Back up a multi-channel DVR or NVR
Most CCTV is a 4, 8 or 16-channel recorder in a cupboard, not a single camera. This is the guide for that. The mechanics are the same across brands; two things differ, and both trip people up: where the FTP screen is, and the three per-channel settings that decide whether anything actually uploads.
1 · Where is the FTP screen?
It depends on the device class, not just the brand:
| Device | FTP is configured in… |
|---|---|
| IP cameras (most brands) | the web interface (Network → FTP, or similar) |
| Dahua / Reolink / Uniview recorders | the web interface |
| Hikvision & HiLook Turbo HD DVRs | usually nowhere — no FTP in the browser, and Hikvision's DVR manuals show no FTP upload in the local menu either. Use the recorder's Send Email instead. |
| Xiongmai / XMeye-based (some Swann, older Annke) | the local on-screen menu (Main Menu → NetService → FTP; on some firmware under System or Network — verify on device; see the OEM guide) |
2 · Enter the CloudBox server
| Field on the recorder | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Server / Host / Server Address | ingest.cloudbox.biz |
| Port | 21 |
| User name | the site's site_… login from your Cameras tab |
| Password | the password shown once when you created the site (issue a new one from the site card if you lost it) |
| Directory / Remote path | leave it empty, or a simple name such as your site. Never a leading or trailing slash — Reolink silently stops uploading on /. Whatever folders the recorder then creates are fine. |
| Mode | Passive (PASV), if asked. No inbound ports are opened on your network. |
| Encryption | FTPS / explicit TLS if your model offers it; otherwise plain FTP |
Enter these, test the login, and save. Then the part everyone misses:
3 · The three per-channel settings
On the FTP screen (and the event screens) you will set, for each channel:
- A capture / snapshot schedule covering now — this is what actually produces files.
- Arming — the channel enabled for the motion (or alarm) event, with a schedule that covers now.
- Upload to FTP ticked as the event's linkage/action (Hikvision), or the channel ticked in the FTP schedule table (Dahua/Uniview).
Directory structure (optional): if the recorder offers a choice — Hikvision's Directory Structure, for example — pick one that puts each camera in its own folder (Hikvision: Save in the child directory, Parent = Device Name, Child = Camera Name or No.). It makes the cameras obvious in your dashboard; if there is no such choice, Guardian still reads the channel from the file name.
The exact screens are in your brand guide: Hikvision & HiLook · Dahua / Lorex / Amcrest · Reolink · Uniview · Swann / Annke / OEMs.
4 · What you will get, by brand
- Hikvision / HiLook cameras and NVRs, Uniview recorders: event snapshots (JPEG) only — a burst of stills per event. (Hikvision Turbo DVRs: usually no FTP at all.)
- Dahua / Lorex / Amcrest: JPEG snapshots and .dav video clips (each .dav has a companion .idx).
- Reolink: .mp4 video and JPEG snapshots.
Guardian seals whatever arrives. It also works out the camera from the upload — a channel number in a folder, or the channel/name in the filename — and files everything under site / camera / day. Many recorders dump all channels into one flat folder, so Guardian keys off the filename, not just the directory.
5 · Confirm
Trigger real motion, then press Test connection on the site card. It should move from “waiting for login” to “credentials accepted” to “connected — N cameras detected”. Then use Decrypt & save on one file to confirm your 24-word recovery kit opens your footage.
Questions
My recorder's own FTP Test passes but nothing reaches CloudBox.
The Test button only checks the login. Uploads are driven by events, and three things must all be set per channel: a snapshot/capture schedule covering now, the channel armed for the event, and the event's action set to Upload to FTP. This is the number-one cause across every brand. Set all three, trigger real motion, then press Test connection in the Cameras tab.
Do I get video or just pictures?
It depends on the recorder. Hikvision and Uniview recorders' native FTP sends event snapshots (JPEG) only. Dahua uploads .dav video clips; Reolink uploads .mp4. A snapshot backup is still a real off-site record — a burst of pictures through each event — but if you need moving clips, check your brand's guide first.
How does Guardian know which camera each file belongs to?
From the upload path and filename. Recorders encode the channel differently — Hikvision puts it in the filename (IP_02_…), Dahua in a numeric folder (…/002/…), Reolink in the camera name — and Guardian reads all of these. Many recorders dump every channel into one flat folder, which is why we key off the filename, not just the directory.
A camera is filed under an odd label. Can you fix it?
Yes — send us one example upload path from the Cameras-tab site log (e.g. the exact filename), and we tune the parser for your recorder. We would rather correct it from a real sample than guess.
Do I need to open ports on my router?
No. The recorder connects outbound to ingest.cloudbox.biz on port 21 plus the passive data ports; nothing connects in to your network.