As part of home improvements I was on the lookout for a video doorbell to use on the outside gates of my home, I had a few pre-requisites:
- It needed to be powered by POE, no batteries to replace
- It should be weatherproof and tough
- I didn’t want to have to pay a monthly subscription to use it (a la Ring doorbells)
- It should have a mobile app for answering the door
- I’d like the option to add in a remote door release/unlock
There’s not many options out there that are relatively cheap and tick all of the boxes but while researching, I found a few mentions of the Hikvision DS-KB8112-IM Vandal Resistant Doorbell.
Not only did it do everything I needed, I’d secretly been hoping for one extra feature: that I could use the camera as a feed for my CCTV camera system (powered by a Synology NAS running Surveillance Station) and this delivered in fine style.
Now I have not only a video doorbell with no subscription needed thats powered by POE on home network, I also have an additional video camera recording on my system all the time.
Synology Surveillance Station Settings for Hikvision DS-KB8112-IM
Out of the box the Hikvision DS-KB8112-IM worked great as a video doorbell and I was really pleased with the performance. Unfortunately it took a bit of coaxing to get it to work consistently with Surveillance station – the camera added fine and a thumbnail was visible but live view was just blank at first.
The key setting for me was to change the Streaming Information Source setting under Edit Camera > Device Settings > Advanced to Streaming, rather than the default setting of RTSP:
As people have requested more information on how I configured it, below are the settings for the other tabs:
Bob — Found your site while looking up info on Synology NAS (I own a DS412+ and now a DS1019+). I stumbled on your notes on using HIKVision with your NAS / Survellance.
Have you used any of the HIKVision POE cameras with your setup? If so, I’d like to hear your experience with the setup. I’ve been considering it for a while.
Thanks in advance — Mike
Hey Mike,
I haven’t used the Hikvision cameras but I’ve heard good things about them, for me I opted for Amcrest cameras (I wrote a review here) and have found them to be great, I now have eight of them running on my NAS plus the HikVision door bell. I’ve turned an old Amazon tablet in to an internal ‘doorbell intecom’ which I’ll post seperately soon.
Bob, I know post is a bit dated but i am interested in included the DS-KB8112-IM IP with my Synology NAS and Surveillance station. I saw that you got it to work as an additional camera. How do the doorbell functions work? Can you ring the conventional doorbell with it? Do you need any additional hardware or viewing station for the doorbell functions or can you just use their app on your phone for two way communication to the door. Not much out there about the compatibility of this device and it fits the bill in many ways but not sure of integration and functionality. Trying to avoid multiple apps, browsers and hardware.
Any input you have with your experience would be appreciated!
Hi John,
Yes it was an unusual find TBH and I’m still in two minds about the unit. In terms of build quality and performance, this thing is brilliant – if you told me it cost £300+ as its commercial grade, I’d agree. In terms of getting to work with Surveillance station, it took some tweaking but it has worked solidly since I solved that and I’m really impressed – it provides a 24/7 camera feed as well as being an intercom. Now the only disappointing bit – the app from HikVision is ‘just ok’. When visitor presses the button, the app on my phone rings and I can answer it and speak to them which is great (and its saved a lot of hassle when I’ve been away) – worked fine even when I was in a different country using cellular data).
For my particular setup however, my gate is normally open and delivery people press the button and only wait 5 or 10 seconds before just walking in – by that time I’m still trying to unlock the app with my fingerprint.
I also have the app installed on multiple devices (a ‘video intercom’ I made from an old tablet and my wifes phone) and if you answer it on one, it just keeps ringing and ringing on the others, long after you’ve ended the ‘intercom’ call.
These are annoyances rather than deal breakers for me however and I would absolutely buy it again. I just hope updates for the app solve some of these issues.
Hope this helps!
Really appreciate your update!
My biggest issues were POE, Solid build and being able to view and save the video through Synology app. Seems silly to have a cam at your door and not be able to save the clips along with your other footage.
In my case i don’t have the door strike use as an issue, but would be nice if it would activate my chime. I read somewhere that it can be done but we will see how that goes.
Come to the end of my rope with Ring brand devices and WiFi doorbells. Even with a good WiFi signal the slightest issue results in loss of connectivity/delay which usually happens when you need it most. Also seems a lot of planned obsolescense built into those devices, battery failures, not working in low temperatures, etc. and they’re not cheap.
Thanks again, keep you posted!
Hi John,
Sounds like it will fit the bill for you then, though I do think they intended it as an intercom rather than a doorbell – it has an interface for connecting compatible doorlocks, etc. for remote unlock too (again leading in to the idea its more commercial grade). Like you I had my own reservations about Ring, etc. and wanted POE so I could have a constant feed recording.
THanks for posting, it would be great if you could post your progress (and could help others too!)
Good luck!
Hi John,
I connected my chime and it works……..3x every time they push the button. The doorbell is set on Doorphone and plugin version 3.0.6.6.
I’ m not a fan. I don’t have any windows so a livefeed is almost impossible. Even my Synology won’t let me see a live stream. Let it ring on multiple devices has never worked. etc etc etc.
I’m looking for a other device.
Sorry for all the negativity but man………..plugins in internet explorer to see a picture? oldschool.
Hi Dan,
Sorry you’re it’s not working out for you bud. I’ve no idea why yours would be different but I get a live stream on any device I’ve tried this on. I even repurposed an old Amazon Fire Tablet, fitting it in to a picture frame and having it show a feed of my front door. I can get a feed on my phone, tablet and PC (though on these I show the Hikvision camera feed along side all my others).
Hi Bob,
thanks for writing this piece; the doorbell may be just what I’m looking for to connect to a Synology NAS.
However, looking through the reviews on Amazon.co.uk paints quite a different picture. Would you mind reading this one and commenting on whether any of the points raised are your experience? The bit that seems most odd is the American voice that says “calling Sales” when someone presses the button!
(copied from https://www.amazon.co.uk/HIKVISION-DS-KB8112-IM-Intercom-Vandal-Resistant-Station/dp/B0773J52TC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Hikvision+DS-KB8112&qid=1614788330&sr=8-1)
“This really is not up to the normal standard of hikvision. Bought directly from a distributor, both cameras refuse to detect motion, cannot be wired to an NVR! They have to be on a domestic network, not a dedicated cctv network. No way of adjusting the message given when bell is pressed. a digitised american accent announces *calling sales” Have had a week and 5 techs attempting to resolve the issues. No nearer now than at the start. 720p is hideous. But the setup is so much worse. Retail software that should never have got past alpha stage with errors and contradictions, duplication of functions on different packages. An incredibly convoluted and confusing system of firmware upgrades and manuals that are a waste of trees. Avoid this POS or say goodbye to 80 plus hours trying to get it to work.”
Could it be that this purchaser has incorrect firmware?
Many thanks
James
Hi James,
I think the key takeaway from this is that this isn’t an IP camera, its a doorbell/intercom product that happens to provide video. Based on this, being able to record a video feed was a massive win for me.
The terms “domestic network” and “cctv network” don’t mean anything but I assume he may be referring to putting the device on a closed VLAN with no internet access – this device needs Internet access (and you want it to have it so you can answer the door when you are out of the house).
Obviously I can’t comment on what this guy was doing wrong or whether this device is a good fit for you, only that it works for me and I’ve no idea what he’s referring to when he talks about the “calling sales” audio.
It was challenging to setup if you’re not technical however.
Bob
Thanks Bob,
Glad you’ve never had the “calling sales” issue! I’m looking at this, as you say, as a doorbell with video, so it sounds like a good fit for me.
Knowing others have managed to tweak settings to get Surveillance Station working is basically all I need to know 🙂
I’ll let you know how I get on.
Cheers
James
Quick addendum – it looks like there are multiple generations of the same device: DS-KB8112-IM and DS-KB8113-IME1 so look around!
Heya! I’m trying to set up DS-KB8113-IME1 in surv station but I cannot get it to find the camera with test connection (using ONVIF). Any chance you can pass a guide regarding how you did it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Gabe,
To be honest there’s not really enough different to a standard camera to warrant a guide beyond this page but I’ve added the contents of my video settings tab below in case any of those are affecting your camera connecting – hope this helps.
Bob
Perfect, it worked! Thanks a lot 🙂 I’ve set it up so on motion it records to NAS from 5 secs prior. Just what I was looking for.
Hey Gabe, Awesome! Glad you got it sorted. I’ll need to do a seperate post for it but as well as having it feed the Synology, I got an old Amazon tablet, build a picture frame around it and installed the HikVision app, it sits in our living room like a ‘live photo’ of the front of our proprty – really useful!
Just a tip if anyone’s looking for it or having issues in the future:
when setting up the feed, use “user defined” instead of “ONVIF” and _do not add a port_.
I had the issue where if I’ve added a port the connection would not be established, but skipping the port number seemed to do the trick for me.
Keep on rocking Bob!
Bob,
Just wanted to provide an update. I purchased a DS-KB8113-IME1. Nice, well constructed, heavy duty device. Many issues though and I thought maybe someone has had a better experience. The 8113 is the “same” as the 8112 but with 2K resolution, so I opted for that. They have supposedly recently added an updated functionality for a hardwired doorbell which I thought was going to be great. That function is not listed in the instructions but in an update I found online.
I have managed to get the device activated through one of the HIkvision apps, but Synology NAS does not find the IP address. When you manually add the address and you “Test” the connection, depending on the setting, it gives you a green check and tests ok. However, there is no video in the preview window. That makes me think the Port/IP settings must be correct, but odd that it is not found by Surveillance Station. Maybe I’m missing something? I have fooled with the settings in every way I can think of and even tried using “similar” camera pre-sets, but again checks ok, no video. Seller insists it will only work with the interior station. Thinking their firmware may have been made even more proprietary than previous versions to force you to purchase the indoor station.
I can see the video with the Hikvision desktop app, and the app allows you change some of the settings (trust me I have tried them all) but the video looks horrible, distorted, not sharp, but not sure if that is just during that preview function. The camera lens appears to be not properly polished, almost like it has a dull finish with micro scratches.
The other issue is that the Hik-Connect app (at least for Android) is no longer available from the Play Store. You can download it from the Hikvision app site directly, but it is a bit scary security-wise with all the permissions it requires and you need to disable your security settings to allow it to install. There is a way to add the app to your Chrome browser, but that requires plug-ins, again concerning security-wise.
Anyone with any ideas for connection to the NAS/Surveillance station would be great. Like you, I was more interested in the video from the door location, I can live without the other functions if I had to.
I just wanted anyone who comes across this to be aware before they not only set out the money, but deal with the time and frustration. Thanks again for all your help and providing a forum where this may get figured out!
Keep you posted.
John
Hi John.
use this to connect:
Set [USer define] as Brand, Type Streaming – RTSP
Set path: rtsp://username:[email protected]:554/ch1/main/av_stream
Set in Advanced: Streaming information source as Streaming
BR
Bojan
I Installed the SurveillanceStation kit. The license is given to 2 by default. If you want to add another camera, you can purchase a license or crack SurveillanceStation