What you need

Before you start, make sure your Hikvision camera is powered on and connected to the same local network as your computer. You will need the camera's IP address, username, and password.

Hikvision IP camera or NVR connected to your network
Camera admin credentials (default user: admin)
A computer on the same LAN
A PanoraCast account (free tier works)

Step 1: Find your camera's IP address

Download and run Hikvision's free SADP Tool (Search Active Devices Protocol). It scans your local network and lists every Hikvision device with its IP address, model, serial number, and firmware version. Alternatively, check your router's DHCP client list.

Network scanning tool showing discovered IP cameras — SADP Tool lists all Hikvision devices on your network

Step 2: Open the camera's web interface

Open a web browser and navigate to http://<camera-ip>. Log in with your admin credentials. If this is the first login, you will be prompted to set a password. Navigate to Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Other to verify RTSP authentication is enabled.

Step 3: Verify RTSP is enabled

In the web interface, go to Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings. Check that the RTSP port is set to 554 (default). Make sure 'Enable RTSP Authentication' is checked. If your camera supports ISAPI, the newer URL format will also work.

Step 4: Copy your RTSP URL

Hikvision cameras support multiple RTSP URL formats. Use the main stream for highest quality, or the sub stream for lower bandwidth. Replace the placeholders with your actual credentials and IP.

bash

# Main stream (high quality)
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/101

# Sub stream (lower bandwidth)
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/102

# ISAPI format (newer models)
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/ISAPI/Streaming/Channels/101

# NVR channel 2, main stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/201

Understanding NVR channel numbers

For Hikvision NVRs, the channel number in the URL follows a pattern: the first digit is the camera channel (1-16), and the second digit is the stream type (01 = main, 02 = sub). So channel 3's sub stream would be /Streaming/Channels/302.

Step 5: Add the camera to PanoraCast

Log into your PanoraCast dashboard, click 'Add Camera', select 'Hikvision' from the brand dropdown, and paste your RTSP URL. Click 'Test Connection' to verify the stream works. Once confirmed, save the camera and create an embed stream.

Firewall considerations

PanoraCast connects to your camera from the cloud. Your camera must be accessible from the internet on its RTSP port (default 554). You can either: (a) set up port forwarding on your router for port 554, or (b) use PanoraCast's RTMP push mode where the camera pushes to PanoraCast instead (no inbound ports needed). See our Port Forwarding Guide for details.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions:

Connection timeout — Check that RTSP port 554 is open on your firewall and port forwarding is configured
Authentication failed — Verify username/password. Hikvision requires strong passwords on newer firmware
Black screen — Try switching between main and sub stream. Check the camera's video encoding is H.264 (not H.265)
Intermittent disconnects — Ensure stable network connection. Consider using a wired (PoE) connection instead of WiFi

How to Connect a Hikvision Camera