How to Initially Set up Reolink PoE NVR via Monitor

This article will guide you with detailed explanations to finish the initial setup of Reolink PoE NVR via a monitor.

Applies to: RLN4-410, RLN8-410 (hardware version H3MB02/H3MB16), and RLN16-410 (hardware version H3MB02/H3MB06).

When you start the Reolink PoE NVR for the first time, the Setup Wizard will run automatically if you connect the NVR to the monitor/TV and power it on. The wizard will guide you through all the settings you need to get your NVR up and working.

Follow this guide for proper cabling and initial setup of your PoE NVR with a monitor connected.

Below is a diagram that will help you learn each option on the PoE NVR.

Step 1. Connect an Ethernet cable from the LAN port of the NVR to the LAN port of your router. And connect a mouse to the USB port.

Note: You can right-click to open the Menu on the live-view page.

Step 2. Connect the NVR to a Monitor or TV via the VGA or HDMI cable. 

Notes:
1. If there is no display, please connect it to a VGA monitor and change its resolution to 1920*1080.
2. If you need audio output on your TV monitor, the resolution MUST be set to 1920*1080, 1280*720 or 4K.

Step 3. Connect the camera’s RJ45 network socket to any PoE Camera port on the NVR using the Ethernet cables provided.

Step 4. Connect the NVR to a power outlet with the supplied power adapter, and then turn on the power switch.

Step 5. And then you will see the below splash screen. System booting up might take a few seconds.

Note: If the monitor screen remains black, check if you flip on the power switch on the back of the NVR.

Step 6. For security purposes, you need to create a password with at least 6 characters to continue. After that, click Next to continue.

• Language: Choose the language in which you would like the menu system to be displayed.
• User Name: The NVR’s default account, which is “admin”. You can’t change the admin username.
• Password: The password you would like to be associated with the admin account. A password can be set with 6-31 characters in length and may consist of numbers, letters, or symbols. The first and the last character cannot be space. The default password is blank, so you must create a new password to continue.
• Confirm Password: Re-enter the password to ensure accuracy.
• Level: This field is greyed out because the admin account always has the highest level of access. There are two additional access levels available—Guest and Operator.
• Enable Password: Select this if you want to be prompted for the user account’s password when accessing the main menu.
• Display wizard when booting up (checkbox): Select this if you want the NVR to automatically run the configuration wizard when it boots up. You can also run the wizard at any time by clicking the icon on the NVR menu bar.

Step 7. Set up the General configuration for the NVR.

• Resolution: This refers to the number of pixels that the NVR will output. Typically, you may want to set this to be the same as the native resolution of your monitor/television. It is suggested to set it as 1920*1080 when you use an HDMI monitor connection.
• Time Zone: Choose the time zone you are at. It is really important to select the right time zone if you are using NTP (Network Time Protocol). Some common Time Zones: the USA
  EST (Eastern Standard Time) is GMT-5:00, PST (Pacific Standard Time) is GMT-
  8:00, UK is GMT +0:00, and the East Coast of Australia is GMT +10:00.
• Menu Date Format: How you would like the date to be displayed.
• Device Name: The default device name is NVR. You can rename it as you like.
• UID: This is the NVR’s Unique Identifier number (16 characters) which will be used later to connect your PC or smartphone with the NVR using Reolink P2P Technology and access the system anytime and anywhere! Or you may use your phone to scan the QR code on the device to add it.

Step 8. Check the Hard disk management. You can find the HDD capacity and free space here. If you want to format the HDD, select the HDD and then click Init. Then, click Next to continue.

Step 9. Set up the Network configuration. This page shows the current network condition.  When finishing the settings, you may click Next to continue.

Step 10. You can see the list of cameras that have been added to the NVR on the Device List page.

• IP Address: It refers to the unique IP number and port number that is assigned to the IP camera.
• MAC Address: The Media Access Control address. This is a unique code that cannot be shared – it is hard coded when the camera is manufactured.
• Name: All cameras' default name is “Camera 1”. Changing its name will help to easily identify the camera.
• Channel: The channel to which the camera has been assigned.

Step 11. Set up Email configuration. If you want the NVR to send email alerts when alarm events are detected, then you need to configure an outgoing email server for the NVR and choose an email address for it. Learn more in How to Set up E-mail via Reolink PoE NVR.

Step 12. UID is the NVR’s Unique Identifier number, which will be used later to connect your PC or smartphone to the NVR using Reolink P2P Technology. To send it, you need to configure the email settings in the previous step.

Step 13. Set up the DDNS configuration. DDNS is not required for Reolink P2P remote access. If you intend to access your NVR using the older IP technology, you will need to configure this service.

Step 14. Configure system time. NTP stands for “Network Time Protocol”. It is a way for the NVR to connect to the Internet and automatically update and maintain accurate time. NTP is easy to set up and free to use.

Step 15. Set up DST. If your time zone observes daylight saving time, and you want your NVR’s clock to be updated automatically when daylight saving time starts and ends, make sure the Enable box is checked.

Step 16. Finish the initial setup. When you click Finish, the NVR will update and save your settings.