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PTZOptics Gen 2 Camera Network Setup Guide

June 04, 2025​

PTZOptics Gen 2 Network Guide

This guide outlines how to connect second-generation PTZOptics cameras to your network and configure their IP addresses using the Upgrade Tool.

Initial Setup​

  1. Connect Your Camera

    • Plug the camera into power and an active network port. This can be a connection to your router, a network switch on the network, or directly to a computer.

    • If you connect directly to a computer or you do not have a router please go to the " Static IP Configuration Guides" below.

    • Power the camera on.

  2. Download the Upgrade Tool - This can be downloaded on the firmware page HERE

    • Download the IP address configuration tool from the PTZOptics Firmware Page (available for Mac and Windows).

    • Unzip the downloaded file before running the program.

      • Note: For Windows, version 2.8 includes two folders labeled "new old MAC (D4)" and "new MAC (DC)." These refer to camera MAC addresses, not Apple computers.

  3. Tool Limitations

    • The Upgrade Tool may not work reliably on macOS due to mac often having issues with Multicast traffic.

    • Windows Defender can sometimes block it.

    • mDNS queries will likely be dropped at the router or firewall, so if a router/firewall separates the camera and computer, this tool may not find the camera. Due to this, the tool will unlikely find cameras on other subnets or VLANs even if they are properly routed.

For detailed instructions—including how to download, install, and use the tool—refer to [this article] .

Configuring the Camera

  1. Select Network Interface

    • Open the Upgrade Tool and select the correct network interface (NIC) from the upper-right dropdown.

  2. Setting the Camera's IP Address using the upgrade tool.

    • To set an IP address using this tool, you would need to hit the search button in the top right-hand corner of the tool.

      • This should show all the PTZoptics cameras on your network. Note that joysticks and other brand cameras will not show up in this list.

    • Once the desired camera is shown, right-click on that camera's IP address and hit “config” in the drop-down menu that appears.

      • Default static IP: 192.168.100.88 .

      • New cameras often default to DHCP mode. The camera reverts to the Default Static IP if no DHCP server is available.

    • Change the IP address to match your subnet, and make sure to fill in all the fields.

      • Example: If your network IP range is 192.168.111.xxx , set the camera to an unused address within this range.

      • The subnet mask typically remains 255.255.255.0 . But may be different depending on your network.

      • Gateway should match your router’s IP address (e.g., 192.168.111.1 ).

      • DNS can be set to the same as your gateway or to something like Google’s DNS ( 8.8.8.8 )

    • Once all the fields are filled, hit the “set” button, and this should give you the message “set success”

      • If you do not know your IP range, contact your network administrator or IT department or use the “ Discover Your Network’s IP Range ” section below.

    • A more in-depth walkthrough of the upgrade tool can be found HERE .

  3. Verify:

    • Try opening the camera's web interface in a browser using the updated IP address. Type the new IP into the URL bar and press enter. The default username and password are both "admin."

Screenshot 2025-01-14 120729.jpg

    • Alternatively, ping the camera using the Windows CMD or the Mac terminal.

Screenshot 2025-01-14 121729.png

      • Please note that this picture is an example using the loopback address. The IP of your camera will not be 127.0.0.1.

Testing Camera Functionality​

  1. Upgrade Tool : Right-click the camera's IP and select "Preview" to test video and controls.

  2. RTSP Stream : Use VLC media player and enter the network URL in this format: rtsp://<camera-ip>:554/1

    • Example: rtsp://192.168.111.84:554/1 .

Troubleshooting and Advanced Tips​

  1. Discover Your Network’s IP Range :

    • Windows : Open Command Prompt, type ipconfig, and find your IP range under "IPv4 Address"

      • Depending on how this computer is connected to the camera's network, this may be under “Ethernet adapter Ethernet” or “Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi "

Screenshot 2025-01-14 122917.png

    • Mac : Open Terminal, type ifconfig | grep "inet " | grep -v 127.0.0.1, and this should show all active IPv4 addresses on the Mac.
      • Please note the IPv4 address of the network adapter on the Mac that is connected to the camera's network.

  1. If the Upgrade Tool Cannot Find Your Camera :

    • Use the IR shortcut # * 4 to switch the camera to DHCP mode.

    • Alternatively, set your computer’s IP address to match the camera’s default range (192.168.100.xxx). Access the camera’s web UI to update its IP.

    • Use the camera's MAC address to set up DHCP reservations on your router or DHCP server.

  2. Static IP Configuration Guides :

    • If the network the computer is connected to does not have a router (or DHCP server), refer to the guides below to set a static IP address for that computer.

    • It is recommended that you set the computer's static IP address to be in the 192.168.100.0/24 subnet to match the camera's default address.

  3. Video Walkthrough : Watch this tutorial for more help.

  4. Vlans:

    • I f the computer you are trying to access the camera from is on a different VLAN from the camera, or

    • If the computer and camera are on the same VLAN but connected to different switches, and these switches are linked through a router, mDNS (Multicast DNS) is restricted to a single Layer 2 broadcast domain. Despite being on the same VLAN, the router introduces a Layer 3 boundary that blocks mDNS packets from traversing between the switches., you may have to:

        1. Directly connect to the camera to set a static ip address.

        2. Use the camera's MAC address to set up a DHCP reservation.

        3. Move the computer to the camera’s VLAN for setup purposes.

  5. Helpful IR Shortcuts (for finding or resetting the camera's IP):

  • * # 4: Displays current IP configuration on A video output (Using HDMI, SDI, or USB).

  • # * 4: Switch the camera to DHCP mode.

  • * # Manual: Resets to default static IP (192.168.100.88 for PTZ cams).

  • # * # 0 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.80

  • # * # 1 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.81

  • # * # 2 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.82

  • # * # 3 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.83

  • # * # 4 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.84

  • # * # 5 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.85

  • # * # 6 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.86

  • # * # 7 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.87

  • # * # 8 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.88

  • # * # 9 : sets the camera to the static address 192.168.100.89