Tips & Trick for newbies

[GIJOE-SA]

Thought it my help people like me if we start a section where everyone can share their lessons learned, tips and tricks.

Some of the things I learned while trying to get this working:

1. Ensure that your setup works as you intended on the DVR before adding it to the HA integration. Confirm that all alerts such as human, vehicle, motion etc. are displaying on your NVR / DVR as per your expectation. If not fix that first.
2. Do the necessary configuration on the DVR as per the installation instructions.
3. If you do not find the settings you looking for on the DVR console try using the web or iVMS App.
4. Only do firmware upgrades as a last resort, this created more problems for me on the Hikvision environment and I am not sure that it helped with any of the original problems I had getting the integration to work.
5. With IP cameras you can’t only add the IP Camera or the DVR to the HA integration, you need to add both the DVR and the IP cameras. Or at least that’s what is required for my iDS-7104HQHI-M1/S DVR and DS-2CV2026G0-IDW IP cameras. If I only add the IP camera, I do not get any of the switches or sensors, they are only added when I add my DVR to the integration.
6. The User ID and password you use to add the DVR and IP Cameras must be the same.
7. Do not forget about the note provided about Linkage action quoted below:

NOTE Events must be set to alert the surveillance center in Linkage Action for Home Assistant to be notified. Otherwise related binary sensors and switches will appear as disabled entities.

I have enabled Linkage Action for all events the cameras support, even the ones I do not currently use, before adding the DVR & Cameras in HA.

Hope this helps someone and more people add to the list.

[maciej-or]

thank you @GIJOE-SA I will add that to troubleshooting wiki page if you don't mind. I plan to create a guide for newbies.