Prama/Hikvision Camera Setup: Reset, SADP Activation, Static IP and NTP (IST)
A new or reset Hikvision camera has no password: SADP lists it as "Inactive" at 192.168.1.64 (or a DHCP address) until you set an admin password. Then set a static IP under Configuration → Network → Network Settings → TCP/IP and NTP to time.nplindia.org with the GMT+05:30 time zone. ONVIF users are separate and are wiped on Restore.
Verified against
- Hikvision Network Camera User Manual UD19347B-C, baseline firmware V5.6.5, 28 Dec 2023 (PDF). (the "V5.6.5 manual").
- Hikvision Network Camera User Manual UD35778B, H8G5 platform 5.8.0, 4 Feb 2024 (PDF). (the "V5.8.0 manual"; one platform, other models may differ).
- Hikvision USA support article How do I default a Hikvision IP camera?, 6 Oct 2022 (link).
- Hikvision how-to How to Enable ONVIF Protocol on IP Camera, v1.0, 2019 (PDF), also used in our RTSP/ONVIF cheat sheet.
- Hikvision how-to How to Reset Password on SADP (PDF; read via web archive).
- Prama security advisory / firmware page, dated 24 Nov 2023.
- CSIR-NPL time and frequency page and CERT-In Directions No. 20(3)/2022-CERT-In, 28 Apr 2022.
- Checked 7 Oct 2026.
First-setup values and menu paths
| Setting | Value or rule per vendor docs | Menu path (firmware) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default IP | 192.168.1.64. Set the PC to any address from 192.168.1.2 to .253 except .64 | n/a | V5.8.0 manual §2.2 |
| DHCP-default models | "Use the SADP software to search the IP address" | SADP | V5.6.5 manual pp. 13–14 |
| Activation | Required before first use: browser, SADP (single or batch) or iVMS-4200 | SADP: select Inactive device → set password → Activate | V5.6.5 manual pp. 13–16 |
| Admin password | The password may not contain the user name. Hikvision recommends (not requires) at least 8 characters from 3 of 4 types: upper case, lower case, digit, special | Activation screen | V5.6.5 manual pp. 13–16; V5.8.0 manual §2.2 |
| Login lockout | With Enable Illegal Login Lock on, 7 wrong admin attempts (5 for operator/user) block that IP; retry after 30 minutes | Configuration > System > Security > Security Service (V5.6.5) | V5.6.5 manual pp. 24, 62 |
| Lockout (newer UI) | Number of attempts and lock duration can be changed | Maintenance and Security → Security → Login Management (V5.8.0) | V5.8.0 manual §2.3.3 |
| Password recovery | Security question or email, set during activation or later; then Forget Password on the login page | Configuration → System → User Management → Account Security Settings | V5.8.0 manual §2.3.2; V5.6.5 manual pp. 66–67 |
| Static IP | Turn DHCP off (V5.8.0: Manual mode), enter IPv4 address, mask and gateway. V5.8.0 has a Test button; V5.6.5 says a reboot is needed | Configuration > Network > Basic Settings > TCP/IP (V5.6.5); Configuration → Network → Network Settings → TCP/IP (V5.8.0) | V5.6.5 manual pp. 69–71; V5.8.0 manual §8.1 |
| Time zone and NTP | Choose the time zone, enable NTP, then set server, port and interval. Use Test to check | Configuration → System → System Settings → Time Settings | V5.6.5 manual pp. 47–49; V5.8.0 manual §9.1.2 |
| Codec | H.265+ shows only on the main stream with H.265 selected. Storage "up to 50%" lower than H.265 "with the same maximum bitrate in most scenes". Toggling needs a reboot; at least 24 h to adapt to a fixed scene | Configuration > Video/Audio > Video (V5.6.5); Configuration → Video/Audio → Video (V5.8.0) | V5.6.5 manual pp. 97–99 |
| Sub-stream | Lower-resolution stream for live view when bandwidth is limited | same page, Stream Type | V5.6.5 manual p. 97; V5.8.0 manual §4.1.1 |
| ONVIF | Default-on only below firmware V5.5.0; from V5.5.0 you enable it yourself, then add a separate ONVIF user (up to 32 allowed) | Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Integration Protocol | ONVIF how-to; V5.6.5 manual |
| Web users | Up to 31 accounts. The admin account cannot be deleted | Configuration > System > User Management | V5.6.5 manual p. 64 |
| RTSP auth | Digest is the recommended method; Basic is a risk | Configuration > System > Security > Authentication | V5.6.5 manual p. 60 |
Reset: Restore vs Default vs the button
The manuals differ slightly:
- Restore resets everything except user accounts and IP settings. The V5.8.0 manual also keeps the video format. The V5.6.5 manual warns that ONVIF user settings are cleared on Restore. That is one reason an NVR can lose an ONVIF-added camera after "only a restore".
- Default resets every setting, and per the V5.6.5 manual the IP goes back to default too. Neither manual says whether the admin password is cleared, so be ready to re-activate in SADP.
- Where it is: Configuration > System > Maintenance > Upgrade & Maintenance (V5.6.5) or Maintenance and Security → Maintenance → Backup and Restore (V5.8.0).
Hardware reset (password unknown). Hikvision USA's sequence for PoE cameras: hold reset 90 s in total; at 30 s unplug the network cable, at 60 s plug it back, release at 90 s. The camera comes back un-activated. Some families take about 15 s with power off (learncctv); check your model's quick-start guide. Without a button, use SADP Forgot Password from a PC on the same subnet. Per Hikvision's SADP how-to, you send Hikvision technical support the serial number and start time, an exported XML file or a QR code, and get back a security code, an encrypted file (valid 48 hours) or a key.
Before any reset, export the configuration (admin password plus a separate encryption password; importable into other cameras, per the V5.6.5 manual).
NTP in India: replace the manual's example server
The V5.6.5 manual's example NTP server is China's National Time Center (210.72.145.44). Do not copy it. CERT-In's 28 Apr 2022 directions, para (i), say: "All service providers, intermediaries, data centres, body corporate and Government organisations shall connect to the Network Time Protocol (NTP) Server of National Informatics Centre (NIC) or National Physical Laboratory (NPL) or with NTP servers traceable to these NTP servers, for synchronisation of all their ICT systems clocks" (CERT-In). A factory company is a body corporate. CSIR-NPL publishes time.nplindia.in / time.nplindia.org and defines IST as UTC(NPLI) plus 5:30 hours (NPL). The setup:
- Time zone: pick the GMT+05:30 entry (the exact label varies by firmware).
- NTP server:
time.nplindia.org, port 123 (the NTP port in RFC 5905). Leave the interval at its default. - If cameras are on an isolated VLAN with no internet, point them at a plant NTP server that itself syncs to NPL. For a "customized network" the V5.6.5 manual suggests NTP software to set up a local NTP server.
- Click Test, then save.
Where Prama differs from Hikvision
Prama's advisory uses Hikvision-style firmware strings such as "V5.8.3 build230808" and "V5.8.5 build 230808" for PT-NC series cameras. Downloads need a pramaindia.in login, and Prama publishes no public camera manual. That the menu paths, SADP activation and reset behaviour above also apply to Prama is our inference, not something Prama documents. Check it on one camera before you roll it out. For stream URLs, see the Prama/Hikvision RTSP page. The CP Plus/Dahua equivalent is on the CP Plus reset and NTP page.
What breaks in a factory
- Power cuts and clock drift. A camera that reboots with no reachable NTP server stamps footage with the wrong time, and incident timelines stop adding up.
- Subnet mismatch. A camera reset to Default goes back to its default IP (192.168.1.64 on static-default models). If the plant VLAN uses another range, the NVR loses it and SADP only finds it from a PC on the same segment. See NVR not detecting cameras.
- Lockout loops. An NVR still holding an old password fails on every retry. The lock applies to the source IP, so with Illegal Login Lock on the recorder itself can be blocked for 30 minutes after 7 failures, again and again (our reading of the V5.6.5 manual).
- H.265+ and third-party software. H.265+ greys out I-frame interval and hides some functions; the manual says to update the player if playback fails. For analytics and older software, plain H.265 or H.264 is safer. Size storage separately (storage calculator).
- Port forwarding. Hikvision's manual describes mapping 80/8000/554 to the internet. On a plant network, don't; see the feed audit checklist.
When to call the installer / what to ask the vendor
Call the installer or dealer when there is no reset button and SADP Forgot Password is the only route: the code or key comes from vendor support (for Prama, ask who handles it; Prama does not publish this flow). Ask Prama or your dealer, in writing, for the model's manual, its firmware build, and whether ONVIF ships off on that build.
Mama connects to cameras that are already set up this way over RTSP/ONVIF to report machine idle time to the owner. Correct NTP time is what makes those hours add up. Learn more or leave an email or phone in the form below.
FAQ
Why does SADP show my Hikvision camera as "Inactive"? It has no password yet. Per the V5.6.5 manual, select it in SADP, set an admin password (no user name in it; 8+ characters recommended) and click Activate.
How do I reset a Hikvision camera password without the old password? Use the security question or email if set. If not, use SADP Forgot Password with Hikvision support, or the reset-button sequence above.
Why is the time on my Hikvision camera wrong after a power cut? NTP is off or unreachable. Set GMT+05:30 and an NPL- or NIC-traceable server under Time Settings, then Test.
My NVR lost the camera after a Restore. Why? Restore clears ONVIF users (V5.6.5 manual). Recreate the ONVIF user under Integration Protocol, or add the camera over the Hikvision protocol.