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    ONVIF tools

    ONVIF Device Manager: find a camera, read its RTSP address, check its settings

    ONVIF Device Manager, ODM for short, is a free, open-source Windows program for ONVIF cameras and encoders. It finds them on the network, plays their video and shows their settings, which makes it the quickest way to test a camera before it goes into a recorder.

    Download from SourceForge

    Windows · GNU GPL v2 · project onvifdm

    How to use ONVIF Device Manager

    1. STEP 1

      Join the camera network

      Connect the laptop to the same subnet as the cameras. Discovery is multicast and does not cross routers or VLANs.

    2. STEP 2

      Enter the camera login first

      Type the camera's user name and password in the login fields at the top left. ODM sends them to every device it finds, so cameras with other passwords will refuse until you change it.

    3. STEP 3

      Refresh the device list

      The cameras on the subnet appear with their model and IP address. If one is missing, add it by hand with its ONVIF address, http://camera-ip/onvif/device_service.

    4. STEP 4

      Read the RTSP address

      Open Live video for the camera. The stream address ODM plays is shown under the picture; copy it into VLC or the recorder.

    5. STEP 5

      Check the settings

      Identification shows the model, firmware and serial number. Video streaming shows resolution, codec, frame rate and bitrate per profile, and PTZ, imaging and events are there too.

    6. STEP 6

      Set the clock

      Under time settings, point the camera at an NTP server or sync it with the laptop. A wrong clock is the most common reason an ONVIF login fails.

    What ODM can and cannot do

    It covers

    • Discovery of ONVIF devices on the subnet
    • Live video, with the RTSP address of the stream
    • Device identity, network, users and time
    • Stream profiles: resolution, codec, frame rate, bitrate
    • Imaging, analytics, events and PTZ control

    It does not

    • Record video or replace a recorder
    • Run on macOS or Linux without a Windows virtual machine
    • Reach cameras behind a router by discovery alone
    • Plan where cameras go or what they will see

    Before the cameras are on the wall

    ODM tests a camera that is already installed. CCTVplanner works the step before: it places the cameras on the real site, shows what each one will see and which ONVIF profiles its datasheet lists, and turns the design into the equipment list and the quote.

    Related: ONVIF profiles explained · RTSP URL formats by brand · RTSP ports

    ONVIF Device Manager questions

    Is ONVIF Device Manager free?

    Yes. It is open source under the GNU GPL v2 and downloaded from its SourceForge project, onvifdm.

    Does ONVIF Device Manager run on a Mac?

    No, it is a Windows program. On macOS or Linux, run it in a Windows virtual machine or use another ONVIF client.

    How do I find a camera's RTSP URL with ONVIF Device Manager?

    Log in, select the camera and open Live video. The RTSP address of the stream is shown under the picture. For the usual address format of each brand, see our RTSP URL formats page.

    Why does ONVIF Device Manager not find my camera?

    Usually the laptop is on another subnet, a firewall blocks UDP port 3702, or ONVIF is switched off on the camera. Add the camera by IP address, allow the port, and enable ONVIF with its own user where the brand needs one.

    Why does a camera show but refuse the password?

    Either the login at the top left is not the camera's ONVIF user, or the camera's clock is far from the laptop's. ONVIF logins carry a timestamp, so set both to the same time.