Connect a Dahua camera (RTSP)

The easier way: if your camera has RTMP, connect it over RTMP — no port forwarding and no static IP needed.

Dahua cameras and recorders support RTSP out of the box.

1. Prepare the camera

1. Open the web interface (http://192.168.1.108).
2. Setting → Camera → Encode: set the Main Stream to H.264 (not H.265 or Smart Codec).
3. Setting → System → Account: create a user with view-only rights.

2. The RTSP URL

rtsp://user:password@address:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0

• channel — channel number (the camera number on a recorder), subtype=0 — main stream, subtype=1 — sub stream.
• Enter the sub stream URL (subtype=1) in the camera's settings — timelapse and mobile viewing use it.

3. Access from the internet

Detailed instructions: Connect an RTSP camera with port forwarding.

Forward an external port on your router to the camera's RTSP port 554 and use a public IP or DDNS. P2P / Cloud mode is not needed for RTSP.

4. Check it

Test the URL in VLC, then add the camera in the dashboard: Cameras → Add camera.