I own an AMDV7204 DVR with 4 outdoor cameras (720 only). This device works okay normally, but it's been restarting on its own (even though the system settings say to never restart), and when it does it changes the IP (set to static but reverts to dynamic), and most recently the admin account was reset from my personal password to the generic account. I had to guess that was the issue and logged in with those credentials just to be told I needed to update my password. For a simple system, it's becoming a mess.
Now, I have access to the right account again, the system is set (again) to static IP, and the device connects to my Amcrest apps with a device status of Online (green).
But now the 4 cameras are returning just black video. I checked the resolution (per the other threads), video format, and powered the cameras on and off several times by unplugging them from the power source. No clue why I can only see black screens.
Any advice on how to fix this?
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AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
Re: AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
Hello and welcome to the Forum..
While I do have a 7204 and I have had some strange things happen over time I have never had that happen.. So there are some things that I would try and sadly some of them don't seem right now to be honest you have to do what you need to do so this can be resolved...
First I would remove the screws from the case and take off the top. Next I would clean out the machine as it might be Dusty and needs some cleaning to keep it cool.. If it isn't dust issue the next thing to test and while this will make little to no sense try to disconnect the HDD.. Once the HDD has the 2 cables removed turn machine back on and see if this clears up your issue
Another thing to think about is that the system if you have it setup with Forwarded Ports and access from the outside it could be that the system has been Compromised. Also if you use the System with P2P I would make sure that you change your Password to something not easy to guess and what ever you do don't keep it the default set...
Sadly there isn't much that could cause this other then what I have mentioned. Personally I am going to guess bad HDD and one last thing failing Power Supply.. That would be my guess without looking at things..
While I do have a 7204 and I have had some strange things happen over time I have never had that happen.. So there are some things that I would try and sadly some of them don't seem right now to be honest you have to do what you need to do so this can be resolved...
First I would remove the screws from the case and take off the top. Next I would clean out the machine as it might be Dusty and needs some cleaning to keep it cool.. If it isn't dust issue the next thing to test and while this will make little to no sense try to disconnect the HDD.. Once the HDD has the 2 cables removed turn machine back on and see if this clears up your issue
Another thing to think about is that the system if you have it setup with Forwarded Ports and access from the outside it could be that the system has been Compromised. Also if you use the System with P2P I would make sure that you change your Password to something not easy to guess and what ever you do don't keep it the default set...
Sadly there isn't much that could cause this other then what I have mentioned. Personally I am going to guess bad HDD and one last thing failing Power Supply.. That would be my guess without looking at things..
Be Safe.
Re: AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
I greatly appreciate the detailed feedback. @Revo2Maxx
I connect to the device over the Mac OS Amcrest Surveillance Pro app and the iOS AmcrestView Pro app. Both show that after resetting my device settings within the app, that the screens are black. The power on the cameras have been unplugged and plugged back in, and the cameras show the red lights outside at night, so they're receiving power.
I agree, this feels like a hard drive issue, but I can see in the Mac OS Amcrest Surveillance Pro app that the local storage is reflecting a Normal status. I would assume that means it hasn't failed...which is good.
To your point about the Forwarded Ports, I don't fully know where to look for that, but it's not a customization I've done, if that helps.
So it's not a HD issue, not a power issue, then it has to be a software setting issue, but since it's been restarting on its own and reverting back to factory settings, I truly have no idea how to control this thing. It may be dust.
I connect to the device over the Mac OS Amcrest Surveillance Pro app and the iOS AmcrestView Pro app. Both show that after resetting my device settings within the app, that the screens are black. The power on the cameras have been unplugged and plugged back in, and the cameras show the red lights outside at night, so they're receiving power.
I agree, this feels like a hard drive issue, but I can see in the Mac OS Amcrest Surveillance Pro app that the local storage is reflecting a Normal status. I would assume that means it hasn't failed...which is good.
To your point about the Forwarded Ports, I don't fully know where to look for that, but it's not a customization I've done, if that helps.
So it's not a HD issue, not a power issue, then it has to be a software setting issue, but since it's been restarting on its own and reverting back to factory settings, I truly have no idea how to control this thing. It may be dust.
Re: AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
Just so I am clear, I have way more recorders then I care to admit.. I will say because that I have shown 5 of my Recorder but to be honest I have a good few more then that.. One of the issues that I have in the past ran into is a HDD that failed and started to cause a different branded Recorder to have some very strange issues that I was going crazy trying to figure it out.. This recorder that I am talking about also has a VERY good feature rich HDD Smart software built in.. I did a scan and the HDD first came back with Good, looking at the Data it said that it had 109 ON/Off cycles and in the range of 40k hours of use.. This amounts to around 4.5 years of use. However there was some errors that was showing up but nothing that said it had failed.. sadly after about a week or 2 after things started acting strange CH1 went offline.. Thought I had bad camera but after trouble shooting that found it wasn't power, camera, wires, as it worked on a different channel just not 1, nor did any others that was working on other channels work on ch1.. So most recorders can work and do work without a HDD just don't record.. SO I removed the wires off my HDD and turned the machine back on and sure enough CH1 camera came back online... Like I said there was no reason for this action in my mind but was something I had to try..
So I don't know how you have your system wired... I am going to guess that you have your system setup with the Amcrest Hardware and with that said I will give an idea again What I would do to try and Trouble Shoot this... Some of it will seem like BS but I have had same issues in past best to try things that has worked for others...
First Remove the Power Plug you have plugged in for your cameras.. I am going to guess it is 1 Wall supply that goes to a 4 pigtail. Then look at the wiring and remove them all but 1.. Or if your system is like my 7204, I would just unplug the CVI cameras and see if the IP Cameras come online if you have IP cameras installed.. Either way we are looking to make your system show at Least 1 channel because I have not had a Recorder yet that Every Camera went offline when it wasn't Related to the Power supply...
If you don't have any IP channels,, Then try and make sure that your Recorder powers up only 1 camera and that camera is on ch4... If when you plug your Power Supply back in Ch4 comes online Replace your Power supply for the Cameras...
Please NOTE.. I am not saying your HDD failed... It might be that your DVR's Power Supply has failed.. Also if your using only 1 Power supply for DVR and Cameras there isn't enough power to do so... So I don't remember the Specs right now.. However a DVR will use lets say 10 watts of power without a HDD and 30 watts of power with a HDD if the power supply has failed but not 100% fail only a part fail it can kind of work without making your life happy so by removing the HDD from the system by unplugging the cables from the Drive or from the MB either way it will give power to the MB if starving for power it is no longer giving power to HDD that has great power needs...
Case IN point.. I have a Dahua 5208 DVR that is 8ch CVI like my 7204 I can change last 2 channels from BNC to IP however this Recorder has 2 HDD slots, So I installed 2 1TB drives. This Recorder requires 4amps of power and my PDU's while are great supplies sadly non have 4amps so for my recorders I use the Power Supply that came with the unit if they require more then 3amps.. One day I had issue and after some time and trouble shooting I was able to figure out that my Power supply that was 4amps was not providing to power that it needed to the Recorder and found this out by Removing 1 of the HDD from the mix.. Unplugged it the system returned to life.. So I tested the Power supply because the HDD 1 and 2 were less then a year old as I had already replaced them not long before... Because I am a geek if you will lol.. I tested and found that the supply was only suppling 2.24amps of power before it would fail... I reduce the load the power supply would work... So I bought a New Power supply installed the HDD back and it has been going now for the last 9 months without any more issues...
So as I said... While things might look like they are working it might be that your DVR's power supply is bad, the hard drive, the camera power supplies, cables are Chewed up is another option but with them all offline same time not a likely issue, or damaged cameras however again because they went offline same time not likely the issue..
IF my System here is the steps I would take in this order...
Make sure only 1 camera is powered on with the power supply if still no pictures, take and power 1 each of the other cameras 1 at a time So say you started with 4, unplug 4 now try 3 no go then unplug and try 2 if no go then unplug and try 1 and still no image plug all the cameras back in to the power supply turn off recorder and take out screws and remove both plugs from the HDD. Turn on and see if the picture returns. IF it returns you need to now find out if the HDD is bad or if the Power supply is bad because it can still be a bad HDD even though it says it is in good order... To test you will need to take the power supply from your Cameras and test on the DVR because if I remember right the camera and the DVR power supply uses 12v 2amp supplies... If you don't have ability to try a new supply I would buy one for backup and test that the system will work with HDD plugged in... If not could be failed HDD... if it does work then it was failed Power supply...
Sadly there are a lot of things that can make things not happy not many people have the ability to test the Current output of DC power supplies if you do I would test them to make sure they are working to expected numbers...
Sorry I couldn't be more help... Only can go by what I have dealt with in my own systems.. Hope something is found useful...
So I don't know how you have your system wired... I am going to guess that you have your system setup with the Amcrest Hardware and with that said I will give an idea again What I would do to try and Trouble Shoot this... Some of it will seem like BS but I have had same issues in past best to try things that has worked for others...
First Remove the Power Plug you have plugged in for your cameras.. I am going to guess it is 1 Wall supply that goes to a 4 pigtail. Then look at the wiring and remove them all but 1.. Or if your system is like my 7204, I would just unplug the CVI cameras and see if the IP Cameras come online if you have IP cameras installed.. Either way we are looking to make your system show at Least 1 channel because I have not had a Recorder yet that Every Camera went offline when it wasn't Related to the Power supply...
If you don't have any IP channels,, Then try and make sure that your Recorder powers up only 1 camera and that camera is on ch4... If when you plug your Power Supply back in Ch4 comes online Replace your Power supply for the Cameras...
Please NOTE.. I am not saying your HDD failed... It might be that your DVR's Power Supply has failed.. Also if your using only 1 Power supply for DVR and Cameras there isn't enough power to do so... So I don't remember the Specs right now.. However a DVR will use lets say 10 watts of power without a HDD and 30 watts of power with a HDD if the power supply has failed but not 100% fail only a part fail it can kind of work without making your life happy so by removing the HDD from the system by unplugging the cables from the Drive or from the MB either way it will give power to the MB if starving for power it is no longer giving power to HDD that has great power needs...
Case IN point.. I have a Dahua 5208 DVR that is 8ch CVI like my 7204 I can change last 2 channels from BNC to IP however this Recorder has 2 HDD slots, So I installed 2 1TB drives. This Recorder requires 4amps of power and my PDU's while are great supplies sadly non have 4amps so for my recorders I use the Power Supply that came with the unit if they require more then 3amps.. One day I had issue and after some time and trouble shooting I was able to figure out that my Power supply that was 4amps was not providing to power that it needed to the Recorder and found this out by Removing 1 of the HDD from the mix.. Unplugged it the system returned to life.. So I tested the Power supply because the HDD 1 and 2 were less then a year old as I had already replaced them not long before... Because I am a geek if you will lol.. I tested and found that the supply was only suppling 2.24amps of power before it would fail... I reduce the load the power supply would work... So I bought a New Power supply installed the HDD back and it has been going now for the last 9 months without any more issues...
So as I said... While things might look like they are working it might be that your DVR's power supply is bad, the hard drive, the camera power supplies, cables are Chewed up is another option but with them all offline same time not a likely issue, or damaged cameras however again because they went offline same time not likely the issue..
IF my System here is the steps I would take in this order...
Make sure only 1 camera is powered on with the power supply if still no pictures, take and power 1 each of the other cameras 1 at a time So say you started with 4, unplug 4 now try 3 no go then unplug and try 2 if no go then unplug and try 1 and still no image plug all the cameras back in to the power supply turn off recorder and take out screws and remove both plugs from the HDD. Turn on and see if the picture returns. IF it returns you need to now find out if the HDD is bad or if the Power supply is bad because it can still be a bad HDD even though it says it is in good order... To test you will need to take the power supply from your Cameras and test on the DVR because if I remember right the camera and the DVR power supply uses 12v 2amp supplies... If you don't have ability to try a new supply I would buy one for backup and test that the system will work with HDD plugged in... If not could be failed HDD... if it does work then it was failed Power supply...
Sadly there are a lot of things that can make things not happy not many people have the ability to test the Current output of DC power supplies if you do I would test them to make sure they are working to expected numbers...
Sorry I couldn't be more help... Only can go by what I have dealt with in my own systems.. Hope something is found useful...
Be Safe.
Re: AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
Also Note..
If say you had an issue with one of your cameras being damaged by a SHORT... This short could cause the other cameras on your system from all not working by an odd Design... Maybe camera 2 has a Short, being plugged into power it could cause power issues. It might even be an issue with the Video side and because of this it is causing your system to fail as a Protection unit within the DVR.. there are so many different things that could be the issue...
If say you had an issue with one of your cameras being damaged by a SHORT... This short could cause the other cameras on your system from all not working by an odd Design... Maybe camera 2 has a Short, being plugged into power it could cause power issues. It might even be an issue with the Video side and because of this it is causing your system to fail as a Protection unit within the DVR.. there are so many different things that could be the issue...
Be Safe.
Re: AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
All good feedback, and I really appreciate the time and detailed steps @Revo2Maxx. I'll cycle through these steps and report back if they work. Otherwise, I think I'll have to just buy a new DVR that supports the same wired cameras...not about to run new wires throughout the house.
Re: AMDV7204 restarts, loses static IP, reverts to reset users and only shows black screens
If you try these things and nothing gets your video feeds to return.. Let me know before you buy a new recorder..
Be Safe.