INTRODUCTION

Ensuring the correct date and time throughout your CCTV system is crucial for evidence gathering and recording. For a site with multiple recorders this may be challenging enough – let alone an IP system where most IP cameras have their own internal clock as well!

Vista’s Viper and IP cameras support Network Timesynchronisation Protocol (NTP) to help achieve time sync throughout your CCTV system.

DETERMINE YOUR SINGLE TIME SOURCE

If your Vipers have Internet access this may be easy – simply click and use the “Public” default menu option on each Viper to sync it to the Vista Internet Time Source – then manually set each IP camera to point to its recording Viper as it’s Time Source (topology below). You can also use your ISP’s nearest NTP Time Source if preferred; such as ntp.virginmedia.com etc.

An Internet NTP Single Time Source provides for maintenance-free time for your network – once setup.

Failing your Vipers having Internet access; consult with any local I.T. Department for an internal NTP Single Time Source they may have – obtain the IP address from them and confirm your Viper can PING this address! 

If even this is not available to you, and you have multiple Vipers, then choose one Viper to be the Single Time Source and point all the other Vipers to it. For this scenario you will of course need to manually change the time on the Single Time Source Viper if the CCTV system time starts to drift from Real Time!

Procedure to Set-up NVRs and Cameras

Follow the below procedures. For a DVR, there is no need to set-up IP cameras – unless you have set your Viper DVR into hybrid mode!

DVR\NVR Time-Sync

• Login to the DVR\NVR locally via a monitor and mouse as Admin.

• Right-click the mouse in the Live view, select [Setup] from the menu.

• The System tab is open as default; click on [Time / Date] in the left menu (fig 1.)

• Make sure to tick [Use] against Network Time Sync (fig 1.)

• Click the down-arrow on [Public] and set as required(fig 1.);

  • [Public] - if Viper has Internet access and you want to use Viper Internet Time Source (easiest)

  • [User Defined] – if you want to set to your ISP’s NTP Internet server, or internal IT Dept. NTP server.

• If [User Defined] selected; enter name or IP address of NTP source i.e. ntp.virginmedia.com or an internal IP address (fig 2.)

• Click and set you Time Zone and enable DST automatic daylight saving hours if in the UK

• Next click [Sync. Now] (fig 2.)

  
  

Fig 1

Fig 2

• Click to acknowledge the “Playback Time” warning (fig 3.)

• Confirm “Success” status is returned to confirm the NVR has synced its time to the chosen Single Time Source (fig 4.)!

Fig 3

Fig 4

VK2 IP Camera Time-sync

You will need to connect a laptop’s network cable to a spare PoE port on the Viper NVR and to have previously installed Vista’s SmartManager application to search for Vista IP cameras and configure them. Make sure the laptop’s IP address is set as DHCP!

Double-click the icon for Vista SmartManager and run it - within approximately 15 seconds all cameras on this Viper’s PoE network should be discovered (example over page). Note the NVR’s PoE IP address (192.168.30.1 default) – you’ll set this IP address as the time source on all the discovered IP cameras!

Fig 5

• Right-click on the camera at the top of the list and select [Remote Setup] from the menu (fig 6.)

• Click the [Date / Time] menu (fig 7) and copy the dialogue box example below (fig 7.); setting options Time Zone > Automatic Daylight > Synchronise with NTP > Date Format then click [Save]

Fig 6

Fig 7

• Repeat the procedure for the remaining cameras on this NVR.

This completes the procedure for this NVR and it’s cameras. Repeat on the remaining NVRs in your system.