I have an old JVC VN-C3WU networkable IP camera (JVC vnetworks)

It was deinstalled and supposed to be trashed when I rescued it. It powers up, runs through it's diagnostic and homes as normal. I have every reason to believe it's a working camera.

Unfortunately, I have no clue what the IP address of the camera is. I downloaded the manual and tried the default of 192.168.0.2 and that wasn't it, so it's obviously been changed.

I've tried a "find my IP camera" IP scanner and it didn't find it so I don't think it's in the 192.168.1.x range of my home network.

I also tried a Wireshark brute force search some years back but never got a hit. Possibly just didn't let it run long enough.

The manual does not mention, and I cannot find, a reset switch to set things back to factory default.

I'd really like to be able to use this camera so, some questions:

1. Is there an approach I'm missing?

2. Does anyone here have the experience/software/hardware to brute force this thing and would be willing to take on the task? I can't spend a bundle, but I'd cover shipping both ways and work something out for your time.

Thanks.

If you don't know the admin password it may be a lost cause regardless - from page 20 of the manual:

quote:

Caution
Never forget the current password because the password setting cannot
be changed unless it matches the Administrator level password.

It looks like you'll need the admin password to change the settings so if it's some odd IP address you're really going to have to toss a bunch of hardware at it to create it's own little network. Plus it's 10-base-T.

Edit to add from the troubleshooting section:

quote:

The IP address to which the VN-C3WU was changed has been forgotten.

Unknown IP addresses are handled as repairs. Please consult your local dealer.


The password protection was set but the password was forgotten.
Disabling of the password protection function is handled as a repair. Please consult your local dealer. Be prepared to show proper identification for safety purposes.

Check out this discussion: http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=31187

Not for the exact same camera as yours, but maybe if there is any kind of external (or recessed) button, you can press it 5 times to reset it to 192.168.0.2.

I have found that the ip address on a device can range from 0 to 10 (last field). Use your browser to try and connect. Also look for a very tiny hole on the unit that will allow a reset to the factory defaults. Use a straightened paper clip and hold it in the hole for about 10 seconds with the power on.
Another option is to contact the Manufacturer for advice to reset the device to factory defaults.

If by any chance it is on DHCP, then your router will show it on the clients list.
Occasionally I install whoisonmywifi to scan my nets. It wii show wired devices as well, use the demo version.

0-0

quote:

It was deinstalled and supposed to be trashed when I rescued it. It powers up, runs through it's diagnostic and homes as normal

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
If by any chance it is on DHCP, then your router will show it on the clients list.
Occasionally I install whoisonmywifi to scan my nets. It wii show wired devices as well, use the demo version.

Not sure what you mean by the term "homes", but I was thinking the same thing as 0-0. If it's powering up and seems to be happy, then it's probably getting a DHCP address from your router. The router diagnostics should show it. But if you don't have the admin password for it you may be wasting time unless there's a way to do a factory reset.

Can you check and see what the subnet was where it came from?
Then scan that subnet.
Also check with mfg website to see of they have an utility to set it or if they have instructions to factory reset.
Don't forget to see what that factory defaults are supposed to be.


Update: Googlefoo revealed this (manual).
http://pro.jvc.com/pro/attribu...nual/Inst-vnc3wu.pdf

Note: briefly looking through the manual it is pretty old ~ referring to IE 4 and Netscape could be some HTTP issue or maybe not.

Try scanning 10.x.x.x and 172.16.x.x

Those are also "non-routable" IPs.

Ok, after looking at a copy of the manual I found this in the trouble shooting section.

=========
The IP address to which the VN-C3WU was changed has been forgotten.

Unknown IP addresses are handled as repairs. Please consult your local dealer.
======
======
The password protection was set but the password was forgotten.

Disabling of the password protection function is handled as a repair. Please consult your local dealer. Be prepared to show proper identification for safety purposes.
=======

So looks like you need to find a dealer or go back to JVC.

Sigh. This is getting much too difficult.

I took all the housings off the camera, no sign of a reset switch.

The company that owned the building where the camera came from has been sold multiple times since, no chance of chasing down any IT information.

JVC wants more to reset the camera than I can buy a new one for.

I guess it's time to cut my losses, I ain't got a nickel in it, and it's been worth every penny...

Thanks for all your input!

I would think Wireshark should work. I would use Wireshark and connect just the PC and the camera to a switch or maybe the camera directly to the computer LAN port. Wireshark needs to be in promiscuous mode. Start a capture and then power up the camera. Look for arp and broadcasts and you should be able to find the mac address and IP of the camera. Be sure to disable any host firewall on the PC first.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:
I would think Wireshark should work. I would use Wireshark and connect just the PC and the camera to a switch or maybe the camera directly to the computer LAN port. Wireshark needs to be in promiscuous mode. Start a capture and then power up the camera. Look for arp and broadcasts and you should be able to find the mac address and IP of the camera.

I wondered about connecting direct to the computer. I'll try that tomorrow. If I start now, I'll be up all night.

LOL, good luck.

Disable any wireless on the PC with Wireshark, disable any host/internet security firewall, and close any browser to minimize network traffic.

Okay, I couldn't stand it, so I tried something.

Camera connected directly to LAN port on laptop. Wireless on laptop disabled, no internet connections.

With camera powered off, started WireShark and watched for a while...no data collected.

Turned on camera, as soon as it went through it's boot-up sequence, started getting a crapload of data on WireShark. I took this to mean that it was attempting to talk to the camera.

I filtered out the IP's and MAC address I determined to be the network card in the laptop. What was left I wasn't able to interpret, but a couple of IP addresses kept recurring so I ran them by ARIN WHOIS.

Both were in the 224 to 239 block which, according to ARIN is reserved for multicast functions including video streaming.

At this point, I ran into the limits of my knowledge.

Perhaps if I do a screen capture of the data someone might be able to interpret it for me? That'd be tomorrow, I'm off to bed for tonight.

those are multicast addresses.
Look for something that the protocol is ARP and the next field says something like "Who has x.x.x.x Tell y.y.y.y" The y address is the one you are looking for.

Example:

There HAS to be a factory reset button on that thing somewhere. Maybe it's a pinhole you are not seeing that takes a straightened paper clip.

CCNADog, thank you, I'll re-run the scan today and see what I find.

PASig, I've pulled all the plastic off that camera and examined every circuit board both on the rotating base and on the camera and there is NOTHING to push. Only other thing I can figure is there are 5 terminals labeled INPUT 1,2,3 OUT and COM that may require some combination of grounding and/or inputs to force a reset.

get the mac address by reading it on the camera, look in the DHCP table of your router for it.

ARP search was a fail, only thing that came up was the network port on the laptop.

Beginning to think perhaps the 10baseT on the camera is fubar.

Doing a couple of brute force IP range searches just because I can but not holding out much hope.

Looking at my DSL Modem (does that qualify as a router?) data shows all my hardwire and wireless connections including Kindles and phone but nothing else.

quote:

JVC VN-C3WU

Looking at the manual for that, looks like if you forget the IP there isn't much of an option:

"Unknown IP addresses are handled as
repairs. Please consult your local dealer."

Do you know where the camera was last in use and would there be a way to figure out their networking scheme? For example if it came from work, look at your work PC and see what it's IP/subnet is. You could assume the camera was possibly on the same subnet, and switch your PC at home to that same IP range/subnet and then run the scanning tools suggested.