Dahua conf.loginerrorNo-20 is caused by compatibility issues and it usually shows up when newer Dahua IP cameras are connected to older (PoE or regular) NVRs.
In some cases, you may get the error 20 on the NVR directly (on the monitor connected to the recorder), but the cameras may work fine accessed through the web interface (IE, Mozilla) or via Smart PSS monitoring software.
There are a few solutions to this problem: you can upgrade the NVR’s firmware to the latest version (if there’s one), or you can reset the camera to factory default and then activate it via the NVR’s menu (this method works on certain models only).
Fix Dahua conf.loginerrorNo-20 issue
Upgrade the NVR
As we said, most of the time the issue is caused by compatibility issues, when the camera is newer and the NVR is old. In other words, there’s a mismatch in the software compatibility and the cameras cannot communicate properly with the NVR.
If you get error code 20, the first thing you should do is find the latest firmware of the NVR and update it. You can get the firmware from Dahua’s official website, or through your seller/dealer.
Provide them with the NVR’s model, place the firmware on a USB drive and plug it on the NVR, and then follow the prompts (or, you can update via the website).
Once updated, the NVR will reboot and you should see the cameras showing up fine when the unit comes back online.
If there’s no new firmware version, then you either need to replace the NVR with a newer model or downgrade the cameras (older cameras, lower the resolution).
Reset the camera and activate it via NVR
Sometimes, Dahua error 20 is caused by password-related issues, the NVR cannot access the camera using its password. The solution is to reset the camera to factory default and activate it via the NVR (the camera and the NVR will have the same password).
You can reset the camera by using the reset button (as explained here), or by accessing the camera directly via the web browser (through its IP address) and clicking on the Factory Default option (under the camera’s settings).
Once the reset is done, you need to activate the camera via the NVR. Let’s say you have a PoE NVR, plug the camera at the back, then go to the Device Search section and look up the cameras discovered by the recorder. Tick the camera with the white logo and then select Initialize.
You will be asked if you want to use the NVR’s password and email info. If you tick this option then the camera’s password and recovery email will change to the same as the NVR’s.
In other words, the camera and the NVR will share the same password and email. Once you do so, reboot the NVR and when it comes back online you should see the camera’s image showing up fine on the screen.
Note: Additionally, you may activate/initialize the camera (meaning, setting a password) using the Config Tools.
Add the camera manually
Another way is to add the camera manually on the NVR. Sometimes the NVR is not able to auto add the camera (or adds it with errors). Just go to the Device/Remote section and select Manual Add.
Fill out the information, such as the camera’s IP address, the username, and the password. Leave the rest on default. Click Add and wait to see if the camera shows up online.
Add the camera using ONVIF
This method works by adding the camera as an ONVIF device. Normally, if the NVR and the camera are both Dahua, they should work together using the “private” protocol.
However, if the cameras are newer and the NVR is old, then we can avoid the compatibility issues by adding the devices as ONVIF.
To do so, go to Device/Remote and click Add Manually. Fill out the prompt, such as the Manufacturer “ONVIF”, RTSP port “554”, HTTP port “80”, username, password, etc (as shown on the screenshot below).
Click OK and wait for the camera to show on the live mode. Sometimes you may need to reboot the NVR for the changes to take effect.
Enable Compatibility Mode
Access the camera via the web browser. You can either access the camera by connecting it to the local network or typing the IP address.
Or you can access the NVR and then go to Registration and then click the IE icon next to the camera that you’re having problems with.
A new page will open, bringing up the login page for the camera. Enter the username and password for the camera.
To enable the Compatibility Mode, navigate to Settings > System > Safety > System Service. Set Private Protocol Authentication Mode to Compatible Mode.
Lower the resolution of the camera
Sometimes the NVR cannot handle the resolution coming from the camera. Let’s say the NVR supports 2MP resolution, but the camera is 4MP. In this case, you need to downgrade the camera’s resolution to match the one supported by the NVR.
From the Live View display, right-click to open the Quick Menu, then click Main Menu. Click the gear icon, then click the Recording section. Click the Recording tab on the top panel.
Here you need to lower the resolution on the camera until the picture shows up. Additionally, you may lower the frame rate and try different compression modes until you get the picture on the screen. Basically, play with the settings until you get it right.
Conclusion
Even though the Dahua conf.loginerrorNo-20 error can seem complicated, you can troubleshoot it yourself easily without the need of hiring a technician and wasting money. Just go through the tips one by one until you fix it.
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