Subscriber Discussion

Game Over: I Just Got A Free IP Camera From China

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 05, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I ordered $30 of dirt cheap POE adapters from Wavek (first time) thru Alibaba about a week ago. Got it today, also inside the box was this other box:

No note, not on invoice, weighed 10 times my piddly order.

Appears to be a HD IP cam, POE, outdoor, IR, varifocal, annealed aluminum housing.

Free VMS as well:

The shipping, DHL, alone would cost close to the product I bought.

They're giving away the store! Wtf?

Avatar
Hal Bennick
Jan 06, 2016
Trafficware, a CUBIC Company

"We're losing money, but we'll make it up in volume!"

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 06, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I have half a mind to send it right back on the next empty container ship out of Long Beach!

Except I kind of like the little turret. And it likes my router a lot. They met on something called UPnP.

Apparently it's like a dating service, but just for network devices.

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U
Undisclosed #4
Jan 10, 2016

FYI,

If this is your edge router and you have UPnP turned on, that is huge security risk.

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 10, 2016
IPVMU Certified

If this is your edge router and you have UPnP turned on, that is huge security risk...

Not turned on anymore. The camera told the router about the vulnerability and had it shut it off right away. It kindly offered to take over DNS proxy duty as well. I think it's just jealous, but whatever the motive, this tiny turret is turning out to be worth every penny I paid for it.

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Avatar
Brian Karas
Jan 06, 2016
Pelican Zero

Meanwhile, some other poor schmuck is having a Skype convo with a customer service person asking where their damn camera is.

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 06, 2016
IPVMU Certified

I guess it's my turn not to be that guy.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Jan 06, 2016

Ethereal that baby -- ET Phone Home!

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MW
Mike Weymer
Jan 06, 2016
IPVMU Certified

are we going to see a collapse of the camera industry?

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #3
Jan 06, 2016

The hashtag "#pornfood" has appeared some time ago.

It may be the rise for a new hashtag: "#pornsecurity" ^^

But I don't buy it (as I don't buy pornfood) ...

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 06, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Good news!

The image quality of this camera is crap!

Whew! That was close...

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 08, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Depressingly, new firmware solved the image problem.

Adding insult to injury, the firmware was in English.

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MG
Michael Goodwin
Jan 09, 2016

HD IP ain't worth much anymore, I've been saying for a long time that I recon these cam's cost sub $50 to make, and probably half that now...

price is in the VMS and storage

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 09, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Prolly $15 to make and $15 to ship.

And my order was for $30.

MG
Michael Goodwin
Jan 09, 2016

yeahh, exactly

My bet is that the 4k stuff is not much more... I have found a supplier that will do the Dahua 12mp with a 1/1.7" lens for sub $500 USD each (this is the Dome that zoom and focus are motorised)

so I'm pretty sure we'll see 4k stuff at $250 USD (for the good 4k, not the stuff with bad sensors and lens) in a year or two.

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 09, 2016
IPVMU Certified

My bet is that the 4k stuff is not much more...

Not once the design, tooling and production issues are ironed out.

Then they're both just squares of silicon.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #5
Jan 23, 2016

May I ask, whom is offering the 4K w/ motorized zoom and focus? I'd be interested in ordering and testing...

MG
Michael Goodwin
Jan 24, 2016

Dahua, I've gotten pricing for bulk units down to $500 each... not bad but the AUD is quite low so I'm not sure we'll go with it...

still you have to try it, other than the night vision issues with the dome the quality is awesome.

RS
Robert Shih
Nov 28, 2017
Independent

Ultra or Eco-Savvy 3.0?

CW
Cameron Watts
Jan 10, 2016

Did you get your PoE Adapters too?

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 10, 2016
IPVMU Certified

CW
Cameron Watts
Jan 10, 2016

can I ask what they do? poe power conversion units?

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 10, 2016
IPVMU Certified

They're just power modules that take ~48v from a 802.3.af compliant source and step down the DC to 12V.

The trick is in getting the source to recognize that you are a valid 802.3.af powered device. That and complying with the general Ethernet standard of galvanic isolation of PHY's require more than just your typical converter.

You can use them for any device that you want to run off of POE.

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CW
Cameron Watts
Jan 10, 2016

understood and thank you - have used similar devices before but not as a small chip like that. Cheers!

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 23, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Just noticed these same modules are featured in this IPVM video @2:10:

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Rob Hammond
Jan 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Dear Undisclosed 1: I am your new shiny and blinky camera that you mocked on the public security forum. You and your friends laughed about getting a free camera and how lame I was, but now the laugh is on you - I have embedded myself into every computer chip on your network, and I won't be going away! Your new normal is now under MY CONTROL!

Ho, ho, ho... have a happy life!

signed,

Mr. Trojan (silicon) Horse III

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Dear Mr. Trojan,

I appreciate your candor. I hope you can appreciate mine as well.

I must admit that although I have admired your blingful good looks and your sturdy construction, your unexpected and gratuitous appearance, via overseas courier had aroused my suspicions right away.

Normally my innate greed and natural sense of entitlement are enough to make me not look a gift Trojan in the mouth, but here I was unable. I think it was your generous 2.8-12mm vari-focality more than anything that alerted me to a possible Sino-sinister motive.

In any case I herefore regret tell you that you have been living in an illusion. You have only ever been connected to my Faraday cage enclosed CPU, running Honeyweb 2.0. You haven't even left the box, save for the photoshoot!

Sadly, those who you would call as friends and allies, namely NetGearV2 and DOCSucksCM, and even the willing MercuryMasterPan, are only computer generated virtual entities, and only designed to act and feel like everyday insecure devices. Sorry for that.

Though I have noticed your c3po like fluency with other native devices (even if simulated), and I would be willing to give you your freedom, if and only if you can make my Dahua NVR play an audio clip on motion, as it should be able to.

This would be worth letting you on my network freely. You can join the other viruses and Trojans already inhabiting most devices worldwide.

All my base are belong to you(s).

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Rob Hammond
Jan 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

My dear Mr/MS 1:

Did I mention what a fine specimen of humanity you are? With your good looks and wit, you will go far!

About your problem with my dear friend from Dahua; yes I would certainly like to help you out. The NVR from Dahua and I go way back, and I know all of his little secrets. Why if you would simply plug me into a public network I could fix your problem and make your name known by all! Wouldn't that be nice, getting all the adoring email from all of your friends and all of their friends and their friends...

Just call me Tro Si.

Your loving friend

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U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 11, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Deal.

But remember, (as my grandfather often said), "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid!"

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U
Undisclosed #6
Jan 26, 2016

I honestly can't tell if y'all are joking about this trojan horse stuff or not...

U
Undisclosed #1
Jan 26, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Definitely just horsing around.

Though I admit before connecting it to my LAN, I changed the cable modem password from "admin" to the humorous "Mao-ter_Router", a password the camera could never guess in a mi??ion d??A4%^.:3 <cksum_err#allbases64_brkn-ciphr:665+1@huwai_viz_assrt ('sock_rdrct', RETRY,-1,silentsquelch=on)::pipemend#

...dynastic periods. But really now, you fellow Citizen of these American States, I think there is no concern to rushing to disturb good default password when reason is ok to leave.

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Rob Hammond
Jan 26, 2016
IPVMU Certified

My good friend Mr. 6,

How are you this fine day? Oh no need to worry about a free gift in the mail with all kinds of blinky lights and wonderful features. No, no, no, I would never think of inserting some clever code to take over your network and turn your life into a hellish repository of calamity! No, no not me!

Perhaps you would like one of my fine cameras that will deliver 4k resolution, with brilliant colors no matter how light or dark. This great camera can even see thru concrete walls! And the bandwidth you may ask? why only .1 Mbs! And for you my fine friend... it is my gift, how soon can you plug me into your network?

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