, after trying to set it up, they discovered that the Ring camera wouldn’t connect to their NVR, so they couldn’t view its footage on the same monitor as their other cameras.

In this article, I’ll explain how Ring cameras work and why they can’t be connected to other devices.

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Holowits IP Camera Not Showing Up on the Monitor (NVR) and in the Jarvist Software — Here’s How I Fixed It in a Matter of Minutes

Holowits IP Camera Does Not Showing on the Monitor

As a security camera technician, I’m always open to working with companies that need my services.

Recently, I was contacted by a technology company called DataViz, which provides various tech solutions, including security cameras, LED displays, and HVAC systems. DataViz has clients all across Indonesia, so instead of sending their own technicians to every location, they prefer to work with local technicians to help reduce operational costs. It’s a great opportunity for me to collaborate with them and provide technical support whenever needed.

This is the story of how DataViz reached out to me to repair a security camera at one of their clients’ locations, Jamtos Mall, one of the biggest malls in my area.

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Do AOSU Security Cameras Support ONVIF and RTSP URL? Here’s What You Need to Know

AOSU Security Camera ONVIF RTSP URL

Before buying a security camera, make sure you understand its technical specifications.

This is especially important if you’re planning to use cameras from different brands and want to display all their video feeds on a single monitor through an NVR or DVR. In that case, you need to make sure the cameras you buy are compatible with third-party devices and software. Ideally, they should support integration with different brands of NVRs or security camera software, rather than working only with their own dedicated app.

In this article, I’ll explain whether AOSU cameras support ONVIF and RTSP.

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Apple Home Collection Security Camera: Where to Buy It and Everything You Need to Know

Apple Home Collection Smart Home

Competition in the home security market appears to be heating up. Apple, which we’ve long known as a provider of laptops, tablets, and smartphones, recently announced its smart home product line, called the Apple Home Collection. The collection includes products ranging from automatic door locks to video doorbells and security cameras that connect directly to the Apple Home app. All products will be available starting in December, while select accessories will be available in early 2027.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Apple Home Collection, including where to buy it and how to use it.

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Why Is Night Vision (IR) Not Working on My Hikvision Security Camera? Here Are a Few Ways to Fix It

Why My Security Camera's Night Vision Not Working

Causes and solutions when the night vision (IR) feature on a Hikvision camera isn’t working—Security cameras are practically useless without night vision. If the night vision feature on your Hikvision camera isn’t working, the video footage may appear too dark or blurry, making it difficult to see anything clearly. Therefore, if your security camera’s night vision feature stops working, you should fix the problem immediately.

Here, I’ll explain why a security camera’s night vision isn’t working and how to fix it quickly.

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CCTV Super Password App Download—How to Use It to Reset Security Camera Passwords for All Brands in Minutes

CCTV Super Password App Download

I’ve come across an app called CCTV Super Password that claims to reset passwords for various security camera brands in just a few minutes. Out of curiosity, I decided to give it a try myself. If it really works as claimed, I might no longer need to rely on multiple tools to reset forgotten passwords for security devices like NVRs, DVRs, and IP cameras.

In this article, I’ll walk you through how I used CCTV Super Password to reset the password on my Hikvision DVR.

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Differences Between Lorex Camera Series—For Example, the Lorex V Series vs. the U Series and Other Series

Planning to buy a Lorex camera but feeling overwhelmed by all the different series they offer?Don’t worry! In this article, I’ll walk you through each Lorex camera series to help you understand their differences and find the one that best suits your needs.

When you first visit the Lorex website, you’ll find several camera series to choose from. Honestly, I felt just as confused when I first explored the options, especially when trying to figure out which series would work best for my home or business. From what I’ve learned, Lorex offers six camera series, each with its own set of features and capabilities.

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