How to Connect ONVIF-Conformant IP Cameras to a Lorex U Series NVR

This article explains how to connect compatible ONVIF-conformant IP cameras to a Lorex U Series NVR using the ONVIF protocol.

SETUP STEPS

1. Prepare the NVR and Camera
2. Connect the Camera and Check Its Status
3. If It Doesn’t Connect: Set Up the Camera
4. Reconnect the Camera to the NVR
5. Confirm Live View and Recording

Prepare the NVR and Camera

Set up the U Series NVR before connecting the camera:

1. Connect the NVR to a monitor using the included HDMI cable.
2. Connect the included USB mouse to a USB port on the NVR.
3. Connect the NVR’s LAN port to your router using the included Ethernet cable.
4. Connect the power cord to the power adapter, connect the adapter’s DC connector to the NVR’s power port, and then plug the power cord into a power outlet.
5. Turn on the NVR by setting the power switch to the ON position.
6. Complete the Setup Wizard and confirm that you can access Live View.
7. Confirm that an unused PoE port is available on the back of the NVR for connecting the camera.

Connect the Camera and Check Its Status

Connect the camera to the NVR and test the password admin before attempting to set up the camera. 

To connect and test the camera:

1. Connect the camera's Ethernet cable directly to an open PoE port on the back of the U Series NVR.
2. Remember the PoE port number. The camera will appear on the corresponding channel number.
   • For example, a camera connected to PoE port 7 will appear on channel 7.
3. Wait a couple of minutes for the camera to power on and for the NVR to detect it.
   • In Live View, the channel may display Incorrect user name or password. Please try again.
4. Right-click in Live View to open the shortcut menu.

   

5. Click Setting Menu.
6. Go to Camera Settings > Channel Status.

   

7. Locate the camera by matching the channel number to the PoE port used on the back of the NVR.
   • Confirm that the Protocol column shows ONVIF for that channel.
8. If the camera already shows Connected, no additional password setup is required.
9. If the Status column shows Identifying error, click the Edit button in the Operation column for that channel.
10. In the Password field, delete the current password and enter admin.
    NOTE: If the camera was previously setup using another recorder and its password was changed, enter the exact password that was created for the camera. Passwords are case-sensitive.

    

11. Click OK to save the settings.
12. Wait for the NVR to reconnect to the camera.
13. Check the camera's status:
    • If the status changes to Connected and live video appears, the setup is complete. You do not need to set up the camera separately.

      

      

    • If the camera continues to show Identifying error, continue to If It Doesn’t Connect: Set Up the Camera.

If It Doesn’t Connect: Set Up the Camera

Complete this section only if the camera continues to show Identifying error after you enter the camera password admin on the NVR.

If the camera does not connect using the default password and must be set up, you will also need:

• A computer connected to the same local network as the camera.
• Additional Ethernet cables.
• Option A: A compatible camera power adapter.
• Option B: A PoE switch.
• Option C: A non-PoE switch and a compatible camera power adapter.

Connect the Camera to Your Local Network

If using a compatible power adapter and a direct router connection:

1. Disconnect the camera's Ethernet cable from the U Series NVR.
   
2. Connect the compatible power adapter's DC connector to the camera's power input.
3. Plug the camera's power adapter into an electrical outlet.
4. Connect one end of an Ethernet cable to the camera's Ethernet connector.
5. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to an available LAN port on your router.
6. Connect the computer to the same router using Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable.
7. Wait a couple of minutes for the camera to power on and connect to the network.

If using a PoE switch:

1. Disconnect the camera's Ethernet cable from the U Series NVR.
   
2. Connect one end of another Ethernet cable to the camera.
3. Connect the other end of the camera's Ethernet cable to an available PoE port on the PoE switch.
4. Connect an Ethernet cable from an available LAN port (#17 or #18) on the PoE switch to an available LAN port on your router.
   
5. Confirm that the NVR remains connected to the same router through the NVR's LAN port.
6. Connect the computer to the same router using Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable.
7. Wait a couple of minutes for the camera to power on and connect to the network.

The PoE switch provides both power and network connectivity to the camera through its Ethernet cable.

If using a non-PoE switch:

1. Disconnect the camera's Ethernet cable from the U Series NVR.
   
2. Connect one end of another Ethernet cable to the camera.
3. Connect the other end of the camera's Ethernet cable to an available port on the non-PoE switch.
   
4. Connect a compatible power adapter to the camera.
5. Plug the camera's power adapter into an electrical outlet.
6. Connect an Ethernet cable from the non-PoE switch to an available LAN port on your router.
   
7. Confirm that the NVR remains connected to the same router through the NVR's LAN port.
8. Connect the computer to the same router using Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable.
9. Wait a couple of minutes for the camera to power on and connect to the network.

Find the Camera IP Address

After the camera is connected to your local network using one of the methods above, use an IP scanner tool to find the camera's IP address.

To find the camera IP address:

1. Make sure your computer is connected to the same local network as the camera.
2. Open your preferred IP scanner tool.
3. Scan the local network.
4. Locate the camera's MAC address on its physical product label.
5. Find the matching MAC address in the IP scanner results.
   • To locate it quickly, compare the last four characters of the MAC address on the camera label with the last four characters shown in the scanner.
     
6. Write down the IP address assigned to the camera.

Complete Camera Set Up

Once you have the camera's IP address, access the camera's web interface to set it up.

To set up the camera:

1. Open a web browser on the computer connected to the same local network as the camera.
2. Enter the camera's IP address into the browser address bar.
3. Follow the on-screen setup wizard.

   

4. Create a secure admin password when prompted.
   • The password does not have to be admin. The password can be any password accepted by the camera's password requirements.

   

5. Write down the password exactly as it was entered. You will need to enter this same password on the U Series NVR. Passwords are case-sensitive.
6. Set the required security questions and answers when prompted.
   NOTE: Not all cameras use security questions. If your camera does not display this step, continue with setup.

   

7. Save the password and security-question settings, if applicable.
8. When the camera returns to its login screen, set up is complete. Proceed to the next section and reconnect the camera to the NVR.

Reconnect the Camera to the NVR

After set up is complete, disconnect the camera from the temporary local network connection and reconnect it directly to the U Series NVR.

1. Disconnect the camera's Ethernet cable from the router or temporary PoE or non-PoE switch.
2. If a separate power adapter was used, disconnect the power adapter from the camera.
3. Connect the camera's Ethernet cable directly to an open PoE port on the back of the U Series NVR.
4. Remember the PoE port number. The camera will appear on the corresponding channel number.
5. Wait a couple of minutes for the camera to power on and for the NVR to detect it.

The camera channel may display Incorrect user name or password. Please try again. This means the NVR has detected the camera, but the password saved on the NVR does not match the password created during camera initialization.

Enter the Camera Password on the NVR

To enter the password created during camera set up:

1. From Live View, right-click to open the shortcut menu.

   

2. Click Setting Menu.
3. Go to Camera Settings > Channel Status.

   

4. Locate the camera by matching the channel number to the PoE port used on the back of the NVR.
   • Confirm that the Protocol column shows ONVIF for that channel.
5. Confirm that the Status column shows Identifying error for that channel.
6. Click the Edit button in the Operation column for that channel.
7. In the Password field, delete the current password and enter the exact password created during camera set up

   

8. Click OK to save the settings.
9. Wait for the NVR to reconnect to the camera.
10. Confirm that the camera status changes to Connected.

    

    

Confirm Live View and Recording

After the correct password is saved, confirm that the camera has connected successfully.

Confirm the following:

• The camera status shows Connected.
  
• Live video appears on the correct channel in Live View.
• The camera is listed on the channel that matches the PoE port used.
• Playback is available for recorded video.
• Motion detection is available, if supported by the camera and recorder configuration.