Cameras
Add your IP cameras to Lokawatch for real-time monitoring. This guide covers finding cameras on your network, connecting them, and editing per-camera settings.
Finding Cameras on Your Network
Before adding a camera, you need its IP address and RTSP stream URL (or EZVIZ credentials). Here's how to find cameras on your network:
Option 1 — Network scanner app (recommended for non-technical users)
Use a network scanner app on a smartphone or tablet connected to the same WiFi or LAN as your cameras:
| App | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IP Cam Viewer | iOS / Android | Scans for ONVIF cameras and shows IP + stream URLs |
| Fing | iOS / Android | Network scanner — lists all devices with IP, MAC, vendor name |
| ONVIF Device Manager | Windows | Discovers ONVIF-compatible cameras and exports RTSP URLs |
| Advanced IP Scanner | Windows | Scans IP range, identifies IP cameras by vendor |
Your camera brand's own app (Imou Life, EZVIZ, Hik-Connect) will show device information including serial numbers and stream details — helpful when filling in the add-camera form.
Option 2 — Check your router's DHCP table
Log in to your router admin panel (usually http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1) and look at the connected devices list. IP cameras will often be identified by their manufacturer name (Dahua, Hikvision, EZVIZ, etc.).
RTSP URL format
Most IP cameras follow one of these RTSP URL patterns:
rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.64:554/Streaming/Channels/101 rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.64:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0 rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.64:554/stream1 Adding a Camera
From the main dashboard, tap the teal + button in the bottom-right corner. The Add Camera form has two connection modes.
Connection Type: Local / RTSP
Use this for cameras on your local network (Dahua, Hikvision, ONVIF-compatible, or any camera with an RTSP feed).
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Name | Yes | A descriptive label, e.g. "Gate A — Entry" |
| Site | Yes | Facility or building name, e.g. "Plant Block 3" |
| Location | Yes | Specific area within the site, e.g. "Main Entrance" |
| Snapshot URL | Recommended | HTTP URL that returns a JPEG frame. Used for dashboard previews. Format: http://IP/cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi |
| RTSP Stream URL | Optional | Used for live video playback in the dashboard viewer |
| Username / Password | Optional | Camera login credentials, if your camera requires authentication |
| Deployment Type | Yes | Fixed (permanently installed) or Portable (moved between locations) |
The Snapshot URL is preferred for AI inference because it fetches individual frames efficiently. The RTSP stream is only used for live video playback in the viewer. If you don't have a snapshot URL, you can leave it blank — Lokawatch will fall back to extracting frames from the RTSP stream.
Connection Type: EZVIZ Cloud
Use this for EZVIZ (Hikvision cloud) cameras where you access the device through the EZVIZ platform.
| Field | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| App Key | EZVIZ Open Platform developer console → Your App → App Key |
| App Secret | EZVIZ Open Platform developer console → Your App → App Secret |
| Device Serial | Printed on the camera label, or in the EZVIZ app under Device Info |
| Channel | Camera channel number — usually 1 for single-channel cameras |
| Verification Code | 6-digit code printed on the camera label (used for encryption) |
| AI Stream URL | Optional RTSP URL for AI-enhanced stream from EZVIZ platform |
Editing a Camera
Hover over a camera card on the main dashboard and click the pencil (edit) icon. The edit form has the same fields as the add form, plus per-camera detection overrides.
Per-Camera Detection Overrides
In the edit form, you can override the global detection settings for this specific camera:
| Override | Description |
|---|---|
| Confidence Threshold Override | Leave blank to inherit the global value. Enter a number (0.05–0.95) to use a different threshold for this camera only. Useful for cameras with poor lighting or unusual angles. |
| Cooldown Override | Leave blank to inherit the global value. Enter seconds to use a custom cooldown for this camera only. |
If one camera consistently generates false alarms while others are fine, raise its confidence override instead of changing the global threshold.