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DW Spectrum - ADT I-View Now Integration

Updated

DW Spectrum - ADT I-View Now Integration

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Affected Roles:  Administrator, Owner

Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps: DW Spectrum® IPVMS

Software Version:  DW Spectrum v4.2 or higher; I-View Now v1.0 or higher

Last Edit:  November 18, 2021

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ADT I-View Now & DW Spectrum

ADT’s I-View Now software is intended to be used as a cloud-based service that allows their users to remotely manage and respond to security alerts from their ADT security setup.  When integrated with a DW Spectrum system, ADT customers can experience the convenience of the I-View Now software with the robust processing and archive management of the DW Spectrum IPVMS platform.

This article will outline how to set up the I-View Now Portal and connect with a DW Spectrum System to configure event rule settings.

 

I-View Now – Alarm Path Example

Once the Video Management System (VMS) has been set up and is ready for testing with I-View Now.

The following illustration shows the path of two message flows comprising a typical “video verification” scenario.

  • Step 1~3: an onsite alarm event triggers a notification message (SMTP) that is forwarded to the I-View Now system. The alarm event is usually the result of a simple contact closure that is wired to an alarm panel that communicates the sensor I/O status to the DW Spectrum System through a Spectrum Server on the same local network
  • Step 4 & 5: the I-View Now system then sends a pre-alarm and post-alarm video clip that was recorded as a result of the alarm triggering. The duration of this video clip varies depending on the length of the event, but is typically between 3~10 seconds.

The I-View user can then view one or more consecutive alarm event video clips as they arrive from the I-View Now portal on the mobile application or by a web browser on a PC or tablet device.

 

Before You Begin…

I-View Now Portal Installation Worksheet

The I-View Now Portal Installation Worksheet is a document that can be created after adding the server device to the I-View Now site.

 

**NOTE TO THE INSTALLER:  It is recommended that Installers generate this sheet from the system before attempting to set up the I-View Now site for integration with I-View Now as it will help to keep track of the DW Spectrum login information, as well as the means that will be used to send SMTP messages back to the I-View Now server. There is a place on the form for documenting the public/external IP Address (Location IP Address) that will be used by the onsite Internet-facing router to identify over the Internet/WAN.

In addition, the necessary DW Spectrum network ports will need to be port forwarded on the router and should be documented on this form. This address information must be entered into the I-viewnow.com system to allow I-View Now to identify the external IP address and ports that are used to communicate from the recording site, through the router, and to the I-View Now platform.

 

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A portion of an example worksheet is displayed below:

 

You can retrieve the public/external IP address of the network that is hosting the DW Spectrum server hardware by asking the customer’s IT department for the public IP address of the main, Internet-facing router. Alternatively, you may visit http://whatismyip.org while onsite and connected to the local network to obtain the public IP address of the router.

Be sure to verify with the IT department that the external IP address you are using is valid as a target for the I-View Now servers. The IT Site Administration must enable port forwarding from their router/firewalls with the IP and port information of the DW Spectrum Server. This will allow the DW Spectrum Server to be accessible from outside of the site’s local network (LAN) for incoming and outgoing messages. The external IP address can then be used by the I-View Now Portal to identify the router and ports that are used to communicate with the server.

 

Preparing to Use DW Spectrum IPVMS

The DW Spectrum Server software should be already set up and configured on its supporting hardware before proceeding. If you have yet to do so, you may refer to the self-help setup articles below.

 

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**NOTE:  To reserve processing resources for management of the security system, it is typically advised to avoid using the DW Spectrum Client when also utilizing the DW Spectrum Server hardware (PC) itself. For regular viewing and configuration needs, use of the DW Spectrum Client software on a separate computer is recommended instead.

 

DW Spectrum Server Network Configuration       

On the I-View Now Portal Installation Sheet, be sure to document the local IP address of the DW Spectrum server device and the external IP address of the router. The external IP address of the router can be obtained by asking the customer’s IT department for the public IP address of the main, Internet-facing router. Alternatively, you may visit http://whatismyip.org while onsite and connected to the local network to obtain the public IP address of the router.

 

**NOTE:  When using DW Blackjack Series hardware as a DW Spectrum Server, the DW Blackjack unit is set to a DHCP network configuration by default. In this event, a local IP address will be assigned to the unit by the local router that is overseeing the same LAN. This, however, will not affect/change the router’s external IP address.

 

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Part 1: Setting Up a New I-View Now Site

Creating and Adding a DW Spectrum Server to an I-View Now Site

To add the DW Spectrum Server device to the I-View Now account, use the I-View Now Portal Installation Sheet as a reference. Otherwise, you will need to know the IP address, port number (7001) and user information of the DW Spectrum Server.

  1. Using a web browser, connect with the I-View Now Portal.  Log in to the I-View Now Portal, then navigate to the Sites section and click the “Create A Site” button.

 

  1. In the resulting Add a Site window, complete the site registration form in the I-View Now Portal. When finished, click the “Create Site” button at the bottom of registration form to save the site information.

 

  1. The Add Device(s) page will then display. To add the DW Spectrum Server to the I-View Now device list, add a signaling device and select “Relay/Standalone”.

 

  1. Next, add a new video device and select “Digital Watchdog” and “Spectrum” to denote the use of DW Spectrum Server hardware. Click the “Confirm” button and continue.

 

  1. Once the DW Spectrum device has been added to the site in the I-View Now Portal, click the “Edit” button that displays beside the DW Spectrum Server in the device list.

In the displaying Device Configuration page, the Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address) will display. Copy the Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address) information as it will be needed when setting up the users and SMTP server settings in the DW Spectrum IPVMS software.

 

Part 2: Configuring the DW Spectrum Server for I-View Now

**NOTE:  For the sections of Part 2 of this guide, the following steps will occur while using the DW Spectrum IPVMS software.

 

Section 2-1:  DW Spectrum System – Configuring SMTP Email Notification Settings

To set up the Email Notification settings of a DW Spectrum System:

  1. Launch the DW Spectrum Client application on the connecting computer.

To log in, click on the device tile that represents the DW Spectrum System and enter the login credentials.

  • Default User:  admin
  • Default Password:  admin12345

 

  1. After logging in, the DW Spectrum Client will display the user interface and all DW Spectrum Servers and connected IP devices that are a part of the DW Spectrum System that you are currently accessing.

To configure the system settings for I-View Now, click on the Main Menu and select “System Administration”.

 

  1. Select the “Email” tab at the top of the System Administration window to display the Outgoing Email Settings of the DW Spectrum System.

Click and Enable the “Advanced Settings” toggle in the Outgoing Email Settings.  This will allow a more specific setup for the email notification service.

Using the device ID and E-mail information that was provided to you by the I-View Now Portal Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address) information back in Part 1, Step 5, configure the following:

  • Email – enter the Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address that was provided by the I-View Now Portal
  • Port – use “9116” to represent the I-View Now communication port
  • SMTP Server – use “ivnview.com”
  • User – reenter the Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address that was provided by the I-View Now Portal
  • Password – if the ivnview.com email service requires a login password for proxy use, enter the login password associated with the Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address email service as necessary. Otherwise, leave this blank.
  • Connection Type – select “Secure connection using SSL”

Click the “Apply” button to save the SMTP email settings for the DW Spectrum System. 

Click the “Test” button to have the DW Spectrum System send data packets to test the connection with the I-View Now SMTP server. If the test fails, check that the @ivnview.com email address has been correctly entered.

 

Section 2-2:  DW Spectrum – Camera Configuration

While using the DW Spectrum Client, any users with administrator permissions can easily prompt and configure IP cameras that have been added to the DW Spectrum System. With the wide variety of IP cameras that are available on the market, the following guidelines have been determined for the best experience.

To configure camera settings through the DW Spectrum Client:

  1. While using the DW Spectrum Client, right-click on the target camera and select “Camera Settings”.

 

  1. In the resulting Camera Settings window, select the “General” tab.

If you intend to click the “More Info” toggle to view advanced information about the camera. For example, the camera’s MAC Address, Camera ID, and other identifiers that can be used to locate the camera within the network if needed.

 

  1. If you must adjust the recording type for the camera, select the “Recording” tab.

Use the Recording Schedule grid to set the recording type (record always, motion only, motion + lo-res) as needed.

Under the Motion Recording settings, you can adjust the Pre-Recording and Post-Recording settings to manage the length of video that the pre-alarm and post-alarm footage will archive when the event alarm triggers.

If you make any changes to the Camera Settings, click the “Apply” button to save the settings.

 

  1. The Advanced tab will display the camera’s recording stream settings. These settings will directly correspond with your MEGApix IP camera’s web viewer settings as well.

The recommended video quality settings for this I-View Now setup are:

  • Video Stream(s) – focus for SMTP messaging should be on the sub stream (secondary stream) as it is generally more compressed and utilizes a lower framerate; main stream (primary stream) will affect higher-quality video and live viewing.
  • Video Size/Resolution – recommended to set this to CIF size (352x288) or close to it.
  • Video Framerate (FPS) – recommended to set framerate between 7~15 frames per second.
  • Encoding – recommended to use CBR (Constant Bit Rate) of 384~512k Kbps for sub-stream

 

Section 2-3:  DW Spectrum – User Setup

If you would like to provide access to the DW Spectrum System for the new I-View Now user:

  1. In the DW Spectrum Client, open the System Administration menu and select the “Users” tab.

To create a new DW Spectrum user profile, click the “New User…” button.

 

  1. In the User Settings window, configure the following:
  • Login – use “iviewnow”
  • Name – use “iviewnow”
  • Email – use the Device Identifier (SMTP/E-Mail Address that was provided by the I-View Now Portal
  • Password – create a password for this DW Spectrum user profile; it is recommended to create a password that uses at least 8-characters that include at least two (2) variations of lowercase letters (abc), capitalized letters (ABC), numbers, or non-roman symbols
  • Confirm Password – reenter the password to check for typos or other inconsistencies
  • Role – select the DW Spectrum user role that best befits this user; depending on the permissions of the selected role, this will determine what this user will be able to do while using the DW Spectrum System.

When you have finished configuring the user information, click the “Apply” button to save the settings, then click the “OK” button.

                                                                                                                                                               

Section 2-4:  DW Spectrum – Event Management

Event Rules are essentially virtual triggers for event notifications that are overseen by the DW Spectrum System. For example, the system can be configured to send email notifications (SMTP) when a specific camera detects motion or when an I/O door sensor detects activity. To accomplish this for I-View Now, custom Event Rules must be created.

  1. Open the System Administration menu and select “Event Rules”.

In the Event Rules menu, click the “Add” button to create a new rule.

 

  1. To configure the new Event Rule to email notifications:
  • When – set to “Generic Event” (Starts)
  • Source contains – set to “iviewnow”
  • Caption contains – leave this blank
  • Description contains – leave this blank
  • Do – set to “Send email”
  • To – set to “iviewnow”

Click the “Apply” button to save the new event rule.

 

  1. Next, create another new event rule to have the system trigger camera recording.

Click the “Add” button to make a new rule and configure the following:

  • When – set to “Generic Event” (Starts)
  • Source contains – set to “iviewnow”
  • Caption contains – leave this blank
  • Description contains – leave this blank
  • Do – set to “Camera recording”
  • At – select the cameras and I/O devices that will act as a triggering device for the I-ViewNow Portal configuration
  • Quality – set to “Medium” (7~15fps)
  • Pre-Recording – set to “60s”
  • Post-Recording – set to “10s”

Click the “Apply” button to save the settings.

 

Section 2-5:  DW Spectrum – Disable Additional Email Events

As this DW Spectrum IPVMS setup is intended for the sole purpose of integration with the I-View Now Portal, it is recommended to disable all other event rules in the DW Spectrum System that are assigned to send email notifications. This is because all email notifications will be sent through the I-View Now proxy service and will otherwise be unreachable to any other destinations.

To disable the additional event rules:

  1. Open the System Administration menu and select the Event Rules menu.
  2. In the Event Rules menu, click on the “Action” filter tab to filter all event rules by their action type.
  3. With the exception of the event rules that were created in Section 2-4 of this guide, uncheck any other event rules that use a “Send email” action type to disable the rule(s). Click the “Apply” button to save the settings when finished.

 

Part 3: Configuring and Testing the I-View Now Portal

Section 3-1: I-View Now Portal – Complete the Site Configuration

Now that the DW Spectrum System has been configured, please return to the I-View Now Portal.

In the portal, edit the new DW Spectrum site and complete the missing settings with the following information:

IP Address/Hostname

Use the external IP Address of Internet-facing router that oversees the DW Spectrum Server’s network

Username

Use “iviewnow” – the new user that was created in the DW Spectrum Client

Password

Use the password that was assigned to the user in the DW Spectrum Client

Port

Use the port of the DW Spectrum Server (default – 7001)

 

Section 3-2:  I-View Now Portal – Configure Alarm Events

In coordination with the event rules that were created in the DW Spectrum System, Alarm Events will need to be created.

In the I-View Now Portal:

  1. Navigate to the Alarm Events menu and click the “Add Event” button.
  2. Set the zone to the relative alarm panel zone that will oversee and trigger the event. In this case, select the DW Spectrum System or any other associated alarm panel that will be involved with the server.
  3. Select the same camera(s) that were selected for the DW Spectrum System that are to be associated with the event, select the event type, then add a Zone Description as needed. Save the new event.
  4. Repeat these steps for all relative event rules that have been configured in the DW Spectrum System for the I-View Now service.

 

Section 3-3:  I-View Now Portal – Testing

After completing the setup in the I-View Now Portal, you test the communication between the DW Spectrum Server and the I-View Now Portal.  You can perform this by using the Test function in the DW Spectrum Client’s Email menu that was referenced in Section 2-1 of this guide.

It is recommended to test that the alarm trigger and Event Rules at the DW Spectrum Server’s location work locally as intended as well.

If the test fails and notifications are not successfully communicating from the DW Spectrum Server out to the I-View Now proxy server:

  • Check that the Email settings in the DW Spectrum System are correct for the I-View Now service
  • Check that the Site settings in the I-View Now Portal are correct for the DW Spectrum Server
  • Check that the communication ports for I-View Now (9116) and for DW Spectrum (7001) are OPEN and can communicate in/out through the Internet-facing router
  • If Event Rule triggers at the DW Spectrum Server are not working, check the system for any network or configuration errors

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