IP Camera, how to detect it on the network? [closed]

Answer 1

It sounds like it uses DHCP (otherwise it wouldn't be on your network at ALL).

I use this tool all the time:

http://www.angryip.org/w/Home

The "Discovery API" would be to listen on DHCP port 68 when the camera tries to connect to the network. I'd just take a Wireshark trace, or use the above-referenced ip-scan tool.

Answer 2

According to the link you provided this camera is capable of UPnP.

UPnP is a protocol which has several methods for device discovery/search:

Your code must multicast UDP packets as search requests. Your UPnP devices will answer (depending on configuration) with UPnP Search Responses which are UDP unicast packets.

UPnP Search Responses contains a HTTP URL to allow retrieval of an XML description of the device. The host in the HTTP URL usually is the devices IP/hostname.

Have a look at the UPnP spec.

You don't say which OS/language you are using - so just a small list of APIs and libraries:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa381109%28v=vs.85%29.aspx (Windows / COM)
• http://pupnp.sourceforge.net/ (Linux)
• http://teleal.org/projects/cling (Java)

Answer 3

What you want is to read the DHCP options that this network camera should be passing. Typically any consumer device will output its vendor identifier string in option 43 of the DHCP packets. Interface with your DHCP server, and you can have the DHCP server send you a notification when the camera has been connected to the network.

This procedure is different for each dhcp vendor. Do you know what DHCP will be running in the network?

Otherwise I suggest installing a simple DHCPd. It should be easily configurable to react to the proper option 43 value and talking back to your application.