Standalone Network Interface Card Troubleshooting (MacOS)
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Affected Roles: Administrator
Complexity: High
Last Edit: August 6, 2024
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NIC Issues
It is recommended to test the Local Area Network (LAN) communication when encountering connectivity issues with you DVR or NVR. This is commonly done by trying to ping the unit over the network. However, an uncommon issue that can occur is if the target device’s Network Interface Card (NIC) is no longer working properly.
This article will outline how to test a NIC for a VMAX standalone unit using a Macintosh OS computer.
Note: If you are using a Windows OS to test the NIC, please read Standalone Network Interface Card Troubleshooting (WinOS).
Supported/Affected Devices
- VMAX Series (Legacy)
- VMAX 480 Series
- VMAX 960H Series (Core/Flex)
- VMAX Flex Series
- VMAX A1 Series (2.1 MP)
- VMAX A1 Plus Series (5 MP)
- VMAX IP Plus
- DW Compressor Series
Network Connections
Before testing the NIC of the standalone unit, make sure that the issue is not being caused by network errors such as blocked ports or IP address conflicts.
For more information:
VMAX IP Plus Network Troubleshooting
Checking the Network Card
If the recording unit cannot be reached over the LAN and you have determined that the issue is not being caused by network settings, perform the following to test the Network Interface Card (NIC):
- The NIC can be accessed from the rear panel of the recording unit.
Connect the computer directly to the LAN port of the DVR or NVR with Ethernet cable.
Note: This process cannot be performed over Wi-Fi.
- To test the NIC, the computer must be set to use the same IP address scheme as the DVR or NVR.
To do so, open the System Preferences menu.
- In the Internet & Wireless section, click on Network.
- The Network preference pane will display.
Select the Ethernet connection, then click on Configure IPv4.
Select Manually.
Note: If you are unable to make changes to the settings, click on the Lock icon at the bottom of the window and enter the computer’s Administrator credentials to unlock setting controls.
- Configure the following:
- IP Address: enter the IP address of the DVR or NVR. This information can be found in the Network menu of the recording unit.
- Subnet Mask: use 255.255.255.0
Leave the Router, DNS Server, and Search Domains fields blank as this setup is just for testing purposes.
Click the Apply button to save the settings.
- After configuring the settings, open the Terminal program (Ctrl + Option + Shift + T).
Using the IP address of the DVR or NVR, enter the command ping <ip address>, then press the Enter key.
- Example: ping 192.168.1.80
If you do not receive successful pings back, there may be an issue with the NIC.
- Remember to change the computer’s Configure IPv4 setting back to Using DHCP after you have finished testing.
If you suspect that there is an issue with the NIC of the DVR or NVR, please contact Digital Watchdog Technical Support for further assistance.