Back up Swann, Annke and OEM recorders
Budget and white-label CCTV is usually one of a few chipsets wearing different badges. Set it up by the stack it is built on, not the brand on the box — an Annke unit can be Hikvision- or Xiongmai-based.
Identify the stack
| What you see | Stack | FTP is… |
|---|---|---|
| Hikvision-style web UI (Configuration → Network → Advanced) | Hikvision (HiLook, Annke Vision) | web FTP (cameras/NVR); Turbo DVRs usually none; snapshots |
| Dahua-style Setup → Storage/Network → FTP | Dahua (some OEM XVR/IPC) | web FTP; .jpg + .dav |
| Plain local menu with a NetService entry | Xiongmai / XMeye (older Swann/Annke) | local Main Menu → NetService → FTP; .jpg (+ .h264) |
| Only Dropbox / a cloud option, no FTP | newer Swann in-house | often no FTP — may not work natively |
Set it up by stack
- Hikvision-based (HiLook, Annke Vision): follow the Hikvision & HiLook guide — web FTP for cameras/NVRs; Turbo DVRs usually have no FTP at all (the guide covers what works instead); snapshots only.
- Dahua-based: follow the Dahua guide — web FTP, .jpg and .dav.
- Xiongmai / XMeye: local monitor menu → Main Menu → NetService → FTP. Enter the card values, and strip special characters from the user, password and path (some builds mishandle them). Uploads are .jpg snapshots and, on some models, .h264 video.
- Swann in-house (newer): if the device only offers Dropbox/cloud and no FTP, Guardian cannot ingest from it natively — check for an FTP-capable firmware or use a different recorder.
| 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 |
Confirm
Trigger motion and press Test connection on the site card, then check the camera labels in the site log. More in troubleshooting.
Questions
How do I tell what my Swann/Annke box really is?
Branch on the interface, not the badge. A Hikvision-style web UI (Configuration → Network → Advanced) = Hikvision-based (HiLook/Annke Vision). A Dahua-style Setup → Storage/Network → FTP = Dahua-based. A plain local menu with a NetService entry = Xiongmai/XMeye. Older Swann and older Annke are often Xiongmai.
Where is FTP on a Xiongmai / XMeye box?
In the local on-screen menu: Main Menu → NetService → FTP (there is usually no web FTP). Strip special characters from the user, password and path — some builds mishandle them. It uploads .jpg snapshots and, on some models, .h264 video (the app re-wraps that to .mp4).
My Swann only offers Dropbox / a cloud, not FTP.
Newer Swann firmware (some 8.x) pushes to Dropbox rather than FTP, and a few models have no FTP at all. If there is no FTP option on the device, Guardian cannot ingest from it natively. Check for a firmware with FTP, or use an FTP-capable recorder.
Annke — web FTP or local menu?
Annke Vision IP cameras and NVRs are Hikvision-based: web FTP at Configuration → Network → Advanced → FTP. HiLook and Hikvision-based Annke Turbo DVRs behave like Hikvision Turbo DVRs: usually no FTP upload at all (Annke's own Turbo DVR manual documents none) — see the Hikvision guide for what works instead. Older Xiongmai-based Annke uses the NetService local menu (verify on device).
Will the camera labels be right?
For Hikvision- and Dahua-based OEMs, yes — provided a Hikvision device's Directory Structure saves in the child directory with Child = Camera Name/No. (see the Hikvision guide); with a root-only folder Guardian still reads the channel from the filename. For Xiongmai/XMeye and Swann-in-house formats we have no confirmed samples, so the first uploads may land under a generic label; send us one real path and we tune it.