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Onboarding FAQ

Updated over 6 months ago

Welcome to Spot!
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Here are the most frequently asked questions during our Technical Onboarding sessions. Please read through these items so that we can make the most use of our time together.

Why is my appliance showing as offline in the Dashboard?

This typically means one of three things:

  • The appliance is currently powered off or is in a bad state. To correct this, reboot the appliance.

    • While booting up, make sure the hard drive activity light next to the power button is lighting up.

  • Bad/disconnected network cable from the switch to the appliance (replace the cable and also use a different port on the switch to rule out a bad port). You can also try connecting a different device using that port & cable to see if it is able to connect.

  • There is a network-related issue tied to either upstream the firewall, or wherever the appliance is plugged into doesn't have access to the internet:

Why am I seeing playback issues/cameras going offline?

The resolution of the camera may be set too high. Here are the Spot recommended camera specs for most cameras:

For Fourth Gen Appliances starting with sn7a and up, and enterprise Appliances (sn7e, sn8g - sn8k) using 4K:

  • Video Encoding: H.265/H.264 (H.264 is acceptable if H.265 is not an option)

  • Video resolution: Up to 4K 3840*2160

  • FPS: 15

  • Rate Control/Bitrate Type: CBR (Constant)

  • Bitrate: 3358 Kbps

  • I-Frame Rate: 15 (should match FPS, may not be an available setting)

For Third Gen Appliances starting with sn5a - sn6f, and enterprise Appliances (snae, snea, snae2, sn6g - sn6k) and Fourth Gen Appliances starting with sn7a and up, and enterprise Appliances (sn7e, sn8g - sn8k) using 5MP:

  • Video Encoding: H.265/H.264 (H.264 is acceptable if H.265 is not an option)

  • Video resolution: Up to 5MP (2560x1920 [4:3] or 2880x1620 [16:9])

  • FPS: 15

  • Rate Control/Bitrate Type: CBR (Constant)

  • Bitrate: 2048 Kbps

  • I-Frame Rate: 15 (should match FPS, may not be an available setting)

For Second Gen Appliances starting with sn4e - sn4u:

  • Video Encoding: H.265/H.264 ((H.264 is acceptable if H.265 is not an option))

  • Video resolution: Up to 2MP (1920x1080)

  • FPS: 15

  • Rate Control/Bitrate Type: CBR (Constant)

  • Bitrate: 2048 Kbps

  • I-Frame Rate: 15 (should match FPS, may not be an available setting)

  • Most cameras offer multiple streams (Main, Sub, Tri, etc). Ensure that your settings are at or below the suggested settings on all streams for best results.

  • The use of H264 is supported, but as H265 is recommended you will see a warning on the Maintain tab for any cameras configured this way.

  • The use of H264/H265+, Smart Encoding, Smart Encode, U-Code, or any other similar feature is not supported and use may result in camera instability.

  • When using 4K resolution the total number of cameras that can be activated decreases. Each 4K camera activated on an appliance constitutes 2 cameras. While mixing and matching resolutions is supported, the maximum number of 4K cameras allowed on an appliance is half the available streams. (8 camera units can have a total 4 4K cameras, 16 camera units can have a total of 8 4K cameras, 32 camera units can have a total of 16 4K cameras, 64 camera units can have a total of 32 4K cameras)

  • Audio on with a mic input volume of over 50% (higher audio input level can help with better audio)

  • Network speeds may be too low.

    • Rule of thumb recommended ISP speeds are:
      Download 50 Mb/s
      Upload 10 Mb/s

    • We recommend using Gigabit ethernet connections for your internal network.

For a comprehensive list of how many 4k and 5MP cameras can be added to the IVR at any one time, please see: Mixing 4k and 5MP Cameras

If the problems persist, provide the Basic Camera Details, mentioned below, to Support.

What basic steps should I take for camera issues?

Examples of camera issues: moving/migrating cameras to a Spot appliance, camera detection in the Dashboard, and setup issues.

If the cameras aren't behaving properly (showing as disconnected, etc.), then reboot the cameras by unplugging them from the PoE switch or simply rebooting the switch. Make sure that the cameras are off for 20 seconds before restoring power to them.

If that doesn’t work, then reboot the appliance by pushing the power button on the front of the appliance for 1 second (and no more than 3 seconds). Wait about 20 seconds & power it on again.

If neither of those steps resolved it, provide these Basic Camera Details to Support:

  • The problem statement or objective.

  • The make & model number of your non-Spot equipment (include cameras and networking equipment like your switch).

  • The name of the location.

  • The expected number of cameras.

  • The IP address of one of the cameras.

  • Are the cameras connected to a DHCP server (e.g. on the same subnet as the router)?

  • The login credentials for the cameras. If you don’t know the login credentials, check whether they are stored on the existing NVR.

    • If the login credentials still aren’t known, we might be able to guess them once we know the make & model number of the cameras.

    • We may need to reset the camera to factory default.

If all attempts to locate the credentials are unsuccessful, we can provide Spot cameras. Note that the goal isn’t to delay providing Spot cameras; we want customers to use Spot cameras. The goal is to avoid the customer-facing effort to replace their existing cameras.

  • The DHCP range from your router.

  • Provide a diagram of your network to show how the appliance, cameras, switch, and router are connected to each other.

Example 1 (Flat Network)

Flat Network (3).png

Example 2 (Physically Isolated Network)

isolated network.png

Due to how we discover cameras, this topology (using NIC 1 for internet & NIC 2 for cameras) is useful in cases where the NIC 1 is on a /16 network as the appliance would send 65000+ broadcast ARP packets every 30 sec. NIC 2 is an isolated network that would then need its own DHCP server to give out IP addresses to cameras or static IPs configured.

More information on recommended topologies can be found here: Recommended Network Topologies

Top 15 Knowledge Articles

Live View Buffering: Quality

Timelapse and Clips on Timeline

Changing Camera Resolutions and Video Settings

Contacting Spot AI Support

Adding a New Camera to the Spot Dashboard

Troubleshooting an Offline Spot AI IVR Appliance

How to Use Segment Scrub Search

Troubleshooting Offline and Disconnected Cameras

Step 5: Connect the Cameras and/or Existing DVR/NVR

Native Configure Remote Camera Proxy

Step 2: Install and Connect IVR and Cameras

Upstream Firewall Configuration Information

Understanding Spot AI Recommended Network Topologies

Camera Mounting Accessories

How to Download, Share, and Save Videos

What is the best way to contact Support?

Support can be contacted via:

There is no phone number specifically associated with the Support team. If a Support ticket has been created with the details of the problem, you can call your assigned CSM to reach Support by phone.

Support’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 9 am to 9 pm Eastern Time.
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Spot AI will respond to support requests within a maximum of two (2) business days. Tickets are worked by priority. Resolution times will vary depending on the type and severity of the issue.

The Knowledge Base is available at https://helpcenter.spot.ai/en/

If you're scheduling someone onsite, please provide the details to your assigned Customer Success Manager. This will help to ensure that we'll have someone available to assist.

Can your support team access my Dashboard to help me?

Yes, go to the Dashboard, click on Admin > Configure > Organization Settings. Ensure that “Spot Technical Support” is enabled. Spot recommends leaving this enabled to ensure the fastest service.

Can your support team access my equipment to help me?

Yes, our Support team can resolve most issues remotely. If you don't want Support accessing your equipment, please notify your Customer Success Manager.

Who calibrates the cameras?

Tuning cameras for optimal visibility is the responsibility of the end user. Spot can provide limited guidance on this subject.

Will Spot AI work with my existing NVR?

It depends on the NVR and the usage. Spot AI will provide best-effort support to use an existing NVR. If you want to minimize potential problems and get operational ASAP, the best practice would be to use a PoE switch as a replacement for any existing NVR and use IP cameras.

Will Spot AI work with my LTE modem?

Spot can work with LTE cellular modems, but we do not recommend this. Users will experience poor performance due to limitations with the LTE technology, and data caps may be an issue.

Does Spot AI provide hardware recommendations?

We don’t have any official recommendations for specific network-related gear, but we can provide some degree of guidance:

Network Switch

  • Name brand (e.g. Netgear, TP-link, Linksys, Cisco, HPE, Ubiquiti, etc..)

    • If in doubt about "name brand", check what BestBuy is selling.

  • 802.3at compliant, also known as PoE+

  • We recommend unmanaged switches for easy setup, but managed switches can be used for more granular control over the network

  • Gigabit uplink

  • At least two more ports than the number of cameras that will be connected (e.g. if you have 14 cameras, the switch should have 16 ports)

    • This allows for a Spot appliance and another network connection to be added

  • At least 12W per port that will support IP cameras

    • 10 cameras on one switch would come out to 120 watts of power needed on that switch.

Rack

Regardless of which is chosen, install the equipment in a clean, open area with a clutter-free space of at least a three feet radius to keep your equipment cool.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Cabling

Remote Power Switch

Cable ties

There are two or more NIC interfaces on the Spot appliance. Which one should I use?

It does not matter. You can use either NIC to connect to any network. There are two in case the camera network is physically isolated from the rest of the network, one appliance NIC can be used to talk to the internet, and the other appliance NIC can be used to talk to the cameras.

If you are installing a rack mounted server appliance, do not use the NIC that has the red plug inserted unless instructed to do so for troubleshooting purposes.

I’d like to configure my cameras on my own. Where can I find information about my cameras, like the default username/password & RTSP path?

First of all, high five for giving it a go!
This URL will be useful for this: https://www.ispyconnect.com/cameras

Information in this knowledge article may also be useful: Using the VLC media player to verify RTSP streams


​​If you’re using Spot Cameras, the username/password is: admin/spot2330. If that doesn’t work, try admin/admin.

Does Spot support analog cameras?

Depends on the cameras, however, you will need an analog-to-digital converter in order to add analog cameras.

Here are some recommendations on analog to digital converters

Does Spot support fisheye, 180 panoramic, or multi-sensor cameras?

Yes, as long as they are IP cameras and have an RTSP port and path. Spot now offers Fisheye and Multisensor cameras. Reach out to your Sales team for more information on these specialty cameras.

Does Spot support Wifi cameras?

No Spot does not support Wifi cameras.

Will Spot come out and deploy, perform cabling, and configure my network for me?

Spot AI has installers that can perform this function. Work with your Sales and Success team to find an install partner near you.

Is the footage data stored in the US?

The footage stays on the appliance and gets streamed to the cloud when viewing the live views. 100% of the data is stored in the US and all servers are in the US.

What is the expected wall latency?

Latency on a video wall of 5-7 sec is expected. If you're seeing lag greater than this, check your camera specs, and check this article for more latency resolutions.

How are cameras detected by Spot?

This is accomplished by ARP discovery. For more information please see: Auto Camera Discovery.

Can I preconfigure a static IP address on the Spot appliance interface before bringing the device online?

No, you will need to bring the Spot appliance online first, using DHCP. Once the appliance is online, you can configure a static IP address through the dashboard: Configuring Static IP Addresses on Cameras

Is it possible to pull cameras into the SPOT AI dashboard and connect them through a coaxial aggregator bypassing 3rd party NVR?

Coaxial aggregators have Ethernet connections, allowing cameras to connect via coaxial cables while the aggregator connects to a network switch. Possibly 3rd third-party NVR is connected to this switch, and communication happens over IP. We are considering bypassing the 3rd party NVR by connecting the aggregator directly to the same VLAN as the Spot AI NVR is that possible?

Yes, this should work technically. As long as there is IP communication and we can ping cameras we should see cameras via the network.

For any cameras to work with our system, we need IP access, and rtsp on cameras needs to be enabled.

Related Articles
Step 1: Verify Your Equipment
Understanding Spot AI Recommended Network Topologies
Step 5: Connect the Cameras and/or Existing DVR/NVR
Pre-Trial Setup Instructions
Supported vs. Unsupported Cameras
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