Back up Reolink cameras and NVRs to the cloud
Reolink's wired cameras and NVRs can upload motion clips and snapshots to an FTP server. Point them at CloudBox Guardian and each clip is sealed on arrival and kept off-site in the UK.
Applies to: Reolink PoE and Wi-Fi cameras (RLC, Duo, TrackMix and similar), and Reolink NVRs (RLN-series), set up from the Reolink app, the Reolink Client, or the camera's web interface. Battery cameras (Argus, Go) do not offer FTP upload. Labels vary slightly by app version; the fields are the same.
1 · Get your login card
In your CloudBox dashboard → Cameras, add a site and write down the 24-word recovery kit. The login card looks like this:
| Field on the DVR | 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 | / — any directory structure the DVR wants to create is 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 |
2 · Enter it on the camera or NVR
In the Reolink app, open the device and tap the settings gear, then Surveillance (on some versions Network or Advanced) → FTP. In the Reolink Client or the web interface the same screen is under Settings → Surveillance → FTP.
- Turn FTP Upload on.
- Server Address
ingest.cloudbox.biz· Port21 - Username / Password: from the card. Remote Directory (upload path):
/. Reolink creates device / year / month / day folders itself. - Transfer protocol: FTPS if your firmware offers it, otherwise FTP. Passive mode if asked.
- Upload: Video (and Picture if you want snapshots). Record: Motion. Set the schedule to cover the hours you care about.
- On a limited connection choose the sub-stream or a lower resolution for uploads.
Press Test: it should show Success. Save.
Front Door_00_20260909143000.mp4 — so Guardian files them under front-door rather than a channel number.3 · Trigger motion and confirm
Walk in front of the camera. Reolink uploads the clip when the motion event ends (a few seconds to a minute later). In CloudBox press Test connection on the site card to see the login, the first clip and the camera detected.
If something does not work
- Test fails: check the camera has a working DNS server (Settings → Network) and that outbound port 21 is not blocked on your network.
- “Login failed” in the CloudBox Test loop: re-enter the password, or issue a new one from the site card.
- Logged in but nothing arrives: Upload is not set to Video/Picture, the schedule does not cover now, or the camera is on H.265 — some models cannot upload H.265 to FTP; switch to H.264 under Settings → Stream.
- More in Why has my DVR stopped uploading?
Questions
Which Reolink cameras support FTP upload?
Wired PoE and Wi-Fi cameras (RLC-series, Duo, TrackMix and similar) and Reolink NVRs (RLN-series). Battery-powered cameras such as the Argus and Go series do not offer FTP upload.
Where is the FTP setting in the Reolink app?
Open the device, tap the settings gear, then Surveillance (on some versions Network or Advanced) → FTP. The Reolink Client on a computer and the camera's web interface have the same screen under Settings.
Does Reolink upload video clips or pictures?
Either or both — the FTP screen has an Upload option for Video and Picture. Video clips are MP4 files named after the camera, so Guardian files them under the camera's own name.
Can I use FTPS with Reolink?
Newer Reolink firmware offers FTPS (explicit TLS) as the transfer protocol; choose it when available. Otherwise plain FTP is fine — footage is sealed the moment it reaches CloudBox.
Uploads never appear even though the test passes. Why?
Check that Upload is set to Video (or Picture), that the schedule covers now with motion selected, and the camera's stream is H.264: some Reolink models cannot upload H.265 video to FTP. Switch the stream encoding under Settings → Stream if needed.