Hikvision Integration Guide

Supported Protocols

Multiple Ways to Connect

Hikvision cameras offer broad protocol support. We recommend RTSP for real-time streaming and ONVIF for automated discovery. FTP snapshot upload is available for bandwidth-constrained environments.

▶

RTSP Streaming

Real-time video via RTSP with H.264/H.265 support. Lowest latency option for live AI analysis.

🔍

ONVIF Discovery

Automatic camera discovery and configuration via ONVIF Profile S on port 80.

📤

FTP Snapshot Upload

Scheduled or event-triggered JPEG snapshot upload to AgenticEye's FTP endpoint.

🌐

HTTP / ISAPI

RESTful API access for advanced configuration and event subscription.

Prerequisites

Before You Begin

✅

Camera on Network

Your Hikvision camera must be connected to the same network (or reachable via VPN/port forwarding) as the AgenticEye agent.

✅

Admin Credentials

You need administrator access to the camera's web interface to enable protocols and create users.

✅

Firmware Updated

We recommend running firmware v5.5+ for full ONVIF Profile S support and stable RTSP streams.

✅

AgenticEye Account

An active AgenticEye account with at least one camera slot available on your plan.

RTSP URL Format

Hikvision RTSP URL Pattern

Main Stream rtsp://[username]:[password]@[ip]:554/Streaming/Channels/[channel]01

Sub Stream (Lower Resolution) rtsp://[username]:[password]@[ip]:554/Streaming/Channels/[channel]02

Note: For standalone cameras, [channel] is typically 1. For NVRs, each connected camera gets its own channel number (e.g., channel 2 = camera 2). The trailing 01 selects the main stream and 02 selects the sub stream.

Examples

# Standalone camera — main stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/101

# NVR camera 3 — main stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/301

# NVR camera 3 — sub stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/302

Integration Guide

Step-by-Step Setup

Enable RTSP in Network Settings

Log into the Hikvision web interface at http://[camera-ip]. Navigate to Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → Network Service (or Integration Protocol on newer firmware).

Ensure RTSP is checked/enabled
Confirm the RTSP port is set to 554 (default)
Set the RTSP authentication to digest/basic

Verify RTSP is active (command line)

# Test RTSP connectivity from your AgenticEye server
ffprobe -rtsp_transport tcp \
  rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/101

Create a Dedicated Camera User

For security, create a separate user account for AgenticEye rather than using the admin credentials.

Go to Configuration → System → User Management
Click Add User
Set username to agenticeye
Set a strong password (letters, numbers, special characters)
Set user level to Operator with remote viewing permissions

Security tip: Avoid using the default admin account for integrations. A dedicated user makes it easier to audit access and rotate credentials without disrupting other services.

Configure Video Channel Settings

Optimize your stream settings for AgenticEye's AI processing.

Navigate to Configuration → Video/Audio → Video
Select the camera channel you want to connect
Configure the main stream settings:

        Recommended Stream Settings
        Stream Type:      Main Stream (Normal)
Video Type:       Video
Resolution:       1920x1080 (1080p) or 2560x1440 (2K)
Bitrate Type:     Variable
Video Quality:    Medium or Higher
Frame Rate:       15-25 fps
Max Bitrate:      4096 Kbps
Video Encoding:   H.264 (recommended) or H.265
I Frame Interval: 50
      

Bandwidth tip: If bandwidth is limited, use the sub stream at 704x480 with a 2048 Kbps cap. AgenticEye's AI works well at lower resolutions for most detection tasks.

Add Camera to AgenticEye via RTSP

Now add the camera to your AgenticEye dashboard.

Open the AgenticEye dashboard and go to Cameras → Add Camera
Select RTSP Stream as the connection type
Enter the RTSP URL with your dedicated user credentials:

        AgenticEye Camera Configuration
        Name:            Front-Entrance-Hik01
Connection Type: RTSP
RTSP URL:        rtsp://agenticeye:SecureP@[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/101
Transport:       TCP (recommended) or UDP
Frame Interval:  1 (analyze every frame) or 5 (every 5th frame)
      

Click Test Connection to verify the feed, then Save.

Alternative: ONVIF Auto-Discovery

If you prefer automatic setup, AgenticEye can discover Hikvision cameras via ONVIF.

On the camera, go to Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → Integration Protocol
Check Enable ONVIF
The default ONVIF port is 80
Add an ONVIF user (may be separate from regular camera users on some firmware versions)

        ONVIF Discovery URL
        http://192.168.1.64:80/onvif/device_service
      

In AgenticEye, go to Cameras → Auto-Discover and click Scan Network. Your Hikvision cameras will appear in the discovery list. Select the cameras you want to add and enter the ONVIF credentials.

Configure FTP Snapshot Upload

For bandwidth-limited setups, configure FTP-based snapshot uploads to AgenticEye's ingest endpoint.

Navigate to Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → FTP
Configure the FTP server settings:

        FTP Configuration
        Server Address:   ingest.agenticeye.com
Port:             21
Username:         [your-agenticeye-ftp-user]
Password:         [your-agenticeye-ftp-password]
Directory:        /cameras/hikvision-front-01/
Upload Type:      JPEG Snapshot
Interval:         Every 5 seconds (or event-triggered)
      

Under Configuration → Event → Basic Event, configure snapshot triggers for motion detection or scheduled capture
Link the event action to "Upload to FTP"

Note: FTP credentials are generated in your AgenticEye dashboard under Settings → Ingest Endpoints → FTP. Each camera gets a unique upload directory.

NVR Integration (Multi-Camera)

If you're running a Hikvision NVR (e.g., DS-7600 series), you can add individual camera channels through the NVR's RTSP endpoint.

NVR Channel RTSP URLs

# Camera 1 on NVR — main stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/101

# Camera 2 on NVR — main stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/201

# Camera 3 on NVR — sub stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/302

# Camera 4 on NVR — main stream
rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/Streaming/Channels/401

Add each channel as a separate camera in AgenticEye. The channel numbering follows the pattern: [camera_number][stream_type] where stream type 01 = main, 02 = sub.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Fixes

⚠ RTSP Authentication Failure

The camera rejects the RTSP connection with a 401 Unauthorized error, even though credentials are correct.

Fix: Hikvision cameras may require digest authentication. In your camera settings, go to Configuration → System → Security → Authentication and set RTSP Authentication to digest/basic (not digest-only). Also ensure the user account has "Remote: Preview" permission enabled.

⚠ Firewall Blocking RTSP Port

Connection times out when trying to reach the camera's RTSP stream from the AgenticEye server.

Fix: Ensure port 554 (TCP) is open between the AgenticEye agent and the camera. If using a firewall, add an allow rule: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 554 -s [agenticeye-ip] -j ACCEPT. For NVRs behind NAT, set up port forwarding for 554/TCP.

⚠ ONVIF Not Enabled or Not Discoverable

AgenticEye's auto-discovery does not find the camera on the network.

Fix: ONVIF is disabled by default on many Hikvision models. Go to Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → Integration Protocol and enable ONVIF. You may also need to create a separate ONVIF user under this same settings page. Ensure multicast traffic (UDP 3702) is allowed on your network switches.

⚠ Stream Dropping or Freezing

The video feed connects but periodically freezes or drops frames.

Fix: Switch RTSP transport from UDP to TCP in AgenticEye camera settings. Reduce the camera bitrate to 4096 Kbps or lower. If the NVR is serving multiple streams, check that total bandwidth does not exceed the NVR's output capacity (typically 80-256 Mbps depending on model).

⚠ Incorrect Channel Number on NVR

The RTSP URL connects but shows the wrong camera or a black screen.

Fix: Verify the channel number matches the camera's position in the NVR's channel list. Channel numbering starts at 1. Check the NVR web interface under Configuration → Camera Management to confirm the channel assignment for each connected camera.

Multiple Ways to Connect

RTSP Streaming

ONVIF Discovery

FTP Snapshot Upload

HTTP / ISAPI

Before You Begin

Camera on Network

Admin Credentials

Firmware Updated

AgenticEye Account

Hikvision RTSP URL Pattern

Step-by-Step Setup

Enable RTSP in Network Settings

Create a Dedicated Camera User

Configure Video Channel Settings

Add Camera to AgenticEye via RTSP

Alternative: ONVIF Auto-Discovery

Configure FTP Snapshot Upload

NVR Integration (Multi-Camera)

Common Issues & Fixes

⚠ RTSP Authentication Failure

⚠ Firewall Blocking RTSP Port

⚠ ONVIF Not Enabled or Not Discoverable

⚠ Stream Dropping or Freezing

⚠ Incorrect Channel Number on NVR

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