This page is directed at developers and provides links to several external projects that implement ONVIF interfaces using a variety of programming languages. Please feel free to study the implementations. Note that ONVIF is not the owner of these sites and cannot provide any related support. If you have questions about the projects, please use. ONVIF Device Manager is a FREE software used to test and manage network video transmitters such as IP cameras, DVRs, NVRs and Encoders which are compliant with the ONVIF protocol. It was developed by the company Synesis located in Moscow, Russia and it's distributed under the GNU General Public License.
This is a great tool to test your IP camera (generic, OEM or branded), to see if it’s ONVIF compatible and to explore other potential features. More importantly this software is free. In this article we will discuss the main features of this software and how to use it.
What is ONVIF Device Manager?
ONVIF Device Manager is a free software that can be used to test out CCTV devices which are ONVIF protocol compliant. You can use this tool to connect and explore IP cameras, DVRs, NVRs, Encoders etc. The software was developed by the Russian company Synesis and it’s distributed under GNU General Public License. To learn more about ONVIF protocol and its purpose, read this article: What is ONVIF means.
Download ONVIF Device Manager
- Download from their official Sourceforge website.
The ONVIF Device Manager Features
Run the software and you’ll notice that the interface is very basic and logical. On the left side is the Device List section where all the ONVIF devices on the network are listed. You have to type the username and the password of the camera and let the software try to access it.
If for some reason the software is not able to detect your IP camera, click the “Add” button on the bottom left side and enter the IP address of the camera manually.
Replace the IP address and don’t change the rest of the information that is there. In our case we entered the IP 192.168.1.100 followed by port 82 so the ONVIF Device Manager can find our IP camera in the network. The format that should be http://192.168.1.100:82/onvif/device_service. If your camera is using port 80 (mos of them do) then it should be: http://192.168.1.100/onvif/device_service.
ONVIF Device Manager Menu and Preview
Once the ONVIF camera is added you’ll see the Main Menu with all the settings option and the preview section at the bottom right.
After this you can navigate through the menus to check any specific information you may need and also see the live video stream and profiles available in the camera.
Camera Live Video
Click the Live video menu to watch the live video streaming from your IP camera. If you see the picture, that’s the proof that you camera is ONVIF compliant.
The ONVIF Device Manager can pull different videos streaming from the IP camera with various resolutions, frame rate, and compression. It all depends on the configurations that are available and supported in the camera’s profile.
Camera’s ONVIF Profiles
Documentation For Onvif Device Manager
The number of video profiles available in the OVIF IP camera depends on the make and model of the camra. Usually the high-end security cameras have a higher number of profiles available. Either way the ONVIF Device Manager can show you which profile is being used from the camera and what is the RTSP line used to stream the video. In the picture below you can see the RTSP address that the camera is using. The video quality depends on this camera profile configuration.
Settings Menus
Identification: This section lists all the (available) camera details such as Name, Location, Manufacturer, Model, Hardware, Firmware, Device ID, IP address, MAC address, and ONVIF Version.
Time settings: For correct functioning of the CCTV system or camera, it is necessary to synchronize the time on the device and the user’s computer. If the device is equipped with a real-time clock with independent power supply, the time is synchronized automatically. For recorders and cameras not equipped with an RTC-clock or independent power supply, it is necessary to select Synchronize with NTP server option.
Maintenance: You can reset the device just by sending ONVIF commands to it. This menu shows the options for Soft Reset, Hard Reset, Reboot device and Firmware upgrade.
Network settings: This menu shows everything related to the network settings of the device. Here you can modify IP address, gateway, DHCP, ports, and DNS configuration.
User management: ONVIF Device Manager supports the following types of users: Anonymous user is not registered in the system and, therefore, can have unlimited access only to those devices from the list where no users from other categories are registered; Administrator has access to all application sections and features, the rights to reboot the device, reset the settings and update the firmware, create other users with different access rights.
Certificates: Safety certificates allow you to transfer data via a safe connection.
System log: Check the log directly from this menu.
Webpage: This menu allows you to check the camera via a web browser. The appearance and functionality of the web page depends on the device connected and its manufacturing company.
Events: Here will be listed all the events happening in the device (such as triggers, motion, recording, notifications, device initialization etc).
Live Video: This screen basically shows the live video stream and the RTSP and profile information ( as explained earlier).
Video Streaming: Here you can change the video settings such as resolution, frame rate, compression, GOV length (Group of Vectors), quality and encoding interval.
Imaging settings: This menu allows the configuration related to the camera image quality, such as brightness, color saturation, sharpness, white balance, exposure, infrared cutoff etc.
PTZ control: If you are using a PTZ camera, it’s possible to control it from this menu by sending ONVIF compliant commands.
Profiles: Here you can see the profiles available in the camera, the image below show an example with 7 of them (this camera allows to have up to 10 profiles).
ONVIF Device Manager is a very useful tool to test your IP cameras before using it with surveillance software or deploy them in a CCTV system.
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Affected Roles: Owner, Administrator
Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps: DW Spectrum
Complexity: Low to Medium
Last Edit: April 9, 2020
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Onvif Device Manager Tool
When ONVIF compliant devices are added to a camera network, DW Spectrum, as well as the VMAX IP Plus Series NVRs, will attempt to automatically add it to the Server when using their Auto Discovery feature. However, if the camera is a third-party device and is using its factory default features, issues may arise during this process.
AXIS cameras, for example, can be discovered within the camera network, but will often be unable to be automatically added due to their default security settings. Following AXIS’s v5.40 firmware update, the camera’s ONVIF function is disabled by default.
This article will outline how to configure an AXIS camera for making additions to a VMAX IP Plus unit or to DW Spectrum.
Note: Please use the Digital Watchdog camera compatibility lists for DW Spectrum or for the VMAX IP Plus if you are unsure if the camera will be supported by your Server or NVR.
- DW Blackjack Series
- VMAX IP Plus Series
When configuring an IP camera, the user must know the camera’s networking information in order to connect with the camera’s web interface, add it to a Server, or for general network awareness.
Most third-party camera manufacturers will provide a detection software tool that can be used to locate the camera on the network, identify its IP address, or to identify its model information.
To acquire this type of software, you can visit the AXIS Management Tools web page and download either the AXIS IP Utility toolor AXIS Device Manager tool.
Alternatively, if you know the camera’s default login information, ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) is another detection tool that can be used to locate and identify ONVIF compliant devices within the camera network. ODM can be acquired from the Source Forge website.
Onvif Device Manager Mac
Note: If you are unsure which tool to use or require further assistance, please contact AXIS for more information regarding their cameras. Camera menu layout and features vary by camera model.
To enable ONVIF in an Axis camera:
- Locate the camera on the network.
If you do not know the networking information of the camera, use either ODM or the AXIS discovery tools to locate the camera on the network.
- Open a web browser and enter the camera’s IP address into the address bar.
Enter the camera’s Administrator login. Refer to the AXIS camera’s User Manual to obtain the default information.
Note: If you are using the default login of the camera, you may be prompted with a notification to change the camera’s password.
Note: If the camera is connected to the integrated PoE switch of a VMAX IP Plus NVR, please read Connecting With Cameras Through Virtual Ports (VMAX IP Plus) to connect with the camera. Otherwise, you must connect the camera to a PoE switch that is separate from the VMAX IP Plus to continue with this setup.
- Select the System Options menu.
Select the ONVIF menu.
Click the Add button to add a new ONVIF User.
- To create an ONVIF profile for use with Digital Watchdog products, we recommend the following settings:
- Username: admin
- Password: admin
- Confirmation: admin (same as Password)
- Level: Administrator
Click the OK button to add the new ONVIF profile.
Note: These login settings are the same User Name and Password that will be used when adding the camera to DW Spectrum or to a VMAX IP Plus.
- The new ONVIF profile will display in the Users List.
Click the Save button to apply the changes.