Applicable Systems 

• Speco Blue NVR platforms 

• NRX Series 

• NRN Series 

• Third-party cameras 

• Hikvision IP cameras with ONVIF support 

Speco Blue recorders support third-party IP cameras using the ONVIF protocol, allowing integration of non-Speco cameras with the NVR.  

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1. System Requirements

Hardware 

• Hikvision IP Camera 

• Speco Blue NVR (NRX / NRN) 

• PoE switch or NVR PoE ports 

• Laptop or workstation for configuration 

Network 

• Same subnet between camera and NVR 

• DHCP or static addressing 

• Ports accessible between devices 

Recommended Tools 

• Web browser (Chrome or Edge) 
• ONVIF Device Manager (optional for testing) 

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2. Pre-Configuration Checklist

Before attempting integration verify: 

Item	Requirement
Camera firmware	Updated
Camera IP	Known / reachable
ONVIF enabled	Required
ONVIF user account	Created
NVR firmware	Updated
Network time	Synced

Incorrect time settings can prevent ONVIF authentication on some systems.  

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3. Enable ONVIF on Hikvision Camera

Most Hikvision cameras do not enable ONVIF users by default. 

Step-by-Step 

1. Open a web browser. 
2. Enter the camera IP address. 
3. Log in using the camera administrator credentials. 
4. Navigate to: 

Configuration 
→ Network 
→ Advanced Settings 
→ Integration Protocol 

5. Enable ONVIF. 
6. Click Add User. 
7. Create ONVIF credentials. 

Example: 

Setting	Example
Username	onvifuser
Password	StrongPassword
Role	Administrator

1. Save configuration. 

Hikvision requires creating a dedicated ONVIF account for third-party systems.  

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4. Configure Camera Stream Settings (Recommended)

For best compatibility with Speco NVR: 

Setting	Value
Video codec	H.264 or H.265
Resolution	Native
Frame rate	15–30 fps
Bitrate control	CBR
Keyframe	2x frame rate

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5. Add Hikvision Camera toSpecoBlue NVR 

Login to the Speco Blue recorder interface. 

Access Methods 

• Local monitor 

• Web interface via NVR IP 

 

Method 1 – Automatic Discovery (if supported) 

1. Go to: 

Settings 
→ Camera 
→ Add Camera 

1. Select Search / Auto Detect. 

1. Locate the Hikvision camera. 

1. Change protocol to: 

ONVIF 

1. Enter the ONVIF credentials created earlier. 

1. Click Add. 

 

Method 2 – Manual ONVIF Addition (Recommended) 

1. Login to the recorder via web browser. 

1. Navigate to: 

Settings 
→ Camera 
→ Manage Camera 
→ Add Camera 

1. Select Add Manually. 

1. Enter the following: 

Field	Value
Address	Camera IP
Protocol	ONVIF
Port	RTSP port (commonly 554)
Username	ONVIF user
Password	ONVIF password

1. Click Add. 

Speco recommends manually adding third-party cameras and selecting ONVIF protocol for compatibility.  

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6. Verify Camera Operation

After adding the camera verify: 

Check	Result
Live view	Visible
Recording	Active
Motion detection	Triggered
Substream	Working

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7. Recommended Network Topology

                Router / LAN 
                     │ 
                PoE Switch 
              ┌─────────────┐ 
              │             │ 
      Hikvision Cam   Hikvision Cam 
              │             │ 
              └───────┬─────┘ 
                      │ 
                Speco Blue NVR 
                      │ 
               Client PC / App 

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8. Common Troubleshooting

Camera shows "Offline" 

Check: 

• ONVIF user credentials 

• Camera and NVR subnet 

• ONVIF enabled 

 

No Video but Camera Added 

Check: 

• RTSP port 

• Codec compatibility (switch to H.264) 

• Substream settings 

 

Authentication Failed 

Possible causes: 

• Incorrect ONVIF user 

• ONVIF not enabled 

• Digest authentication mismatch 

 

Camera Added but Drops Offline 

Check: 

• Bandwidth limits 

• H.265 compatibility 

• Network switch PoE capacity 

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9. Useful Diagnostic Tools

Tool	Purpose
ONVIF Device Manager	Verify ONVIF service
SADP Tool	Discover Hikvision cameras
Ping / ARP	Network troubleshooting

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10. Limitations of ONVIF Integration

When using Hikvision cameras through ONVIF: 

Possible limitations include: 

• AI analytics 

• smart detection 

• line crossing 

• intrusion detection 

These features may only work with native NVRs. 

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11. Best Practices for Mixed Camera Environments

• Use static IPs 

• Document ONVIF credentials 

• Match codec formats 

• Synchronize time using NTP 

• Use firmware that supports ONVIF Profile S or T 

 

✅ Installation Tip 

Create a dedicated ONVIF user on every camera instead of using the admin account. This prevents authentication issues and improves security.