AXIS Camera Station troubleshooting guide

AXIS Camera Station troubleshooting guide

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FAQ

Configure the firewall to allow access to AXIS Secure Remote Access

AXIS Secure Remote Access does not support proxy that requires authentication. A workaround could be to allow cameras (AXIS Companion) and AXIS Camera Station server (AXIS Camera Station) to bypass authentication.

Each time a client or a camera makes an outbound connection through the router, the router will give that connection a random external port which is used for hole punching. It is not possible to predict which port will be used.

AXIS Companion Classic and AXIS Camera Station

• The network needs to allow outbound traffic on ports 80 and 443 for Secure Remote Access to work.
• The mediator servers use dynamic IP addresses. The mediator server URLs are:
• 
◦ accws01.accws.axis.com
◦ accws02.accws.axis.com
◦ accws03.accws.axis.com
◦ us-us.accws.axis.com
◦ usaccws01.accws.axis.com
◦ usaccws02.accws.axis.com
◦ us-sra-oauth.axis.com
◦ se-eu.accws.axis.com
◦ se-sra-oauth.axis.com
◦ se-ap.accws.axis.com
◦ acsapi.axis.com
◦ gateway.api.axis.com
• The site service URL is also accessed via port 80: http://accws.se.axis.com

Peer-to-peer (P2P):

Server-side –

Cameras (AXIS Companion)/server (AXIS Camera Station) need to be able to get out on Port 80 & 443 (outbound)

Client-side network –

outbound 80 & 443

Connection using Web proxy/4G –

P2P will not work and communication is relayed through the mediator servers.

Use of dynamic ports may prevent hole punching/P2P

• For countries with special fire walls (e.g.: Dubai and China) Secure remote access will not work as they cannot reach the turn servers (where ISPs restrict internet traffic, with restricted internet)
• Some of the servers are located in Sweden and may require some changes when using Geolocation type of firewall
• Some proxies may block certain protocols, require certificates, or cut connections after a while and may not work with AXIS Secure Remote Access

AXIS Companion (version 4)

The following URLs are used by the Communication Agent that is installed on all cameras/recorder in AXIS Companion 4:

• https://*.axis.com/*
• wss://*.axis.com/*
• https://*.axis.cloud/*

In some cases:

• aiuktg4ql1eax-ats.iot.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
• cdn.appdynamics.com:443 should be trusted in the firewall. AppDynamics is used to gain insights into our application’s performance. AppDynamics is an Application Performance Monitoring (APM). It helps us , analyze, and optimize our applications, allowing us to proactively identify and address any performance bottlenecks or issues.

Outbound ports used

For cloud service requests:

• 443 (HTTPS)

For P2P:

• 34500 (UDP)
• 80 (TCP)

Advanced server

1. Advanced server setting (server-side only)

For AXIS Camera Station 5 the easiest way is to tick the checkbox “Enable server-side debug logging” found in “Server > > > Advanced”.

Debug level logging will be applied immediately, not requiring a restart. Reproduce the error, generate a system report, and send it to AXIS Support.

Note, this only sets debug level logging on the server logs, not on the client logs. If debug level logging is required also on the client, the below steps using the log4net.config file is needed to be performed on the client machine.

 2. Using a file (server- and/or client-side)

In the following cases debug level logging needs to be enabled following the steps below:

• Client-side debug level logging in AXIS Camera Station 5
• Advanced debug level logging on AXIS Camera Station 5 that needs specific configuration

To enable DEBUG level, follow the following instructions:

• Stop the AXIS Camera Station service from the task bar (right-click the AXIS Camera Station service control icon > Stop Service). Close the Client as well.
• Open Windows Explorer and go to the %ProgramData% directory of AXIS Camera Station 5. Usually “C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station”. The directory can be found by the command “%ProgramData%” in the Windows Explorer URL bar or by showing hidden folders.
• Download and extract the zip file below to the directory mentioned above. Please make sure that log4net.config is extracted directly under the path and not in a sub-folder.
• AXIS Camera Station version 4.20 and 5 and AXIS Device Manager: enable_debug_level_acs_4.20_and_5.zip
• Example of the log4net.config file once extracted to the right folder:
• ProgramData folder
• Start the AXIS Camera Station service from the Windows task bar and the Client software.
• Reproduce the issue and note the time and date.
• Generate an AXIS Camera Station system report.
• Send the AXIS Camera Station system report to Axis Support and mention the date and time when the issue was reproduced.
• To restore the original logging level (disable debug):
• 1. Stop the AXIS Camera Station service.
• 2. Delete the log4net.config file.
• 3. Start the AXIS Camera Station service.
• Properties

What is AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool and what is it used for?

The test results are given for each sub-test. Each sub-test can give three different results:

What does the test results mean?

• Passed: The feature should work in AXIS Camera Station.
• Failed: The feature won’t work in AXIS Camera Station.
• Not applicable: The device doesn’t have the feature.

For more about the result: Test result

Can I use the device in AXIS Camera Station if only part of the tests pass?

The device must at least pass all core communication tests. otherwise the device cannot be added to AXIS Camera Station.

If the device fails in some streaming tests but not all of them, the device could still be used in AXIS Camera Station as long as the stream profile setting is using the ones that pass the tests. For example, if H.264 fails the test but M-JPEG passes, simply change the stream profile in AXIS Camera Station from H.264 (the default setting) to M-JPEG in Devices -> Streaming profiles.

What to do if some tests fail?

There are some things you can try:

• Make sure that the on the device is approved to be  Profile S conformant. Note: You need to contact the device manufacturer for instructions on how to do this.
• A factory default may help in case the device is mal-functioning.
• Make sure the network connection with the device is stable during the test.
• Make sure no other application is streaming from the device at the same time when test is run.
• Run the test again. Some devices are unreliable and works sometimes while sometimes not.

If you tried everything above but some tests always fail, the device is not supported by AXIS Camera Station.

What to do if the test cannot finish?

Check the following:

• Is the third-party device ONVIF Profile S conformant?
• Is the IP address correct?
• Is the ONVIF user credentials correct?
• Make sure the time on the device is synced with a NTP server or the computer where Axis Camera Station server is installed on. If not, some cameras may reject any connection requests due to replay attack protection. ONVIF device manager can be used to do this.
• Does the camera work fine in ONVIF device manager? If not, an upgrade to the or factory default may help. Otherwise, please contact the device manufacturer.

If none of the above helps, the device is not supported by AXIS Camera Station.

What to do when the device passes the tests but doesn’t work in AXIS Camera Station

If the device passes all tests i.e. is fully compatible according to the AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool but doesn’t work in AXIS Camera Station, follow this:  What information is required when contacting Axis support about third-party device compatibility in AXIS Camera Station?

What to do when the device passes the tests but doesn’t work in AXIS Camera Station:

If the device passes all tests i.e. is fully compatible according to the AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool but doesn’t work in AXIS Camera Station you should contact Axis support. Please do the following:

1.Install Wireshark on the computer where the tests are run.
2.Rerun the tests with AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool. v The tool will collect detailed information needed for troubleshooting including a Wireshare trace. NOTE! No need to generate an extra trace through Wireshare.

Provide the following information when submitting a support question at Axis Online Helpdesk:

• The compatibility test report, if available. Please attach the complete *.zip archive when submitting the support question. By default, the archive is located at “C:\Users\xxx\Documents\CompatibilityResult.zip”.
• If the tests cannot finish successfully and the full compatibility test report is not available, please locate this log file:  “C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AcsCompatibilityTestTool\Application.log” and attach it when submitting the support question.

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