AXIS cameras are ONVIF compliant devices which means they can work with third-party recorders and NVRs. However, by default, the AXIS cameras have the ONVIF protocol disabled. It needs to be enabled manually in order to add the camera to camera management software.
In this quick guide, we will demonstrate step by step how to find the IP address of the AXIS camera and how to enable the ONVIF feature.
How to enable the ONVIF protocol on AXIS camera
There are two parts that you need to complete. First of all, you need to locate the IP address of the camera. You can use various tools to scan the local network and find the camera’s IP address (via a PC).
Second, you need to access the camera via the web browser and then enable the ONVIF function on the settings.
How to find AXIS camera’s IP address
When configuring an IP camera, the user must know the camera’s IP address in order to connect with the camera’s web interface, add it to camera management software or NVR.
Most camera manufacturers came with an IP address finder which is a detection software tool that can be used to locate the camera on the network, identify its IP address, model number, and other networking information. AXIS uses two tools to find the IP address of a camera: AXIS IP Utility tool or AXIS Device Manager tool. Click here to access the download page from AXIS’s official website.
Additionally, if you know the camera’s default login information, ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) is another detection tool that can be used to locate and identify ONVIF compliant devices within the local network.
The steps are pretty simple. Download the tools from the AXIS website, install the software on your computer/laptop and run it.
Basically, this tool scans the network and lists the IP addresses of the found AXIS cameras. The camera needs to be connected to an external PoE switch or router. It won’t be detected if it’s connected to the built-in PoE switch of an NVR.
There’s a scan button on the software, click it and wait a few minutes until the tool scans the network. Any AXIS devices will be listed showing the IP address, model number, MAC address, etc.
You may be able to modify the IP address if necessary (to match your network). For example, if your router’s IP address is 192.168.1.1 then the camera’s IP address needs to change to 192.168.1.XXX (where XXX is a random number between 2 and 254). For instance, set the IP address of the camera to 192.168.1.100.
Enable ONVIF on Axis camera
We assume that you know the IP address of the camera. On the next step, open a web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc) and enter the camera’s IP address into the URL bar. You’ll see the login screen of the camera.
Enter the camera’s password. You can either try the default password or the one that you’ve set for your camera. Additionally, you may refer to the AXIS camera’s manual to obtain the default information.
Note: If you are still using the default password of the camera, you may be prompted with a message to change the camera’s password.
Once you’re logged in, you should see the camera settings. Select the System Options menu and then select the ONVIF menu. Click the Add button to add a new ONVIF account (user).
To create an ONVIF profile for use with mos of recorders regardless of the manufacturer, we recommend the following settings:
- Username: admin
- Password: your password
- Confirmation: your password again
- Level: Administrator
Click the OK button to add the new ONVIF profile.
The new ONVIF profile will display in the Users List. Click the Save button to apply the changes. If necessary, you can create multiple ONVIF accounts if you intend to share the camera across two or more recorders.
With the ONVIF information, you can add this AXIS camera to any NVR or camera management software that supports ONVIF devices. You can add it by entering the camera’s IP address, username, password, and sometimes the ONVIF port which is usually port 80.
