Connecting an External PoE Switch to an M-Series recorder
Connecting cameras to a PoE switch and then to your recorder has a number of benefits:
- Add additional cameras beyond the number of ports provided on the internal PoE (depends on model)
- Reduce the amount of ethernet cables connected to recorder by placing the exernal PoE switch an attic or an IT closet with single cable run to the NVR
- Daisy-chain multiple external switches to allow for easier installation of cameras across large sites
Connect an External PoE Switch
To connect an External PoE switch to an M-Series recorder:
- Use a CAT5 network cable to connect the recorder to the switch. If your PoE switch has a port that is not powered, you will want to use that port to connect to the recorder (preferably a gigabit port)
- Once the switch and the recorder are powered and connected, you will want to navigate to the Setup (or gear icon) menu and chose the Network Configuration option from the side menu
- Once selected, select the Adapters tab then select the Camera option to bring up the network settings for your external switch port on the recorder
- From here, you will be able to set a static IP for the camera network. You should be able to change this to any network scheme as long as it is not the same one you're using for your "Client" adapter that reaches out to the internet, as this will cause issues with your ability to access the network.
- For example: If you have a Client IP address of "192.168.0.X", you will want to make sure that the camera network is something different, such as "192.168.1.X"
- Do NOT enter a Gateway as this can interfere with the Client NIC and cause connectivity issues
