Subscriber Discussion

Is There A Way To Use Axis Camera Companion Without Internet Access?

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Scott Napier
Apr 15, 2015

I have a customer with two cameras and he wants to use the camera companion software. He has no internet access at this location and refuses to put this machine online (super sensitive business stuff on there). Is there any way to use that companion software without signing in to a MyAxis account?

U
Undisclosed #1
Apr 15, 2015
IPVMU Certified

Can he put just the install machine online briefly one-time, without even cameras?

The manual says you need to connect/create to a Myaxis account to complete the install only. There is a check box to enable/disable Myaxis access to uncheck.

After that it says that you need to connect to Myaxis only if you need Internet access.

They may have a way of e-mailing the install file for totally offline installs, I left a message to see.

TU
Tony Uhl
Apr 15, 2015

Very bad idea. We have learned the hard way on that. The Axis cameras keep poor time and without an NTP time server the cameras will show the wrong times and recordings will be off. Each AXIS camera time has to be set manually if there is no time server and the times slowly get off causing problems. We had to install a GPS time server as a last resort, but not worth the headache.

U
Undisclosed #1
Apr 15, 2015
IPVMU Certified

We had to install a GPS time server...

Was gonna try one of those, which one did you get/how much?

Each AXIS camera time has to be set manually if there is no time server...

Can the internal machine where the ACC client is installed provide time to the cameras? Of course it will drift also, but, IMHO they are way better than the cameras themselves. And the cameras would at least agree among themselves.

Then the onus would be on the end-user to keep the PC time set to the accuracy desired.

TU
Tony Uhl
Apr 15, 2015

We were not able to have them sync off of the PC, it would have been much better if we could.

I don't recall the time server that we used.

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Aaron Saks
Apr 15, 2015

Veracity has a PoE Powered NTP time server that uses GPS.

http://www.veracityglobal.com/products/networked-video-integration-devices/timenet.aspx

You can make any Windows PC act as a time server:

1. In the 'Services' window(part of Administrative Tools) Stop the 'Windows Time' service if already running. The 'Startup Type' should be set to Automatic.

2. In the Registry Editor following changes to be made under the Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time:

** Config -> AnnounceFlags = 5.

** HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer -> Enabled = 1.

3. Start the 'Windows Time' service in the 'Services' window(part of Administrative Tools).

(1)
MI
Matt Ion
May 10, 2015

"...refuses to put this machine online (super sensitive business stuff on there)"

I'm surprised nobody has suggested the obvious: get a separate machine for ACC that CAN be put online. A cheap $350 desktop machine should suffice.

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