Why you need the camera's IP

To stream your camera with PanoraCast, you need its IP address to construct the RTSP URL. There are several ways to find it depending on your setup.

Method 1: Check your router's DHCP list

The easiest method. Log into your router (usually at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and look for the DHCP client list, connected devices, or LAN status page. Your camera will appear as a connected device with its IP address and MAC address.

Method 2: Use your camera brand's discovery tool

Most camera manufacturers offer a free tool that scans your network for their devices:

Hikvision: SADP Tool (Search Active Devices Protocol)
Dahua: ConfigTool
Reolink: Reolink Client
Axis: AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager
Amcrest: Amcrest IP Config Tool
Uniview: EZTools
Bosch: IP Helper
GeoVision: GV-IP Device Utility

Method 3: ONVIF Device Manager

ONVIF Device Manager is a free, open-source tool that discovers any ONVIF-compatible camera regardless of brand. Download it from GitHub, run it, and it will list all ONVIF devices on your network with their IPs.

Method 4: ARP scan (advanced)

If other methods fail, you can scan your network from the command line. This finds all devices on your local subnet.

bash

# Windows (Command Prompt)
arp -a

# macOS / Linux
arp -a
# or use nmap for a more detailed scan:
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Set a static IP or DHCP reservation

After finding your camera's IP, set a DHCP reservation in your router (or a static IP on the camera itself). This prevents the IP from changing after a power cycle, which would break your RTSP URL in PanoraCast.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

Camera not found — Ensure the camera is powered on and connected (check Ethernet link light or WiFi status)
Different subnet — Your camera and computer must be on the same subnet. Cameras sometimes default to 192.168.1.x which may differ from your network
Camera has 169.254.x.x — This means the camera failed to get a DHCP address. Check the Ethernet cable or assign a static IP via the camera's reset procedure

Finding Your Camera's IP Address