Supported devices
Guardian ingests from a device's own “upload to FTP” feature. What differs by device is where that setting is and what it sends. This is the honest per-family picture — including where FTP is snapshots-only, local-menu-only, or absent.
| Family | FTP is configured in… | Uploads | Works with Guardian | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hikvision / HiLook Turbo HD DVR | Local monitor menu only (no web FTP) | Snapshots (.jpg) | Local-menu setup | Verified: DS-7104HQHI-K1 has no web FTP. Some K/K1 firmware omit FTP entirely. |
| Hikvision / HiLook / Annke-Vision IP camera or NVR | Web UI (Network → Advanced → FTP; ~V5.8.4 under Event) | Snapshots (.jpg) | Yes | NVRs often have no FTP page — set FTP per camera instead. |
| Dahua / Lorex / Amcrest | Web UI (Storage → FTP or Network → FTP) | Snapshots (.jpg) + video (.dav + .idx) | Yes | .dav needs SmartPlayer/VLC; channel is the NNN folder in a deep tree. |
| Reolink cameras & NVRs | Web / Client / app (Device Settings → FTP) | Video (.mp4) + snapshots (.jpg) | Yes | Remote Directory: no leading/trailing slash. FTPS yes, SFTP no. Video can be flaky. |
| Uniview (UNV) recorders | Web UI + local menu (Network → FTP) | Snapshots (.jpg) only | Snapshots only | No video on recorder FTP; VCA can't trigger NVR snapshots. On-disk tree undocumented. |
| Uniview cameras | Web UI (Storage → FTP) | Snapshots + video | Yes | Path/filename are user-configurable. |
| Xiongmai / XMeye (older Swann/Annke) | Local menu (NetService → FTP) | .jpg (+ .h264 on some) | Local-menu setup | Strip special chars from user/pass/path. No confirmed samples — capture on device. |
| Swann in-house (newer) | Often Dropbox/cloud, FTP may be absent | varies | Verify per model | If no FTP option, cannot ingest natively. |
| Generic / ONVIF / white-label | Vendor-specific; ONVIF defines no FTP | Usually snapshots (.jpg) | Capture on device | “ONVIF compatible” says nothing about FTP. No universal path. |
The honest fallback for unknown gear
There is no universal FTP path — “ONVIF compatible” tells you nothing about FTP, and white-label recorders vary. If your device isn't listed, set it up as whichever stack its interface resembles, let the first files arrive, then send us one real upload path from the Cameras-tab site log. We tune the camera mapping from a real sample rather than assuming one.
Questions
Is my recorder supported?
If it has an 'upload to FTP' option, almost certainly — the table on this page shows where FTP lives and what it sends for each family. The exceptions are devices with no FTP at all (some newer Swann push only to Dropbox, and parts of the Hikvision Turbo K/K1 line omit FTP).
Does 'ONVIF compatible' mean it will work?
No. ONVIF is about live video and discovery; it defines nothing about FTP upload. A camera can be fully ONVIF and have no FTP, or have FTP in a vendor-specific place. Check the device's own settings for an FTP or 'upload' option.
My white-label recorder isn't listed.
Set it up as whichever stack its interface resembles (Hikvision, Dahua or a local NetService menu), let the first files land, and send us one real upload path from the site log. We derive the camera mapping from a real sample rather than guessing.