Axis Communications 210, 211 User Manual

AXIS 210/211

Network Cameras

User’s Manual

About this Document

This manual is intended for administrators and users of the
AXIS 210/211 Network Camera and applies to firmware
release 4.40. It includes instructions for using and managing
the AXIS 210/211 on your network. Previous experience of
networking will be of use when using this product. Some
knowledge of UNIX or Linux-based systems may also be
beneficial, for developing shell scripts and applications. Later
versions of this document will be posted to the Axis Website,
as required. See also the product’s online help, available via
the Web-based interface.

Safety Notices Used In This Manual

Caution! - Indicates a potential hazard that can damage the
product.
Important! - Indicates a hazard that can seriously impair
operation.
Do not proceed beyond any of the above notices until you

ve fully understood the implications.

ha

Intellectual Property Rights

Axis AB has intellectual property rights relating to
technology embodied in the product described in this
document. In particular, and without limitation, these
intellectual property rights may include one or more of the
patents listed at http://www.axis.com/patent.htm and one or
more additional patents or pending patent applications in the
US and other countries.

This product contains licensed third-party software. See the
menu item “About” in the product’s user interface for more
information.

This product contains source code copyright Apple Computer,
Inc., under the terms of Apple Public Source License 2.0 (see
http://www.opensource.apple.com/apsl/).
The source code is available from:
http://developer.apple.com/darwin/projects/bonjour/

Legal Considerations

Video and audio surveillance can be prohibited by laws that
vary from country to country. Check the laws in your local
region before using this product for surveillance purposes.

This product includes one (1) MPEG-4 decoder license. To
purchase further licenses, contact your reseller.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Re-orient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the
separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the
equipment to an outlet on a different circuit to the receiver.
Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help. Shielded (STP) network cables must be used with
this unit to ensure compliance with EMC standards.

USA - This equipment has been tested and found to comply

with the limits for a Class B computing device pursuant to
Subpart B of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to
provide reasonable protection against such interference when
operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference,
in which case the user at his/her own expense will be
required to take whatever measures may be required to
correct the interference.

Europe - This digital equipment fulfills the

AXIS COMMUNICATIONS

<Product Name> Quick User’s Guide

, which can be determined by turning the

requirements for radiated emission according to limit B of
EN55022/1998, and the requirements for immunity according to
EN55024/1998 residential, commercial, and light industry.

Japan - This is a class B product based on the standard of the

Voluntary Control Council for Interference from Information
Technology Equipment (VCCI:2003 Class B ITE). If this is used
near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment, it
may cause radio interference. Install and use the equipment
according to the instruction manual.

Australia - This electronic device meets the requirements of the

Radio communications (Electromagnetic Compatibility) Standard
1998 AS/NZS 3548.

Canada - This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian

ICES-003 B by complience with EN55022: Class B.

Liability

Every care has been taken in the preparation of this manual.
Please inform your local Axis office of any inaccuracies or
omissions. Axis Communications AB cannot be held responsible
for any technical or typographical errors and reserves the right to
make changes to the product and manuals without prior notice.
Axis Communications AB makes no warranty of any kind with
regard to the material contained within this document, including,
but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose. Axis Communications AB shall
not be liable nor responsible for incidental or consequential
damages in connection with the furnishing, performance or use of
this material.

Trademark Acknowledgments

Boa, Ethernet, Internet Explorer, Linux, Microsoft, Mozilla,
Netscape Navigator, OS/2, UNIX, Windows, WWW are registered
trademarks of the respective holders. Java and all Java-based
trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Axis Communications AB is independent of Sun Microsystems
Inc. UPnP
Corporation.

TM

is a certification mark of the UPnPTM Implementers

Support

Should you require any technical assistance, please contact your
Axis reseller. If your questions cannot be answered immediately,
your reseller will forward your queries through the appropriate
channels to ensure a rapid response. If you are connected to the
Internet, you can:

• download user documentation and firmware updates

• find answers to resolved problem
by product, category, or phrases

• report problems to Axis support by logging in to your private
support area

• visit Axis Support at www.axis.com/techsup/

s in the FAQ database. Search

Safety Notice - Battery Replacement

The AXIS 210/211 uses a 3.0V CR2032 Lithium battery as the
power supply for its internal real-time clock (RTC). Under normal
conditions this battery will last for a minimum of 5 years. Low
battery power affects the operation of the RTC, causing it to reset
at every power-up. A log message will appear when the battery
needs replacing. The battery should not be replaced unless
required!

If the battery does need replacing, please

• Danger of Explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced

• Replace only with the same or equivalent battery, as

ecommended by the manufacturer.

r

• Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer's
instructions.

AXIS 210/211 User’s Manual
Revision 4.0, Part No: 28519, 16-02-07
Copyright© Axis Communications AB, 2007

observe the following:

AXIS 210/211

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Product features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Extra features for the AXIS 211 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Accessing the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Access From a Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Setting the Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Accessing the camera from the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Focusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

The Live View Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Video Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Video Stream Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

How to stream MPEG-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

The AXIS Media Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Other methods of accessing the video stream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Setup Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3

Accessing the Setup tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Video & Image settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Image Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Overlay/Mask Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Live View Config . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

HTML Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

External Video. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Sequence Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Event Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Event Servers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Configuring Event Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Motion Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Port Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

System Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Network - Basic TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

AXIS 210/211

4

Network - Advanced TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Network - SOCKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Network - SMTP (e-mail) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

QoS (Quality of service) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Network - UPnP™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Network - RTP / MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Bonjour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Ports & Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

LED Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Advanced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

The I/O Terminal Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

General performance considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Optimizing your system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Frame rates - Motion JPEG and MPEG-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Bandwidth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

AXIS 210/211 - Introduction

Introduction

This manual covers the following Axis Network Camera models:

• AXIS 210

•

AXIS 211

5

All instructions and information in this manual are valid for both
stated.

models unless otherwise

Product features

The AXIS 210/211 cameras are part of the latest generation of fully featured Axis Network
Cameras, and are all based on the AXIS ARTPEC-2 compression chip.

The most basic model is the AXIS 210. The AXIS 211
overview below. Both models support the following features:

• Video streams from the camera available
rate Motion JPEG and/or MPEG-4 video streams.

• Video Motion Detection - this can be
there is activity in the video image.

• Scheduled image uploads.

• IP address filtering and multilevel password protection.

• Alarm input and output, which can be connected
door sensors and alarm bells.

• Multiple video resolutions.

• Simultaneous access by up to 20 viewers when
multicast is used, the number of viewers is unlimited, but each viewer still needs a
separate MPEG-4 license. One license is included in the product, additional
licenses can be purchased separately.

• Privacy masking allows the concealment of parts of the image that should not
viewable. Up to 3 areas can be configured as masked areas.

• Built-in web server that provides full access
browser.

supports further features listed in the

on the network as real-time, full frame

used to trigger e.g. image uploads when

to various external devices, e.g.

using Motion JPEG. If MPEG-4

be

to all features via a standard web

AXIS 210/211 - Introduction

6

• Built-in scripting tool that allows the creation of basic applications. For advanced
functionality, the cameras can be accessed via the AXIS HTTP API (more info at
www.axis.com/developer).

Extra features for the AXIS 211

DC-Iris

The AXIS 211 features a varifocal DC-Iris, which automatically regulates the amount of
light entering the camera. Tele/wide and focus are adjusted manually with the aid of the
pullers mounted on the lens.

(PoE) Power over Ethernet

Supporting PoE network transformers conforming to IEEE 802.3af, the camera can be
powered directly from the network cabling.

Overview

Power indicator

Network indicator

Control button

Serial number

Mounting
screw hole

Underside

AXIS 211

DC-Iris

Focus puller

Tele/wide puller

AXIS 210

DC-Iris
control cable

Focus puller

Status
indicator

Status
indicator

DC-Iris control cable
(AXIS 211)

Power connector

I/O terminal connector

Network connector (and PoE 211)

Rear panel

4321

AXIS 210/211 - Introduction

7

AXIS 210/211 - Introduction

8

Power Connector - For connection of the PS-K power adapter (included).

I/O Terminal Connector - The I/O

terminal connector provides the physical interface to
one transistor output, one digital input and an auxiliary connection point for DC power.
For more information, see The I/O Terminal Connector,

Note:

Depending on the product version of your AXIS 210/211, you will see one of two different types of I/O tern­minal connectors. See The I/O Terminal Connector, on page 43.

on page 43.

Network Connector - The camera connects to the network via a standard network
connector. The camera detects the speed of the local network segment
(10BaseT/100BaseTX Ethernet). This socket can also be used to power the AXIS 211 via
PoE (Power over Ethernet).

Serial Number - This n

Control Button - Press

(see page 36) or to restore the factory default

umber is used during installation.

this button to install using the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service

settings, as described in Resetting to the

Factory Default Settings, on page 42.

LED Indicators

After completion of the startup and self test routines, the multi-colored Network, Status,
and Power LED indicators show as follows:

LED Color Indication

Network Green Steady for connection to a

Amber Steady for connection to 10 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

Unlit No network connection.

Status Green Steady green for normal operation.

Note: The Status LED can be configured to be u
only when the camera is accessed. To configure, go to Setup > System Options > LED
settings. See the online help files for more information.

Amber Steady during startup, during reset to factory

Red Slow flash for failed upgrade.

Power Green Normal operation.

Amber Flashes green/amber during firmware upgrade.

100 Mbit/s network. Flashes for network activity.

nlit during normal operation, or to flash

default or when restoring settings.

AXIS 210/211 - Accessing the Camera

Accessing the Camera

Follow the instructions in the AXIS 210/211 Installation Guide to install your camera.

9

The AXIS 211 can be accessed with most standard operating systems

and browsers. The
recommended browser is Internet Explorer for Windows, and Mozilla with other operating
systems. See also the Technical Specifications, on page

To view streaming video in Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows, you may set your browser to allow the

Note:

AXIS Media Control (AMC) to be installed on your computer. The first time an MPEG-4 video stream is
accessed AMC also installs an MPEG-4 decoder for viewing the video streams. As a license is required for
each instance of the decoder, the product administrator may have disabled the installation. If your worksta­tion restricts the use of additional software components, the AXIS 211 can be configured to use a Java
applet for updating JPEG images. See the online help for more information.

45.

Access From a Browser

1. Start a browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla)

2. Enter the IP address or host name

of the AXIS 211 in the
Location/Address field of your
browser.

3. If this is the first time the camera

is accessed, see Setting the Password, on page 10. Otherwise enter your user name and
password, as set by the administrator.

4. The camera’s Live View page is now displayed in your browser.

Note:

The layout of the live view page in the AXIS 211 may have been customized to meet specific requirements.
Consequently, some of the examples and functions featured here may differ from those displayed on your
own Live View page.

AXIS 210/211 - Accessing the Camera

Once installed, a camera is accessible on your local network (LAN). To access the camera from the Internet you must
configure your broadband router to allow incoming data traffic. For security reasons this is usually done on a specific
port. Please refer to the documentation for your broadband router for further instructions.

For more information, please visit the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service at www.axiscam.net or, for Technical notes
on this and other topics, visit the Axis Support Web at www.axis.com/techsup

10

Setting the Password

1. When accessing a camera for the first time,
the ‘Configure Root Password’ dialog will be
displayed on the screen.

2. Enter a password and then re-enter it, to
confirm the spelling. Click OK.

3. The ‘Enter Network Password’ dialog will appear. Enter the User name: root
Note: The default administrator user name root is permanent and cannot be deleted.

4. Enter the password as set in step 2 above, and click OK. If the password is lost, the
AXIS 211 must be reset to the factory default settings. See page 42.

5. If required, click Yes to install the AXIS Media Control (AMC). You will need
administrator rights on the computer to do this.

Accessing the camera from the Internet

AXIS 210/211 - Accessing the Camera

AXIS 210

Focus puller

AXIS 211

Focus puller

Zoom puller
(Tele/wide)

Focusing

To focus the AXIS 210, unscrew the
focus puller on the lens. Adjust the focus
as required. Re-tighten the focus puller.

To focus the AXIS 211, follow the instructions below.

11

1. From the Basic Configurati

on page
in the setup tools, open the Focus
adjustment page.

2. Set the DC-Iris to Disabled and click
Save.

3. Unscrew the zoom puller on the lens
by turning it anti-clockwise. Adjust
the zoom setting as required.
Re-tighten the zoom puller.

4. Unscrew the focus puller on the lens. Adjust the focus as required. Re-tighten the focus
puller.

5. From the Focus adjustment page, set the DC-Iris to Enabled and click Save.

Note:

The DC-Iris should always be disabled while focusing the camera. This opens the iris to its maximum, which
gives the smallest depth of field and thus the best conditions for correct focusing. When the focus is set
with this method it will then be maintained in any light conditions.

AXIS 210/211 - Accessing the Camera

The Output buttons control the
output directly from the Live
View page. These buttons are
configured under Setup > Live

View Config > Layout.

Pulse - click this button to activate the

output for a defined period of time, e.g.
to switch on a light for 20 seconds.

Active/Inactive - click these buttons to
manually start and stop a connected
device, e.g. switch a light on/off.

12

The Live View Page

Depending on whether or not the Live View page has been customized, the buttons
described below may or may not be visible.

The Video Format drop-down list allows the video format on the Live View
page to be temporarily changed.

These buttons start and stop the Sequence Mode. This mode is created in
Setup > Live View Config > Sequence mode, and automatically displays the
view from 2 or more video sources at set intervals.

From the Source list, select the desired external video source. Note
that Sequence Mode must be stopped before selecting a source from
this list.

The Action buttons can trigger an event directly from the Live View page.
These are configured under Setup > Live View Config > Layout.

The Snapshot button saves a snapshot of the video image currently being
displayed. Right-click on the video image to save it in JPEG format on your
computer. This button is primarily intended for use when the AMC viewer
toolbar is not available.

AXIS 210/211 - Accessing the Camera

The Live View toolbar displays the following buttons:

13

The Play/Stop button starts and

The Sn
displayed. The Snapshot function and
can be configured from the AMC Control Applet in the Windows Control Panel
(Internet Explorer for Windows only).

Click the View Fu
area. No other windows will be visible. Press Es
keyboard to exit full screen.

The record button is used to record the
the image file is saved can be specified using the AMC contro
recording, Select Live View Config > Viewer Settings > Enable recording

button.

apshot button saves a snapshot of the video image currently being

ll Screen button to make the video image fill the entire screen

stops the live video stream.

the target directory for saving snapshots

c (Escape) on the computer

current video stream. The location where

l panel. To enable

AXIS 210/211 - Video Streams

14

Video Streams

The AXIS 210/211 provides several different image and video formats. The type to use
depends on your requirements and on the properties of your network.

The Live View page in the AXIS 210/211 provides access
video streams, as well as to single JPEG images. Other applications and clients can also
access these video streams/images directly, without going via the Live View page.

to Motion JPEG and MPEG-4

Video Stream Types

Motion JPEG

This format uses standard JP
displayed and updated at a rate sufficient to create a stream that shows constantly updated
motion.

The Motion JPEG stream uses
excellent image quality and access to each and every individual image contained in the
stream.

Note also that multiple clients a
settings.

MPEG-4

This is a video compression standard that makes go
provide high-quality video streams at less than 1 Mbit/s.

The MPEG-4 standard provides scope for a large range of different coding tools for use by
various applications in d
of these tools. These are represented as Video object types, which are selected for use with
different viewing clients. The supported video object types are:

EG still images in the video stream. These images are then

considerable amounts of bandwidth, but also provides

ccessing Motion JPEG streams can use different image

od use of bandwidth, and which can

ifferent situations, and the AXIS 210/211 provides certain subsets

• Simple - sets the coding type

• Ad

vanced Simple - sets the coding type to MPEG-4 Part 2, as used by AMC (AXIS

Media Control)

When using MPEG-4 it is also possible to control the bit rate, which in turn allows the
amount
specific bit rate by varying the quality of the MPEG-4 stream. When using VBR (Variable
Bit Rate), the quality of the video stream is kept as constant as possible, at the cost of a
varying bit rate.

Notes:

of bandwidth usage to be controlled. CBR (Constant Bit Rate) is used to achieve a

•MPEG-4 is licensed technology. The AXIS 210/211 includes one viewing client license. Installing
additional unlicensed copies of the viewing client is prohibited. To purchase additional licenses,
contact your Axis reseller.

•All clients viewing the MPEG-4 stream must use the same set of coding tools.

to H.263, as used by e.g. QuickTime™.

AXIS 210/211 - Video Streams

MPEG-4 protocols and communication methods

To deliver live streaming video over IP networks, various combinations of transport
protocols and broadcast methods are employed.

15

• RTP (Realtime Transport Protocol) is a protocol that
real-time transmission of multimedia data, via unicast or multicast.

• RTSP (Real Time Streaming Proto
transport protocol to use for the stream. RTSP is thus used by a viewing client to start a
unicast session, see below.

• UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a
for exchanging data in a network that uses the Internet Protocol (IP). UDP is an alterna­tive to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The
required to deliver all data and may drop network packets when there is e.g. network
congestion. This is suitable for live video, as there is no point in re-transmitting old
information that will not be displayed anyway.

• Unicasting is communication between a single se
work. This means that the video stream goes inde
gets their own stream. A benefit of unicasting is that if one stream fails, it only affects
one user.

• Multicast is bandwidth-conserving technology
taneously delivering a single stream of information to
technology is used primarily on delimited networks (intranets), as each user needs an
uninterrupted data flow and should not rely on network routers.

col) serves as a control protocol, to negotiate which

communications protocol that offers limited service

allows programs to manage the

advantage of UDP is that it is not

nder and a single receiver over a net-

pendently to each user, and each user

that reduces bandwidth usage by simul-

multiple network recipients. This

How to stream MPEG-4

Deciding on the combination of protocols and methods to use depends on your viewing
requirements, and on the properties of your network. Setting the preferred method(s) is
done in the control applet for AMC, which is found in the Windows Control Panel. When
this has been set, AMC will test all the selected methods in the specified order, until the
first functioning one is found.

RTP+RTSP

This method (actually RTP over UDP and RTSP over TCP) should be your first consideration
for live video, especially when
even if some images do get dropped. This can be configured as multicast or unicast.

Multicasting provides the most effic
large numbers of clients viewing simultaneously. Note however, that a multicast broadcast
cannot pass a network router unless the router is configured to allow this. It is thus not
possible to multicast over e.g. the Internet.

it is important to always have an up-to-date video stream,

ient usage of bandwidth, especially when there are

AXIS 210/211 - Video Streams

16

Unicasting should be used for video-on-demand broadcasting, so that there is no video
traffic on the network until a client connects and requests the stream. However, as more
and more unicast clients connect, the traffic on the network will increase and may cause
congestion. Although there is a maximum of 20 unicast viewers, note that all multicast
users combined count as 1 unicast viewer.

RTP/RTSP

This unicast method is RTP tunneled over RTSP. This can be used to exploit th
is relatively simple to configure firewalls to allow RTSP traffic.

RTP/RTSP/HTTP

This method can also be used to traverse firewalls.
allow the HTTP protocol, thus allowing RTP to be tunneled.

Firewalls are commonly configured to

e fact that it

The AXIS Media Control

The recommended method of accessing live video (MPEG-4 and/or Motion JPEG) from the
AXIS 210/211 is to use the AXIS Media Control (AMC) in Microsoft Internet Explorer for
Windows. This ActiveX component is automatically installed on first use, after which it
can be configured by opening the AMC Control Panel applet from the Windows Control
Panel. Alternatively, right-click the video image in Internet Explorer.

Other methods of accessing the video stream

Video/images from the AXIS 210/211 can also be accessed in the following ways:

• If supported by the client, the AXIS 210/211 can
play video. This option maintains an open HTTP connection to the browser
data as and when required, for as long as required.

• As single JPEG images in a browser

http://<IP address>/axis-cgi/jpg/imag

• Windows Media Player. This requires AMC and the MPEG-4 d

The paths that can be used are listed below in the order of preference.

• Unicast via RTP: axrtpu://<IP address>/mpeg4/media.amp

•

Unicast via RTSP: axrtsp://<IP address>/mpeg4/media.amp

• Unicast via RTSP, tunneled via HTTP: axrtsphttp://<IP address>/mpeg4/media.amp

• Multicast: axrtpm://<IP address>/mpeg4/media.amp

. Enter e.g. the path:

e.cgi?resolution=320x240

use Motion JPEG server push to dis-

and sends

ecoder to be installed.

AXIS 210/211 - Video Streams

Other MPEG-4 clients

Although it may be possible to use other clients to view the MPEG-4 stream, this is not
guaranteed by Axis.

17

For some other clients, e.g.
may also be necessary to adjust the advanced MPEG-4 settings.

To assess the video stream from e.g. QuickTime™

rtsp://<IP address>/mpeg4/media.amp

This path is for all supported methods, and
to determine exactly which transport protocol to use.

QuickTime™ the Video Object Type must be set to Simple. It

the following path can be used:

the client will negotiate with the AXIS 210/211

AXIS 210/211 - Setup Tools

Setup tools

18

Setup Tools

This section describes how to configure the cameras, and is intended for product
Administrators, who have unrestricted access to all the Setup tools, and Operators, who
have access to the settings for Video & Image, Live View Config and Event Configuration.

The camera is configured under Se
Specifications, on page 45).

tup from a standard browser (see Technical

Accessing the Setup tools

Follow the instructions below to access the Setup Tools from a browser.

1. Start your browser and enter
the IP address or host name
of the cameras in the
location/address field.

2. The Live View page is now displayed. Click Setup to display the Setup tools.