Sometimes when you try to add an IP camera via ONVIF to an Hikvision NVR you may get this error message: “No enough network bandwidth”.
The issues show up on Hikvision brand name recorders and other OEM brands such as LTS, Annke, Honeywell, Luma, Cantek, Ezviz, Nelly’s, etc.
The message error indicates that the NVR cannot handle all the traffic coming from the IP camera. The camera is simply sending too much bandwidth that cannot be accommodated by the recorder.
However, the actual reason is not that the NVR cannot handle the traffic, but it’s because there’s a misconfiguration caused by the ONVIF protocol between the camera and the NVR.
Moreover, regular IP cameras use a bandwidth of 2 to 6 Mbps which is easily handled by any modern recorder. All you have to do is tweak the settings a little bit and the error will disappear.
How to fix the No enough network bandwidth issue?
There are many ways that you can approach this issue. The two recommended ways include updating the firmware on the NVR and camera or adjusting the ONVIF settings on the camera. Then check out if the error has disappeared.
1. Update the firmware
The first thing you should do that may fix the issue right away is update the firmware on the NVR and the camera. By doing that, you’ll automatically update to the latest version of the ONVIF protocol.
Get the latest firmware from the seller, or dealer of the Hikvison official website, and then update through the NVR directly or via the web browser (for the camera, you need to use the web browser). Ensure you’re flashing the right firmware, you may brick the camera if you upload the wrong one.
2. Adjust the ONVIF settings
The ONVIF settings of the camera depend on the brand name, most IP cameras have an ONVIF tab on their settings. You have to access your camera through the web browser and locate the settings.
Some cameras have no ONVIF section, but you still can make the adjustment on the Video settings tab. Basically, what we want to do is lower the bitrate, frame rate, or bandwidth.
For example, this Dahua brand camera has no ONVIF tab, but we can still adjust the video settings.
So, access the camera via the web browser (if you don’t know the IP address, check here). Then you can lower the bit rate. Let’s say set it to 2Mbps (2048) or 4Mbps (4096), just set it a little bit lower from the current value. Additionally, you may lower the frame rate from max to 20 FPS.
Once you do that, the camera will reconnect to the NVR and you should be able to see the picture. For some particular models, you may need to reboot the camera.
Other camera models may have a separate section. Either way, just inspect the settings and see where the bitrate, frame rate, and bandwidth are located then twist them accordingly.
3. Adjust the NVR settings
In some cases, the “No enough network bandwidth” means that your NVR has real bandwidth capacity issues. If you have maxed all the channels on the recorder and each camera is set to the max resolution and bit rate, then probably the NVR will be choked by all that traffic.
Each NVR model has an incoming and outgoing bandwidth limit and you should be concerned for the incoming one. You have to add the bandwidth values from all the cameras connected to the NVR and the total value should be lower than the NVR’s incoming bandwidth.
For example, let’s say your 16-channel NVR is rated for incoming bandwidth of 128Mbps. There are 16 IP cameras connected to each unit and each camera is to 12Mbps. To calculate the total value: 12 times 16 equals 192Mbps.
Obviously, the NVR cannot handle all these cameras, the total value should be less than 128Mbps. In this case, we’d recommend setting the bitrate to 6Mbps per channel. Apart from accessing the camera directly, you can lower the bitrate on NVR settings as well.
Navigate to Main Menu > Record > Parameters and lower the values of frame rate, bit rate, and on some occasions even the camera’s resolution (as shown in the picture above).
Conclusion
The Hikvision “No Enough Network Bandwidth” error message indicates that the NVR is struggling to bring that much bandwidth, and you need to adjust the settings accordingly. You need to ensure the cameras and the recorder are able to handle all the data.
Lastly, if you still can’t make it work, call the seller/dealer or Hikvision USA and ask for technical support.
