AXIS Camera Station 5 - User manual

About AXIS Camera Station 5

AXIS Camera Station 5 is a complete monitoring and recording system for small and midsize installations.

It’s compatible with all maintained AXIS OS versions on the active, Long-Term Support (LTS) and Product Specific Support (PSS) tracks*. For more information, see AXIS Camera Station 5 release notes or the AXIS OS Portal. To check which products work with AXIS Camera Station 5, see Compatible products.

*We aim to support compatibility with older AXIS OS versions whenever commercially viable.

Access options

AXIS Camera Station 5 server
handles all communication with cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices in the system. The total bandwidth available limits the number of cameras and encoders each server can communicate with.
AXIS Camera Station 5 client
provides access to recordings, live video, logs, and configuration. You can install the client on any computer, enabling remote viewing and control from anywhere on the internet or corporate network.
AXIS mobile viewing app
provides access to recordings and live video on multiple systems. You can install the app on Android and iOS devices and enable remote viewing from other locations. It uses HTTPS to communicate with the AXIS Camera Station 5 server. Configure the mobile communication and streaming ports as described in the Server settings section in General. For more information about how to use the app, see AXIS Camera Station Mobile App user manual.

Tutorial videos

For more in-depth examples of how to use the system, go to AXIS Camera Station tutorial videos.

System features

For more information about the system features, go to AXIS Camera Station Feature Guide.

What's new?

For the new features in each AXIS Camera Station release, go to What’s new in AXIS Camera Station.

More manuals

Quick start

Use this guide to get your system up and running.

Before you start:

For administrators:

  1. Start the video management system

  2. Add devices

  3. Configure recording method

For operators:

  1. View live video

  2. View recordings

  3. Export recordings

  4. Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player

Start the video management system

Double-click the AXIS Camera Station 5 client icon to start the client. When you start the client for the first time, it attempts to log in to the AXIS Camera Station 5 server installed on the same computer as the client.

You can connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers in different ways. See Connect to a server.

Add devices

The first time you start AXIS Camera Station 5, the Add devices page opens and searches the network for devices to add. See Add devices.

  1. Select the devices you want to add from the list. If you can’t find a device, click Manual search or type to filter.

  2. Click Add.

  3. Click Close to skip configuration and continue later. To continue with the configuration now:

    1. Choose Quick configuration or Site Designer configuration. See Import AXIS Site Designer projects for more information.

    2. Select Add image overlay for date, time, and text to add overlays to any Axis cameras that don’t already have one.

    3. Click Next.

    4. Select your Recording method preference.

    5. Click Next.

    6. Choose your Retention time and Recording storage, and click Finish to apply the configuration.

Configure recording method

  1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

  2. Select a camera.

  3. Turn on Motion detection, or Continuous, or both.

  4. Click Apply.

View live video

  1. Open a Live view tab.

  2. Select a camera to view its live video.

See Live view for more information.

View recordings

  1. Open a Recordings tab.

  2. Select the camera you want to view recordings from.

See Recordings for more information.

Export recordings

  1. Open a Recordings tab.

  2. Select the camera you want to export recordings from.

  3. Click to display the selection markers.

  4. Drag the markers to include the recordings that you want to export.

  5. Click to open the Export tab.

  6. Click Export...

See Export recordings for more information.

Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player

  1. Go to the folder with the exported recordings.

  2. Double-click AXIS File Player.

  3. Click to show the recording’s notes.

  4. To verify the digital signature:

    1. Go to Tools > Verify digital signature.

    2. Select Validate with password and enter your password.

    3. Click Verify to see the verification results.

  5. Note
    • A digital signature is different from signed video. Signed video lets you trace a recording back to the camera it came from, so you can verify it wasn't tampered with. See Signed video and the camera’s user manual for more information.
    • If stored files don’t have any connection with an AXIS Camera Station database (non-indexed files), you need to convert them to make them playable in AXIS File Player. Contact Axis Technical support for help converting your files.

Network configuration

Configure proxy or firewall settings before using AXIS Camera Station 5 if the client, server, and connected network devices are on different networks.

Client proxy settings

When a proxy server separates the client and the server, configure the client proxy settings.

  1. Open the AXIS Camera Station 5 client.

  2. Click Change client proxy settings.

  3. Change the client proxy settings. See Client proxy settings.

  4. Click OK.

Server proxy settings

When a proxy server separates the network devices and the server, configure the server proxy settings.

  1. Open AXIS Camera Station 5 Service Control.

  2. Select Modify settings.

  3. In the Proxy settings section, use the default System account internet option or select Use manual proxy settings. See General for more information.

  4. Click Save.

NAT and Firewall

When a NAT or firewall separates the client and the server, configure it to ensure that the HTTP port, TCP port, and streaming port specified in AXIS Camera Station 5 Service Control can pass through. Contact your network administrator for help.

See Port list for AXIS Camera Station 5 for more information.

Server port configuration

The AXIS Camera Station 5 server uses ports 55752 (HTTP), 55754 (TCP), 55756 (mobile communication), and 55757 (mobile streaming) for communication between the server and the client. You can change the ports in AXIS Camera Station Service Control if required.

For more information, see General or FAQ.

Security considerations

To prevent unauthorized access to cameras and recordings:

  • Use strong passwords for all network devices (cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices).

  • Install the AXIS Camera Station 5 server, cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices on a secure network, separate from the office network. You can install the AXIS Camera Station 5 client on a computer on another network, for example, a network with internet access.

  • Make sure all users have strong passwords.

Connect to a server

The AXIS Camera Station 5 client lets you connect to a single server or multiple servers in different ways:

Last used servers
Connect to the servers used in the previous session.
This computer
Connect to the server installed on the same computer as the client.
Remote server
See Connect to a remote server.
Note
  • The first time you connect to a server, the client checks the server certificate ID. To make sure you're connecting to the correct server, compare the certificate ID with the one displayed in AXIS Camera Station 5 Service Control. See General for more information.
Server listTo connect to servers from a server list, select one from the Server list drop-down menu. Click to create or edit the server lists. See Server lists.
Import server listTo import a server list file exported from AXIS Camera Station 5, click Import server list and browse to an .msl file. See Server lists.
Delete saved passwordsTo delete saved usernames and passwords for all connected servers, click Delete saved passwords.
Change client proxy settingsIf you can't connect to a server, you might need to update your client proxy settings. Click Change client proxy settings. See Client proxy settings.

Connect to a remote server

  1. Select Remote server.

  2. Select a server from the Remote server drop-down list or enter the IP or DNS address. If the server isn’t listed, click to refresh the list of all the available remote servers. If the server is configured to accept clients on a different port than the default port number 55754, enter the IP address followed by the port number, for example, 192.168.0.5:46001.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • Select Log in as current user to log in as the current Windows® user.

    • Clear Log in as current user and click Log in. Select Other user and provide another username and password to log in with different credentials.

Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access

Important

To improve security and functionality, we’re upgrading Axis Secure Remote Access (v1) to Axis Secure Remote Access v2. We’re discontinuing the current version on December 1st, 2025, and we strongly recommend that you upgrade to Axis Secure Remote Access v2 before that.

What does this mean for your AXIS Camera Station 5 system?

  • After December 1st, 2025, you will no longer be able to remotely access your system using Axis Secure Remote Access (v1).
  • To use Axis Secure Remote Access v2, you must upgrade to AXIS Camera Station Pro version 6.8. This upgrade is currently free for all AXIS Camera Station 5 users until March 1st, 2026.
Note
  • When trying to connect to a server using Axis Secure Remote Access, the server can’t upgrade the client automatically.
  • If the proxy server is between the network device and the AXIS Camera Station 5 server, you must configure the proxy settings in Windows on the AXIS Camera Station 5 server to access the server using AXIS Secure Remote Access.
  1. Click the Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access link.

  2. Enter your My Axis account credentials. See Axis Secure Remote Access.

  3. Click Sign in.

  4. Click Grant.

Client proxy settings

These settings apply to a proxy server that lies between the AXIS Camera Station 5 client and the AXIS Camera Station 5 server.

Note

Use AXIS Camera Station 5 Service Control to configure proxy settings for a proxy server that lies between an AXIS Camera Station 5 server and the network cameras. See AXIS Camera Station 5 service control.

Select the appropriate option for your setup.

  • Direct connection: Select this option if there’s no proxy server between the AXIS Camera Station 5 client and the AXIS Camera Station 5 server.

  • Use Internet Options settings (default): Select this option to use the Windows settings.

  • Use manual proxy settings: Select this option to configure the proxy settings manually. Provide the required information in the Manual settings section.

    • Address: Enter the address or hostname of the proxy server.

    • Port: Enter the port number of the proxy server.

    • Do not use proxy server for addresses beginning with: Enter the servers that you want to exclude from access by the proxy. Use semicolons to separate the entries. You can use wildcards in the addresses or hostnames, for example: "192.168.*" or "*.mydomain.com".

    • Always bypass proxy server for local addresses: Select this option to bypass the proxy when connecting to a server on the local computer. Local addresses don't have a domain name extension, for example, http://webserver/, http://localhost, http://loopback, or http://127.0.0.1.

AXIS Camera Station 5 client

Tabs

Live viewView live video from connected cameras. See Live view.
RecordingsSearch, play, and export recordings. See Recordings.
Smart search 1Locate events in recorded video using motion search. See Smart search 1.
Data searchSearch for data from an external source or system and track what happened at the time of each event. See Data search.
ConfigurationManage connected devices and configure client and server settings. See Configuration.
HotkeysView and configure hotkeys. See Hotkeys.
LogsAlarm, event, and audit logs. See Logs.
Access managementConfigure and manage the system’s cardholders, groups, doors, zones, and access rules. See Access management.
Smart search 2Use advanced filters to find vehicles and persons based on characteristics. See Smart search 2.
System health monitoringMonitor the health data from a single or multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 systems. See System Health Monitoring BETA.
Live view alertsAutomatically navigate to the Live view alerts tab of the camera or view when the Live view action is triggered. See Create live view actions.
Recording alertsIn the Alarms or Logs tab, select one alarm and click Go to recordings to open the Recording alerts tab. See Alarms and Logs.

Main menu

Open the main menu.
ServersConnect to a new AXIS Camera Station 5 server and view the server lists and the connection status for all servers. See Configure server.
ActionsStart or stop a recording manually and change the status of I/O ports. See Record manually and Monitor I/O ports.
HelpAccess help and support options. Go to Help > About to see which AXIS Camera Station 5 client version you’re using.
Log outLog out and disconnect from the server.
ExitExit and close the AXIS Camera Station 5 client.

Title bar

or F1Open help.
Enter full screen mode.
or ESCExit full screen mode.

Status bar

  • The warning icon indicates a time mismatch between the client and server. Make sure their times are synchronized to avoid timeline issues.

  • The server connection status shows the number of connected servers. See Connection status.

  • The license status shows the number of unlicensed devices. See .

  • The Secure Remote Access v2 usage shows how much data you've used this month.

  • AXIS Camera Station 5 update available indicates that a new version is available. Only visible when you’re logged in as administrator. See Update AXIS Camera Station 5.

Alarms and Tasks

  • The Alarms and Tasks tabs show triggered events and system alarms. See Alarms and Tasks.

Live view

The live view shows live video from connected cameras. When you connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, it displays all views and cameras grouped by server name.

Views provide access to all the cameras and devices added to AXIS Camera Station 5. A view can consist of one or several cameras, a sequence of items, a map, or a web page. The live view updates the views automatically when you add or remove devices from the system.

All users can access views. For information about user access rights, see User permissions.

To configure the live view, see Client settings.

Multiple monitors

To open a view on another screen:

  1. Open a Live view tab.

  2. Select one or more cameras, views, or sequences.

  3. Drag and drop them onto the other screen.

To open a view on a monitor connected to an Axis video decoder:

  1. Open a Live view tab.

  2. Select one or more cameras, views, or sequences.

  3. Right-click your selection and select Show on AXIS T8705 or Show on AXIS D1110, depending on which video decoder you’re using.

Note
  • AXIS T8705 supports Axis cameras only.
  • AXIS D1110 supports up to 9 streams in one split view.

Manage views in live view

Add a new split view, sequence, camera view, map, web page, or folder.
Edit a view or a camera name. To edit camera settings, see Edit camera settings
Remove a view. You need permissions to edit the view and all secondary views to remove it. To remove cameras from AXIS Camera Station 5, see Cameras.
As an administrator, you can lock the view to prevent operators from moving or editing it.

Image management in live view

NavigateTo go to the camera view, right-click an image in a split view and select Navigate.
Take snapshotTo take a snapshot, right-click an image and select Take snapshot. The system saves the snapshot to the folder specified in Configuration > Client > Settings.
Add snapshot to ExportTo add a snapshot to the export list, right-click an image and select Add snapshot to Export.
Show onTo open a view on another screen, right-click the image and select Show on.
Use Mechanical PTZAvailable for PTZ cameras and for cameras that have digital PTZ configured in the camera's web interface. To use mechanical PTZ, right-click the image and select Use Mechanical PTZ. Use the mouse to zoom, pan and tilt.
ZoomUse the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. Alternatively, press Ctrl + [+] to zoom in and Ctrl + [-] to zoom out.
Area zoomTo magnify an area, draw a rectangle in the area you want to magnify. To zoom out, use the mouse wheel. To magnify an area near the center of the image, use the right mouse button and drag to draw a rectangle.
Pan and tiltClick the image where you want to point the camera. To pan and tilt continuously, move the cursor to the center of the image to show the navigation arrow. Click and hold to pan in the direction of the arrow. To pan and tilt at a higher pace, click and hold to make the navigation arrow longer.
Set focus

To adjust the focus for an AXIS device, right-click the image and select Set focus. Use the Near and Far bars to adjust the focus manually, or click AF to focus automatically.

To adjust the focus for an ONVIF device, right-click the image and select Set focus. Select a Focus mode. The dialog updates depending on which mode you choose:

  • Absolute: Set the focus to a specific position by entering a value and clicking Apply.

  • Relative: Adjust the focus incrementally. Use Near for objects close to the camera and Far for objects further away.

  • Continuous: Move the focus using Nearer or Further and click Stop when done.

  • To focus automatically, click AF.

Focus recall zoneTo add or remove a focus recall zone, right-click the image and select Focus recall zone.
Autotracking on/offTo turn on or off autotracking for an Axis PTZ camera with AXIS PTZ Autotracking configured, right-click the image and select Autotracking on/off.
PresetsTo go to a preset position, right-click the image, select Presets, and select a preset. To create presets, see PTZ presets.
Add presetTo add a preset, drag the image view to the desired position, right-click, and select Presets > Add preset.
Absolute PTZ MoveAvailable for ONVIF devices that support absolute PTZ positioning. Use this to move the camera to precise, repeatable coordinates.
To use Absolute PTZ, right-click the camera in live view and select Absolute PTZ Move. Select a coordinate system: Generic for standard coordinates or Spherical for degree-based coordinates. Enter position values for pan, tilt, and zoom, set the movement speed, and click OK or Send.
Stream profileTo set the stream profile, right-click an image and select Stream profile. See Stream profiles.
Add digital presets
PTZ control
Note

As an administrator, you can turn off mechanical PTZ for users. See User permissions.

Recording and instant replay in live view

To go to the Recordings tab, select a camera or a split view and click .
Indicates an ongoing recording in the live view.
Indicates that motion is detected.
To play an ongoing recording, hover over the image and click Instant replay. The Recordings tab opens and plays the last 5 seconds of the recording.
RECTo record manually from the live view, hover over the image and click REC. The button turns yellow to indicate that the recording is ongoing. To stop recording, click REC again.

To configure manual recording settings such as resolution, compression, and frame rate, see Recording method. For more information about recording and playback, see Playback recordings.

Note

As an administrator, you can turn off the manual recording feature for users. See User permissions.

Audio in live view

Audio is available if the camera has audio capabilities and you have turned on audio in the profile used for the live view.

Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles and configure audio for the camera. See Stream profiles.

VolumeTo change the volume in a view, hover the image, then hover the speaker button and then use the slider to change the volume. To mute or unmute audio, click .
Listen to this view onlyTo mute other views and listen to this view only, hover the image and click .
Speak through the speakerTo speak through the configured speaker in full-duplex mode, hover the image and click .
Push-to-talkTo speak through the configured speaker in simplex and half-duplex modes, hover the image and click and hold . To show the Push-to-talk button for all duplex modes, turn on Use push-to-talk for all duplex modes under Configuration > Client > Streaming > Audio. See Streaming.
Note

As an administrator you can turn off audio for users. See User permissions.

Onscreen control in live view

Note

Onscreen control requires firmware 7.40 or later.

To access the available camera features in the live view, click .

Split view

A split view shows multiple views in the same window. You can use camera views, sequences, web pages, maps, and other split views in a split view.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can add any view, camera, device, or audio zone from other servers to your split view.

  1. To add a split view:
  2. In the Live view tab, click .

  3. Select New Split View.

  4. Enter a name for the split view.

  5. Select a layout from the Template drop-down menu.

  6. Drag and drop cameras or views from the side panel to the grid, or double-click to add them to the first available slot.

  7. Click Save view.

  • To edit a camera or view in the grid, select it. Under Select item to configure you can:
  • Click Remove to remove it from the grid.

  • Select a PTZ preset from the drop-down menu.

  • To add a hotspot:
  • Select a frame and click Set hotspot under the Hotspot section.

  • To display triggered video streams automatically in the hotspot:
  • Select Dynamic hotspot content and configure the settings. See Dynamic hotspot for more information.

  • To set the stream profile for a camera:
  • Right-click it in the grid view and select Stream profile. See Stream profiles.

Door dashboard in split view

If you have configured a door, you can assist cardholders and monitor the door and lock status and recent transactions in a split view.

  1. Add a door. See Add a door.

  2. Add the door dashboard to a split view, see Split view.

Dashboard

To view door details and lock status, open the Dashboard tab.

The dashboard displays the following information:

  • Access control events with cardholder details and photos, for example, when a cardholder swipes a card.

  • Alarms with alarm trigger information, for example, when a door is open too long.

  • The latest transaction.

To bookmark an event and make it available on the Transactions tab, click .
AccessTo manually grant access, click Access. This unlocks the door as if someone presented their credentials. The door automatically locks again after a set time.
LockTo manually lock the door, click Lock.
UnlockTo manually unlock the door, click Unlock. The door stays unlocked until you manually lock it again.
LockdownTo prevent access to the door, click Lockdown.
TransactionsTo view recent transactions and saved transactions, open the Transactions tab.
Monitor and assist in door dashboard

Sequence

A sequence switches between views automatically.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can add any view, camera or device from other servers to your sequence.

To add a sequence:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New sequence.

  3. Enter a name for the sequence.

  4. Drag and drop one or multiple views or cameras to the sequence view.

  5. Arrange the views in the order you want them to appear.

  6. Click a view to edit its settings.

  7. Click Save view.

PTZ presetFor cameras with PTZ capabilities, select which PTZ preset the camera moves to when this view is active.
Dwell timeThe number of seconds each view is shown before switching to the next. You can set this individually for each view.
Note
  • You can't add a sequence view into another sequence view.
  • You can't add component views from a remote server directly. As a workaround, add the component view to a single split view first, then add that split view from the remote server.
  • Timeline playback might behave unexpectedly. Playback shows all cameras in the sequence, but only one is active at a time.

Camera view

A camera view displays live video from one camera. You can use camera views in split views, sequences, and maps.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, the list shows all cameras from all connected servers.

To add a camera view:

  1. In the Live view or Recordings tab, click .

  2. Select New Camera View.

  3. Select the camera from the drop-down menu, and click OK.

Map

A map is an imported image where you can place camera views, split views, sequences, web pages, other maps, and doors. The map gives a visual overview and a way to locate and access individual devices. You can create several maps and arrange them on an overview map for large installations.

Action buttons are also available in the map view. See Create action button triggers.

Note

When connecting to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can add any view, camera or device from other servers to your map view.

To add a map:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New map.

  3. Enter a name for the map.

  4. Click Choose image and find your map file. The file must be no larger than 20 MB. Supported formats: BMP, JPG, PNG, and GIF.

  5. Drag the views, cameras, other devices, and doors onto the map.

  6. Click an icon on the map to edit its settings.

  7. Click Add label, enter a label name, and set the size, rotation, style, and color of the label.

  8. Click Save view.

Note
  • You can edit some settings for multiple icons and labels at the same time.
  • All devices that your user account can't access are removed from the map when you edit it.
  • You can't add component views from a remote server directly. As a workaround, add the component view to a single split view first, then add that split view from the remote server to the map.

Web page

A web page view displays a page from the Internet. You can add a web page to a split view or a sequence, for example.

To add a web page:

  1. In the Live view tab, click .

  2. Select New web page.

  3. Enter a name for the web page.

  4. Enter the webpage URL.

  5. Click OK.

Folders

Use folders to categorize items in a tree view navigation. Folders can contain split views, sequences, camera views, maps, webpages, and other folders.

To add a folder:

  1. In the Live view or Recordings tab, click .

  2. Select New Folder.

  3. Enter a name for the folder, and click OK.

Recordings

From the Recordings tab, you search, play back, and export recordings. The tab consists of a main view and two panels where you can find views, images, playback tools, and cameras from connected servers grouped by server name. See Live view.

From the main view, you can manage the image in the same way as in the live view. For more information, go to Image management in live view.

To change the recording method and settings such as resolution, compression and frame rate, see Recording method.

Note

You can’t manually delete recordings from AXIS Camera Station 5. To delete old recordings, change the retention time under Configuration > Storage > Selection.

Playback recordings

Recordings from multiple cameras can play at the same time when you put the playback marker over multiple recordings in the timeline.

You can display live and recorded video at the same time when you use multiple monitors.

Playback timeline

Hover over a recording in the timeline to show the recording type and time. To get a better view and find recordings, you can zoom in, zoom out, and drag the timeline. The playback pauses temporarily when you drag the timeline and resumes when you release. Scrub the timeline to get an overview of the content and find specific moments.

  • A red line indicates a motion detection recording.

  • A blue line indicates a recording triggered by an action rule.

Find recordings

Click to select a date and time in the timeline.

Filter which recording types appear in the timeline.

Use to find saved bookmarks. See Bookmarks.

Smart search 1

Search for recordings using Smart search 1. See Smart search 1.

Playback recordings

Play the recording.

Pause the recording.

Jump to the start of the ongoing or previous recording or event. Right-click to go to recordings, events, or both.

Jump to the start of the next recording or event. Right-click to go to recordings, events, or both.

Go to the previous frame in a recording. Pause the recording to use this feature. Right-click to set how many frames to skip (up to 20 frames).

Go to the next frame in a recording. Pause the recording to use this feature. Right-click to set how many frames to skip (up to 20 frames).

Change the playback speed using the multipliers in the drop-down menu.

Mute audio. Only recordings with audio have this feature.

Audio slider

Slide to change the audio volume. Only recordings with audio have this feature.

Show all body worn metadata

Show the metadata for a body worn system and display notes and categories from AXIS Body Worn Assistant.

Pan, tilt and zoom 

Click the image and scroll to zoom in and out. To zoom in on a specific area, place the cursor there before scrolling.

Bookmarks

Note
  • You can’t delete a locked recording unless you manually unlock it.
  • Locked recordings are deleted when the associated camera is removed from the system.

Click to show all the bookmarks. To filter the bookmarks, click the icon.

Add a new bookmark.

Means that it’s a locked recording. The recording includes at least 2.5 minutes of video before and after the bookmark.

Edit the bookmark name and description, or lock and unlock the recording.

Remove a bookmark. To remove multiple bookmarks, select them while holding Ctrl or Shift, and click Remove.

Prevent recording deletion

Select to lock the recording. Clear to unlock it.

Add bookmarks

  1. Go to the recording.

  2. In the timeline, zoom in and out and move the timeline to put the marker at your desired position.

  3. Click .

  4. Enter the bookmark name and description. Use keywords to make the bookmark easy to find.

  5. Select Prevent recording deletion to lock the recording.

  6. Note

    To unlock the recording, clear Prevent recording deletion or delete the bookmark.

  7. Click OK to save the bookmark.

Export recordings

From the Export tab, you can export recordings to a local storage device or network location. You can also find information and a preview of the recording here. You can export multiple files at the same time in .asf, .mp4, and .mkv formats.

To play your recordings, use Windows Media Player (.asf) or AXIS File Player (.asf, .mp4, .mkv). AXIS File Player is a free video and audio playback software that doesn’t require installation.

Note

In AXIS File Player, you can change the playback speed of recordings in the .mp4 and .mkv formats, but not in .asf format.

Before you start, make sure you have permission to export. See User permission for exporting.

To export a recording:

  1. In the Recordings tab, select a camera or a view.

  2. Add the recordings to the export list. Recordings in the timeline that aren’t included in the export get a striped color.

    1. Click to show the selection markers.

    2. Move the markers to include the recordings that you want to export.

    3. Click to open the Export tab.

  3. Click Export...

  4. Select a folder to export the recordings to.

  5. Click OK. The export task appears in the Tasks tab.

The export folder includes:

  • The recordings in the selected format.

  • A .txt file with notes if you select Include notes.

  • AXIS File Player if you select Include AXIS File Player.

  • An .asx playlist file if you select Create playlist(.asx).

Export recordings
Recordings tab

To select multiple recordings, click and move the selection markers to the desired start and end points.

To export recordings within the selection markers, click .

Add recordings

To add a single recording, right-click a recording and select Export > Add recordings.

Add event recordings 

To add all recordings that occurred within the time of an event, right-click a recording and select Export > Add event recordings.

Remove recordings

To remove a single recording from the export list, right-click a recording and select Export > Remove recordings.

Remove recordings

To remove multiple recordings within the selection markers from the export list, right-click outside of a recording and select Export > Remove recordings.

Export tab
Audio

To exclude audio from an exported recording, clear the checkbox in the Audio column. To always include audio in exported recordings, go to Configuration > Server > Settings > Export and select Include audio when adding recordings to export.

To edit the recording, select a recording and click . See Edit recordings before exporting.

To edit the notes for the recording, select a recording and click .

To remove the recording from the export list, select a recording and click .

Switch to export

If the Incident report tab is open, click Switch to export to go back to the Export tab.

Preferred stream profile 

Select the stream profile in the Preferred stream profile field.

Preview

To preview a recording, click the recording in the exported list to play it. You can only preview multiple recordings if they’re from the same camera.

Save

To save the export list to a file, click Save.

Load

To include a previously saved export list, click Load.

Include notes

To include notes of the recordings, select Include notes. The notes are available both as a .txt file in the exported folder and as a bookmark in the recording in AXIS File Player.

Adjust start and end time

To adjust the recording start and end time, go to the timeline in the preview and adjust the start and end times. The timeline shows up to thirty minutes of recording before and after the selected recording.

Add snapshot

To add a snapshot, drag the timeline in the preview to a specific location, right-click the preview, and select Add snapshot.

Advanced settings

Include AXIS File Player

To include AXIS File Player with the exported recordings, select Include AXIS File Player.

Create playlist(.asx)

To create a playlist in .asx format used by Windows Media Player, select Create playlist(.asx). The recordings play in the order in which they were recorded.

Add digital signature

To prevent image tampering, select Add digital signature. This option is only available for recordings in the .asf format. See Play and verify exported recordings.

Export to Zip file

To export to a Zip file, select Export to Zip file and enter a password if needed.

Export format 

From the Export format drop-down menu, select a format to export the recordings to. Exported recordings don’t include audio in G.711 or G.726 format if you select MP4.

Edited video encoding

For edited videos, you can set the video encoding format to Automatic, H.264, or M-JPEG under Edited video encoding. Select Automatic to use M-JPEG for M-JPEG format and H.264 for all other formats.

User permission for exporting

To export recordings or generate incident reports, you need the appropriate permissions. You can have permission for either or both. When you click in the Recordings tab, the connected export tab opens.

To configure the permissions, go to User permissions.

Edit recordings before exporting

Blur a moving object
  1. In the Export tab or Incident report tab, select a recording and click .

  2. Move the timeline to the first occurrence of the moving object you want to cover.

  3. Click Bounding boxes > Add to add a new bounding box.

  4. Go to Bounding box options > Size to adjust the size.

  5. Move the bounding box and put it over the object.

  6. Go to Bounding box options > Fill and set it to Pixelated or Black.

  7. When the recording plays, right-click the object and select Add key frame.

  8. To add continuous key frames, move the bounding box to cover the object while the recording plays.

  9. Move the timeline and make sure that the bounding box covers the object throughout the recording.

  10. To set an end point, right-click the diamond shape in the last key frame and select Set end. This removes the key frames after the end point.

Note

You can add multiple bounding boxes in the video. If bounding boxes overlap, the overlapped area uses the fill in this order: Black, Pixelated, then Clear.

Remove all

To remove all bounding boxes, click Bounding boxes > Remove all.

Remove key frame

To remove a key frame, right-click the key frame and select Remove key frame.

Show a moving object with blurred background
  1. Create a bounding box. See Blur a moving object.

  2. Go to Bounding box options > Fill and set it to Clear.

  3. Go to Video background and set it to Pixelated or Black.

Pixelate all but this

Select multiple bounding boxes in the list, right-click and select Pixelate all but this. The selected bounding boxes turn Clear and the unselected ones turn Pixelated.

Generate bounding boxes

To generate bounding boxes from analytics data, make sure the camera's analytics are turned on. See Stream profiles.

  1. In the Export tab or Incident report tab, click .

  2. Click Generate bounding boxes.

  3. Make sure the bounding boxes cover the moving object. Adjust if necessary.

  4. Select a fill for the bounding boxes or video background.

Improve video editing with AXIS Video Content Stream

To improve video editing, install the application AXIS Video Content Stream 1.0 on cameras with firmware 5.50 to 9.60. AXIS Camera Station 5 starts the installation automatically when you add a camera to the system. See Install camera applications.

Edit recordings before export

Play and verify exported recordings

To prevent image tampering, you can add a digital signature to exported recordings with or without a password. Use AXIS File Player to verify the digital signature and check for changes to the recording.

  1. Go to the folder with the exported recordings. If the exported Zip file is password protected, enter your password to open the folder.

  2. Open AXIS File Player. The exported recordings play automatically.

  3. In AXIS File Player, click to view the recording notes.

  4. To verify the digital signature of recordings exported with Add digital signature:

    1. Go to Tools > Verify digital signature.

    2. Select Validate with password and enter your password if it’s password protected.

    3. To see the verification results, click Verify.

Export incident reports

From the Incident report tab, you can export incident reports to a local storage device or network location. You can include recordings, snapshots, and notes in your incident reports.

Before you start, make sure you have permission to export. See User permission for exporting.

Incident reporting

Generate incident reports

  1. In the Recordings tab, select a camera or a view.

  2. Add the recordings to the export list. See Export recordings.

  3. Click Switch to incident report to go to the Incident report tab.

  4. Click Create report.

  5. Select a folder to save the incident report to.

  6. Click OK. The incident report export task appears in the Tasks tab.

The export folder includes:

  • AXIS File Player.

  • The recordings in the selected format.

  • A .txt file if you select Include notes.

  • The incident report.

  • The playlist if you export multiple recordings.

Audio

To exclude audio from an exported recording, clear the checkbox in the Audio column. To always include audio in exported recordings, go to Configuration > Server > Settings > Export and select Include audio when adding recordings to export.

To edit the recording, select a recording and click . See Edit recordings before exporting.

To edit the notes for the recording, select a recording and click .

To remove a recording from the export list, select a recording and click .

Switch to incident report

If the Export tab is open, click Switch to incident report to go to the Incident report tab.

Preferred stream profile 

Select the stream profile in the Preferred stream profile drop-down list.

Preview

To preview a recording, click it in the export list to play it. You can only preview multiple recordings if they’re from the same camera.

Save

To save the incident report to a file, click Save.

Load

To load a previously saved incident report, click Load.

Description

The Description field automatically fills with predefined data from the description template. You can also add additional information to include in the incident report.

Category

Select a category that the report belongs to.

Reference ID

A Reference ID is automatically generated. You can change it manually if needed. The ID is unique and identifies the incident report.

Include notes

Select Include notes to include recording notes as a .txt file in the exported folder and as a bookmark in AXIS File Player.

Edited video encoding

For edited videos, you can set the video encoding format to Automatic, H.264, or M-JPEG under Edited video encoding. Select Automatic to use M-JPEG for M-JPEG format and H.264 for all other formats.

Adjust start and end time

To adjust the recording start and end time, go to the timeline in the preview and adjust the start and end times. The timeline shows up to thirty minutes of recording before and after the selected recording.

Add snapshot

To add a snapshot, move the timeline in the preview to a specific location, right-click the preview, and select Add snapshot.

Record manually

Note

When you connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can manually start and stop a recording on any connected server. To do this, select the server from the Selected server drop-down list.

To manually start and stop a recording from the main menu:

  1. Go to > Actions > Record manually.

  2. Select one or more cameras.

  3. Click Start to start the recording.

  4. Click Stop to stop the recording.

To start and stop a manual recording from the Live view tab:

  1. Go to Live view.

  2. Hover over the camera's live view frame.

  3. Click REC to start the recording. A red indicator appears in the view frame while recording.

  4. Click REC to stop the recording.

Use Smart search 1 to find parts of a recording where movement occurred in a defined area.

To increase search speed, select Include analytics data in the stream profile settings. See Stream profiles.

To use Smart search 1:

  1. Click and open a Smart search 1 tab.

  2. Select the camera you want to search.

  3. Adjust the area of interest. You can add up to 20 points to the shape. To remove a point, right-click it.

  4. Use the Short-lived objects filter and Small objects filter to filter out unwanted results.

  5. Select the date and time range for the search. Use the Shift key to select a range of dates.

  6. Click Search.

The search results appear on the Results tab. You can right-click one or more results to export the recordings.

Short-lived objects filterThe minimum time that an object must be in the area of interest to be included in the search results.
Small objects filterThe minimum size that an object must have to be included in the search results.
Smart search 1

Smart search 2

Use Smart search 2 to find moving persons and vehicles in recordings.

Note

Smart search 2 requires the following:

  • Streaming analytics metadata over RTSP.
  • AXIS Video Content Stream on cameras with AXIS OS earlier than 9.60. See Install camera applications.
  • Time synchronization between the AXIS Camera Station 5 server and cameras.

When you turn on Smart search 2 for an Axis camera, AXIS Camera Station 5 starts recording metadata from that camera and uses it to classify objects in the scene. This lets you use filters to find things of interest.

Note
  • We recommend that you use continuous recording as motion detection can result in detections without video.
  • Use H.264 format if you want to preview recordings in the search result.
  • Make sure that the lighting conditions meet the camera’s specifications for optimal color classification. Use additional lighting if needed.

Workflow

  1. Configure smart search 2

  2. Configure time synchronization between the AXIS Camera Station 5 server and cameras. See Time synchronization.

  3. Create a filter or load an existing filter. See Search with filters.

  4. Manage search results. See Smart search results.

Search with filters

  1. Go to Configuration > Smart search 2 > Settings and select the cameras you want to use in Smart search 2.

  2. Click and open the Smart search 2 tab.

  3. Define your search criteria.

  4. Click Search.

If the search takes longer than expected, try one or more of the following to speed it up:

  • Turn on background server classification for important or frequently used cameras.

  • Apply incoming filters to cameras to reduce irrelevant detections.

  • Shorten the search time period.

  • Reduce the numbers of cameras in the search.

  • Define area, object direction, size, and duration to narrow down the amount of data.

CamerasTo limit the search by camera, click Cameras and select the cameras you want to include in the search.
Search intervalTo limit the search by time, click Search interval and select a time range, a specific time interval over multiple days, or create a custom interval.
PersonTo detect persons, click Object characteristics > Pre-classified, select Person and the clothing colors. You can select multiple colors.
VehicleTo detect vehicles, click Object characteristics > Pre-classified and select the vehicle types and colors. You can select multiple vehicle types and vehicle colors.
Visual similarityYou can use a search result with a person in the image to search for visually similar persons. Open the context menu in a search result item and select Use as visual similarity reference. Then click Search.
Note

Similarity search creates abstract representations from cropped low-resolution images of people and compares them to other representations. When two representations are similar, you get a hit on your search. Similarity search doesn't use biometric data to identify a person but can, for example, recognize someone's general shape and color of clothing.

AreaTo filter by area, click Area, select a camera, and turn on Filter by area on this camera. Adjust the area of interest in the image and add or remove points if you need to.
Line crossingTo filter by line crossing, click Line crossing, select a camera, and turn on Filter by line crossing on this camera. Adjust the line in the image and add or remove points if you need to.
SizeTo filter by size, click Size, select the camera, and turn on Filter by size on this camera. Adjust the minimum height and width as a percentage of the total image.
DurationTo filter by duration, click Duration, select the camera and turn on Filter by duration on this camera. Adjust the minimum duration in seconds.
SpeedTo filter by speed, click Speed, select the camera, and turn on Filter by speed on this camera. Specify the speed range you want to include in the filter.
Note

The speed filter is available for radar devices and fusion cameras that can detect speed.

Unknown object detectionsTo include the detections that Smart search 2 classifies as unknown, select Object characteristics and then Unknown object detections.

To save a filter, click , type a filter name, and click Save.

To replace an existing filter, click , select an existing filter, and click Replace.

To load a recent search, click > Recent searches and select a search.

To load a saved filter, click > Saved filter settings and select a filter.

To reset a filter, click and click Reset.

Smart search results

To group detections that are likely to belong to the same event, group them in time intervals. Select an interval from the drop-down menu.
Latest firstSmart search 2 shows search results in descending order with the latest detections first. Click Oldest first to show the oldest detections first.
Confidence levelTo further filter the search results, click Confidence level and set the confidence level. A high confidence level filters out uncertain classifications.
ColumnsTo adjust the size of the thumbnails in the search result, click Columns and change the number of columns.
Detection viewTo show a cropped view of the detected object as a thumbnail, select Detection view.

Limitations

  • Smart search 2 supports only the primary (non-cropped) view area.

  • Smart search 2 supports only non-cropped capture modes.

  • Using Smart search 2 with mirrored and rotated camera streams for devices with ARTPEC-7 or higher and firmware version lower than 10.6 can cause some problems.

  • High or very variable network latency can cause time synchronization issues and affect the classification of detections based on analytics metadata.

  • Classification of object types and detection accuracy are negatively affected by low image quality due to high compression levels, weather conditions such as heavy rain or snow, and cameras with low resolution, heavy distortion, large field of view, or excessive vibrations.

  • Smart search 2 may not detect small and distant objects.

  • Color classification doesn’t work in darkness or with IR illumination.

  • Body worn cameras aren’t supported.

  • Radar can only detect persons and other vehicles. It’s not possible to turn on background server classification for radar.

  • Object classification behavior is unpredictable for thermal cameras.

  • Smart search 2 doesn't detect moving objects when a PTZ preset position changes and for a short period after the position changes.

  • Line crossing and area filters don’t follow PTZ position changes.

Data search lets you find data from an external source. A source is a system or device that generates data about events. See External data sources for more information.
For example:

  • An event generated by an access control system.

  • A license plate captured by AXIS License Plate Verifier.

  • A speed captured by AXIS Speed Monitor.

To change how long AXIS Camera Station 5 keeps external data, go to Configuration > Server > Settings > External data.

To search data:

  1. Click and select Data search.

  2. Select a search interval .

  3. Select a data source type from the drop-down list.

  4. Click Search options and apply any additional filters. Available filters vary depending on the data source type.

  5. Enter any keywords in the search field. See Optimize your search.

  6. Click Search.

Data search bookmarks the data generated from the source if you’ve configured it with a view. Click the data in the list to go to the recording associated with the event.

Time interval
LiveTo search real-time data, select Live as the time interval. Data search can display a maximum of 3000 live data events. Live mode doesn’t support search operators.
Last hour – Last 30 days

To search data from a preset time range, select one of the available options: last hour, 4 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.

CustomTo search data within a specific time range, select Custom and set a start and end date and time.

You can filter the search result on different types of sources:

Data source type
All dataThis option includes data from both component and external sources.
Access controlUse this option to include data only from this component. Access control lets you filter on doors and zones, cardholders, and event types.
Third-partyUse this option to include data from third-party sources other than the configured components.

Depending on the data source, you can get different items in your search result. For example:

Search results
ServerThe server that the event data is sent to. Only available when connecting to multiple servers.
LocationThe name of the door and the name of the door controller with IP address.
Enter speedThe speed (kilometers per hour or miles per hour) when the object enters the Radar Motion Detection (RMD) zone.
ClassificationThe object classification. For example: Vehicle.

To export the search results to a PDF or text file, click Download search result. This feature only exports event information, not recordings or images.

You can use the following search operators for more precise results:

Use quotation marks " " for exact matches with keywords
  • A search for "door 1" returns results containing “door 1”.

  • A search for door 1 returns results containing both “door” and “1”.

Use AND to find matches containing all keywords.
  • A search for door AND 1 returns results containing both “door” and “1”.

  • A search for "door 1" AND "door forced open" returns results containing both “door 1” and "door forced open”.

Use OR or | to find matches containing any keyword.
  • A search for "door 1" OR "door 2" returns results containing “door 1” or "door 2”.

  • A search for door 1 OR door 2 returns results containing “door” or “1” or “2”.

Use parentheses ( ) together with AND or OR.
  • A search for (door 1 OR door 2) AND "Door forced open" returns results containing one of the following:

    • “door 1” and "Door forced open”

    • “door 2” and "Door forced open”

  • A search for door 1 AND (door (forced open OR open too long)) returns results containing one of the following:

    • “door 1” and “door forced open”

    • ”door 1” and “door open too long”

Use >, >=, <, or <= to filter numbers in a specific column.
  • A search for [Max speed] > 28 returns results containing a number greater than 28 in the Max speed column.

  • A search for [Average speed] < = 28 returns results containing a number less than or equal to 28 in the Average speed column.

Use CONTAINS to search for text in specific column.
  • A search for [Cardholder] CONTAINS Oscar returns data where ‘Oscar’ is in the Cardholder column.

  • A search for [Door] CONTAINS "door 1" returns data where ‘door 1’ is in the Door column.

Configuration

On the Configuration tab, you can manage connected devices and configure settings for the client and servers. Click and select Configuration to open the Configuration tab.

Configure devices

In AXIS Camera Station 5, a device refers to a network product with an IP address. A camera refers to a video source, such as a network camera or a video port (with a connected analog camera) on a multi-port video encoder. For example, a 4-port video encoder is one device with four cameras.

Note
  • AXIS Camera Station 5 only supports devices with IPv4 addresses.
  • Some video encoders have one IP address for each video port. In this case, AXIS Camera Station 5 treats each video port as one device with one camera.

In AXIS Camera Station 5, a device can be:

  • A network camera.

  • A video encoder with one or more video ports.

  • An auxiliary non-camera device, for example an I/O audio device, a network speaker, or a door controller.

  • An intercom.

From here, you can:

Add devices

Note
  • The system considers view areas as individual cameras. You must create view areas in the camera before using them. See Use view areas.
  • When you add a device, the device synchronizes its time with the AXIS Camera Station 5 server.
  • We recommend that you don’t use special characters such as å, ä, and ö in a device’s hostname.
  1. Find your devices, video streams, or prerecorded videos.

  2. Add devices, video streams, or prerecorded videos

You must resolve any issues shown in the device status column before you can add a device.

(empty)If there’s no status, you can add the device to AXIS Camera Station 5.
CommunicatingAXIS Camera Station 5 server is trying to access the device.
Device certificate not trustedAXIS Camera Station 5 can't verify that the HTTPS certificate on the device is signed by a trusted issuer. Click the link to issue a new HTTPS certificate or tell AXIS Camera Station 5 to trust the existing one.
Certificate authority has expiredThe certificate authority that issued the device certificate is no longer valid. Click the link to issue a new HTTPS certificate or tell AXIS Camera Station 5 to trust the existing one.
Address mismatch in device certificateThe device address doesn’t match the address in the certificate. Click the link to issue a new HTTPS certificate or tell AXIS Camera Station 5 to trust the existing one.
Communication errorAXIS Camera Station 5 can't contact the device.
Enter passwordAXIS Camera Station 5 doesn’t know which credentials to use to access the device. Click the link to enter a username and password for an administrator account on the device. By default, AXIS Camera Station 5 will use this username and password for all devices on which the user exists.
Set passwordThe root account and password aren’t set up, or the device still uses the default password. Click the link to set the root user password.
  • Enter your password or click Generate to get a password. We recommend saving a copy of the generated password.

  • Select to use this password for all devices with the Set password status.

  • If the device enforces a password policy, a password policy indicator will show whether your password meets the requirements. See User management for more information.

Model not supportedAXIS Camera Station 5 doesn’t support the device model.
Obsolete firmwareThe device’s firmware is outdated. Update it before you add a device.
Faulty deviceThe device parameters retrieved by AXIS Camera Station 5 are corrupt.
Set tilt orientationClick the link to select tilt orientation: Ceiling, Wall, or Desk, depending on how the camera is mounted. Some camera models require tilt orientation to be set.
Unsupported ONVIF deviceAXIS Camera Station 5 doesn’t support this third-party device.
Unsupported deviceAXIS Camera Station 5 doesn’t support this type of device.
Note

New HTTPS certificates are issued by AXIS Camera Station 5 and will auto-renew.

Find your devices

To find devices that aren’t listed:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  2. Click Cancel to stop the ongoing network search.

  3. Click Manual search.

  4. To find multiple devices in one or more IP ranges:

    1. Select Search one or more IP ranges.

    2. Type the IP range. For example: 192.168.10.*, 192.168.20-22.*, 192.168.30.0-50

      • Use a wildcard for all addresses in a group.

      • Use a dash for a range of addresses.

      • Use a comma to separate multiple ranges.

    3. To change the default port 80, enter the port range. For example: 80, 1080-1090

      • Use a dash for a range of ports.

      • Use a comma to separate multiple ranges.

    4. Click Search.

  5. To find one or more specific devices:

    1. Select Enter one or more hostnames or IP addresses.

    2. Enter the hostnames or IP addresses separated by comma.

    3. Click Search.

  6. Click OK.

Find your video streams

You can add video streams that support the following:

  • Protocol: RTSP, HTTP, HTTPS

  • Video encoding: M-JPEG for HTTP and HTTPS, H.264 for RTSP

  • Audio encoding: AAC and G.711 for RTSP

Supported video stream URL schemes:

  • rtsp://<address>:<port>/<path>

    For example: rtsp://<address>:554/axis-media/media.amp

  • http://<address>:80/<path>

    For example: http://<address>:80/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?date=1&clock=1&resolution=1920x1080

  • https://<address>:443/<path>

    For example: https://<address>:443/axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi?date=1&clock=1&resolution=1920x1080

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  2. Click Enter stream URLs and enter one or more stream URLs separated by comma.

  3. Click Add.

Find prerecorded videos

You can add prerecorded videos in .mkv format to AXIS Camera Station 5.

Requirements:

  • Video encoding: M-JPEG, H.264, H.265

  • Audio encoding: AAC

  1. Create a folder PrerecordedVideos under C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server.

  2. Add a .mkv file to the folder.

  3. To dewarp the prerecorded video, add a .dewarp file with the same name as the .mkv file to the folder. See Image configuration for more information.

  4. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices and turn on Include prerecorded video.

    You can find your prerecorded video and several prerecorded videos provided by the system.

Add devices, video streams, or prerecorded videos
  1. In a multi-server system, select a server from the Selected server drop-down list.

  2. Go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  3. Select the devices, video streams, or prerecorded videos. Click Add.

  4. Click Close to skip configuration and continue later. To continue with the configuration:

    1. Choose Quick configuration to configure the basic settings. If you’re importing an AXIS Site Designer project, choose Site Designer configuration. See Import AXIS Site Designer projects for more information.

    2. Select Add image overlay for date, time, and text to add overlays to Axis cameras that don’t already have one.

    3. Click Next.

    4. Select your Recording method preference.

    5. Click Next.

    6. Choose your Retention time and Recording storage, and click Finish to apply the configuration.

Import AXIS Site Designer projects

AXIS Site Designer is an online design tool that helps you build a site with Axis products and accessories.

If you've created a site in AXIS Site Designer, you can import the project settings to AXIS Camera Station 5. You can access the project using an access code or a downloaded setup file.

To import an AXIS Site Designer project to AXIS Camera Station 5:

  1. Generate an access code or download a project file:

    1. Sign in to http://sitedesigner.axis.com with your My Axis account.

    2. Select a project and go to the project page.

    3. Click Share.

    4. Click Generate code if your AXIS Camera Station 5 server has an internet connection, or click Download settings file if it doesn’t.

  2. In the AXIS Camera Station 5 client, go to Configuration > Devices > Add devices.

  3. Select the devices, and click Add.

  4. Select Site Designer configuration and click Next.

  5. Select Access code and enter the access code. To use the downloaded setup file instead, select Choose file.

  6. Click Import. AXIS Camera Station 5 tries to match the project with the selected devices by IP address or product name. If the match fails, select the correct devices from the drop-down menu.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Select your Recording method preference. These settings apply to cameras that don't match the project configuration.

  9. Click Next.

  10. Choose your Retention time and Recording storage, and click Finish to apply the configuration.

AXIS Camera Station 5 imports the following settings from the AXIS Site Designer project:

Encoders, video decoders, door controllers, radar detectors, and speakersCameras, intercoms, and F/FA series
Schedules with name and time slots
Maps with name, icon color, icon location, and item name
Name
Description
Continuous recording: schedule and recording profile including frame rate, resolution, video encoding, and compression
Motion triggered recording: schedule and recording profile including frame rate, resolution, video encoding, and compression
Zipstream strength
Audio settings for live view and recordings
Retention time for recordings
Note
  • If you've defined one of the recording profiles or if there are two identical recording profiles in the AXIS Site Designer project, AXIS Camera Station 5 sets the profile to medium.
  • If you've defined both recording profiles in the AXIS Site Designer project, AXIS Camera Station 5 sets the continuous recording profile to medium and the motion-triggered recording to high.
  • AXIS Camera Station 5 optimizes the aspect ratio, so the resolution may differ from the AXIS Site Designer project.
  • AXIS Camera Station 5 can set the audio settings if the device has a built-in microphone or speaker. To use an external audio device, turn it on after installing it.
  • AXIS Camera Station 5 doesn't apply audio settings to intercoms even if the settings in AXIS Site Designer differ. On intercoms, audio is always on, but only in live view.
Add third-party devices

You can add third-party devices to AXIS Camera Station 5 in the same way you add Axis products. See Add devices.

Note

You can also add third-party devices as video streams in AXIS Camera Station 5. See Find your video streams.

Note

You can download and run AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool to verify if your network video products are compatible with AXIS Camera Station 5 or later. The tool checks if the system can receive video streams from your network video products. See AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool.

AXIS Camera Station 5 is not ONVIF conformant, but it requires that third-party devices are ONVIF Profile S conformant and verified through AXIS Camera Station Device Compatibility Tool.

AXIS Camera Station 5 supports the following functions for third-party devices according to IEC62676-2-31 and IEC62676-2-32:

  • Camera discovery

  • Video encoding: M-JPEG, H.264

  • Audio encodings: G.711 (one-way, from the device to AXIS Camera Station 5)

  • One video profile per camera

  • Live view

  • Continuous and manual recordings

  • Playback

  • Recording exports

  • Device event triggers

  • PTZ

Use view areas

Some camera models support view areas. AXIS Camera Station 5 lists view areas as individual cameras on the Add devices page. See Add devices.

Note
  • All view areas in a network camera count as one camera in the total number of cameras allowed by the AXIS Camera Station 5 license.
  • The number of cameras you can add depends on your license.

To use view areas in AXIS Camera Station 5, you must first turn them on in the camera:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Cameras.

  2. Select the camera and click the link in the Address column.

  3. In the camera's configuration page, enter the username and password to log in.

  4. Click Help for instructions on where to find the setting. The location differs depending on the camera model and firmware.

Cameras

Go to Configuration > Devices > Cameras to view the list of all cameras added to the system.

On this page, you can:

  • Click a camera’s address to open its web interface. This requires that there’s no NAT or firewall between the AXIS Camera Station 5 client and the device.

  • Edit the camera settings. See Edit camera settings.

  • Remove cameras. This also deletes all recordings associated with the deleted cameras, including locked ones.

Edit camera settings

To edit camera settings:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Cameras.

  2. Select a camera and click Edit.

Enabled To prevent recording and viewing of the video stream, clear Enabled. You can still configure recording and live view.
Channel

When Channel is available for multiport video encoders, select the port number.

When Channel is available for view areas, select the number corresponding to the view area.

UsernameUsername for an administrator account on the camera.
PasswordPassword for an administrator account on the camera. AXIS Camera Station 5 uses the password to communicate with the camera.

Other devices

Go to Configuration > Devices > Other devices to view a list of devices without video capabilities. The list includes door controllers, audio devices, and I/O modules.

For information about supported products, go to www.axis.com. See Use audio from other devices.

On this page, you can:

  • Click a device’s address to open its web interface. This requires that there’s no NAT or firewall between the AXIS Camera Station 5 client and the device.

  • Edit the device settings, such as device name, address, and password.

  • Remove devices.

Edit other device settings

To edit the settings for a non-camera device:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Other devices.

  2. Select a device and click Edit.

UsernameUsername for an administrator account on the device.
PasswordPassword for an administrator account on the device. AXIS Camera Station 5 uses the password to communicate with the device.

Stream profiles

A stream profile is a group of settings that affect the video stream, such as resolution, video format, frame rate, and compression. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles to open the Stream profiles page. The page shows a list of all cameras.

The following profiles are available in live view and recording settings:

High
Optimized for the highest quality and resolution.
Medium
Optimized to balance high quality with performance.
Low
Optimized for performance.
Note

The stream profile is set to Automatic in live view and recordings by default. The stream profile changes automatically to High, Medium, or Low depending on the available size for the video stream.

Edit stream profiles
  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles, and select the cameras you want to configure.

  2. Under Video profiles, configure resolution, video format, frame rate, and compression.

  3. Under Audio, configure the microphone and speaker.

  4. Under Advanced, configure analytics data, FFmpeg streaming, PTZ autotracking object indicators, and customized stream settings. These settings aren’t available for all products.

  5. Click Apply.

Video profiles

Encoder
  • Available options depend on the video encoder configurations on the device. Only available for third-party devices.

  • You can only use a video encoder configuration for one video profile.

  • If the device has only one encoder configuration, only the Medium profile is available.

ResolutionAvailable options depend on camera model. A higher resolution gives an image with more details but requires more bandwidth and storage space.
FormatAvailable options depend on camera model. Most cameras support H.264 and M-JPEG. H.264 requires less bandwidth and storage space than M-JPEG. Some cameras also support H.265, which offers slightly better compression but requires more processing power. Our latest generation cameras support AV1, which offers good compression and a number of new functions, such as togglable overlays.
Frame rateThe actual frame rate depends on camera model, network conditions, and computer configuration.
CompressionLower compression improves image quality, but requires more bandwidth and storage space.
Note
  • Only cameras with firmware 5 and above appear in the audio drop-down lists.
  • If more than 5 cameras use the same audio source, the source camera can become overloaded and perform less efficiently.

Zipstream

StrengthZipstream strength determines the level of bitrate reduction in an H.264 or H.265 stream in real time. This option is only available for Axis devices that support Zipstream.DefaultUse the Zipstream setting configured through the device’s web interface page.
OffNone
LowNo visible effect in most scenes.
MediumVisible effect in some scenes: less noise and slightly lower level of detail in regions of lower interest.
HighVisible effect in many scenes: less noise and lower level of detail in regions of lower interest.
HigherVisible effect in even more scenes: less noise and lower level of detail in regions of lower interest.
ExtremeVisible effect in most scenes: less noise and lower level of detail in regions of lower interest.
Optimize for storageZipstream optimizes the video stream for storage using the Optimize for storage profile. This profile uses more advanced compression tools to reduce storage use beyond the default Zipstream setting and can further reduce the bitrate even for scenes with a lot of motion.
  • The asf format doesn’t support B-frames used by this feature.

  • This feature doesn’t affect video recorded to AXIS S30 series recorders.

  • This feature requires AXIS OS 11.7.59 or later.

Audio

Microphone:To associate a microphone to the camera, select Built-in microphone or line in or other device’s microphone. See Use audio from other devices.
Speaker:To associate a speaker to the camera, select Built-in speaker or line out or other device’s speaker. Use a microphone connected to the computer to make spoken announcements. See Use audio from other devices.
Use microphone for:Turn on microphone audio for one or two streams. You can turn on audio for live view and recordings, live view only, or recordings only.

Advanced

Include analytics dataTo allow data gathering for smart search during video streaming, select Include analytics data. Only available for Axis devices that support analytics data. Data gathering for Smart search 1 can add latency in live video streaming.
Use FFmpegTo improve compatibility with third-party devices, select Use FFmpeg to turn on FFmpeg streaming. Only available for third-party devices.
Show PTZ autotracking object indicatorsTo show the object indicators that are detected by a PTZ camera in live view, select Show PTZ autotracking object indicators and set the video stream buffer time to up to 2000 milliseconds. Only available for Axis PTZ cameras with AXIS PTZ Autotracking. For a complete workflow to set up AXIS PTZ Autotracking in AXIS Camera Station 5, see Set up AXIS PTZ Autotracking.
Stream customization

To customize the stream settings for a specific profile, enter the settings separated by & for the profile. For example, enter overlays=off&color=0 to hide the overlays on that camera.

The custom settings override any existing settings. Don’t include sensitive information in the custom settings.

To customize profile settings for resolution, frame rate, compression, video format, and audio, select the camera to configure. For cameras of the same model that have the same configuration capabilities, multiple cameras can be configured at the same time. See Configuration settings.

To customize profile settings for recordings, see Recording method.

You can limit the resolution and frame rate for Live view to reduce bandwidth consumption, for example, if the connection between the AXIS Camera Station 5 client and AXIS Camera Station 5 server is slow. See Bandwidth usage in Streaming.

Use audio from other devices

You can use audio from other non-camera or auxiliary devices with video from a network camera or video encoder for live viewing or recording.

  1. Add the non-camera device to AXIS Camera Station 5. See Add devices.

  2. Configure the camera to use audio from the device. See Stream profiles.

  3. Turn on audio for live view or recording. See Stream profiles.

You can find the following examples in AXIS Camera Station video tutorials:

  • Set up audio devices and make live announcements.

  • Create an action button to manually play audio when motion is detected.

  • Automatically play audio when motion is detected.

  • Add an audio clip to speaker and AXIS Camera Station 5.

Image configuration

You can configure the image settings for the cameras connected to AXIS Camera Station 5.

Note

Changes to image configuration take effect immediately.

To configure the image settings:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Image configuration. AXIS Camera Station 5 displays a list of all cameras.

  2. Select the camera to show the video feed below the list in real time. Use the Type to search field to find a specific camera in the list.

  3. Configure the image settings:

Brightness
Adjust the image brightness. A higher value gives a brighter image.
Color level
Adjust the color saturation. Select a lower value to reduce color saturation. Color level 0 gives a black and white image. The maximum value gives maximum color saturation.
Sharpness
Adjust the amount of sharpening applied to the image. Increasing sharpness might increase image noise, especially in low light situations. High sharpness might also introduce image artifacts around areas with high contrast, for example sharp edges. Lower sharpness reduces image noise, but makes the image less sharp.
Contrast
Adjust the image contrast.
White balance
Select the white balance option in the drop-down list. White balance is used to make colors in the image look consistent regardless of the light source's color temperature. When selecting Automatic or Auto, the camera identifies the light source and compensates for its color automatically. If the result isn’t satisfactory, select an option corresponding to the type of light source. Available options depend on camera model.
Rotate image
Set image rotation degrees.
Automatic image rotation
Turn on to adjust the image rotation automatically.
Mirror image
Turn on to mirror the image.
Backlight compensation
Turn on if a bright light source, such as a light bulb, makes other areas of the image appear too dark.
Dynamic contrast (Wide dynamic range)
Turn on to improve exposure when there's a considerable contrast between light and dark areas in the image. Use the slider to adjust the level. Turn off in low light conditions.
Custom dewarp settings
You can import a .dewarp file that contains the lens parameters, optical centers, and tilt orientation of the camera. Click Reset to reset the parameters to their original values.

  1. To configure custom dewarp settings:
  2. Create a .dewarp file including the following parameters:

    • Required: RadialDistortionX, RadialDistortionY, RadialDistortionZ, and TiltOrientation. The possible values for TiltOrientation is wall, desk, and ceiling.

    • Optional: OpticalCenterX and OpticalCenterY. If you want to set the optical centers, you must include both of the two parameters.

  3. Click Import and navigate to the .dewarp file.

  4. The following is an example of a .dewarp file:
  5. RadialDistortionX=-43.970703
    RadialDistortionY=29.148499
    RadialDistortionZ=715.732193
    TiltOrientation=Desk
    OpticalCenterX=1296
    OpticalCenterY=972

PTZ presets

Pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) is the ability to pan (move left and right), tilt (move up and down), and zoom in and out.

Go to Configuration > Devices > PTZ presets. AXIS Camera Station 5 displays a list of cameras that support PTZ. Click a camera to view all presets available for the camera. Click Refresh to update the preset list.

You can use PTZ with:

  • PTZ cameras, that is, cameras with built-in mechanical PTZ

  • Fixed cameras with digital PTZ turned on.

  • ONVIF cameras that support PTZ presets.

Digital PTZ can be turned on from the camera's built-in configuration page. For more information, see the camera's user manual. To open the configuration page, go to the device management page, select the camera, and click the link in the Address column.

PTZ presets can be configured in AXIS Camera Station 5 and the camera's configuration page. We recommend configuring PTZ presets in AXIS Camera Station 5.

  • When a PTZ preset is configured in the camera’s configuration page, you can only view the stream within the preset. PTZ movements in live view can be seen and are recorded.

  • When a PTZ preset is configured in AXIS Camera Station 5, you can view the complete stream of the camera. PTZ movements in live view aren’t visible or recorded.

Note

PTZ can’t be used while the camera's control queue is on. For information about the control queue and how to turn it on and off, see the camera's user manual.

To add a preset:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > PTZ presets and select a camera in the list.

  2. For cameras with mechanical PTZ, use the PTZ controls to move the camera view to the desired position. For cameras with digital PTZ, use the mouse wheel to zoom in and drag the camera view to the desired position.

  3. Click Add and enter a name for the new preset.

  4. Click OK.

  • To remove a preset, select it and click Remove. This will remove the preset from both AXIS Camera Station 5 and the camera.

Device management

Device management provides tools for administration and maintenance of devices connected to AXIS Camera Station 5.

Go to Configuration > Devices > Management to open the Manage devices page.

If you’ve set up automatic checks for new firmware versions in Firmware upgrade settings, a link displays when new firmware versions are available for devices. Click the link to upgrade the firmware versions. See Upgrade firmware.

Upgrade firmware versions

If you’ve set up automatic checks for new software versions in Update AXIS Camera Station 5, a link displays when a new AXIS Camera Station 5 version available. Click the link to install the new version.

Install a new version of AXIS Camera Station 5

AXIS Camera Station 5 displays a list of all added devices. Use the Type to search field to find devices in the list. To hide or show columns, right-click the header row and select which columns to show. Drag and drop the headers to display the columns in a different order.

The device list includes the following information:

  • Name: The name of the device or a list of all associated camera names when the device is a video encoder with multiple connected cameras, or a network camera with multiple view areas.

  • MAC address: The MAC address of the device.

  • Status: The status of the device.

    • OK: The standard state for an established device connection.

    • Maintenance: The device is under maintenance and temporarily inaccessible.

    • Not accessible: No connection can be established with the device.

    • Not accessible over set hostname: No connection can be established with the device via its hostname.

    • Server not accessible: No connection can be established with the server that the device is connected to.

    • Enter password: The device can't be reached until valid credentials are entered. Click the link to provide valid user credentials. If the device supports encrypted connections, the password is sent encrypted by default.

    • Set password: The root account and password aren't set up, or the device still uses the default password. Click the link to set the root user password.

      • Enter your password or click Generate to automatically generate a password up to the length allowed by the device. We recommend saving a copy of the generated password.

      • Select to use this password for all devices with the Set password status.

      • Select Enable HTTPS to turn on HTTPS if the device supports it.

    • Password type: unencrypted: No connection is established with the device as the device has previously connected using an encrypted password. For security reasons, AXIS Camera Station 5 doesn’t allow use of unencrypted passwords for devices that have previously used encrypted passwords. For devices supporting encryption, the connection type is configured on the device’s configuration page.

    • Certificate error: There's an error with the certificate on the device.

    • Certificate about to expire: The certificate on the device is about to expire.

    • Certificate has expired: The certificate on the device has expired.

    • HTTPS certificate not trusted: The HTTPS certificate on the device isn’t trusted by AXIS Camera Station 5. Click the link to issue a new HTTPS certificate.

    • HTTP failed: No HTTP connection can be established with the device.

    • HTTPS failed: No HTTPS connection can be established with the device.

    • HTTP and HTTPS failed (ping or UDP OK): No HTTP and HTTPS connection can be established with the device. The device responds to ping and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) communication.

  • Address: The address of the device. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. It shows the IP address or hostname depending on which one is used when adding the device. See Device configuration tab.

  • Hostname: The hostname of the device if available. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. The hostname displayed is the fully qualified domain name. See Device configuration tab.

  • Manufacturer: The manufacturer of the device.

  • Model: The model of the device.

  • Firmware: The version of firmware the device is currently using.

  • DHCP: Indicates whether the device is connected to the server using DHCP.

  • HTTPS: The HTTPS status of the device. See HTTPS status in Security.

  • IEEE 802.1X: The IEEE 802.1X status of the device. See IEEE 802.1X status in Security.

  • Server: The AXIS Camera Station 5 server the device is connected to.

  • Tags: (Hidden by default) The tags added to the device.

  • UPnP Friendly Name: (Hidden by default) The UPnP name. This is a descriptive name used to make it easier to identify the device.

You can perform the following actions on devices:

  • Assign IP address to devices. See Assign IP address.

  • Set password for devices. See User management.

  • Upgrade firmware for devices. See Upgrade firmware.

  • Restart devices.

  • Restore devices: resets most settings to their factory default values, including the password. The following settings aren't reset: uploaded camera applications, boot protocol (DHCP or static), static IP address, default router, subnet mask, and system time.

  • Note
    • To prevent unauthorized access, always set a new password after restoring a device.
    • If the device you’re resetting uses cloud storage, go to Cloud storage in My Systems and turn off cloud storage for the device before you reset it. Once the device is reset, restart the service on your AXIS Camera Station 5 server and turn on cloud storage for the device in My Systems. See Turn on cloud storage for your individual cameras.
  • Install camera application on devices. See Install camera applications.

  • Reload devices after changing settings from the device's configuration page.

  • Configure devices. See Configure devices.

  • User management. See User management.

  • Manage certificates. See Security.

  • Collect device data. See Collect device data.

  • Select to use IP address or hostname. See Connection.

  • Tag devices. See Tags.

  • Enter device credentials. Right-click a device and select Advanced > Enter device credentials to enter the password for the device.

  • Go to the device’s configuration tab and configure your device. See Device configuration tab.

Assign IP address

AXIS Camera Station 5 can assign IP address to multiple devices. You can obtain new IP addresses automatically from a DHCP server or assign them from an IP address range.

Assigning IP addresses

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and select the devices to configure.

  2. Click , or right-click and select Assign IP address.

  3. If some of the devices can't be configured, for example if the devices are inaccessible, the Invalid devices dialog will appear. Click Continue to skip the devices that can't be configured.

  4. If you select one device to assign an IP address, click Advanced to open the Assign IP address page.

  5. Select Obtain IP addresses automatically(DHCP) to obtain the IP addresses automatically from a DHCP server.

  6. Select Assign the following IP address range and specify the IP range, subnet mask, and default router.

    To specify the IP range:

    • Use wildcards. For example: 192.168.0.* or 10.*.1.*

    • Write the first and last IP addresses separated by a dash. For example: 192.168.0.10-192.168.0.20 (this address range can be shortened to 192.168.0.10-20) or 10.10-30.1.101

    • Combine wildcards and range. For example: 10.10-30.1.*

    • Use a comma to separate multiple ranges. For example: 192.168.0.*,192.168.1.10-192.168.1.20

  7. Note

    To assign an IP address range, the devices must be connected to the same AXIS Camera Station 5 server.

  8. Click Next.

  9. Review the current IP addresses and the new IP addresses. To change the IP address for a device, select the device and click Edit IP.

    • The Current IP address section shows the current IP address, subnet mask, and default router.

    • Edit the options in the New IP address section, and click OK.

  10. Click Finish when satisfied with the new IP addresses.

Configure devices

You can configure some settings on multiple devices at the same time by copying device settings from one device, or by applying a configuration file.

Note

To configure all settings on a single device, go to the device’s configuration page. See Device configuration tab.

Configuration methods

There are different methods to configure devices. AXIS Device management configures all devices according to the settings in the method. See Configure devices.

Use configuration of the selected device

Note

This method is only available for a single device and reuses some or all of its existing settings.

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Right-click one device and select Configure Devices > Configure.

  3. Select the settings you want to apply. See Configuration settings.

  4. Click Next to verify the settings to be applied.

  5. Click Finish to apply the settings to the device.

Copy configuration from another device

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Right-click the devices and select Configure Devices > Configure. Devices of different models and firmware can be selected.

  3. Click Device to show devices with reusable configurations.

  4. Select a device to copy settings from and click OK.

  5. Select the settings you want to apply. See Configuration settings.

  6. Click Next to verify the settings to be applied.

  7. Click Finish to apply the settings to the devices.

Use configuration file

A configuration file contains settings from one device. It can be used to configure multiple devices at the same time and reconfigure a device, for example if the device is reset to its factory default settings. A configuration file created from a device can be applied to devices with different models or firmware even if some settings don't exist on all devices.

If some settings don't exist or can't be applied, the task status shows as Error in the Tasks tab at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station 5 client. Right-click the task and select Show to display information about the settings that couldn’t be applied.

Note

This method should only be used by experienced users.

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Right-click the devices and select Configure Devices > Configure.

  3. Click Configuration File to go to the configuration file. To learn how to create a configuration file, see Create configuration file.

  4. Browse to the .cfg file and click Open.

  5. Click Next to verify the settings to be applied.

  6. Click Finish to apply the settings to the devices.

Create configuration file

A configuration file contains settings from one device. You can then apply these settings to other devices. To learn how to use the configuration file, see Configuration methods.

The settings shown are the device settings accessible through AXIS Device Management. To find a particular setting, use the Type to search field.

To create a configuration file:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

  2. Select the device to create the configuration file from.

  3. Right-click and select Configure Devices > Create Configuration File.

  4. Select the settings to include and change their values as required. See Configuration settings.

  5. Click Next to verify the settings.

  6. Click Finish to create the configuration file.

  7. Click Save to save the settings to a .cfg file.

Configuration settings

When you configure devices, you can configure the parameters, action rules, and additional settings of the devices.

Parameters

Parameters are internal settings that control device behavior. For general information about parameters, see the product's user manual available at www.axis.com

Note
  • Parameters should only be modified by experienced users.
  • Not all device parameters are accessible from AXIS Device Management.

You can insert variables in some text fields. The variables are replaced with text before being applied to a device. To insert a variable, right-click the text field and select:

  • Insert device serial number variable: Replaced with the serial number of the device that the configuration file is applied to.

  • Insert device name variable: Replaced with the name of the device used when applying the configuration file. The device name can be found in the Name column in the Device management page. To rename a device, go to the Cameras or Other devices page.

  • Insert server name variable: Replaced with the name of the server used when applying the configuration file. The server name can be found in the Server column in the Device management page. To rename a server, go to AXIS Camera Station Pro Service Control.

  • Insert server time zone variable: Replaced with the POSIX time zone of the server used when applying the configuration file. You can use this with the POSIX time zone parameter to set the correct time zone of all devices in a network with servers in different time zones.

Action rules

Action rules can be copied between devices. Action rules should only be modified by experienced users. For general information about action rules, see Action rules.

Additional settings

  • Stream profiles: A stream profile is a preconfigured live view configuration profile for video encoding, image, and audio settings. Stream profiles can be copied between devices.

  • Motion detection windows: Motion detection windows define specific areas in the camera's field of view. Typically, alarms are generated whenever movement occurs (or stops) within the specified areas. Motion detection windows can be copied between devices.

User management

Go to Configuration > Devices > Management to manage users of the devices.

When you set password or remove users for multiple devices, users that aren’t present on all devices are indicated with . Each user appears only once, even if they have different roles on different devices.

Note

The accounts are device specific and aren't related to the user accounts of AXIS Camera Station 5.

Password policy

  • Some devices require passwords to meet specific criteria. When one or more selected devices enforce a password policy, the password strength indicator is replaced by a password policy indicator showing whether your password meets the active policy.
  • If no policy is required, or the device is ONVIF, the password strength indicator is shown as usual.

  • If you've selected multiple devices with different policies, the password must satisfy all of them.

  • If the password doesn't meet the requirements, Non-compliant is shown. Hover over the info icon to see the specific requirements:

Length policy
Password must be at least 15 characters long.
Complexity policy
Password must be at least 12 characters long and include one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one numeric digit, and one special character.
Both policies
Both length and complexity requirements must be met.

Set password

Note
  • Devices with firmware 5.20 and later support 64-character passwords. Devices with earlier firmware versions support 8-character passwords. We recommend setting passwords on devices with older firmware separately.
  • When setting a password on multiple devices that support different password lengths, the password must fit within the shortest supported length.
  • To prevent unauthorized access and increase security, we strongly recommend that all devices added to AXIS Camera Station 5 are password protected.

The following characters can be used in passwords:

  • Letters A-Z, a-z

  • Numbers 0-9

  • Space, comma (,), period (.), colon (:), semicolon (;)

  • !, ", #, $, %, &, ', (, +, *, -, ), /, <, >, =, ?, [, \, ^, -, `, {, |, ~, @, ], }

To set a password for users on devices:

  1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

  2. Select the devices and click . You can also right-click the devices and select User Management > Set password.

  3. Select a user.

  4. Enter your password or click Generate to generate a strong password.

    • Click OK.

    Note

    If you select Use this password for all devices without a factory default password, the password is applied to all devices with the Set password status. If the password length exceeds the maximum supported by a device, you'll be informed before the dialog opens and can choose to continue without those devices.

    Add user

    To add local or Active Directory users to AXIS Camera Station 5:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

    2. Right-click the devices and select User Management > Add user.

    3. Enter a username and password, and confirm the password. For a list of valid characters, see the Set password section above.

    4. Select the user access rights from the Role drop-down list:

      • Administrator: Unrestricted access to the device.

      • Operator: Access to the video stream, events, and all settings except System Options.

      • Viewer: Access to the video stream.

    5. Select Enable PTZ control to allow the user to pan, tilt, and zoom in live view.

    6. Click OK.

    Remove user

    To remove users from the devices:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

    2. Right-click the devices and select User Management > Remove user.

    3. Select the user you want to remove from the User drop-down list.

    4. Click OK.

    List users

    To list all users on the devices and their access rights:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management > Manage devices.

    2. Right-click the devices and select User Management > List users.

    3. Use the Type to search field to find users in the list.

    Upgrade firmware

    Firmware is software that determines the functionality of your Axis device. Keeping your firmware up to date ensures your device has the latest features and improvements.

    New firmware can be downloaded using AXIS Camera Station 5 or imported from a file on a hard drive or memory card. Firmware versions that are available for download are shown with the text (Download) after their version numbers. Firmware versions that are available on the local client are shown with the text (File) after their version numbers.

    When you upgrade firmware, you can select the upgrade type:

    • Standard: Upgrade to the selected firmware version and keep the existing setting values.

    • Factory default: Upgrade to the selected firmware version and reset all settings to the factory default values.

    To upgrade firmware:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and select the devices to configure.

    2. Click , or right-click and select Upgrade firmware.

    3. If some of the devices can't be configured, for example if the devices are inaccessible, the Invalid devices dialog will appear. Click Continue to skip the devices that can't be configured.

    4. The device isn’t accessible during the firmware upgrade. Click Yes to continue. If you don't want to see this message again, select Do not show this dialog again and click Yes.

    5. The Upgrade firmware dialog lists the device model, number of devices of each model, the existing firmware version, available firmware versions to upgrade, and the upgrade type. By default, the devices in the list are preselected when new firmware versions are available for download, and the latest firmware version is preselected for each device.

      1. To update the list of firmware versions available for download, click Check for updates. To browse for one or more firmware files stored on the local client, click Browse.

      2. Select the devices, the firmware versions that you want to upgrade, and the upgrade type.

      3. Click OK to start upgrading the devices in the list.

    Note

    By default, firmware updates are done for all the selected devices at the same time. The update order can be changed. See Firmware upgrade settings.

    Set date and time

    The date and time settings for your Axis devices can be synchronized with the server computer time, with an NTP server, or set manually.

    To set date and time on devices:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select the device and click or right-click it and select Set date and time.

    3. Device time lists the current date and time for your Axis device. When selecting multiple devices, Device time is not available.

    4. Select the time zone.

      • Select the time zone you want to use with your Axis product from the Time zone drop-down list.

      • Select Automatically adjust for daylight saving time changes if your product is located in an area that uses daylight saving time.

    5. Note

      Time zone can be set when selecting the Synchronize with NTP server or Set manually time mode.

    6. In the Time mode section:

      • Select Synchronize with server computer time to synchronize the date and time of your product with the clock on the server computer, that is, the computer where the AXIS Camera Station 5 server is installed.

      • Select Synchronize with NTP server to synchronize the date and time of your product with an NTP server. Enter the IP address, DNS or hostname of the NTP server in the provided field.

      • Select Set manually to manually set the date and time.

    7. Click OK.

    Set date and time
    Install camera applications

    A camera application is software that can be uploaded to and installed on Axis network video products. Applications add functionality to the device, for example detection, recognition, tracking, or counting capabilities.

    Some applications can be installed directly from AXIS Camera Station 5. Other applications must first be downloaded from www.axis.com/global/en/products/analytics-and-other-applications or from the application vendor's website.

    Applications can be installed on devices with support for AXIS Camera Application Platform. Some applications also require a specific firmware version or camera model.

    If the application requires a license, you can install the license key file at the same time as the application or later using the device's configuration page.

    To obtain the license key file, the license code included with the application must be registered at www.axis.com/se/sv/products/camera-applications/license-key-registration#/registration

    If an application can't be installed, go to www.axis.com and check if the device model and firmware version support AXIS Camera Application Platform.

    Available camera applications:

    AXIS Video Motion Detection 4
    An application that detects moving objects within an area of interest. The application doesn't require a license and can be installed on cameras with firmware 6.50 and later. You can also check the firmware release notes for your product to verify if it supports video motion detection 4.
    AXIS Video Motion Detection 2
    An application that detects moving objects within an area of interest. The application doesn't require a license and can be installed on cameras with firmware 5.60 and later.
    AXIS Video Content Stream
    An application that lets Axis cameras send motion tracking data to AXIS Camera Station 5. It can be installed on cameras with firmware between 5.50 and 9.59. AXIS Video Content Stream can only be used with AXIS Camera Station 5.
    Other applications
    Any application you want to install. Download the application to your local computer before you start the installation.

    To install camera applications:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select the cameras you want to install the applications on. Click or right-click and select Install camera application.

    3. Select the camera application you want to install. If you want to install other applications, click Browse and navigate to the local application file. Click Next.

    4. If you have the application installed, you can select Allow application overwrite to reinstall the application, or select Allow application downgrade to install a previous version of the application.

    5. Note

      Downgrading or overwriting the application resets its settings on the devices.

    6. If a license is required for the application, the Install licenses dialog appears.

      1. Click Yes to start installing a license, and then click Next.

      2. Click Browse and navigate to the license file, and then click Next.

    7. Note

      Installing AXIS Video Motion Detection 2, AXIS Video Motion Detection 4, or AXIS Video Content Stream doesn’t require a license.

    8. Review the information and click Finish. The status of the camera changes from OK to Maintenance and back to OK when the installation is done.

    Security

    The AXIS Camera Station 5 certificate authority (CA) automatically signs and distributes client and server certificates to devices when you turn on HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X. The CA ignores preinstalled certificates. For more information on how to configure certificates, see Certificates.

    Manage HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X certificates

    Note

    Before enabling IEEE 802.1X, make sure the time on the Axis devices is synchronized in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click the devices:

      • Select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update to turn on HTTPS or update the HTTPS settings for the devices.

      • Select Security > IEEE 802.1X > Enable/Update to turn on IEEE 802.1X or update the IEEE 802.1X settings for the devices.

      • Select Security > HTTPS > Disable to turn off HTTPS for the devices.

      • Select Security > IEEE 802.1X > Disable to turn off IEEE 802.1X for the devices.

      • Select Certificates... to get an overview, delete certificates, or get detailed information about a specific certificate.

    3. Note

      When the same certificate is installed on several devices, it appears as one item. Deleting it removes the certificate from all devices it's installed on.

    Status of HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X

    On the Device management page, the status of HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X is listed.

    StatusDescription
    HTTPSOnAXIS Camera Station 5 uses HTTPS to connect to the device.
    OffAXIS Camera Station 5 uses HTTP to connect to the device.
    UnknownThe device is unreachable.
    Unsupported firmwareHTTPS isn’t supported because the device firmware is too old.
    Unsupported deviceHTTPS isn’t supported on this device model.
    IEEE 802.1XEnabledIEEE 802.1X is active on the device.
    DisabledIEEE 802.1X isn’t active but ready to be activated on the device.
    Unsupported firmwareIEEE 802.1X isn’t supported because the device firmware is too old.
    Unsupported deviceIEEE 802.1X isn’t supported on this device model.
    Collect device data

    This option is typically used for troubleshooting. Use it to generate a .zip file with a data collection report for a specific location on your devices.

    To collect device data:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click the devices, and select Collect device data.

    3. In the Data source on selected devices section:

      • Click Preset and select one from the drop-down list of commonly used commands.

      • Note

        Some presets don’t work on all devices. For example, PTZ status doesn’t work on audio devices.

      • Click Custom and specify the URL path to your data collection source on the selected servers.

    4. In the Save as section, specify the file name and folder location for your data collection .zip file.

    5. Select Automatically open folder when ready to open the specified folder when the data collection is done.

    6. Click OK.

    Connection

    To communicate with devices using the IP address or hostname:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select the devices, right-click, and select Connection.

      • To connect to the devices by using the IP address, select Use IP.

      • To connect to the devices by using the hostname, select Use hostname.

    Tags

    Tags help you organize devices on the Device management page. A device can have multiple tags.

    You can tag devices by model, location, or other criteria. For example, when devices are tagged by camera model, you can quickly find and upgrade all cameras of that model.

    To tag a device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click a device and select Tag devices.

    3. Select Use existing tag and select a tag, or select Create a new tag and enter a name for it.

    4. Click OK.

    To remove a tag from a device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and click at the top right.

    2. In the Tags folder, select a tag. All devices associated with the tag are now displayed.

    3. Select the devices, right-click, and select Untag devices.

    4. Click OK.

    To manage a tag:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and click at the top right.

    2. In the Device tags page:

      • Right-click Tags and select New tag to create a tag.

      • Right-click a tag, select Rename tag and enter a new name to rename a tag.

      • Right-click a tag, select Delete to delete a tag.

      • Click to pin the Device tags page.

      • Click a tag to display all devices associated with it, and click All devices to display all devices connected to AXIS Camera Station 5.

      • Click Warnings/Errors to display devices that need attention, for example devices that are inaccessible.

    Device configuration tab

    To configure all settings on a single device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Click the device’s address or hostname to go to the device’s configuration tab.

    3. Change the settings. For information on configuring your device, see the device's user manual.

    4. Close the tab. The device reloads to apply the changes in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    Limitations

    • Auto authentication for third-party devices isn’t supported.

    • We can't guarantee general support for third-party devices.

    • The device configuration tab with active video streams increases the load and might impact the performance of the server machine.

    External data sources

    An external data source is a system or source that generates data that can be used to track what happened at the time of each event. See Data search.

    Go to Configuration > Devices > External data sources to view a list of all external data sources. Click a column heading to sort by the content of the column.

    ItemDescription
    NameThe name of the external data source.
    Source keyThe unique identifier of the external data source.
    ViewThe view that the external data source is linked to.
    ServerThe server that the data source is connected to. Only available when connecting to multiple servers.

    An external data source is added automatically when:

    • A door is created under Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

      For a complete workflow on how to set up an Axis network door controller in AXIS Camera Station 5, see Set up an Axis network door controller.

    • The first event is received by the device that is configured with AXIS License Plate Verifier.

      For a complete workflow to set up AXIS License Plate Verifier in AXIS Camera Station 5, see Set up AXIS License Plate Verifier.

    If an external data source is configured with a view, the data generated from the data source is automatically bookmarked in the timeline of the view in the Data search tab. To connect a data source to a view:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > External data sources.

    2. Select an external data source and click Edit.

    3. Select a view from the View drop-down list.

    4. Click OK.

    Time synchronization

    Go to Configuration > Devices > Time synchronization to open the Time synchronization page.

    AXIS Camera Station 5 displays a list of all added devices. Right-click the header row and select which columns to show. Drag and drop the headers to display the columns in a different order.

    The device list includes the following information:

    • Name: The name of the device or a list of all associated camera names when the device is a video encoder with multiple connected cameras, or a network camera with multiple view areas.

    • Address: The address of the device. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. It shows the IP address or hostname depending on which one is used when adding the device. See Device configuration tab.

    • MAC address: The MAC address of the device.

    • Model: The model of the device.

    • Enabled: Shows if the time synchronization is turned on.

    • NTP source: The NTP source configured for the device.

      • Static: The NTP servers on the device are specified manually under Primary NTP server and Secondary NTP server.

      • DHCP: The device receives the NTP server dynamically from the network. Primary NTP server and Secondary NTP server are not available when DHCP is selected.

    • Primary NTP server: The primary NTP server configured for the device. Only available when Static is selected.

    • Secondary NTP server: The secondary NTP server configured for the device. Only available for Axis devices that support secondary NTP and when Static is selected.

    • Server time offset: The time difference between the device and the server.

    • UTC time: The coordinated universal time on the device.

    • Synced: Indicates whether the time synchronization settings are applied. Only available for devices with firmware 9.1 or later.

    • Time to next sync: The remaining time to next synchronization.

    The Windows Time service (W32Time) uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize the date and time for AXIS Camera Station 5 server. The following information is displayed:

    • Server: The AXIS Camera Station 5 server on which the Windows Time service is running.

    • Status: The status of the Windows Time service. Either Running or Stopped.

    • NTP server: The NTP server configured for the Windows Time service.

    Configure time synchronization
    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Time synchronization.

    2. Select your devices and select Enable time synchronization.

    3. Select the NTP source Static or DHCP.

    4. If you’ve selected Static, configure the primary and secondary NTP server.

    5. Click Apply.

    Send alarm when the time difference between server and device is more than 2 secondsSelect this to receive an alarm if the time difference between the server and device is more than 2 seconds.

    Configure storage

    Go to Configuration > Storage > Management to open the Manage storage page. Here you get an overview of the local storage and network storage in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    List
    LocationThe path and name of the storage.
    AllocatedThe maximum amount of storage allocated to recordings.
    UsedThe amount of storage space currently used for recordings.
    Status

    The storage status. Possible values are:

    • OK

    • Storage full: The storage is full. The system overrides the oldest, unlocked recordings.

    • Unavailable: The storage information is currently unavailable. For example, if a network storage was removed or disconnected.

    • Intruding data: Data from other applications use storage space allocated for AXIS Camera Station 5. Or, there are recordings with no database connection, so-called non-indexed recordings, in the storage space allocated for AXIS Camera Station 5.

    • No permissions: The user has no read or write permission to the storage.

    • Low space: The drive has less than 15 GB of free space, which AXIS Camera Station 5 considers too low. To prevent errors or corruption, AXIS Camera Station 5 performs a forced cleanup, regardless of the placement of the storage slider, to protect the drive. During the forced cleanup, AXIS Camera Station 5 prevents recording until more than 15 GB of storage is available.

    • Insufficient capacity: The total disk size is less than 32 GB, which isn’t enough for AXIS Camera Station 5.

    AXIS OS Recorders supporting RAID can also have the following statuses:

    • Online: The RAID system works as it should. There’s a redundancy in case one of the physical disks in the RAID system breaks down.

    • Degraded: One of the physical disks in the RAID system is broken. It's still possible to record and play recordings from the storage, but there’s no redundancy. If another physical disk breaks, the RAID status changes to Failure. We recommend replacing the broken physical disk as soon as possible. After you replace a broken disk, the RAID status changes from Degraded to Syncing.

    • Syncing: The RAID disks are synchronizing. It's possible to record and play recordings from the storage, but there’s no redundancy if a physical disk breaks down. Once the physical disks have synchronized, there's redundancy in the RAID system, and the RAID status changes to Online.

    • Important

      Never remove a RAID disk while synchronizing. This can lead to disk failure.

    • Failure: Several physical disks in the RAID system have failed. When this happens, all recordings in the storage are lost, and recording is only possible once you replace the broken physical disks.

    ServerThe server where the local storage or network storage is.
    Overview
    UsedAmount of storage space currently used by indexed recordings. If a file is in the recording directory but not indexed in the database, the file belongs to the Other data category. See Manage storage.
    FreeAmount of storage space left on the storage location. This is the same amount as “Space free” shown in Windows properties for the storage location.
    Other dataAmount of storage space taken up by the files other than indexed recordings and therefore unknown to AXIS Camera Station 5.
    Other data = Total capacity - used space - free space.
    Total capacityThe total amount of storage space. This is the same amount as “Total size” shown in Windows properties for the storage location.
    AllocatedThe amount of storage space that AXIS Camera Station 5 can use for recordings. You can adjust the slider and click Apply to adjust the allocated space.
    Network storage
    PathThe path of the network storage path.
    UsernameThe username used to connect to the network storage.
    PasswordThe password for the username used to connect to the network storage.

    Manage storage

    Go to Configuration > Storage > Management to open the Manage storage page. Here you can specify the folder to store recordings. To prevent storage from filling up, set a maximum percentage of total capacity for AXIS Camera Station 5 to use. You can add additional local storage and network drives for security and more space.

    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, select the server from the Selected server drop-down menu to manage the storage.
    • When the service uses the system account to log in, you can't add network drives that link to shared folders on other computers. See Network storage isn't accessible.
    • You can’t remove the local storage or network storage if cameras are set to record to it or it contains recordings.

    Add a local storage or shared network drive

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    2. Click Add.

    3. To add a local storage, select Local storage and select a storage location from the drop-down menu.

    4. To add a shared network drive, select Shared network drive and enter the path. For example: \\ip_address\share.

    5. Click OK and enter the username and password for the shared network drive.

    6. Click OK.

    Remove a local storage or shared network drive

    To remove a local storage or shared network drive, select it from the storage list and click Remove.

    Move recordings to a new folder

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    2. Select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list.

    3. Under Overview, enter a folder name in Move recordings to a new folder to change the storage location for recordings. This also moves existing recordings from the previous folder to the new folder.

    4. Click Apply.

    Adjust storage capacity

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    2. Select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list.

    3. Under Overview, move the slider to set the maximum space that AXIS Camera Station 5 can use.

    4. Click Apply.

    Note
    • We recommend leaving at least 5% of the disk space free for optimal performance.
    • The minimum storage requirement for a storage added to AXIS Camera Station 5 is 32 GB with at least 15 GB of free space available.
    • If there's less than 15 GB of free space available, AXIS Camera Station 5 automatically deletes old recordings to free up space.

    Collect non-indexed files

    Non-indexed files can make up a substantial part of Other data on the storage. A non-indexed file is any data in the recording folder that isn’t part of the current database. The file can contain recordings from previous installations or data lost when a restore point was used.

    The system doesn’t delete collected files, but collects and places them in the Non-indexed files folder on the recording storage. The storage can be located on the same computer as the client, or on a remote server depending on your configuration. To access the Non-indexed files folder, you need access to the server. AXIS Camera Station 5 organizes the data by server first, then by devices connected to that server.

    You can look for a lost recording or log, or delete the contents to free up space.

    To collect non-indexed files for review or removal:

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    2. Select a local storage or shared network drive from the storage list.

    3. Under Collect non-indexed files, click Collect to start the task.

    4. When the task is complete, go to Alarms and Tasks > Tasks and double-click the task to view the result.

    Select storage devices to connect

    Note

    Recordings are stored as .acsm files and must be converted before you can play them. Contact Axis Technical support for help converting your files.

    Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection to open the Select storage page. This page shows a list of all cameras in AXIS Camera Station 5. Here you can specify how many days to keep recordings for specific cameras. When selected, you can see the storage information under Recording Storage. You can configure multiple cameras at the same time.

    NameThe name of the device or a list of all associated camera names when the device is a video encoder with multiple connected cameras, or a network camera with multiple view areas.
    AddressThe address of the device. Click the link to go to the device's configuration page. It shows the IP address or hostname depending on which one was used when you added the device. See Device configuration tab.
    MAC addressThe MAC address of the device.
    ManufacturerThe manufacturer of the device.
    ModelThe model of the device.
    Used storageThe amount of storage space currently used for recordings.
    LocationThe path and name of the storage.
    Retention timeThe retention time configured for the camera.
    Oldest recordingThe time of the oldest recording from the camera kept in the storage.
    SD card playbackIndicates whether the camera is configured to play back recordings directly from its SD card in AXIS Camera Station 5, without copying them to the server.
    Failover recordingIndicates whether the camera uses failover recording.
    Copy to ACS Pro

    Indicates whether SD card recordings are copied to the AXIS Camera Station 5.

    Fallback recordingIndicates whether the camera uses fallback recording.
    ServerThe server where the local storage or network storage is.

    The storage settings for each camera were configured when the cameras were added to AXIS Camera Station 5. To edit storage settings for a camera:

    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    2. Select the camera to edit the storage settings.

    3. Under Recording storage, set storage location and retention time.

    4. Under SD card storage, select Playback of SD card recordings, Failover recording, and Copy SD card recordings to ACS Pro server as needed.

    5. Click Apply.

    Recording storage
    Note
    • To use SD card storage, the device must support VAPIX and use an Axis SD card.
    • SD card features don't work with M-JPEG.
    • Recordings on the SD card aren’t deleted by AXIS Camera Station 5. Their retention is controlled by the SD card retention time on the camera.

    Store to

    Select the storage location for recordings from the drop-down menu. Available options are the local storage and network storage that were created.

    Retention time

    • Unlimited: Keep recordings until the storage is full.

    • Limited: Set the maximum number of days to keep recordings.

    • Note

      If the amount of storage space reserved for AXIS Camera Station 5 becomes full, the system deletes recordings before the designated number of days.

    Maximum days to keep recordings

    Specify the number of days to keep your recordings.

    SD card storage

    Playback SD card recordings

    Turn on to play back recordings directly from the camera's SD card in AXIS Camera Station 5, without copying them to the server. SD card recordings visible in the timeline can also be exported. This feature requires AXIS OS 5.60 or later.

    Failover recording

    Select to store recordings to the camera's SD card when the connection to AXIS Camera Station 5 is lost. Available for cameras that have an SD card and firmware 5.20 or later.

    Copy SD card recordings to ACS server

    Select to copy all recordings on the camera's SD card to the server. Use Schedule to set when recordings are copied. The default schedule is Always.

    Configure recording and events

    When you add cameras to AXIS Camera Station 5, the system automatically configures motion recording or continuous recording. You can later change the recording method to suit your needs. See Recording method.

    Motion recording

    You can use motion detection with all Axis network cameras and video encoders. Recording only when motion is detected saves considerably more storage space than continuous recording. In Recording method, you can turn on and configure Motion detection. You can, for example, configure the settings if the camera detects too many or too few moving objects, or if the size of the recorded files is too large for the available storage space.

    To configure motion recording:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera.

    3. Select the Motion detection checkbox.

    4. Click Motion settings to configure the motion detection settings, such as number of detectable objects. Available settings are different for different cameras, see  Edit built-in motion detection and Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4.

    5. Select a Profile in the drop-down menu, High is the default profile.

    6. Select a schedule or click New schedule... to create a new custom schedule.

    7. Set the pre- and post-buffer times and the trigger period.

    8. Click Apply.

    Note

    You can use action rules to configure motion recording. Make sure Motion detection is turned off in Recording method before using action rules.

    Profile

    Use a lower resolution to decrease the recording size. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Schedule

    The schedule for the recordings. To lower the impact on your storage space, only record during specific time periods.

    Prebuffer

    The number of seconds before the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Postbuffer

    The number of seconds after the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Trigger period

    Sets the minimum time between two triggers to reduce the number of back-to-back recordings. If another trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the interval restarts.

    Notifications

    A notification is sent when the camera detects motion. Mobile app sends a push notification to the AXIS Camera Station mobile app. Server alarm raises an alarm in AXIS Camera Station Pro.

    Configure motion detection

    Continuous and scheduled recording

    Continuous recording saves images without interruption and requires more storage space than other recording options. To reduce the file size, consider using motion detection recording instead.

    To use continuous recording:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera.

    3. Select the Continuous checkbox.

    4. Configure your settings. See table below for more information.

    5. Click Apply.

    Profile

    Select a Profile from the drop-down menu. High is the default profile. Use a lower resolution to reduce the recording size. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Schedule

    Set the schedule for recordings. To lower the impact on your storage space, only record during specific time periods.

    Average bitrate

    Turn on to set a maximum storage limit. The system shows the estimated average bitrate based on the specified max storage and retention time. The maximum average bitrate is 50000 Kbit/s. See Configure average bitrate.

    Manual recording

    To configure manual recording settings:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera.

    3. Select the Manual checkbox.

    4. Configure your settings. See table below for more information.

    5. Click Apply.

    Profile

    Select a Profile from the drop-down menu. High is the default profile. Use a lower resolution to reduce the recording size. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Prebuffer

    Set the number of seconds before you press record to include in the recording.

    Postbuffer

    Set the number of seconds after you stop recording to include in the recording.

    Bookmark when recording

    Adds bookmark details each time you start a manual recording. Bookmarks help you find and identify specific recordings later. This setting applies to operators and administrators only and is turned off by default.

    Maximum duration

    Set the maximum length for each recording, not including prebuffer or postbuffer times. Set to 0 for unlimited duration.

    For more information on recording manually, see Record manually.

    Rule-triggered recording

    A rule-triggered recording starts and stops according to a rule created in action rules. You can use rules, for example, to generate recordings triggered by signals from I/O ports or device events. A rule can have several triggers.

    To create rule-triggered recording, see Action rules.

    Note

    If you use a rule to configure motion recording, make sure to turn off motion recording to avoid duplicate recordings.

    Failover recording

    Use failover recording to save recordings to the camera's SD card when the connection to AXIS Camera Station 5 is lost.

    • AXIS Camera Station 5 automatically selects the failover method based on the camera's firmware version:
    • Firmware 11.11.42 or later: Failover recording starts any time the camera loses contact with the server.

    • Earlier firmware: Failover recording only starts on unexpected loss of connection. Planned server restarts don't trigger failover recording.

    To configure failover recording, see Select storage devices to connect.

    Note
    • When upgrading, if Failover recording was previously turned on, Copy SD card recordings to ACS Pro server is turned on automatically.
    • Recordings on the SD card aren’t deleted by AXIS Camera Station 5. Their retention is controlled by the SD card retention time on the camera.
    • Turning on failover recording overwrites any existing failover configuration for that camera on other servers.
    • Failover recording can only be active for one AXIS Camera Station 5 server per camera view at a time.

    When the connection is restored and Copy SD card recordings to ACS Pro server is turned on, the recordings are copied to the server and marked with a dark gray color in the timeline. The camera uses a 20-second prebuffer and postbuffer, though short gaps of 1–4 seconds can still appear.

    Recording methods

    Motion detection with prebuffer

    If the connection is lost for more than 20 seconds, the camera continuously records to the SD card until the connection is restored or the SD card becomes full.

    Motion detection without prebuffer

    • If the connection is lost for more than 20 seconds when motion recording is not ongoing, failover recording doesn’t start.

    • If the connection is lost for more than 20 seconds when motion recording is ongoing, failover recording starts and continues until the connection is restored or the SD card becomes full.

    Continuous recording

    If the connection is lost for more than 20 seconds, the camera continuously records to the SD card until the connection is restored or the SD card becomes full.

    Use SD card for failover recording

    Fallback recording

    You can turn on fallback recording on a device that uses AXIS S3008 Recorder as recording storage. Once turned on, the device automatically starts a continuous recording when the connection between AXIS Camera Station 5 and the recorder is lost. The device uses the medium stream profile for fallback recording.

    Note
    • This feature requires AXIS Camera Station 5.36 or later, AXIS S3008 Recorder firmware 10.4 or later, and Axis device firmware 5.50 or later.
    • If there's an ongoing continuous recording when fallback recording starts, a new continuous recording starts. The system creates duplicates of the stream on the recorder.

    To turn on fallback recording:

    1. Make sure you’ve added AXIS S3008 Recorder and devices, and selected the recorder as the recording storage for the device. See Set up AXIS OS Recorders.

    2. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    3. Select the device and select Fallback recording.

    4. Click Apply.

    Recording method

    AXIS Camera Station 5 automatically configures motion recording or continuous recording when you add devices.

    A check mark indicates the recording method a device uses. To customize profile settings for video and audio, see Stream profiles.

    To change the recording method:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select one or multiple devices.

      For devices of the same model, you can configure multiple devices at the same time.

    3. In the Recording method screen, turn a recording method on or off.

    Note

    View areas don’t support motion detection.

    Configure average bitrate

    With average bitrate, the bitrate automatically adjusts over a longer time. This lets you meet the target bitrate and provide good video quality based on the specified storage.

    Note
    • This option is only available for continuous recording. The cameras must support average bitrate and have firmware 9.40 or later.
    • The average bitrate settings affect the quality of the selected stream profile.
    1. Go to Configuration > Storage > Selection and make sure you’ve set a limited retention time for the camera.

    2. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles and make sure you use H.264 or H.265 format for the profile used for continuous recording.

    3. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    4. Select the camera and turn on Continuous.

    5. Under Video settings, select the video profile that you configured.

    6. Turn on Average bitrate and set Max storage. The system shows the estimated average bitrate based on the specified max storage and retention time. The maximum average bitrate is 50000 Kbit/s.

    7. Note

      Max storage means the maximum space for the recordings over the retention time. It only guarantees that the recordings don’t exceed the specified space, it doesn’t guarantee that there’s enough space for the recordings.

    8. Click Apply.

    Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4

    AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4 are camera applications for products that support AXIS Camera Application Platform. When you install AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 or 4 on the camera, motion detection detects moving objects within an area of interest. Motion detection 2 requires firmware 5.60 or later, and AXIS Video Motion Detection 4 requires firmware 6.50 or later. You can also check the firmware release notes for your product to verify if it supports video motion detection 4.

    If you select motion recording when you add cameras to AXIS Camera Station Pro, AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4 installs on cameras with the required firmware. Cameras without the required firmware use the built-in motion detection. You can install the application manually from the device management page. See Install camera applications.

    With AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4, you can create:

    • Area of interest: An area in a recording where the camera detects moving objects. The feature ignores objects outside the area of interest. The area displays on top of the video image in the form of a polygon. The area can have 3 to 20 points (corners).

    • Area to exclude: An area within the area of interest that ignores moving objects.

    • Ignore filters: Create filters to ignore the moving objects detected by the application. Use as few filters as possible and configure the filters with care to make sure not to ignore important objects. Use and configure one filter at a time.

      • Short-lived objects filter: This filter ignores objects that only appear a short time in the image. For example, light beams from a passing car and shadows that move quickly. Set the minimum time that objects must appear in the image to trigger an alarm. The time starts from the moment the application detects the object. The filter delays alarms and doesn't trigger them if the object disappears from the image within the specified time.

      • Small objects filter: This filter ignores small objects, such as animals. Set the width and height as a percentage of the total image. The filter ignores objects smaller than the specified width and height and doesn't trigger alarms. The object must be smaller than both the width and height values for the filter to ignore it.

      • Swaying objects filter: This filter ignores objects that only move a short distance, for example swaying foliage and flags and their shadows. Set the distance as a percentage of the total image. The filter ignores objects that move a shorter distance than the distance from the center of the ellipse to one of the arrowheads. The ellipse is a measure of movement and applies to all movement in the image.

    To configure motion settings:

    Note

    These settings are applied directly to the camera.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera with AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 or 4 and click Motion Settings.

    3. Edit the area of interest.

    4. Edit the exclude area.

    5. Create ignore filters.

    6. Click Apply.

    Add a new point

    To add a new point to your area of interest, click the line between two points.

    Remove Point

    To remove a point from your area of interest, click the point and click Remove Point.

    Add Exclude Area

    To create an exclude area, click Add Exclude Area and click the line between two points.

    Remove Exclude Area

    To remove an exclude area, click Remove Exclude Area.

    Short lived objects filter

    To use a short-lived objects filter, select Short lived objects filter and use the Time slider to adjust the minimum time that objects must appear in the image to trigger an alarm.

    Small objects filter

    To use a small objects filter, select Small objects filter and use the Width and Height sliders to adjust the size of the ignored objects.

    Swaying objects filter

    To use a swaying objects filter, select Swaying objects filter and use the Distance slider to adjust the size of the ellipse.

    Edit built-in motion detection

    With built-in motion detection, the camera detects motion within one or more include areas and ignores all other motion. An include area is an area that detects motion. You can use multiple include and exclude areas, and place an exclude area within an include area to ignore specific motion.

    To add and edit an include area:

    Note

    These settings are applied directly to the camera.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select a camera with built-in motion detection, and click Motion Settings.

    3. Click Add in the Window section.

    4. Select Include.

    5. To see only the area you’re editing, select Show selected window.

    6. Move and resize the shape in the video image. This is the include area.

    7. Adjust Object size, History, and Sensitivity.

    8. To use the predefined settings, select Low, Moderate, High, or Very High. Low detects larger objects with a shorter history. Very High detects smaller objects with a longer history.

    9. In the Activity section, review the detected motion in the include area. Red peaks indicate motion. Use the Activity field when you adjust Object size, History, and Sensitivity.

    10. Click OK.

    Object size

    Object size relative to the region size. The camera detects only very large objects at a high level. At a low level it detects even very small objects.

    History

    Object memory length defines how long an object needs to be in an area before it's considered to be non-moving. At a high level, an object triggers motion detection for a long period of time. At a low level, an object triggers motion detection for a short period of time. If no objects should appear in the area, select a very high history level. This triggers motion detection if the object is present in the area.

    Sensitivity

    Difference in luminance between the background and the object. With high sensitivity, the camera detects ordinary colored object on ordinary backgrounds. With low sensitivity, it detects only very bright objects on a dark background. To detect only flashing light, select a low sensitivity. In other cases, we recommend a high sensitivity level.

    To add and edit an exclude area:

    1. In the Edit Motion Detection screen, click Add in the Window section.

    2. Select Exclude.

    3. Move and resize the shaded shape in the video image.

    4. Click OK.

    To remove an include or exclude area:

    1. In the Edit Motion Detection screen, select an area to remove.

    2. Click Remove.

    3. Click OK.

    I/O ports

    Many cameras and video encoders have I/O ports for connection of external devices. Some auxiliary devices also have I/O ports.

    There are two types of I/O ports:

    Input port
    Use to connect to devices that can toggle between an open and closed circuit. For example, door and window contacts, smoke detectors, glass break detectors, and PIRs (Passive Infrared Detector).
    Output port
    Use to connect to devices such as relays, doors, locks, and alarms. AXIS Camera Station 5 can control devices connected to output ports.
    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can select any connected server from the Selected server drop-down menu to add and manage I/O ports.
    • Administrators can turn off I/O ports for users. See User permissions.

    Action rules use I/O ports as triggers or actions. Triggers use input signals, for example, when AXIS Camera Station 5 receives a signal from a device connected to an input port, it performs the specified actions. Actions use output ports, for example when a rule activates, AXIS Camera Station 5 can activate or deactivate a device connected to an output port. See Action rules.

    For information on connecting devices and configuring I/O ports, see the Axis product's user manual or installation guide. Some products have ports that can act as input or output.

    You can control output ports manually. See Monitor I/O ports.

    Add I/O ports

    To add I/O ports:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > I/O ports.

    2. Click Add to view a list of I/O ports you can add.

    3. Select the port and click OK.

    4. Review the information in Type and Device. Update if needed.

    5. Enter a name in Port, Active State, and Inactive State. The names also show in Action rules, Logs, and I/O Monitoring.

    6. For output ports, you can set the initial state for when AXIS Camera Station 5 connects to the device. Select On startup set to and select the initial state in the State drop-down menu.

    Edit

    To edit a port, select the port and click Edit. In the dialog, update the port information and click OK.

    Remove

    To remove a port, select the port and click Remove.

    Reload I/O Ports

    If you configure the I/O ports from the device configuration page, click Reload I/O Ports to update the list.

    Monitor I/O ports
    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can select any connected server in the Selected server drop-down menu to monitor I/O ports.

    To control output ports manually:

    1. Go to > Actions > I/O Monitoring.

    2. Select an output port.

    3. Click Change state.

    Action rules

    Use action rules to automatically respond to events. For example, send an email when a camera detects motion outside office hours, interact with devices connected to I/O ports, and alert operators about important events.

    Each rule has triggers (events that activate the rule), actions (what happens when triggered), and an optional schedule. When triggers activate, the rule carries out all actions.

    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can select any connected server in the Selected Server drop-down menu to create and manage action rules.
    • For third-party devices, the available actions can differ between devices. Some of these actions require additional device configuration.

    Add triggers

    Triggers activate rules, and a rule can have multiple triggers. As long as one of the triggers stays active, the rule stays active. If all triggers must be active for the rule to be active, select All triggers must be active simultaneously to trigger the actions. If you use this setting with pulse triggers, increase the trigger period. Pulse triggers are triggers that are active momentarily.

    The following triggers are available:

    Motion detection
    Registered motion within a defined area activates the motion detection trigger. See Create motion detection triggers.
    Always active
    This trigger is always on. For example, you can combine this trigger with a schedule that’s always on and a recording action with a low profile to achieve a second continuous recording suitable for devices with limited performance.
    Active tampering alarm
    The tampering trigger activates when you reposition the device, something covers the lens, or the lens is severely out of focus. See Create active tampering alarm triggers.
    Live view
    The live view trigger occurs when a user opens a specific camera's video stream. You can use this, for example, to let people near a camera know that someone's watching them using the camera’s LEDs. See .
    AXIS Cross Line Detection
    AXIS Cross Line Detection is an application for cameras and video encoders. The application detects moving objects that cross a virtual line, and you can, for example, use it to monitor entrance and exit points. See Create AXIS Cross Line Detection triggers.
    System event and error
    A system event and error trigger activates when recording errors occur, a storage becomes full, a network storage connection fails, or one or more devices loses connection. See Create system event and error triggers.
    Input/Output
    The Input/Output (I/O) trigger activates when a device's I/O port receives a signal from, for example, a connected door, smoke detector, or switch. See Create input/output triggers. We recommend using device event triggers instead of input/output triggers if possible.
    Device event
    This trigger uses events directly from the camera or auxiliary device. Use this if no suitable trigger is available in AXIS Camera Station 5. See Create device event triggers.
    Action button
    Use the action buttons to start and stop actions from live view. You can use one button in different rules. See Create action button triggers.
    AXIS Entry Manager event
    This trigger activates when AXIS Camera Station 5 receives signals from doors configured in AXIS Entry Manager. For example, doors forced to open, open too long, or denied access. See Create AXIS Entry Manager event triggers.
    External HTTPS
    The external HTTPS trigger lets external applications trigger events in AXIS Camera Station 5 through HTTPS communication. See Create external HTTPS triggers.
    Create motion detection triggers

    The motion detection trigger activates when the camera detects motion within a defined area. Since the camera processes the detection, it doesn't add any processing load to AXIS Camera Station 5.

    Note

    Don't use motion detection triggers to start recordings if motion recording is already turned on in the camera. Turn off motion recording before you use motion detection triggers. To turn off motion recording, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    To create a motion detection trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Motion detection.

    4. Click OK.

    5. In the dialog:

      1. Select the camera that should detect motion.

      2. Set a minimum time interval between triggers to reduce back-to-back recordings. If another trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

      3. Click Motion settings to configure motion detection settings. Available settings are different for different cameras. See Edit built-in motion detection and Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4.

    6. Click OK.

    Create active tampering alarm triggers

    The active tampering alarm trigger activates when you reposition the camera, something covers the lens, or the lens is severely out of focus. Since the device processes the tampering detection, it doesn’t add any processing load to AXIS Camera Station 5 server.

    Active tampering alarm is available for cameras with support for camera tampering and with firmware 5.11 or later.

    To create an active tampering alarm trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Activate tampering alarm.

    4. Click OK.

    5. In Trigger on, select the camera to use.

    6. Click OK.

    Create AXIS Cross Line Detection triggers

    AXIS Cross Line Detection is an application for cameras and video encoders. The application detects moving objects that cross a virtual line and activates the trigger. You can also, for example, use it to monitor entrance and exit points. Since the camera processes the detection, it doesn’t add any processing load to AXIS Camera Station 5 server. 

    You can only install the application on devices with support for AXIS Camera Application Platform. To use AXIS Cross Line Detection as a trigger, you have to download the application from axis.com and install it on the devices. See Install camera applications.

    To create an AXIS Cross Line Detection trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select AXIS Cross Line Detection.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Click Refresh to update the list.

    6. Select the camera to use from the Trigger on drop-down menu.

      You can only select cameras with AXIS Cross Line Detection installed.

    7. Set a time interval between two successive triggers in Trigger period to reduce the number of successive recordings.

      If an additional trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    8. Click AXIS Cross Line Detection settings to open the Applications page of the camera in a web browser. For information on available settings, see the documentation provided with AXIS Cross Line Detection.

    9. Note

      To configure AXIS Cross Line Detection, use Internet Explorer and set the browser to allow ActiveX controls. If asked, click Yes to install AXIS Media Control.

    Create system event and error triggers

    Select one or more system events and errors to use as triggers. Examples of system events are recording errors, a full storage, a network storage connection fails, and one or more devices lose connection.

    To create a system event and error trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select System event and error.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Select a system event or error to create the trigger.

    6. Click OK.

    On recording error

    Select On recording error to activate the trigger when errors occur during recording, for example if a camera stops streaming.

    On full storage

    Select On full storage to activate the trigger when a storage for recordings is full.

    On no contact with network storage

    Select On no contact with network storage to activate the trigger when there’s a problem accessing s a network storage.

    On lost connection to camera

    Select On lost connection to camera to activate the trigger when there’s problem contacting the cameras.

    • Select All to include all the cameras added to AXIS Camera Station 5.

    • Choose Selected and click Cameras to show a list of all cameras added to AXIS Camera Station 5. Use Select all or Deselect all to select or clear all cameras.

    Create input/output triggers

    The input/output (I/O) trigger activates when a device's I/O port receives a signal from, for example, a connected door, smoke detector, or switch.

    Note
    • Add the I/O port to AXIS Camera Station 5 before you use an I/O trigger. See I/O ports.
    • We recommend using device event triggers instead of input/output triggers if possible. See Create device event triggers for more information.

    To create an input/output trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Input/Output.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Under Trigger port and state, configure the I/O port and trigger settings.

    6. Click OK.

    Trigger port and state

    I/O port

    In I/O port, select the input or output port.

    Trigger state

    In Trigger state, select the I/O port state that should activate the trigger. Available states depend on the port’s configuration.

    Trigger period

    Set a minimum interval between two successive triggers to reduce back-to-back recordings. If another trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    Create device event triggers

    This trigger uses events directly from the camera or auxiliary device. Use this if there’s no suitable trigger available in AXIS Camera Station 5. The events differ between cameras and have one or more filters that must be set. Filters are conditions that must be met for the device event trigger to activate. For information about events and filters for Axis products, see the VAPIX® documentation on axis.com/partners and axis.com/vapix

    To create a device event trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Device event.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Under Configure device event trigger, configure the event trigger.

    6. Note

      Available events depend on the selected device. For third-party devices, many of these events require additional configuration in the device.

    7. Under Filters, select the filters.

    8. Under Activity, review the current state of the device event trigger over time. An event can be stateful or stateless. A step function indicates a stateful event. A straight line with pulses indicates a stateless event.

    9. Click OK.

    Configure device event trigger

    Device

    In Device, select the camera or auxiliary device.

    Event

    In Event, select the event to use as trigger.

    Trigger period

    Set a minimum interval between two successive triggers to reduce back-to-back recordings. If another trigger occurs within this interval, the recording continues and the trigger period restarts.

    Examples of device events
    CategoryDevice event
    AmplifierAmplifier overload
    Audio ControlDigital signal status
    AudioSourceAudio detection
    AuthorizationAccess request granted
    Access request denied
    CallState
    State change
    Network quality
    SIP account status
    Incoming video
    CasingCasing open
    DeviceRing power overcurrent protection
    Device sensorsSystem ready
    PIR sensor
    Device statusSystem ready
    DoorDoor forced
    Door installation tampering detected
    Door locked
    Door open too long
    Door position
    Door unlocked
    Event bufferBegin
    Event loggerDropped alarms
    Dropped events
    Alarm
    FanStatus
    GlobalSceneChangeImage service
    Hardware FailureStorage failure
    Fan failure
    HeaterStatus
    Input portsVirtual input
    Digital input port
    Manual trigger
    Supervised input port
    Digital output port
    External input
    LightStatus
    LightStatusChangedStatus
    MediaProfile changed
    Configuration changed
    MonitorHeartbeat
    MotionRegionDetectorMotion
    NetworkNetwork lost
    Only applicable for events used by the device, not applicable for events used by AXIS Camera Station 5.
    Address added
    Address removed
    PTZ movingPTZ movement on channel <channel name>
    PTZ presetsPTZ preset reached on channel <channel name>
    PTZControllerAuto tracking
    PTZ control queue
    PTZ error
    PTZ ready
    Recording ConfigCreate recording
    Delete recording
    Track configuration
    Recording configuration
    Recording job configuration
    Remote cameraVapix status
    PTZ position
    SchedulePulse
    Interval
    Scheduled event
    StateActive
    StorageStorage disruption
    Recording ongoing
    System messageAction failed
    TamperingTilt detected
    Shock detected
    Temperature sensorsAbove operating temperature
    Below operating temperature
    Within operating temperature
    Above or below operating temperature
    TriggerRelays and outputs
    Digital input
    Video Motion DetectionVMD 4: profile <profile name>
    VMD 4: any profile
    Video Motion Detection 3VMD 3
    Video sourceMotion alarm
    Live stream accessed
    Day night vision
    Camera tampering
    Average bitrate degradation
    Video source connected
    Axis network door controller device events
    Device eventTrigger the action rule
    Authorization
    Access request grantedThe system granted access to a cardholder when they identified using their credentials.
    DuressSomeone used their duress PIN. You can use this to, for example, trigger a silent alarm.
    Access request deniedThe system denied a cardholder access when they identified using their credentials.
    Anti-passback detectionSomeone used a credential belonging to a cardholder who entered a zone before them.
    Casing
    Casing openSomeone has opened or removed the casing of the network door controller. Use, for example, to send a notification to the administrator if the casing is open for maintenance purposes or if someone tampered with the casing.
    Device status
    System readyThe system is in ready state. For example, the Axis product detects the system state and sends a notification to the administrator when the system has started. Select Yes to trigger the action rule when the product is in a ready state. The rule can only trigger when all necessary services, such as the event system, have started.
    Door
    Door forcedThe door is forced open.
    Door installation tampering detectedWhen the system detects the following:
    • Device casing is open or closed.

    • Device motion.

    • Removal of the connected reader from wall.

    • Tampering with connected door monitor, reader, or REX device. To use this trigger, make sure you turn on Supervised input and check the installation of the end-of-line resistors on the relevant door connector input ports.

    Door lockedThe door lock is locked.
    Door open too longThe door is open too long.
    Door positionThe door monitor indicates that the door is open or closed.
    Door unlockedThe door lock stays unlocked. For example, you can use this state when there are visitors allowed to open the door without needing to present their credentials.
    Input ports
    Virtual inputOne of the virtual inputs changes states. A client, such as a management, can use it to initiate various actions. Select the input port that should trigger the action rule when it becomes active.
    Digital input portA digital input port changes state. Use this trigger to initiate various actions, for example, send a notification or flash the status LED. Select the input port that should trigger the action rule when it becomes active or select Any to trigger the action rule when one of the input port becomes active.
    Manual triggerActivates the manual trigger. Use this trigger to manually start or stop the action rule through the VAPIX API.
    External inputThe emergency input is active or inactive.
    Network
    Network lostThe network loses connection.
    Only applicable for device events, not for events used by AXIS Camera Station 5.
    AddressAddedA new IP address is added.
    AddressRemovedThe IP address is removed.
    Schedule
    Scheduled eventA predefined schedule changes state. Use it to record video in specific time periods, for example, during office hours or at weekends. Select a schedule in the Schedule drop-down menu.
    System message
    Action failedAn action rule fails and triggers the action failed system message.
    Trigger
    Digital InputA physical digital input port is active or inactive.
    Create action button triggers

    Use action buttons to start and stop actions in live view. You can find the action buttons at the bottom of the live view or in a map. You can use one button for multiple cameras and maps, and there can be multiple action buttons for one camera or a map. You can arrange the buttons for a camera when you add or edit an action button for a camera.

    There are two types of action buttons:

    Command buttons
    Used to manually start an action. Use command buttons for actions that don’t require a stop button. A command button has a button label and a tooltip. The button label is the text shown on the button. Hover over the button with the mouse to show the tooltip.
    Example: Create a button to activate an output for a predefined time, raise an alarm, and send email.
    Toggle buttons
    Used to manually start and stop an action. The button has two states: toggle and untoggle. Click the button to switch between the two states. By default, toggle buttons start the action when in the toggle state, but you can also start the action in the untoggle state.
    A toggle button has a toggle label, an untoggle label, and a tooltip. The texts shown on the buttons in the toggle and untoggle states are the toggle and untoggle labels. Hover over the button with the mouse to show the tooltip.
    Example: Create a button to open and close doors, use output action with pulse set to "as long as any trigger is active".

    To create an action button trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select Action Button.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Select Create new button or Use existing button. Click Next.

    6. If you select Create new button:

      1. Select Command button or Toggle button. If you want to use the toggle button to start the action in the untoggle state, select Trigger on untoggle.

      2. Click Next.

      3. Add labels and tooltip for the button.

    7. Note

      The letter or number after the first underscore in an action button label becomes the access key to the action button. Press Alt and the access key to activate the action button. For example, when you name an action button as A_BC, the action button name changes to ABC in live view. Press Alt + B to activate the action button.

    8. If you select Use existing button:

      1. Search for the button or click the button you want to use.

      2. If you select an existing toggle button, you must select Trigger on toggle or Trigger on untoggle.

      3. Click Next.

      4. Edit the labels and tooltip of the button.

    9. Select the camera or map from the drop-down menu.

    10. To add the button to multiple cameras or maps, click Add to multiple cameras or Add to multiple maps.

    11. If a camera has multiple action buttons, click Arrange to edit the order of the buttons. Click OK.

    12. Click Next.

    Create AXIS Entry Manager event triggers

    AXIS Camera Station 5 activates the trigger when it receives signals from doors configured in AXIS Entry Manager. For example, doors forced to open, doors open too long, or denied access.

    Note

    AXIS Entry Manager event trigger is only available when you add AXIS A1001 Network Door Controller to AXIS Camera Station 5.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and select AXIS Entry Manager event.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Select an event and door to activate the trigger.

    6. Click OK.

    Create external HTTPS triggers

    The external HTTPS trigger lets external applications trigger events in AXIS Camera Station 5 through HTTPS communication. This trigger only supports HTTPS communication and requires a valid AXIS Camera Station 5 username including domain name and password for HTTPS requests.

    The following requests are supported with HTTP method GET*. You can also use POST with JSON data stated in the body of the request.

    Note
    • The external HTTPS trigger requests can only be tested in Google Chrome.
    • The external HTTPS trigger uses the same ports as the mobile viewing app, see Mobile communication port and Mobile streaming port described in General.
    • Activate the trigger with ID "trigger1": https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/ActivateTrigger?{"triggerName":"trigger1"}

    • Deactivate the trigger with ID "trigger1": https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/DeactivateTrigger?{"triggerName":"trigger1"}

    • Activate the trigger with ID "trigger1" and then automatically deactivate the trigger after 30 seconds: https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/ActivateDeactivateTrigger?{"triggerName":"trigger1","deactivateAfterSeconds":"30"}

    • Note

      The timer for automatic deactivation is canceled if any other command is issued to the same trigger.

    • Pulse the trigger with ID "trigger1" (trigger activation followed by immediate deactivation): https://[address]:55756/Acs/Api/TriggerFacade/PulseTrigger?{"triggerName​":"trigger1"}

    To create an external HTTPS trigger:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. click New.

    3. Click Add and select External HTTPS.

    4. Click OK.

    5. Enter the trigger name in Trigger name.

    6. Review the sample URL, which uses the same server address that the client used to log in. The URLs only work after the action rule is complete.

    7. Click OK.

    Suitable actions for external HTTPS triggers

    • Requests to activate and deactivate the trigger are suitable for actions that start and stop recordings.

    • Requests to pulse the trigger are suitable for actions such as Raise Alarm or Send Email.

    Add actions

    One rule can have multiple actions. Actions start when the rule activates.

    The following actions are available:

    Record
    Starts a recording from the camera. See Create record actions.
    Raise alarm
    Sends an alarm to all connected AXIS Camera Station 5 clients. See Create raise alarm actions.
    Set output
    Sets the state of an output port. Use this to control a device connected to the output port, for example, to turn on a light or lock a door. See Create output actions.
    Send email
    Sends an email to one or more recipients. See Create send email actions.
    Send HTTP notification
    Sends an HTTP request to a camera, a door controller, or an external web server. See Create HTTP notification actions.
    Siren and light
    Triggers a siren and light pattern on a compatible device according to a preconfigured profile. See Create siren and light actions.
    AXIS Entry Manager
    Grants access, unlocks, or locks a door connected to a door controller configured by AXIS Entry Manager. See Create AXIS Entry Manager actions.
    Send mobile app notification
    Sends a custom message to the AXIS Camera Station Mobile app. See Create send mobile app notification actions.
    Turn rules on or off
    Turns other action rules on or off. See Create an action that turns other action rules on or off.
    Send to video decoder
    Sends a view to a video decoder to display on a monitor for a specified amount of time. See
    Access control
    Includes door and zone actions in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry. See Create access control actions.
    Create record actions

    The record action starts a recording from the camera. Access and play recordings from the Recordings tab.

    To create a record action:

    1. Specify where to save the recording: go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    2. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    3. Click New.

    4. Click Add and create a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    5. Click Add and select Record.

    6. Click OK.

    7. In Camera, select the camera to record from.

    8. Under Video setting, configure profile, prebuffer, and postbuffer.

    9. Click OK.

    Video setting

    Profile

    Select a profile from the Profile drop-down menu. To edit profile settings, see Stream profiles.

    Prebuffer

    Set the number of seconds before the detected motion to include in a recording.

    Postbuffer

    Set the number of seconds to include in the recording when the action is no longer ongoing.

    Create raise alarm actions

    The raise alarm action sends an alarm to all connected AXIS Camera Station 5 clients. The alarm appears in the Alarms tab and as a taskbar notification.You can attach a file with alarm procedures. The alarm procedure is available from the Alarms and Logs tabs.

    To create a raise alarm action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Raise alarm.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Under Alarm message, configure the title, description, and duration.

    7. Configure the Alarm procedure.

      1. Select On alarm show alarm procedure.

      2. Click Upload and locate the file.

      3. Click Preview to preview the file.

      4. Click OK.

    Alarm message

    Title

    Enter a title for the alarm. The title appears in Alarms in the Alarms tab and in the taskbar notification.

    Description

    Enter a description of the alarm. The description appears in Alarms > Description in the Alarms tab and in the taskbar notification.

    Duration (s)

    Set the duration between 1 and 600 seconds for pop-up notifications.

    Create output actions

    The output action sets the state of an output port. Use this to control the device connected to the output port, for example, to turn on a light or lock a door.

    Note

    Add the output port to AXIS Camera Station 5 before you use an output action. See I/O ports.

    To create an output action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Set output.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In Output port, select the output port.

    7. In State on action, select the state to set the port to. Available options depend on the port configuration.

    8. Select Pulse to set how long the output port stays in the new state.

    9. Note

      To keep the port in the new state after the action, clear Pulse.

    10. Click OK.

    For as long as any trigger is active

    To keep the port in the new state as long as all triggers in the rule are active, select For as long as any trigger is active.

    Keep the state for a fixed time

    To keep the port in the new state for a fixed time, select Keep the state for a fixed time and specify the number of seconds.

    Create send email actions

    The email action sends an email to one or more recipients. You can attach snapshots from cameras to the email.

    Note

    To send emails, you must first configure an SMTP server. See Server settings.

    To create a send email action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Send email.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Under Recipients, add email addresses:

      1. Enter the email address in New Recipient and select To, Cc, or Bcc.

      2. Click Add.

    7. Under Contents, enter the email subject and message.

    8. Under Advanced, configure attachments, number of emails, and intervals.

    9. Click OK.

    Advanced

    Attach snapshots

    To attach .jpg snapshots from the cameras as attachments, select Attach snapshots and click Cameras. A list of all cameras added to AXIS Camera Station 5 appears. Click Select all to select all cameras or Deselect all to clear the selection.

    Send one email for each event

    To avoid sending multiple emails for the same event, select Send one email for each event.

    Don't send another email for

    To avoid sending emails too close together, select Don't send another email for and set the minimum time between emails from the drop-down menu.

    Create live view actions

    The live view action opens a specific camera, view, or preset position in the Live view tab across all connected AXIS Camera Station 5 clients. If the Live view tab shows a split view with a hotspot, the camera selected in the live view action appears in the hotspot. For more information about hotspots, see Split view.

    You can also use the live view action to restore open AXIS Camera Station 5 clients from the taskbar or bring them in front of other open applications.

    To create a live view action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Live view.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Under Live view actions, configure what to show when the action is active.

    7. Under Shown in, configure how to show the selected view.

    8. Under Bring to front, select On trigger bring application to front to restore open AXIS Camera Station 5 clients from the taskbar or bring them in front of other open applications when the action starts.

    9. Click OK.

    Live view actions

    View

    Select View, then select a view from the drop-down menu.

    Camera

    Select Camera, then select a camera from the drop-down menu. If the camera has a PTZ preset, select Go to preset and select an area from the drop-down menu to open a preset position.

    No action

    Select No action if you don’t want to open a view.

    Shown in

    Live alert tab

    Select Live alert tab to open the selected view or camera view in the Live alert tab.

    Hotspot in view

    Select Hotspot in view and select a view with hotspot from the drop-down menu. If the hotspot is visible in live view when the action triggers, the camera view appears in the hotspot.

    Example

    This example uses two live view actions in the same action rule.

    1. Create a live view action that shows the hotspot view in the Live alert tab.

      1. Under Live view actions, select View.

      2. Select Hotspot view.

      3. Under Show in, select Live alert tab.

      4. Select On trigger bring application to front.

    2. Create another live view action that goes to the hotspot view and shows the camera view in the hotspot.

      1. Under Live view actions, select Camera and then a camera view.

      2. Under Show in, select Hotspot in view.

      3. Select Hotspot view.

    Create HTTP notification actions

    The HTTP notification action sends an HTTP request to a recipient. The recipient can be a camera, door controller, external web server, or any server that can receive HTTP requests. For example, you can use HTTP notifications to turn a feature on or off in the camera, or to open, close, lock, or unlock a door connected to a door controller.

    GET, POST, and PUT methods are supported.

    Note

    To send HTTP notifications to recipients outside the local network, you may need to adjust the AXIS Camera Station 5 server proxy settings. See General.

    To create an HTTP notification action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Send HTTP Notification.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In URL, enter the address to the recipient and the script that handles the request. For example: https://192.168.254.10/cgi-bin/notify.cgi .

    7. Select Authentication required if the recipient requires authentication. Enter the username and password.

    8. Click Advanced to display the advanced settings.

    9. Click OK.

    Advanced

    Method

    Select an HTTP method from the Method drop-down menu.

    Content type

    For POST and PUT methods, select the content type from the Content type drop-down menu.

    Body

    For POST and PUT methods, enter the request body in Body.

    Trigger data

    You can also insert predefined trigger data from the drop-down menu.

    Trigger data

    Type

    The trigger that activated this action rule.

    Source ID

    Identifies the source that triggered the action rule. This is often a camera or other type of device. Not all sources have one.

    Source Name

    The name of the source that triggered the action rule. This is often a camera or other type of device. Not all sources have one.

    Time (UTC)

    The UTC date and time when the action rule was triggered.

    Time (local)

    The date and time of the server when the action rule was triggered.

    Create siren and light actions

    The siren and light action activates a siren and light pattern on AXIS D4100-E Network Strobe Siren according to a configured profile.

    Note

    To use this action, a profile must be configured from the device's configuration page.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Siren and light.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Select a device from the Device drop-down menu.

    7. Select a profile from the Profile drop-down menu.

    8. Click OK.

    Create AXIS Entry Manager actions

    The AXIS Entry Manager action grants access, unlocks, or locks a door connected to a door controller configured by AXIS Entry Manager.

    Note

    The AXIS Entry Manager action is only available when AXIS A1001 Network Door Controller is available in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select AXIS Entry Manager.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Select an action and the door to apply it to.

    7. Click OK.

    Create send mobile app notification actions

    The send mobile app notification action sends a custom message to the AXIS Camera Station Mobile app. You can tap the received notification to go to a specific camera view. See AXIS Camera Station Mobile app user manual.

    To create a send mobile app notification action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Send mobile app notification.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In Message, enter the message to display in the mobile app.

    7. Under Click notification and go to, configure what appears when you tap the notification.

    8. Click OK.

    Click notification and go to

    Camera

    Select a camera view to show when you tap the notification.

    Default

    Select Default to go to the mobile app start page when you tap the notification.

    Create an action that turns other action rules on or off

    Use this action to, for example, turn off motion detection in an office when an employee swipes their access card.

    To create a turn rules on or off action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Turn rules on or off.

    5. Click OK.

    6. Select one or more action rules.

    7. Choose whether you want to turn the selected action rules on or off.

    8. Enter a delay to add time between the trigger and the change of state.

    9. Select Return to the previous state when the trigger is no longer active if you don't want the action rule to stay changed when the trigger isn't active. In the example above, this means motion detection turns back on when the employee removes the access card from the reader.

    10. Click OK.

    Create access control actions

    The access control action can perform the following actions in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry:

    • Door actions: grant access, lock, unlock, reset, or lockdown selected doors.

    • Zone actions: lock, unlock, reset, or lockdown selected doors in selected zones.

    Note

    The access control action is only available for AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry.

    To create an access control action:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Click Add and configure a trigger. Click Next. See Add triggers.

    4. Click Add and select Access control.

    5. Click OK.

    6. To perform door actions:

      1. Under Access control, select Door actions.

      2. Under Configure action, select the doors and action.

    7. To perform zone actions:

      1. Under Access control, select Zone actions.

      2. Under Configure action, select the zones, door types, and action.

    8. Click OK.

    • To save a report as part of the action, select Save report and configure the report settings.

    Schedules

    The Schedules page contains all schedules that you can apply to recording, action rules, and components such as AXIS Secure Entry. Some schedules are created automatically during installation by AXIS Site Designer.

    You can create and edit customized daily and weekly schedules, as well as override schedules. Override schedules are always daily, but you can apply them to both daily and weekly schedules on special dates such as public holidays.

    The Schedules tab is the main view for managing all your daily and weekly schedules:

    • Name: The schedule's name.

    • Type: Indicates whether the schedule is a daily or weekly schedule.

    • In use: Indicates whether a component, recording rule, or action rule is currently using the schedule.

    • Override schedules: Lists which override schedules apply to this schedule.

    The Override schedules tab is the main view for managing your override schedules, where you can see which daily and weekly schedules each override applies to.

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can add and manage schedules on any connected server. Select the server from the Selected server drop-down menu to manage the schedules.

    Manage daily and weekly schedules

    To manage daily and weekly schedules, go to the Schedules tab.

    To create a new daily or weekly schedule, click New schedule.

    To delete a schedule, select it from the list and click Delete. Make sure the schedule isn’t in use before deleting it.

    Create or select a daily or weekly schedule to display its details.

    • If it’s a daily schedule, click Add dates to add a new date range to the schedule. You can add multiple date ranges to the same daily schedule.

    • To add a time slot, either click + or double-click the row.

    • To edit a date range or time slot, left-click it.

    • To add an override schedule, select it from the drop-down menu and click Add. To remove an override schedule, select it from the list and click Remove.

    • Click Apply to save your changes.

    Manage override schedules

    • To manage override schedules, go to the Override schedules tab.

    • Click Add dates to add a new date range to the schedule. You can add multiple date ranges to the same override schedule.

    • To add a time slot, either click + or double-click the row.

    • To edit a date range or time slot, left-click it.

    • Click Apply to save your changes.

    Examples of action rules

    Example: Door forced open

    This example shows how to set up an action rule in AXIS Camera Station 5 that triggers a recording and an alarm when someone forces the entrance door open.

    Before you start, you need to:

    Create the action rule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Add the door forced event as the trigger:

      1. Click Add and select Device event.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Under Configure device event trigger, configure the trigger settings.

      4. Under Filters, configure the filter settings.

      5. Under Activity, verify that the trigger shows activity on the signal line.

      6. Click OK.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Add a record action:

      1. Click Add and select Record.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Select a camera from the Camera drop-down menu.

      4. Under Video setting, configure profile, prebuffer, and postbuffer.

      5. Click OK.

    6. Add a raise alarm action:

      1. Click Add and select Raise alarm.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Under Alarm message, enter a title and description for the alarm. For example, “The main entrance is forced open”.

      4. Click OK.

    7. Click Next and select Always as the schedule.

    8. Click Finish.

    9. Configure device event trigger

      Device

      Select an Axis network door controller from the Device drop-down menu.

      Event

      Select Door > Door forced from the Event drop-down menu.

      Trigger period

      Set 10 seconds as Trigger period.

    10. Filters

      Door name

      Select the door from the Door name drop-down menu.

      Door status

      Select Forced from the Door status drop-down menu.

    11. Video settings

      Profile

      Select High from the Profile drop-down menu. 

      Prebuffer

      Set 3 seconds as Prebuffer.

      Postbuffer

      Set 5 seconds as Postbuffer.

    Example: When an important person enters

    This example shows how to create an action rule in AXIS Camera Station 5 that plays a welcome message and calls the elevator when an important person enters.

    Before you start, you have to:

    • Install and configure an Axis network door controller, and add cardholders. See Configure access control and Access management.

    • Install an Axis network audio device and associate it with a camera. See Stream profiles.

    • Install AXIS A9188 Network I/O Relay Module, connect the I/O to the elevator, and add the I/O ports of the network I/O relay module to AXIS Camera Station 5. See I/O ports.

    Create the action rule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Click New.

    3. Add the device event as the trigger:

      1. Click Add and select Device event.

      2. Click OK.

      3. Under Configure device event trigger, configure the event settings

      4. Under Filters, configure the filter settings.

      5. Under Activity, verify that the trigger shows activity on the signal line.

      6. Click OK.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Add a send HTTP notification action to play a welcome message:

      1. Click Add and select Send HTTP notification.

      2. Click OK.

      3. In URL, enter the URL of the welcome message audio clip.

      4. Select Authentication required and enter the username and password of the audio device.

      5. Click OK.

    6. Add a set output action:

      1. Click Add and select Set output.

      2. Click OK.

      3. From the Output port drop-down menu, select the output port of the I/O module connected to the elevator.

      4. From the State on action drop-down menu, select the state of the I/O module to call the elevator.

      5. Select Pulse and set the duration to 60 seconds.

      6. Click OK.

    7. Click Next and select Always as the schedule.

    8. Click Finish.

    9. Configure device event trigger

      Device

      Select an Axis network door controller from the Device drop-down menu.

      Event

      Select Authorization > Access request granted from the Event drop-down menu.

      Trigger period

      Set 10 seconds as Trigger period.

    10. Filters

      Door name

      Select the door from the Door name drop-down menu.

      Door side

      Select the door side from the Door side drop-down menu.

      Card number

      Select Card number and enter the person’s card number.

    Configure client

    Go to Configuration > Client to:

    • Edit client-specific settings, such as theme and language. See Client settings.

    • Edit user-specific settings, such as notifications and startup options. See User settings.

    • Edit client-specific streaming performance settings, such as video scaling and hardware decoding. See Streaming.

    Client settings

    These settings apply to all AXIS Camera Station 5 users on the computer. Go to Configuration > Client > Client settings.

    Theme

    System, Light, Dark

    Select the theme for the client. System is the default for new installations.

    If you select System, the theme follows your Windows system theme.

    General

    Run application when Windows starts

    Turn on to run AXIS Camera Station 5 automatically when Windows starts.

    Live view

    Show camera names in live views

    Shows the camera names in live view.

    Turn on Show recording indicators in live views and maps to show an indicator for motion detection recordings or recordings started by an action rule.

    Turn on Show event indicators in live views and maps to show an indicator for motion detection recordings or recordings started by an action rule.

    Maps

    Allow flashing coverage areas for all maps

    Turn this setting on or off to control whether coverage areas flash on all maps. This global setting doesn't affect the local setting at the map level. See Map.

    Language

    Change the language of the AXIS Camera Station 5 client. Restart the client for the change to take effect.

    Feedback

    Share anonymous client usage data with Axis Communications to help improve the application and user experience

    Share anonymous data with Axis to improve the user experience. To change this setting for the server, see Server settings.

    User settings

    These settings apply to the signed-in AXIS Camera Station 5 user. Go to Configuration > Client > User settings.

    Navigation system

    Tree view navigation system

    On by default. Shows views, cameras, or both in the navigation pane.

    Show in navigation

    Select what to show in the drop-down menu: views, cameras, or both.

    Show navigation path when navigating in view

    Turn on to show the navigation path on top of the view when navigating in a split view.

    Notifications

    Show taskbar notification on alarms

    Turn on to show a notification in the Windows taskbar when an alarm starts.

    Show taskbar notification for tasks

    Turn on to show a notification in the Windows taskbar when a task is added or completed.

    Show notifications in Device management

    Turn on to show notifications when new firmware is available for download.

    Show intercom notification window

    Turn on to show a notification window when someone presses the call button on a connected intercom system.

    Snapshot

    When a snapshot is taken show a message

    Turn on to show a message when someone takes a snapshot.

    When a snapshot is taken open the snapshot folder

    Turn on to open the snapshot folder when someone takes a snapshot.

    Browse

    Click Browse to select the snapshot save folder.

    Startup

    Start in full screen

    Turn on to start AXIS Camera Station 5 in full screen mode.

    Remember last used tabs

    Turn on to start AXIS Camera Station 5 with the same open tabs, views, and camera views from when it closed last time.

    Remember last used monitors

    Turn on to start AXIS Camera Station 5 on the same monitor used when it closed last time.

    Note
    • The system saves views and camera views per tab. The system remembers them only when the client reconnects to the same server.
    • The system never remember dynamic views that you drag and drop in the live view.
    • When connected to multiple servers with different users, the system doesn’t support Remember last used tabs.
    Sound on alarm

    No sound

    Select to play no sound when an alarm triggers.

    Beep

    Select to play a beep sound when an alarm triggers.

    Sound file

    Select and click Browse to use a custom sound file when an alarm triggers. Supports any file format compatible with Windows Media Player.

    Play

    Click to test the sound.

    Sound on incoming call

    No sound

    Select to play no sound when there's an incoming call.

    Beep

    Select to play a beep sound when there's an incoming call.

    Sound file

    Select and click Browse to use a custom sound file when there's an incoming call. Supports any file format compatible with Windows Media Player.

    Play

    Click to test the sound.

    Features

    Show smart search 1

    Shown by default. Turn off to hide Smart search 1.

    Show warning dialogs

    Invalid certificate warning

    Turn on to show a warning when an invalid certificate is detected.

    Streaming

    Go to Configuration > Client > Streaming to configure streaming options.

    Video scaling

    Scale to best fit

    Select to fit the video to the available space without cropping or changing the aspect ratio.

    Fill video area (may crop parts of the video)

    Select to fill the available space with video. If the aspect ratio of the available space differs from the video, the system crops the video to fit.

    Hardware decoding

    Mode

    • Automatic: Uses the graphics card to decode streams with a resolution above 3840x2160p@25fps (also known as 4K or UHD).

    • On: Uses the graphics card to decode streams with a resolution above 1920x1080p@25fps (also known as 1080p or HD).

    • Off: AXIS Camera Station Pro uses the CPU to decode video.

    Graphics card

    Select a graphics card from the drop-down menu.

    Supported graphics cardsDecoder technology
    NVIDIAPureVideo
    AMDUnified Video Decoder (UVD)
    IntelIntel Quick Sync Video (QSV)
    Note
    • Hardware decoding uses your graphics card to decode video. With a high-performance graphics card, hardware decoding can improve performance and reduce CPU usage, especially when you stream high-resolution video. Hardware decoding supports H.264 and AV1 streams only.
    • Cameras with a resolution below 1080p can’t use hardware decoding, even if it’s turned on.
    • If your graphics card doesn’t support 4K decoding, hardware decoding only functions on 1080p streams, even if it’s turned on.
    • Only one graphics card is used for hardware decoding, even on systems with multiple graphics cards.
    Bandwidth usage

    Always use the stream profile Low on this client

    Turn on to use the low stream profile for live view. See Stream profiles.

    This setting affects H.264 and M-JPEG video and reduces bandwidth usage.

    Suspend video streams for inactive tabs

    Turn on to suspend video streams in the inactive tabs. This reduces bandwidth usage.

    PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom)

    Select view with first click instead of starting PTZ

    Turn on so that the first click in the view selects it. Subsequent clicks control PTZ.

    Audio

    Push-to-talk release delay (ms)

    Sets how long audio transmits from the microphone after you release the Push-to-talk button, in milliseconds.

    Use push-to-talk for all duplex modes

    Turn on to use push-to-talk for simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex modes.

    Always allow audio for intercoms

    Turn on to listen and speak to intercoms even when there are no ongoing calls.

    Instant replay

    Playback duration (s)

    Set the playback duration time between 1 and 600 seconds to jump back in the timeline and replay the recording.

    Configure connected services

    Firmware upgrade settings

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to configure firmware upgrade settings.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > Firmware upgrade settings.

    2. Under Automatic check for updates, configure how often and how to check for firmware updates.

    3. Under Upgrade order, configure the order to update the devices.

    Automatic check for updates

    Check for updates

    Select Every start-up to check for available firmware versions each time the server starts. By default, AXIS Camera Station 5 is set to Never.

    Check now

    Click to check the server for available firmware versions.

    Upgrade order

    Parallel

    Select to upgrade all devices at the same time. This option is quicker than Sequential but all devices are offline at the same time.

    Sequential

    Select to upgrade devices one after the other. This option takes longer but the devices aren’t offline at the same time. Select Cancel remaining upgrades if one device fails to stop the sequential upgrade.

    Turn on automatic firmware check

    Axis Secure Remote Access

    Important

    To improve security and functionality, we’re upgrading Axis Secure Remote Access (v1) to Axis Secure Remote Access v2. We’re discontinuing the current version on December 1st, 2025, and we strongly recommend that you upgrade to Axis Secure Remote Access v2 before that.

    What does this mean for your AXIS Camera Station 5 system?

    • After December 1st, 2025, you will no longer be able to remotely access your system using Axis Secure Remote Access (v1).
    • To use Axis Secure Remote Access v2, you must upgrade to AXIS Camera Station Pro version 6.8. This upgrade is currently free for all AXIS Camera Station 5 users until March 1st, 2026.

    Axis Secure Remote Access allows you to connect to your AXIS Camera Station 5 server through a secure and encrypted internet connection. Axis Secure Remote Access doesn’t rely on port forwarding in your router for camera access.

    Note
    • Axis Secure Remote Access is only available for AXIS Camera Station 5.12 or later.
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to configure Axis Secure Remote Access.

    Enable Axis Secure Remote Access

    Axis Secure Remote Access is available if you sign in to your My Axis account. Axis Secure Remote Access must be turned on manually. This feature makes it possible to sign in to your server remotely, see Connect to a server.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > Axis Secure Remote Access.

    2. Under My Axis account, enter your My Axis account credentials.

    3. Click Apply.

    4. In the Axis Secure Remote Access section, click Enable to turn on remote access.

    Axis Secure Remote Access on mobile devices

    To log in to your server using secure remote access on a mobile device (iOS and Android):

    1. Using your mobile device, go to axis.com/products/axis-camera-station/overview and download the AXIS Camera Station Mobile app.

    2. Install and open the mobile app.

    3. Sign in to Axis Secure Remote Access with the same My Axis account used to activate remote access.

    4. Select the server you want to log in to.

    5. Log in using your server credentials.

    6. Note

      Your server credentials are different from your My Axis account credentials.

    The mobile app shows the total amount of relayed data used by the My Axis account during the month. For more information, read the AXIS Camera Station Mobile app user manual.

    Axis Secure Remote Access usage

    The Axis Secure Remote Access usage appears in the status bar at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station 5 client. Click the link to get an overview of how to use the secure remote connection.

    Service level

    Shows the service level of your Axis Secure Remote Access subscription.

    Data used this month

    Shows how much data you used the current month. The counter resets on the first every month by midnight.

    Overage

    Shows how much data you used the current month that surpasses the included amount in your service level. This is only available if you have Overage in your subscription.

    Connections

    Shows the servers connected through Secure Remote Access.

    Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service

    AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service allows you to monitor health data from systems located on different networks. See Organizations for more information.

    You must create a My Axis account before you set up AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service. See my.axis.com.

    1. Go to Configuration System Health Monitoring > Settings.

    2. Click Manage.

    3. Sign in with your My Axis account and follow the on-screen instructions.

    Organizations

    The organization is at the center of your cloud services.

    • It connects your AXIS Camera Station 5 system to the users of the different cloud services.

    • It activates the cloud-based system health monitoring. For more information, see Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    • It defines the different user roles, for example, service administrator and operator.

    • You can structure an organization into folders that, for example, represent systems located on different sites. To create an organization, you need a My Axis account. See my.axis.com.

    Disconnect a system from an organization

    In some cases, it can be necessary to disconnect a system from its current organization. For example, when you move a system from an organization to another.

    1. Go to Configuration > Connected services > AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service .

    2. Click Disconnect.

    Invite a user to an organization
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Settings.

    2. Click Open AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    3. Select the organization you want to invite the user to.

    4. Open the user settings and click Manage organizations.

    5. Open the Users tab.

    6. Click Generate.

    7. Copy the invitation code and send it to the user you want to invite.

    Note

    When you share the invitation code with the user, include the name of the organization in the invite.

    Join an organization

    You receive an invitation code when someone wants you to join an organization. To join the organization:

    1. Copy the invitation code.

    2. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Settings.

    3. Click Open AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service.

    4. Select the organization you want to invite the user to.

    5. Open the user settings and click Manage organizations.

    6. Open the Users tab.

    7. Paste the invitation code.

    8. Click Join.

    Configure server

    Server settings

    Go to Configuration > Server > Settings.

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to configure the server settings.

    Export

    Include audio when adding recordings to export

    Select to include audio when adding recording to the export list.

    Logs

    Specify the number of days to keep alarms, events, and audit logs. Set a value between 7 and 1000 days.

    To continuously write logs to a file in real time for use with third-party systems such as Splunk, Elastic, or a SIEM tool, select Write audit logs to file, Write event logs to file, or both.

    The server writes log entries to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Core\Server\Logs. The files are plain text and excluded from system reports.

    FileDescription
    AcsService.exe.audit.log.exportAudit log entries
    AcsService.exe.event.log.exportEvent log entries
    External data

    Specify the number of days to keep the external data. Set a value between 1 and 1000 days.

    SMTP servers

    Add SMTP servers to send emails on system alarms or when an action rule triggers.

    To add an SMTP server:

    1. Under SMTP servers, click Add.

    2. Under Server, configure the server address, port, authentication, and TLS protocol.

    3. Under Sender, enter the email address and name to display as the sender.

    Server

    Address

    Enter the address of the SMTP server.

    Port

    Enter the port. 587 is the default port for SMTP TLS connections.

    Use TLS

    Select if the SMTP server uses TLS. TLS is the default protocol.

    Use authentication

    Select if the server requires a username and password, then enter your credentials.

    Edit

    To edit an SMTP server, select the server and click Edit.

    Remove

    To remove an SMTP server, select the server and click Remove. In the dialog, click Yes to remove the server.

    Test all...

    To test an SMTP server, select the server and click Test all.... In the dialog, enter an email address in Recipient and click OK to send a test email. The SMTP server tests for a list of results and possible actions to take.

    Arrows

    Select a server and use the arrows to set the order. The system contacts servers in the listed order.

    Server test results

    OK

    Connection to the SMTP server was successful. Verify that the recipients received the test email.

    Unknown error

    An unexpected error occurred while sending the email. Check that the SMTP server is operating correctly.

    No contact

    AXIS Camera Station 5 can't access the SMTP server. Verify that the SMTP server is working and that routers and proxy servers between AXIS Camera Station 5 and the SMTP server allow traffic.

    Configuration error

    TLS was requested but server doesn’t support StartTLS, doesn't support authentication, or has no compatible authentication mechanism.

    TLS/SSL handshake error

    An error occurred during TLS/SSL negotiation, such as an invalid server certificate.

    Authentication required

    Server requires authentication to send email.

    Authentication error

    The credentials are incorrect.

    Connection dropped

    Connection was established, but then lost.

    System alarm

    A system alarm occurs when a camera loses connection, recording storage access is denied, the server shuts down unexpectedly, or recording errors occur. You can send email notifications for system alarms.

    Note

    To send emails, you must first add an SMTP server.

    To send email on system alarms:

    1. Select Send email on system alarm to the following recipients to set up system alarm email notifications.

    2. Under Recipients:

      1. Select if the address should be in the To, Cc or Bcc field of the email.

      2. Enter the email address.

      3. Click Add to save the email address to the Recipients box.

    Device connection

    Use hostnames instead of IP for newly added devices when possible

    Use the hostname to connect to newly added devices when possible. If a hostname isn't available, the IP address is used instead.

    Keep using the hostnames even if they become unreachable

    Use the hostname to connect. To automatically switch to the IP address instead, clear the checkbox. You can manually select to use the hostname or IP address to connect to devices. See Connection.

    Language

    Change the language of the server

    Changes the language of AXIS Camera Station 5 Service Control and AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry. For example, system alarms, audit log messages, and external data in the Data search tab. Restart the server for the change to take effect.

    Body worn

    Disk

    Folder

    Select the drive and folder to store rejected content from the body worn system. See Transfer recordings to rejected content storage in the Axis body worn solution User manual for more information.

    Number of days to keep rejected content from the body worn system.

    Sets the number of days to keep rejected content from the body worn system.

    Feedback

    Share anonymous server usage data with Axis Communications

    Select to share anonymous data with Axis to help improve the application and user experience. To change this setting for the client, see Client settings.

    Advanced settings

    Only change these settings when instructed by Axis support. To change an advanced setting:

    1. Enter the setting and its value.

    2. Click Add.

    To turn on debug logging for troubleshooting purposes, select Enable server side debug logging. This setting uses more disk space. The log4net.config file in the ProgramData directory overrides it.

    Update AXIS Camera Station 5

    To update AXIS Camera Station 5:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Update.

    2. Click Download and install....

    Note
    • Once an update starts, whether manual or scheduled, it can’t be cancelled.
    • Scheduled updates start automatically.
    • The system doesn’t update clients connected through secure remote access.
    • In a multi-server system, always update the local server last.
    • When you update the local server, the client and service control close temporarily. You won't see a progress indicator while it's updating. Keep the server computer turned on until both the client and server have restarted.
    • This feature uses the Windows installer (msi) regardless of the type you currently use.

    Incident report

    If you turn on incident report permissions, you can generate incident reports that include recordings, snapshots, and notes. See Export incident reports.

    To configure the settings for incident reports:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Incident report.

    2. Under Location, select where to store the incident reports.

    3. From the Export format drop-down menu, select the format to export your recordings in.

    4. Under Categories, add or remove the categories to group the incident reports. If configured as a variable in the server directory path, categories become folder names in the export location.

      1. Enter the category name in the box, for example, Accident or Theft.

      2. Click Add.

      3. To remove a category, select it and click Remove.

    5. Under Description template, enter the information to show in Description when generating your incident reports. For example, “Reported by: [name, email, phone number].”

    6. Click Apply.

    Location

    Server directory path

    Enter the directory path to save incident reports to a folder on the computer. You can use the server name, category, or the user name as variables. For example: C:\Reports\$(Server Name)\$(Category)\$(User Name)\.

    Network directory path

    Select to save the incident reports to a folder on a network storage. Enter the directory path or use credentials for the network storage. The share must be reachable from the AXIS Camera Station 5 server. See Manage storage for how to add storage to use for recordings.

    Export format

    ASF

    Select Add digital signature to help prevent image tampering. See the Digital signature section in Export recordings. You can also select Use password to use a password for the digital signature.

    MP4

    Exported recordings don’t include audio in G.711 or G.726 format.

    Scheduled export

    Go to Configuration > Server > Scheduled export to create schedules for exporting recordings.

    At the scheduled time, AXIS Camera Station 5 exports all recordings since the previous export. If the previous export is more than one week old, or if there's no previous export, only recordings from the past week are included. To export older recordings, go to the Recordings tab and export them manually. See Export recordings.

    Note

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to manage scheduled exports.

    Export scheduled recordings

    1. Under Scheduled export, select Enable scheduled export.

    2. Under Cameras, select the cameras to export recordings from. The system selects all listed cameras by default. Clear Use all cameras and select the specific cameras in the list.

    3. Under Export, configure where to save the recordings, format, and creation of playlist.

    4. Under Weekly schedule, select the time and the days to export recordings.

    5. Click Apply.

    Export

    Server directory path

    Select and enter the directory path to save recordings to a folder on the computer.

    Network directory path

    Select to save the recordings to a folder on a network storage. Enter the directory path or use the credentials for the network storage. The share must be reachable from the AXIS Camera Station 5 server. See Manage storage for how to add storage to use for recordings.

    Create playlist (.asx)

    Select to create a playlist in the .asx format used by Windows Media Player. The recordings play in the order in which they were recorded.

    Export format

    Select a format to export your recordings in.

    ASF – Select Add digital signature to help prevent image tampering. See the Digital signature section in Export recordings. You can also select Use password to use a password for the digital signature.

    MP4 – Exported recordings don’t include audio in G.711 or G.726 format.

    Microsoft Windows 2012 Server

    To export recordings from a server running Microsoft Windows 2012 Server, install Desktop Experience:

    1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Server Manager to open Server Manager.

    2. Select Manage > Add Rules and Features to start the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

    3. Under Features Summary, select User Interfaces and Infrastructure.

    4. Select Desktop Experience, click Next.

    5. Click Install.

    New connection

    Go to > Servers > New connection to connect to an AXIS Camera Station 5 server. See Connect to a server.

    Connection status

    Go to > Servers > Connection status, to see the connection status of all servers.

    Use the slider next to the server name to connect to or disconnect from the server.

    Status codeDescriptionPossible solutions
    Connecting

    The client is trying to connect to this server.

    Connected

    The client uses TCP while connected to this server.

    .
    Connected (Axis Secure Remote Access v2)

    The client uses Axis Secure Remote Access v2 while connected to this server.

    Connected (HTTP)

    The client uses HTTP while connected to this server. This is less efficient than TCP and slower when connected to multiple servers.

    Disconnecting

    The client is disconnecting from this server.

    .
    Disconnected

    The client isn't connected to this server.

    Reconnecting

    The client lost connection to this server and is trying to reconnect.

    Reconnection failed

    The server is found but the user permissions or password may have changed.

    • Add the user in the User permission dialog.

    • Verify the username and password.

    Login canceled

    The user canceled the login.

    Incorrect username or password

    Click the link in the Action column and enter the correct credentials.

    User not authorized on the server

    The server doesn’t authorize the user to log in.

    Add the user in the User permission dialog.

    Security verification failed

    A WCF-related security check failed.

    Synchronize the client and server computer UTC times.

    No contact with server computer

    The server computer didn't respond at the specified address.

    • Check that the network is working properly.

    • Check that the server is running.

    No server running

    The computer running the server is accessible, but the server isn’t running.

    Start the server.

    Communication failure

    Connection to the server failed.

    • Make sure the server computer is accessible.

    • Check that the network works properly.

    • Check that the server is running.

    Invalid hostname

    The DNS can’t translate the hostname into an IP address.

    • Verify that the hostname is spelled correctly.

    • Verify that the DNS can resolve the hostname.

    Already connected to the same server

    The client is already connected to this server.

    Remove the duplicate server entry.
    Not the expected server

    A different server than expected responded at this address.

    Update the server with the correct server.

    Client version (x) is not compatible with server version (y)

    The client is too old or too new compared to the server.

    Install the same version of AXIS Camera Station 5 on both the client and the server computer.

    Server too busy

    The server couldn’t respond because of performance issues.

    Make sure the server computer and network aren’t overloaded.

    Multiple servers

    Server lists

    You can organize your AXIS Camera Station 5 servers in server lists. A server can belong to multiple server lists. You can import, export, and use server lists in other AXIS Camera Station 5 clients.

    Go to > Servers > Server lists.

    The default Recent connections list shows the servers used in the previous session. You can’t remove Recent connections.

    Select the server list and click  to delete it.

    New server list 

    Click to add a new server list and give it a name.

    Add

    To add a server to a server list, select a server list and click Add. Enter the required information.

    Export lists

    Click to export all server lists in a .msl file. You can import server lists to connect to the servers. See Connect to a server.

    Edit

    To edit a server in a server list, select a server and click Edit. You can only edit one server at a time.

    Remove

    To remove a server from a server list, select it and click Remove.

    Rename a list

    Double-click the list and enter a new name.

    Organize servers in server lists

    Configure switch

    If you have an AXIS Camera Station S22 Appliance series device, you can configure it from AXIS Camera Station 5. Go to Configuration > Switch > Management and enter your credentials to open the switch management page.
    To configure the switch, see the AXIS Camera Station S22 Appliance series user manual on axis.com.

    Note

    AXIS Camera Station 5 can only connect to https://192.168.0.1/, which is the default IP address of the switch.

    Configure licenses

    On the License page you can view the license keys and license status and manage the licenses of the connected devices.

    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station servers, Station servers, select any server from the Selected server drop-down menu to manage licenses.
    • We recommend that you write down the license keys or save them in a digital format on a USB flash drive for future reference. You can’t retrieve lost license keys.
    • When you register your Axis network video recorder in AXIS License Portal, you receive an NVR Core license. The NVR Core licenses are locked to the device’s hardware and can’t be moved. You can upgrade NVR Core to Universal in the same way as Core licenses. You can move and use the upgrade licenses for any system.

    License management

    Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management to get an overview of the number of unlicensed devices connected to the server. You can manage licenses online as well as offline. Remember to add licenses for all your devices before the end of the 30-day trial period. See  How to purchase licenses. You can also click the license status link in the status bar to see the overview of your device licenses.

    As license administrator, you can add multiple My Axis accounts to your AXIS Camera Station system.

    Add a My Axis account to a system online

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Make sure Manage licenses online is on.

    3. Click Go to AXIS License Portal.

    4. In the AXIS License Portal, sign in with the new My Axis account that you want to add.

    5. Go to Edit license admins and check that the account was added as license administrator.

    Add a My Axis account to a system offline

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Turn off Manage licenses online.

    3. Click Export system file.

    4. Save your system file on a USB flash drive.

    5. Go to the AXIS License Portal, license-portal.lp.axis.com.

    6. Sign in with the new My Axis account that you want to add.

    7. Upload your system file.

    8. Go to Edit license admins and check that the account was added as license administrator.

    There are different ways to license your system, depending on your internet connection.

    Device status

    Go to Configuration > Licenses > Device status to view a list of all connected devices and their license status.

    Keys

    Go to Configuration > Licenses > Keys to view a list of the keys necessary for each license of all connected devices.

    License a system online

    Both the AXIS Camera Station client and the server must have internet connection.

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Make sure Manage licenses online turns on.

    3. Sign in with your My Axis account.

    4. Under Add license key, enter your license key.

    5. Click Add.

    6. In AXIS Camera Station client, make sure your license keys appear under Configuration > Licenses > Keys.

    License a system offline

    1. Go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    2. Turn off Manage licenses online.

    3. Click Export system file.

    4. Save your system file to a USB flash drive.

    5. Go to the AXIS License Portal, license-portal.lp.axis.com.

    6. Sign in with your My Axis account.

    7. Click Upload system file to upload the system file from your USB flash drive.

    8. Under Add license key, enter your license key.

    9. Click Add.

    10. Under License keys, click Download license file and save the file to a USB flash drive.

    11. In AXIS Camera Station client, go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

    12. Click Import license file and select the license file on your USB flash drive.

    13. Make sure your license keys appear under Configuration > Licenses > Keys.

    Move licenses between systems

    Note

    You can’t move NVR Core licenses since they are locked to the device’s hardware.

    To move licenses from one system to another system with the same My Axis account:

    1. Go to the AXIS License Portal, license-portal.lp.axis.com.

    2. Under My systems, click the system name that you want to move a license from.

    3. Under License keys, find the license key that you want to move.

    4. Click and Move.

    5. In the To system drop-down menu, select a system that you want to move the license to.

    6. Click Move license key and click Close. You can find the action details under History.

    7. Go to My systems and make sure that the licenses appear under the correct system.

    Move licenses to another system

    To release licenses from a system and add to another system with a different My Axis account:

    1. Go to the AXIS License Portal, license-portal.lp.axis.com.

    2. Under My systems, click the system name that you want to move a license from.

    3. Under License keys, find the license key that you want to move.

    4. Make a copy of the license key first.

    5. Click and Release.

    6. Sign out and sign in with another My Axis account.

    7. Under My systems, click the system that you want to license.

    8. Under Add license key, enter the license key you released.

    9. Click Add.
      You can find the action details under History.

    10. Go to My systems and make sure that the licenses appear under the correct system.

    Configure security

    User permissions

    Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions to see the users and groups in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    Note

    Administrators of the computer that runs the AXIS Camera Station 5 server are automatically granted administrator privileges in AXIS Camera Station 5. You can’t change or remove the Administrators group's privileges.

    Before you can add a user or group, make sure they’re registered on the local computer or have a Windows® Active Directory user account. To add users or groups, see Add users or groups.

    When a user belongs to a group, they receivet the highest role permission assigned to them individually or to the group. For example, a user with access to camera X who also belongs to a group with access to cameras Y and Z has access to all three cameras.

    Indicates the entry is a single user.
    Indicates the entry is a group.

    Name

    Username as it appears in the local computer or Active Directory.

    Domain

    The domain that the user or group belongs to.

    Role

    The access role assigned to the user or group. Possible values: Administrator, Operator, and Viewer.

    Details

    Detailed user information as it appears on the local computer or in Active Directory.

    Server

    The server that the user or group belongs to.
    Add users or groups

    Microsoft Windows® and Active Directory users and groups can access AXIS Camera Station 5. To add a user to AXIS Camera Station 5, you must add users or a group to Windows®.

    To add a user in Windows® 10 and 11:

    • Press the Windows key + X and select Computer Management.

    • In the Computer Management window, navigate to Local Users and GroupsUsers.

    • Right-click Users and select New User.

    • In the popup dialog, enter the new user’s details and clear User must change password at next login.

    • Click Create.

    If you use an Active Directory domain, consult your network administrator.

    Add users or groups

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

    2. Click Add. The available users and groups appear in the list.

    3. Under Scope, select where to search for users and groups.

    4. Under Show, select to show users or groups. The search results may not appear if there are too many users or groups. Use the filter to narrow the results.

    5. Select the users or groups and click Add.

    Scope

    Server

    Select to search for users or groups on the local computer.

    Domain

    Select to search for Active Directory users or groups.

    Selected server

    When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, select a server to search for users or groups on that server.

    Configure a user or group

    1. Select a user or group in the list.

    2. Under Role, select Administrator, Operator, or Viewer.

    3. If you selected Operator or Viewer, you can configure the user or group privileges. See User or group privileges.

    4. Click Save.

    Remove a user or group

    1. Select the user or group.

    2. Click Remove.

    3. In the pop-up dialog, click OK to remove the user or group.

    User or group privileges

    There are three roles you can assign to a user or group. For how to define the role for a user or group, see Add users or groups.

    Administrator
    Full access to the entire system, including access to live and recorded video of all cameras, all I/O ports, and views. This role is required to access system configuration.
    Operator
    Select cameras, views, and I/O ports to get access to live and recorded video. An operator has full access to all functionality of AXIS Camera Station 5 except system configuration.
    Viewer
    Access to live video of selected cameras, I/O ports, and views. A viewer doesn’t have access to recorded video or system configuration.

    Cameras

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

    Access

    Allow access to the camera and all camera features.

    Video

    Allow access to live video from the camera.

    Audio listen

    Allow access to listen from the camera.

    Audio speak

    Allow access to speak to the camera.

    Manual Recording

    Allow starting and stopping recordings manually.

    Mechanical PTZ

    Allow access to mechanical PTZ controls. Available only for cameras with mechanical PTZ.

    PTZ priority

    Set the PTZ priority. A lower number means a higher priority. No assigned priority is set to 0. An administrator has the highest priority. When a role with higher priority operates a PTZ camera, others can’t operate the same camera for 10 seconds by default. Available only for cameras with mechanical PTZ that have Mechanical PTZ selected.

    Views

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role. You can select multiple views and set the access privileges.

    Access

    Allow access to the views in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    Edit

    Allows editing of views in AXIS Camera Station 5.

    I/O

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

    Access

    Allow full access to the I/O port.

    Read

    Allows viewing the state of the I/O port without changing it.

    Write

    Allows changing the state of the I/O port.

    System

    You can’t configure grayed-out access privileges in the list. A check mark means the user or group has this privilege by default.

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Take snapshots is also available for the Viewer role.

    Take snapshots

    Allows taking snapshots in live view and recording mode.

    Export recordings

    Allow exporting recordings.

    Generate incident report

    Allow generating incident reports.

    Prevent access to recordings older than

    Prevent access to recordings older than the specified number of minutes. Users can’t find these recordings when they search.

    Access alarms, tasks, and logs

    Get alarm notifications and allow access to the Alarms and tasks bar and Logs tab.

    Access data search

    Allow searching for data to track what happened at the time of an event.

    Add categories to events

    Allow adding categories to events in the Recordings tab.

    Remove categories from event

    Allow removing categories from events in the Recordings tab.

    Access control

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Access Management is also available for the Viewer role.

    Access control configuration

    Allow configuration of doors and zones, identification profiles, card formats, and PIN, encrypted communication, and multi-server.

    Access management

    Allow access management and access to the Active Directory settings.

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Viewer role.

    System health monitoring

    The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator role. Access to system health monitoring is also available for the Viewer role.

    Configuration of system health monitoring

    Allows configuration of system health monitoring.

    Access to system health monitoring

    Allows access to system health monitoring.

    Certificates

    To manage certificate settings for the AXIS Camera Station 5 server and connected devices, go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    For information on how to turn on, delete, and view HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X certificates, see Security.

    AXIS Camera Station 5 can be used as:

    • Root certificate authority (CA):AXIS Camera Station 5 uses its own root certificate to issue server certificates, with no other root CA involved.

    • Intermediate certificate authority: Import a CA certificate and its private key into AXIS Camera Station 5 to sign and issue server certificates for Axis devices. This can be a root certificate or an intermediate CA certificate.

    Note

    When you uninstall AXIS Camera Station 5, it removes its CA certificates from Windows Trusted Root Certification Authorities. It doesn’t remove the imported CA certificates; these must be removed manually.

    Certificate authority (CA)

    A CA allows you to turn on HTTPS and IEEE 802.1X on devices without any client/server certificates in place. The AXIS Camera Station 5 CA certificate can automatically create, sign, and install client/server certificates on devices when you use HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X. You can use AXIS Camera Station 5 as the root CA, or you can import a CA certificate and let AXIS Camera Station 5 act as an intermediate CA. The system generates a root CA when you install the server.

    Import

    Click to import an existing CA certificate and its private key. AXIS Camera Station 5 stores the certificate password.

    Generate

    Click to generate a new public and private key and a self-signed CA certificate that is valid for 10 years. When you generate a new certificate authority, it replaces all component certificates and restarts the components.

    View

    Click to view the details of the CA certificate.

    Export

    Click to export the CA to a file. You can export it in two ways:

    • Without the private key: Saves the certificate in .cer or .crt format. Use this option if you only need to install the public certificate in other systems that should trust certificates signed by AXIS Camera Station 5.

    • With the private key: Saves the CA in PKCS#12 format (.pfx or .p12). Use this option if you need to import the CA to another AXIS Camera Station 5 server.

    Number of dates the signed client/server certificates will be valid for

    Set the number of days that the automatically created client/server certificates are valid for. The maximum amount is 1095 days (three years). The CA doesn’t sign certificates that are valid beyond its own expiration date.

    Generate a root CA

    When AXIS Camera Station 5 starts, it looks for a CA. If no CA is found, it generates a root CA automatically. It includes a self-signed root certificate and private key protected by a password. AXIS Camera Station 5 stores the password but doesn't make it visible. A CA certificate generated by AXIS Camera Station 5 is valid for 10 years.

    To manually generate a new CA to replace the old one, see Replace a CA.

    If you upgrade from version 5.45 or earlier with a manually installed certificate on a device, AXIS Camera Station 5 automatically uses the existing root CA to install a new certificate when the manual one expires.

    Note

    When you generate a CA certificate, it's added to Windows Trusted Root Certificates.

    Import a CA

    When you install a CA certificate from another CA, you can use AXIS Camera Station 5 as an intermediate CA. Import an existing CA consisting of a certificate and a private key to allow AXIS Camera Station 5 to sign certificates on behalf of that CA. The file must be a PKCS#12 file, the certificate must have a basic constraint (2.5.29.19) indicating that it's a CA certificate, and the certificate must be used within its validity period. To import a CA to replace the existing one, see Replace a CA.

    Note
    • If the imported CA doesn’t require a password, a dialog appears each time something requires a password. For example, when you use HTTPS or IEEE on a device, or add a device. Click OK to continue.
    • When you import a CA certificate, it's added to Windows Trusted Root Certificates.
    • When you import an intermediate CA certificate, the root certificate must already exist in the Windows certificate store. If the root certificate is missing, the import fails and an error message appears. AXIS Camera Station 5 continues to use the previous CA.
    • After uninstalling AXIS Camera Station 5, you must manually remove imported CA certificates from Windows Trusted Root Certification Authorities.
    Replace a CA

    To replace the CA that issues signed certificates used on devices with HTTPS connection:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > HTTPS.

    2. Turn off Validate device certificate.

    3. Under Certificate authority, click Generate or Import.

    4. Enter your password and click OK.

    5. Select the number of valid days of the signed client/server certificates.

    6. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    7. Right-click the devices and select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update.

    8. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > HTTPS and turn on Validate device certificate.

    HTTPS

    By default, AXIS Camera Station 5 validates the HTTPS server certificate on each connected device and won't connect to a device without a valid certificate. The server certificate must be signed by the active CA in AXIS Camera Station 5 or validated through Windows Certificate Store. AXIS Camera Station 5 also validates whether the address in the device HTTPS certificate matches the address used to communicate with the device when Validate device address is on.

    Cameras with firmware 7.20 or later come with a self-signed certificate. These certificates aren’t trusted. Instead, generate or import a CA to let AXIS Camera Station 5 issue new certificates to the devices when you use HTTPS.

    Temporarily ignore certificate validation

    Turn on to let AXIS Camera Station 5 accept any HTTPS certificate and allow configuration of unsecure devices.

    Turn off so AXIS Camera Station 5 validates the device certificates. If it isn’t trusted, a warning message appears under Status in Device management and the device isn’t accessible.

    Validate device address

    Turn off for more stable behavior on DHCP networks that don't use hostnames.

    Turn on to require the addresses to match for additional security. We recommend turning on this setting only on networks where devices primarily use hostnames or have static IP addresses.

    Note
    • When a secure connection (HTTPS) is unavailable, you can issue a new HTTPS certificate. See Add devices
    • To use HTTPS, firmware 5.70 or later is required for video devices, and firmware 1.25 or later for access control and audio devices.

    Limitations

    • Non-default ports (other than 443) aren’t supported.

    • All certificates in an install batch must have same password.

    • Certificate operations over unencrypted channels, such as Basic aren’t supported. Set devices to Encrypted & unencrypted or Encrypted only to allow Digest communication.

    • You can’t turn on HTTPS on the AXIS T85 PoE+ Network switch series.

    IEEE 802.1X

    For AXIS Camera Station 5 IEEE 802.1X authentication, the supplicant is an Axis network device that wants to connect to the LAN. The authenticator is a network device, such as an Ethernet switch or wireless access point. The authentication server is typically a host running software that supports the RADIUS and EAP protocols.

    You must import an IEEE 802.1X authentication CA certificate to turn on IEEE 802.1X. The IEEE 802.1X authentication CA certificate and IEEE 802.1X client certificate install when you turn on or update IEEE 802.1X. A certificate for the authentication can either be obtained externally, for example from the IEEE 802.1X authentication server, or generated directly in AXIS Camera Station 5. This certificate is installed on each Axis device to verify the authentication server.

    Note

    To use IEEE 802.1X certificates, firmware 5.50 or later is required for video devices, and firmware 1.25 or later for access control and audio devices.

    To configure IEEE 802.1X:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    2. In the EAPOL Version drop-down menu, select the version of Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) to use.

    3. In the EAP identity drop-down menu, select the device's MAC address, the device hostname, or custom text.

    4. If you selected Custom, enter the text to use as the EAP identity.

    5. Click Import and select the IEEE 802.1X authentication CA certificate file.

    6. In the Common name drop-down menu, select Device IP address or Device EAP identity as the common name in certificates created for each device.

    7. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    8. Right-click the devices and select Security > IEEE 802.1X > Enable/Update.

    Limitations

    • For devices with several network adapters (such as wireless cameras), you can only turn on IEEE 802.1X for the first adapter, typically the wired connection.

    • Devices that don’t have the parameter Network.Interface.I0.dot1x.Enabled aren’t supported. For example: AXIS P39 Series, AXIS T85 Series, and AXIS T87 Video Decoder

    • Certificate operations over unencrypted channels, such as Basic aren’t supported. Set devices to Encrypted & unencrypted or Encrypted only to allow Digest communication.

    Certificate expiration warning

    A warning appears when a client or server certificate has expired or is about to expire. The warning also triggers a system alarm for certain certificates. It applies to all client and server certificates, device CA certificates installed by AXIS Camera Station 5, the AXIS Camera Station 5 CA certificate, and the IEEE 802.1X certificate. The warning appears as a message under Status on the Device management page and as an icon in the Installed certificates list.

    Under Certificate expiration warning, specify how many days before expiration you want AXIS Camera Station 5 to notify you.

    Certificate renewal

    Renew certificate between the server and devices

    Client and server certificates generated by AXIS Camera Station 5 automatically renew 7 days before the expiration warning appears. This requires HTTPS or IEEE 802.1X to be turned on for the device. To renew or update a certificate manually, see Security.

    Renew certificate between the server and the client

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    2. Under Certificate renewal, click Renew.

    3. Restart the server to apply the renewed certificate.

    Reset the password
    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates.

    2. Turn off Validate device certificate so that devices using CA certificates remain accessible.

    3. Under Certificate authority, click Generate and enter your password.

    4. Under Certificate authority, click Export to save the CA certificate locally.

    5. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management and turn on HTTPS on the selected devices.

    6. Turn on Validate device certificate.

    Configure access control

    If you add an Axis network door controller to your system, you can configure the access control hardware in AXIS Camera Station version 6.x or later.

    For a complete workflow to set up Axis network door controller in AXIS Camera Station 5, see Set up an Axis network door controller.

    Note

    Before you start, do the following:

    • Upgrade the controller’s AXIS OS version under Configuration > Devices > Management.
    • Set date and time for the controller under Configuration > Devices > Management.
    • Turn on HTTPS on the controller under Configuration > Devices > Management.

    Workflow to configure access control

    1. To edit the predefined identification profiles or create a new one, see Identification profiles.

    2. To use a custom setup for card formats and PIN length, see Card formats and PIN.

    3. Add a door and apply an identification profile to the door. See Add a door.

    4. Configure the door:

    5. Add a zone and add doors to the zone. See Add a zone.

    Device software compatibility for door controllers

    The table below shows the minimum and recommended AXIS OS version for each AXIS Camera Station 5 version:

    AXIS Camera Station versionRecommended AXIS OS version
    5.5912.4.68.1
    5.5812.4.68.1
    5.5711.8.20.2

    Doors and zones

    Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones to get an overview and configure doors and zones.

    Manual actions

    Manually set the state of a door. Select from the following options: Reset (follow system rules), Grant access (unlock door for 7 seconds), Unlock (keep the door unlocked), Lock (keep the door locked), or Lockdown (no one gets in or out).

    Unlock schedules

    Set a schedule to automatically unlock doors at specific times. Doors stay locked at all other times. To require the first person to unlock the door manually before the schedule activates, turn on First person in.

    Identification profile

    Change identification profile on doors.

    Pin chart

    View the controller pin chart associated with a door. To print the pin chart, click Print.

    Secure Channel

    Turn on or off OSDP Secure Channel for a specific reader.

    Doors
    NameThe name of the door.
    TypeThe type of door configuration.
    DeviceThe device connected to the door.
    IP addressThe IP address of the door controller connected to the door.
    Side AThe zone that side A of the door is in.
    Side BThe zone that side B of the door is in.
    Identification profileThe identification profile applied to the door.
    BatteryThe battery status of the door controller.
    StatusThe status of the door.
    • Online: The door is online and works correctly.

    • Reader offline: The reader in the door configuration is offline.

    • Reader error: The reader doesn't support secure channel, or it's turned off for the reader.

    • Old firmware: The device is running an outdated firmware version. Update the firmware for the best performance and security.

    Zones
    NameThe name of the zone.
    Number of doorsThe number of doors included in the zone.
    Security levelThe security level applied to the zone.
    Example of doors and zones
    • There are two zones: green zone and blue zone.

    • There are three doors: green door, blue door, and brown door.

    • The green door is an internal door in the green zone.

    • The blue door is a perimeter door for the blue zone only.

    • The brown door is a perimeter door for both the green zone and blue zone.

    Add a door
    Note
    • You can configure a door controller with one door that has two locks, or two doors that have one lock each. Multi-controllers support additional lock configurations.

    To add a door:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

    2. Click Add door and select a door type from the drop-down list.

    3. Door types
      DoorA regular door with a door monitor that supports locks and readers. Requires a door controller.
      Wireless doorA door you can configure with ASSA ABLOY Aperio® wireless locks and communication hubs. For more information, see Add a wireless lock.
      Monitoring doorA door that can report whether it’s open or closed. For more information, see Add a monitoring door.
      Provisioned doorA door you can add as a placeholder in the system without selecting the hardware.
      FloorA door type for elevator control that authenticates access to elevator floors using card readers. For more information, see Add a floor for elevator control.
    4. Enter a name for the door and select a door controller in the Device drop-down menu to associate with the door. The controller grays out when you can’t add another door, when it’s offline, or HTTPS isn’t turned on.

    5. Click Next to go to the door configuration page.

    6. In the Primary lock drop-down menu, select a relay port.

    7. To configure two locks on the door, select a relay port from the Secondary lock drop-down menu.

    8. Select an identification profile. See Identification profiles.

    9. Configure the door settings. See Door settings.

    10. Add a door monitor

    11. Add emergency input

    12. Add a reader

    13. Add a REX device

    14. Click Save.

    Copy a door configuration:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

    2. Click Add door.

    3. Enter a name for the door and select a door controller in the Device drop-down menu to associate with the door.

    4. Click Next.

    5. In the Copy configuration drop-down menu, select an existing door configuration. It shows the connected doors, and the controller grays out if it was configured with two doors or one door with two locks.

    6. Change the settings if you want.

    7. Click Save.

    Add and configure doors and zones
    Door settings
    1. To edit a door:
    2. Go to Configuration > Access control > Door and Zones.

    3. Select the door you want to edit.

    4. Click Edit.

    5. Change the settings and click Save.

    Access time (sec)

    Set how many seconds the door stays unlocked after access is granted. The door locks again when it closes, even if time remains.

    Open-too-long time (sec)

    Only valid if you've configured a door monitor. Set how many seconds the door can stay open. If it's still open when the time runs out, the door-open-too-long alarm triggers. Set up an action rule to choose what happens when this event triggers.

    Long access time (sec)

    Set how many seconds the door stays unlocked after access is granted for cardholders with this setting enabled. This overrides the standard access time.

    Long open-too-long time (sec)

    Only valid if you've configured a door monitor. Set how many seconds the door can stay open for cardholders with Long access time enabled. Overrides the standard open-too-long time.

    Relock delay time (ms)

    Set how many milliseconds the door stays unlocked after it's opened or closed.

    Relock

    • After opening: Only valid if you added a door monitor.

    • After closing: Only valid if you added a door monitor.

    Door forcedSelect whether you want the system to trigger a system alarm when a door is forced open. Requires a door position sensor (DPS).
    Door open too longSelect whether you want the system to trigger a system alarm when a door is held open too long.

    To remove a door:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Doors.

    2. Select a door in the list.

    3. Click Remove and confirm.

    Time options
    1. Access granted - lock unlocks
    2. Access time
    3. No action taken - lock stays locked
    4. Action taken (door opened) - lock locks or stays unlocked until door closes
    5. Open-too-long time
    6. Open-too-long alarm goes off
    1. Access granted - lock unlocks
    2. Access time
    3. 2+3: Long access time
    4. No action taken - lock stays locked
    5. Action taken (door opened) - lock locks or stays unlocked until door closes
    6. Open-too-long time
    7. 6+7: Long open-too-long time
    8. Open-too-long alarm goes off
    Add a wireless lock

    AXIS Camera Station 5 supports the ASSA ABLOY Aperio® wireless locks and communication hubs. The wireless lock connects to the system via an Aperio communication hub connected to the door controller’s RS485 connector. You can connect 16 wireless locks to one door controller.

    Note
    • The setup requires Axis door controller to have AXIS OS version 11.6.16.1 or later.
    • The setup requires a valid license for AXIS Door Controller Extension.
    • The time on the Axis door controller and the AXIS Camera Station 5 server must be synchronized.
    • Before you start, use the Aperio application that ASSA ABLOY supports to pair the Aperio locks with the Aperio hub.
    • You can only connect one Aperio communication hub per RS485 connector. Multi-drop isn’t supported.
    • Wireless locks won’t follow unlock schedules when offline.
    1. Access the door controller.

      1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Other devices.

      2. Open the web interface of the door controller connected to the Aperio communication hub.

    2. Turn on AXIS Door Controller Extension.

      1. In the door controller web interface, go to Apps.

      2. Open AXIS Door Controller Extension context menu .

      3. Click Activate license with a key and select your license.

      4. Turn on AXIS Door Controller Extension.

    3. Connect the wireless lock to the door controller through the communication hub.

      1. In the door controller web interface, go to Access control > Wireless locks.

      2. Click Connect communication hub.

      3. Enter a name for the hub and click Connect.

      4. Click Connect wireless lock.

      5. Select the lock address and capabilities for the lock you want to add and click Save.

    4. Add and configure the door with the wireless lock.

      1. In AXIS Camera Station 5, go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

      2. Click Add door.

      3. Select the door controller connected to the Aperio communication hub, and select Wireless door as Door type.

      4. Click Next.

      5. Select your Wireless lock.

      6. Define the door sides A and B, and add sensors. For more information, see Doors and zones.

      7. Click Save.

    Once you’ve connected the wireless lock, you can see its battery level and status in the overview of doors.

    Battery levelAction
    GoodNone
    LowThe lock works as intended, but you should replace the battery before the battery level becomes critical.
    CriticalReplace the battery. The lock might not work as intended.
    Lock statusAction
    OnlineNone
    Lock jamResolve any mechanical issues with the lock.
    Add a door monitor

    A door monitor is a position switch that tracks the physical state of a door. You can add a door monitor to your door and configure how to connect it.

    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under Sensors, click Add.

    3. Select Door monitor sensor.

    4. Select the I/O port you want to connect the door monitor to.

    5. Under Door open if, select how the door monitor circuits are connected.

    6. To ignore the state changes of the digital input before it enters a new stable state, set a Debounce time.

    7. To trigger an event when the connection between the door controller and the door monitor is interrupted, turn on Supervised input. See Supervised inputs.

    Door open if

    Circuit is open

    The door monitor circuit is normally closed. The door monitor sends the door an open signal when the circuit is open. The door monitor sends the door a closed signal when the circuit is closed.

    Circuit is closed

    The door monitor circuit is normally open. The door monitor sends the door an open signal when the circuit is closed. The door monitor sends the door a closed signal when the circuit is open.

    Add emergency input

    You can add and configure an emergency input to initiate an action that locks or unlocks the door. You can also configure how to connect the circuit.

    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under Sensors, click Add.

    3. Select Emergency input.

    4. Under Emergency state, select the circuit connection.

    5. To ignore the state changes of the digital input before it enters a new stable state, set a Debounce time (ms).

    6. Select what Emergency action to trigger when the door receives the emergency state signal.

    Emergency state

    Circuit is open

    The emergency input circuit is normally closed. The emergency input sends an emergency state signal when the circuit is open.

    Circuit is closed

    The emergency input circuit is normally open. The emergency input sends an emergency state a signal when the circuit is closed.

    Emergency action

    Unlock door

    The door unlocks when it receives the emergency state signal.

    Lock door

    The door locks when it receives the emergency state signal.

    Add a reader

    You can configure a door controller to support multiple wired readers. Choose to add a reader on one side or both sides of a door.

    If you apply a custom setup of card formats or PIN length to a reader, it appears in Card formats under Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones. See Doors and zones.

    Note
    • You can also add up to 16 Bluetooth readers to a door controller. For more information, see Add a Bluetooth reader.
    • If you use an Axis network intercom as an IP reader, the system uses the PIN configuration set on the device webpage.
    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under one side of the door, click Add.

    3. Select Card reader.

    4. Select the Reader type.

    5. To use a custom PIN length for this reader.

      1. Click Advanced.

      2. Turn on Custom PIN length.

      3. Set the Min PIN length, Max PIN length, and End of PIN character.

    6. To use a custom card format for this reader:

      1. Click Advanced.

      2. Turn on Custom card formats.

      3. Select the card formats you want to use for the reader. If a card format with the same bit length is already in use, you must deactivate it first. A warning icon appears in the client when the card format setup is different from the configured system setup.

    7. Click Add.

    8. To add a reader to the other side of the door, repeat this procedure.

    For information on how install an AXIS Barcode Reader, see .

    Reader type

    OSDP RS485 half duplex

    For RS485 readers, select OSDP RS485 half duplex and a reader port.

    Wiegand

    For readers that use Wiegand protocols, select Wiegand and a reader port.

    IP reader

    For IP readers, select IP reader and select a device from the drop-down menu. You can use Axis network intercoms as an IP reader.

    Wiegand

    LED control

    Select Single wire or Dual wire (R/G). Readers with dual LED control use different wires for the red and green LEDs.

    Tamper alert

    Select the circuit state that activates the reader tamper input.

    • Open circuit: The reader sends the door the tamper signal when the circuit is open.

    • Closed circuit: The reader sends the door the tamper signal when the circuit is closed.

    Tamper debounce time

    To ignore the state changes of the reader tamper input before it enters a new stable state, set a Tamper debounce time.

    Supervised input

    Turn on to trigger an event when there is interruption in the connection between the door controller and the reader. See Supervised inputs.

    Add a Bluetooth reader

    You can use the AXIS A4612 Network Bluetooth Reader to expand the wired door limits of Axis door controllers. Up to 16 of these readers can be assigned per door controller. Each reader can manage the door lock, Request-to-Exit (REX), and Door Position Switch (DPS).

    Adding and using these readers doesn’t require any additional licensing.

    To add an AXIS A4612 Network Bluetooth Reader to a door:

    1. Make sure you have paired the AXIS A4612 with the door controller. See Use AXIS Mobile Credential app as a Bluetooth credential.

    2. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    3. Under one side of the door, click Add, then Card reader.

    4. Select IP reader and choose the paired AXIS A4612 from the drop-down menu. If this reader is used for pairing credentials, mark it for pairing. Click Add.

    5. In the Overview tab, change the identification profile. You can use the profiles Tap in app or Touch reader if you only have the AXIS A4612 attached to one side of the door and use a REX on the other.

    IP reader

    It’s possible to use Axis network intercoms as IP reader in AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry.

    Note
    • It requires AXIS Camera Station 5.38 or later and an Axis door controller with firmware 10.6.0.2 or later.
    • It doesn’t require special configuration to use the intercom as an IP reader.

    Supported devices:

    • AXIS A8207-VE Network Video Door Station with firmware 10.5.1 or later

    • AXIS A8207-VE Mk II Network Video Door Station with firmware 10.5.1 or later

    • AXIS I8116-E Network Video Intercom

    Add a REX device

    You can add a request to exit (REX) device on one side or both sides of the door. A REX device can be a PIR sensor, REX button, or push bar.

    1. Go to the door configuration page. See Add a door.

    2. Under one side of the door, click Add.

    3. Select REX device.

    4. Select the I/O port you want to connect the REX device to. If there’s only one port available, it’s selected automatically.

    5. Select what Action to trigger when the door receives the REX signal.

    6. Under REX active, select the door monitor circuit connection.

    7. To ignore the state changes of the digital input before it enters a new stable state, set a Debounce time (ms).

    8. To trigger an event when the connection between the door controller and the REX device is interrupted, turn on Supervised input. See Supervised inputs.

    Action

    Unlock door

    Select to unlock the door when it receives the REX signal.

    None

    Select to trigger no action when the door receives the REX signal.

    REX active

    Circuit is open

    Select if the REX circuit is normally closed. The REX device sends the signal when the circuit is open.

    Circuit is closed

    Select if the REX circuit is normally open. The REX device sends the signal when the circuit is closed.

    Add a zone

    A zone is a specific physical area with a group of doors. You can create zones and add doors to the zones. There are two types of doors:

    • Perimeter door: Cardholders enter or leave the zone through this door.

    • Internal door: An internal door within the zone.

    • Note

      A perimeter door can belong to two zones. An internal door can only belong to one zone. See Example of doors and zones for an overview.

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Zones.

    2. Click Add zone.

    3. Enter a zone name.

    4. Click Add door.

    5. Select the doors you want to add to the zone, and click Add.

    6. The door is set as a perimeter door by default. To change it, select Internal door from the drop-down menu.

    7. A perimeter door uses door side A as the entry side for the zone by default. To change it, select Leave from the drop-down menu.

    8. To remove a door from the zone, select it and click Remove.

    9. Click Save.

    To edit a zone:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Zones.

    2. Select a zone in the list.

    3. Click Edit.

    4. Change the settings and click Save.

    To remove a zone:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones > Zones.

    2. Select a zone in the list.

    3. Click Remove.

    4. Click Yes.

    Zone security level

    You can add the following security feature to a zone:

    Anti-passback
    Prevents people from using the same credentials as someone who entered an area before them. A person must exit the area before using their credentials again.
    Note
    • With anti-passback, all doors in the zone must have door position sensors so the system can register that a user opened the door after swiping their card.
    • If a door controller goes offline, anti-passback works as long as all doors in the zone belong to the same door controller. However, if the doors in the zone belong to different door controllers that go offline, anti-passback stops working.

    You can configure the security level while you add a new zone, or apply it to an existing zone. To add a security level to an existing zone:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Doors and zones.

    2. Select the zone you want to configure a security level for.

    3. Click Edit.

    4. Click Security level.

    5. Turn on the security features you want to add to the zone.

    6. Click Apply.

    Anti-passback
    Log violation only (Soft)Select to allow a second person to enter using the same credentials as the first person. This option only results in a system alarm.
    Deny access (Hard)Select to prevent a second person from entering if they're using the same credentials as the first person. This option also results in a system alarm.
    Timeout (seconds)The amount of time until the system allows a user to re-enter. Enter 0 for no timeout, which means anti-passback applies until the user leaves the zone. Only use 0 timeout with Deny access (Hard) if all doors in the zone have readers on both sides.
    Supervised inputs

    Supervised inputs can trigger an event when there’s an interruption in the connection to a door controller.

    • Connection between the door controller and the door monitor. See Add a door monitor.

    • Connection between the door controller and the reader that uses Wiegand protocols. See Add a reader.

    • Connection between the door controller and the REX device. See Add a REX device.

    To use supervised inputs:

    1. Install end of line resistors as close to the peripheral device as possible according to the connection diagram.

    2. Go to the configuration page of a reader, door monitor, or REX device, turn on Supervised input.

    3. If you followed the parallel first connection diagram, select Parallel first connection with a 22 KΩ parallel resistor and a 4.7 KΩ serial resistor.

    4. If you followed the serial first connection diagram, select Serial first connection, and select a resistor value from the Resistor values drop-down menu.

    Parallel first connection

    The resistor values must be 4.7 kΩ and 22 kΩ.

    Serial first connection

    The resistor values must be the same and within range 1-10 kΩ.

    Identification profiles

    An identification profile is a combination of identification types and schedules. You can apply an identification profile to one, or more, doors to set how and when a cardholder can access a door.

    Note

    You must use dynamic QR and PIN together.

    Go to Configuration > Access control > Identification profiles to create, edit, or remove identification profiles.

    The identification profiles available:

    Card
    Cardholders must swipe the card to access the door.
    Card and PIN
    Cardholders must swipe the card and enter the PIN to access the door.
    PIN
    Cardholders must enter the PIN to access the door.
    Card or PIN
    Cardholders must swipe the card or enter the PIN to access the door.
    QR
    Cardholders must show the QR Code® to camera to access the door. You can use the QR identification profile for both static and dynamic QR.
    License plate
    Cardholders must drive towards the camera in a vehicle with an approved license plate.

    *QR Code is a registered trademark of Denso Wave Incorporated in Japan and other countries.

    Card formats and PIN

    A card format defines how a card reader interprets data from a card. There are predefined card formats available to use or edit, and you can also create custom card formats

    Go to Configuration > Access Control > Card formats and PIN to create, edit, or activate card formats. You can also configure PIN.

    The custom card formats can contain the following data fields used for credential validation.

    Card number
    A subset of the credential binary data encoded as decimal or hexadecimal numbers. Use the card number to identify a specific card or cardholder.
    Facility code
    A subset of the credential binary data encoded as decimal or hexadecimal numbers. Use the facility code to identify a specific end customer or site.
    Card format settings

    Overview

    • The card number in decimal is 64332.

    • One reader transfers the card number to hexadecimal number FB4C. The other reader transfers it to hexadecimal number 4CFB.

    • AXIS A1610 Network Door Controller receives FB4C and transfers it to decimal number 64332 according to the card format settings on the reader.

    • AXIS A1610 Network Door Controller receives 4CFB, changes it to FB4C by inverting byte order, and transfers it to decimal number 64332 according to the card format settings on the reader.

    Invert bit order

    After inverting bit order, the card data received from the reader is read from right to left bit by bit.

    Invert byte order

    A group of eight bits is a byte. After inverting byte order, the card data received from the reader is read from right to left byte by byte.

    26-bit standard Wiegand card format

    1. Leading parity
    2. Facility code
    3. Card number
    4. Trailing parity

    Encrypted communication

    OSDP Secure Channel

    AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry supports OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) Secure Channel to active line encryption between controller and Axis readers.

    To turn on OSDP Secure Channel for an entire system:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Encrypted communication.

    2. Enter your main encryption key and click OK.

    3. Turn on OSDP Secure Channel. This option is only available after you enter the main encryption key.

    4. By default, the main encryption key generates an OSDP Secure Channel key. To manually set the OSDP Secure Channel key:

      1. Under OSDP Secure Channel, click .

      2. Clear Use main encryption key to generate OSDP Secure Channel key.

      3. Enter the OSDP Secure Channel key and click OK.

    To turn on or turn off OSDP Secure Channel for a specific reader, see Doors and zones.

    AXIS Barcode Reader

    AXIS Barcode Reader is an application that can be installed on Axis cameras. Axis door controller uses the external peripheral authentication key to grant access and authenticate AXIS Barcode Reader and AXIS License Plate Verifier. For a complete workflow to set up AXIS License Plate Verifier in AXIS Camera Station Pro, see Set up AXIS License Plate Verifier.

    Multi server BETA

    The connected sub servers can, with multi-server, use the global cardholders and cardholder groups from the main server.

    Note
    • One system can support up to 64 sub servers.
    • It requires AXIS Camera Station 5.47 or later.
    • It requires that the main server and sub servers are on the same network.
    • On main server and sub servers, make sure to configure Windows Firewall to allow incoming TCP connections on the Secure Entry port. The default port is 55767. For customized port configuration, see General.
    • Connecting a sub server to a main server replaces its reader key, making any existing Bluetooth credentials invalid. To avoid this, create Bluetooth credentials on the main server instead of the sub server.
    Workflow
    1. Configure a server as a sub server and generate the configuration file. See Generate the configuration file from the sub server.

    2. Configure a server as a main server and import the configuration file of the sub servers. See Import the configuration file to the main server.

    3. Configure global cardholders and cardholder groups on the main server. See Add a cardholder and Add a group.

    4. View and monitor global cardholders and cardholder groups from the sub server. See Access management.

    Generate the configuration file from the sub server
    1. From the sub server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

    2. Click Sub server.

    3. Click Generate. It generates a configuration file in .json format.

    4. Click Download and choose a location to save the file.

    Import the configuration file to the main server
    1. From the main server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

    2. Click Main server.

    3. Click Add and go to the configuration file generated from the sub server.

    4. Enter the server name, IP address, and port number of the sub server.

    5. Click Import to add the sub server.

    6. The status of the sub server shows Connected.

    Revoke a sub server

    You can only revoke a sub server before you import its configuration file to a main server.

    1. From the main server, go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

    2. Click Sub server and click Revoke server.

      Now you can configure this server as a main server or sub server.

    Remove a sub server

    After you import the configuration file of a sub server, it connects the sub server to the main server.

    To remove a sub server:

    1. From the main server:

      1. Go to Access management > Dashboard.

      2. Change the global cardholders and groups to local cardholders and groups.

      3. Go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

      4. Click Main server to show the sub server list.

      5. Select the sub server and click Delete.

    2. From the sub server:

      • Go to Configuration > Access control > Multi server.

      • Click Sub server and Revoke server.

    Active directory settingsBETA

    Note

    User accounts in Microsoft Windows and Active Directory users and groups can access AXIS Camera Station 5. The way you add users in Windows varies depending on your version. For more information, go to support.microsoft.com. Consult your network administrator if you use an Active Directory domain network.

    The first time you open the Active Directory settings page you can import Microsoft Active Directory users to cardholders in AXIS Camera Station 5. See Import active directory users.

    After the initial configuration, the following options appear on the Active directory settings page.

    • Create and manage cardholder groups based on groups in Active Directory.

    • Set up scheduled synchronization between Active Directory and the access management system.

    • Manually synchronize to update all cardholders imported from Active Directory.

    • Manage data mapping between user data from Active Directory and cardholder properties.

    Import active directory users

    To import Active Directory users to cardholders in AXIS Camera Station 5:

    1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Active directory settingsBETA.

    2. Click Set up import.

    3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete these three main steps:

      1. Select a user from Active Directory to use as a template for data mapping.

      2. Map user data from the Active Directory database to cardholder properties.

      3. Create a new cardholder group in the access management system and select which Active Directory groups to import.

    You can’t change any of the imported user data, but you can add credentials to an imported cardholder, see Add credentials.

    Important

    If you deactivate a user in Active Directory, AXIS Camera Station Pro permanently deletes the cardholder and all related data, including their history. This can't be undone. To block a cardholder's access without losing their data, suspend them in AXIS Camera Station Pro instead of deactivating them in Active Directory.

    Configure smart search 2

    With smart search 2, you can set filters to find people and vehicles of interest in recordings from Axis cameras.

    For requirements, limitations, and how to use smart search 2, see Smart search 2.

    1. Go to Configuration > Smart search 2 > Settings.

    2. Under Cameras:

      1. Select the cameras that should send metadata to smart search 2.

      2. To allow server classification in the background for a camera, select Allow under Background server classification.

        This increases the server load but improves the user experience.

      3. To limit the number of detections saved on the server, under Filter, click and create filters for Area, Size and duration, and Swaying objects.

        You can use these filters to exclude areas, small objects, or objects that only appear for a very short time, or swaying objects such as foliage.

    3. Under Storage:

      • Select the drive and folder to store the detections and click Apply.

      • Set the storage size limit and click Apply. When the storage reaches its limit, it removes the oldest detections.

    4. Select Include periods with missing metadata to display results where no metadata was recorded.

    5. Select Let the server classify detections when you start a search to get more detailed search results, including detections the camera didn’t classify. For faster search results, keep this option turned off.

    Background server classification

    Server classification status from the last hour when the server classification is slow. Appears when fewer than 95% of detections are classified.

    Server classification status from the last hour when the server classification is slow. Appears when fewer than 50% of detections are classified.

    Configure System Health Monitoring BETA

    Note
    • When connected to multiple AXIS Camera Station 5 servers, you can configure System Health Monitoring on any connected server. To do this, select the server from the Selected server drop-down menu.
    • If you manage systems on different networks, AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service provides the same functionality but through the cloud. See Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service for more information.

    Notifications

    To send email notifications:

    1. Configure an SMTP server and an email address to send the notifications. See Server settings

    2. Configure the email addresses to receive the notifications. See Configure email recipients.

    3. Configure the notification rules. See Configure notification rules.

    Configure email recipients
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Notifications.

    2. Under Email recipients, enter an email address and click Save. Repeat to add multiple email recipients.

    3. To test the SMTP server, click Send test email. A message confirms that the test email was sent.

    Configure notification rules

    There are two notification rules turned on by default.

    System down
    Send a notification when the system in a single system setup or any system in a multisystem setup is down for 5 minutes.
    Device down
    Send a notification when a device listed in System Health Monitoring is down for 5 minutes.
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Notifications.

    2. Under Notification rules, turn the notification rules on or off.

    3. Under Applied rules, you can see a list of systems and devices and the notification rules applied to them.

    Multisystem

    With System Health Monitoring, you can monitor the health data of several secondary systems from one main system.

    1. In a secondary system, generate the system configuration. See Generate system configuration.

    2. In the main system, upload the system configuration. See Retrieve data from other systems.

    3. Repeat the previous steps in other secondary systems.

    4. Monitor the health data from multiple systems from the main system. See System Health Monitoring BETA.

    Generate system configuration
    1. Go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Multisystem.

    2. Click Generate.

    3. Click Copy to copy it for upload to the main system.

    4. To view the system configuration details, click Show details.

    5. To regenerate the system configuration, first click Delete to delete the existing one.

    After uploading the system configuration to the main system, the main system information appears under Systems with access.

    Retrieve data from other systems

    After generating and copying the system configuration of a secondary system, you can upload it to the main system.

    1. In the main system, go to Configuration > System Health Monitoring > Multisystem.

    2. Click Paste to add the information you copied from the secondary system.

    3. Check the host IP address and click Add.

      The secondary system appears under Available systems.

    Access management

    Use the Access management tab to configure and manage the system's cardholders, groups, and access rules.

    For a complete workflow to set up Axis network door controller in AXIS Camera Station 5, see Set up an Axis network door controller.

    Workflow of access management

    The access management structure is flexible, so you can develop a workflow that suits your needs. Example workflow:

    1. Add a group.

    2. Add a cardholder.

    3. Add cardholders to groups.

    4. Add an access rule.

    5. Apply groups to access rules.

    6. Apply zones to access rules.

    7. Apply doors to access rules.

    Add a cardholder

    A cardholder is a person with a unique ID registered in the system. Configure a cardholder with credentials that identify the person and define when and how they can access doors.

    You can also map users in an Active Directory database as cardholders. See Active directory settingsBETA.

    1. Open an Access management tab.

    2. Go to Cardholder management > Cardholders and click Add.

    3. Enter the first and last name of the cardholder. Optionally, add more details to the cardholder:

      • In Email, enter the cardholder’s email address.

      • Under Groups, select the groups you want to add the cardholder to.

      • Under Access rules, select the access rules you want to apply to the cardholder.

    4. To add a photo, click Cardholder picture and select:

      • Upload to add an image from your device.

      • Capture to take a photo directly using your camera.

      • Note

        The image must be a JPG, PNG, or GIF file. Images are automatically resized to a maximum of 700x700 pixels and converted to JPG.

    5. Click Advanced to configure additional options.

    6. Add a credential to the cardholder. See Add credentials.

    7. Click Save.

    8. To print badges, select one or more cardholders and click Print BadgeBETA. For more information, see Print badgesBETA.

    Use the search field to find a cardholder by first or last name. To filter by source, click Filter and select Local, Global, AD, or Center.

    Advanced

    Long access time

    Select to give the cardholder long access time and a long open-too-long time when there is an installed door monitor.

    Suspend cardholder

    Select to suspend the cardholder. This temporarily removes all access from the cardholder.

    Allow double swipe

    Select to allow a cardholder to override the current state of a door. For example, the cardholder can use this to unlock a door outside the regular schedule.

    Exempt from lockdown

    Select to give the cardholder access during lockdown.

    Exempt from anti-passback

    Select to give a cardholder an exemption from the anti-passback rule. Anti-passback prevents people from using the same credentials as someone who entered an area before them. The first person must first exit the area before their credentials can be used again.

    Global cardholder

    Select to make it possible to view and monitor the cardholder on the sub servers. This option is only available for cardholders created on the main server. See Multi server BETA.

    Add cardholders and groups

    Add credentials

    You can add the following types of credentials to a cardholder:

    • QR-code credential

    • PIN credential

    • Card credential

    • License plate credential

    Expiration date

    Valid from

    Set a date and time for the credential to become valid.

    Valid to

    Select an option from the drop-down menu.

    Valid to

    No end date

    The credential never expires.

    Date

    Set a date and time when the credential expires.

    From first use

    Select how long after the first use the credential expires. Select days, months, years, or number of times after the first use.

    From last use

    Select how long after the last use the credential expires. Select days, months, or years after the last use.

    Use license plate number as a credential

    This example shows you how to use a door controller, a camera with AXIS License Plate Verifier, and a vehicle’s license plate number as credentials to grant access.

    1. Add the door controller and the camera to AXIS Camera Station 5. See Add devices.

    2. Upgrade the firmware on the new devices to the latest available version. See Upgrade firmware.

    3. Add a new door connected to your door controller. See Add a door.

      1. Add a reader on Side A. See Add a reader.

      2. Under Door settings, select AXIS License Plate Verifier as Reader type and enter a name for the reader.

      3. Optionally, add a reader or REX device on Side B.

      4. Click Ok.

    4. Install and activate AXIS License Plate Verifier on your camera. See the AXIS License Plate Verifier user manual.

    5. Start AXIS License Plate Verifier.

    6. Configure AXIS License Plate Verifier.

      1. Go to Configuration > Access control > Encrypted communication.

      2. Under External Peripheral Authentication Key, click Show authentication key and Copy key.

      3. Open AXIS License Plate Verifier from the camera’s web interface.

      4. Skip the setup wizard.

      5. Go to Settings.

      6. Under Access control, select Secure Entry as Type.

      7. In IP address, enter the IP address for the door controller.

      8. In Authentication key, paste the authentication key that you copied earlier.

      9. Click Connect.

      10. Under Door controller name, select your door controller.

      11. Under Reader name, select the reader you added earlier.

      12. Turn on integration.

    7. Add the cardholder you want to grant access. See Add a cardholder

    8. Add license plate credentials to the new cardholder. See Add credentials

    9. Add an access rule. See Add an access rule.

      1. Add a schedule.

      2. Add the cardholder you want to grant license plate access.

      3. Add the door with the AXIS License Plate Verifier reader.

    Add a group

    Groups let you manage cardholders and their access rules together.

    1. Open an Access management tab.

    2. Go to Cardholder management > Groups and click Add.

    3. Enter a name and optionally initials for the group.

    4. Select Global group to view and monitor cardholders on the sub-servers. This option is only available for cardholders created on the main server. See Multi server BETA.

    5. Add cardholders to the group:

      1. Click Add.

      2. Select the cardholders you want to add and click Add.

    6. Click Save.

    7. To print badges for all cardholders in a group, select the group and click Print BadgeBETA. For more information, see Print badgeBETA.

    Add an access rule

    An access rule defines the conditions that must be met to grant access.

    An access rule consists of:

    Cardholders and cardholder groups
    who to grant access.
    Doors and zones
    where the access applies.
    Schedules
    when to grant access.

    To add an access rule:

    1. Open an Access management tab.

    2. Go to Cardholder management.

    3. Under Access rules , click Add.

    4. Enter a name for the access rule and click Next.

    5. Configure the cardholders and groups:

      1. Under Cardholders or Groups, click Add.

      2. Select the cardholders or groups and click Add.

      3. You can also drag and drop a cardholder or group directly onto an access rule to apply it. When dragging, the access rules you can drop onto are highlighted. If you drag multiple cardholders or groups at once, a count shows how many you're moving.

    6. Configure the doors and zones:

      1. Under Doors or Zones, click Add.

      2. Select the doors or zones and click Add.

    7. Configure the schedules:

      1. Under Schedules, click Add.

      2. Select one or more schedules and click Add.

    8. Click Save.

    An access rule that’s missing one or more of the components described above is incomplete. You can view all incomplete access rules in the Incomplete tab.

    Doors

    For information about manual actions, like manually unlocking a door, see .

    Zones

    For information about manual actions, like manually unlocking a zone, see .

    Export system configuration reports

    You can export reports that contain different types of information about the system. AXIS Camera Station 5 exports reports as a comma-separated value (CSV) file and saves them in the default download folder. To export a report:

    1. Open an Access management tab.

    2. Go to Reports > System configuration.

    3. Select the reports you want to export and click Download.

    Cardholders details report

    Includes information about the cardholders, credentials, card validation, and last transaction.

    Cardholders access report

    Includes the cardholder information and information about the cardholder groups, access rules, doors, and zones related to the cardholder.

    Cardholders group access report

    Includes the cardholder group name and information about the cardholders, access rules, doors, and zones related to the cardholder group.

    Access rule report

    Includes the access rule name and information about the cardholders, cardholder groups, doors, and zones related to the access rule.

    Door access report

    Includes the door name and information about the cardholders, cardholder groups, access rules, and zones related to the door.

    Zone access report

    Includes the zone name and information about the cardholders, cardholder groups, access rules, and doors related to the zone.

    Access management settings

    To customize the cardholder fields used in the access management dashboard:

    1. On the Access management tab, click Settings > Custom cardholder fields.

    2. Click Add and enter a name. You can add up to 6 custom fields.

    3. Click Add.

    To use facility code to verify your access control system:

    1. On the Access management tab, click Settings > Facility code.

    2. Select Facility code on.

    3. Note

      You must also select Include facility code for card validation when you configure identification profiles. See Identification profiles.

    To edit an email template for sending a QR or mobile credential:

    1. On the Access management tab, click Settings > Email templates.

    2. Edit your template and click Update.

    Import and export

    Import cardholders

    This option imports cardholders, groups, credentials, and photos from a CSV file. To import cardholder photos, make sure that the server has access to the photos.

    When you import cardholders, the access management system automatically saves the system configuration, including all hardware configuration, and deletes any previously saved configuration.

    You can also map users in an Active Directory database as cardholders. See Active directory settingsBETA.

    Import options

    New

    Removes existing cardholders and adds new cardholders.

    Update

    Updates the existing cardholders and adds new cardholders.

    Add

    Keeps existing cardholders and adds new cardholders. Card numbers and cardholder IDs are unique and can only be used once.

    1. On the Access management tab, click Import and export.

    2. Click Import cardholders.

    3. Select New, Update, or Add.

    4. Click Next.

    5. Click Choose a file, locate the CSV file, and click Open.

    6. Enter a column delimiter, select a unique identifier, and click Next.

    7. Assign a heading to each column.

    8. Click Import.

    Import settings

    First row is header

    Select if the CSV file contains a column header.

    Column delimiter

    Enter a column delimiter format for the CSV file.

    Unique identifier

    The system uses Cardholder ID to identify a cardholder by default. You can also use first and last name, or the email address. Use this to prevent importing duplicate personnel records.

    Card number format

    Allow both hexadecimal and number is on by default.

    Export cardholders

    This option exports the cardholder data in the system to a CSV file.

    1. On the Access management tab, click Import and export.

    2. Click Export cardholders.

    3. Choose a download location and click Save.

    AXIS Camera Station 5 updates cardholder photos in C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Secure Entry\Cardholder photos whenever the configuration changes.

    Undo import

    The system automatically saves its configuration when you import cardholders. The Undo import option resets the cardholder data and all hardware configuration to the state it was before the last import.

    1. On the Access management tab, click Import and export.

    2. Click Undo import.

    3. Click Yes.

    System Health Monitoring BETA

    Use the System Health Monitoring tab to monitor health data from one or more AXIS Camera Station 5 systems on the same network.

    If you manage systems on different networks, AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service provides the same functionality but through the cloud. See Setup AXIS System Health Monitoring Cloud Service for more information.

    Shows a summary of the devices and systems that you have access to. See Inventory.

    Shows a storage summary and recording details of each camera from the monitored systems. See Storage.

    Shows the System Health Monitoring logs from the monitored systems. See Notifications.

    Limitations

    • You can’t monitor storage space for recordings on AXIS S3008 Recorder.

    • Notification settings only affect the local System Health Monitoring server.

    • The system flags recordings with None as the recording type, except for continuous and motion-triggered recordings.

    Workflow

    1. Configure System Health Monitoring BETA

      1. Set up notifications. See Notifications.

      2. Set up multisytem. See Multisystem.

    2. Monitor the health data from AXIS Camera Station 5 systems.

      1. Inventory

      2. Storage

      3. Notifications

    Inventory

    The inventory page shows a summary of the devices and systems that you have access to.

    1. In the System Health Monitoring BETA tab, click .

    2. To view a summary of a system, click AXIS Camera Station.

      The right panel shows system and server details.

    3. To view a summary of a device in a system, click the device in the list.

      The right panel shows device and storage information, if the device contains a video source.

    4. To download the system report, select AXIS Camera Station system report from the Create report drop-down menu. See System report.

    5. To download System Health Monitoring report:

      1. From the Create report drop-down menu, select System Health Monitoring report.

      2. To include the database in the report, select Include all databases and click Download.

      3. When the report is ready, click to save it.

    Storage

    The storage page shows the storage summary and recording details of each camera from the monitored systems. Click a column heading to sort by that column.

    1. In the System Health Monitoring BETA tab, click .

    2. When you monitor multisystem health data, select a system from the drop-down menu.

    Summary
    StatusThe storage status. See Configure storage.
    LocationThe path and name of the storage.
    TotalThe total amount of storage space. Matches "Total size" shown in Windows properties for the storage location.
    AllocatedThe maximum amount of storage assigned to recordings.
    UsedThe storage space currently used for recordings.
    Last updateThe time when the information was last updated.
    Camera
    Status(empty): Normal status.
    Warning icon: Retention isn’t fulfilled.
    Info icon: Retention isn’t fulfilled because the camera recordings are too short.
    NameThe camera name.
    Recording typeThe recording types applied to the camera.
    Set retentionThe retention time configured for the camera under Configuration > Storage > Selection.
    Current retentionThe number of days the recordings have been in storage.
    Oldest recordingThe time of the oldest recording from the camera in the storage.
    Latest recordingThe time of the latest recording from the camera in the storage.
    LocationThe storage location used by the camera.
    Used storageThe amount of storage used by this camera for recordings.
    Last updateThe time when the information was last updated.

    Notifications

    The notifications page shows the System Health Monitoring logs from the monitored systems. Click a column heading to sort by that column.

    In the System Health Monitoring BETA tab, click .

    History
    Notification sentThe time when the notification was sent.
    ItemShows the device name for notifications triggered by device down or system for notifications triggered by system down.
    SystemThe name of the system where the event occurred.
    RuleThe rule that triggered the notification: System down or Device down
    DetectedThe time when the issue was detected.
    ResolvedThe time when the issue was resolved.

    Hotkeys

    The Hotkeys tab shows available hotkeys. The type of hotkey depends on what you use to control AXIS Camera Station 5.

    • A keyboard combination

    • A keypad combination

    • A joystick button

    • A jog dial button

    When you remove a camera or view from a connected server, the associated hotkeys are also removed.

    The system groups the hotkeys into the following categories:

    • Camera

    • Device management

    • Navigate to camera

    • Navigate to view

    • Navigation

    • PTZ presets

    • Recordings

    • Sequences

    • Split view

    • Tab

    • Other

    You must manually assign to the actions in the Navigate to cameras and Navigate to views categories.

    Note
    • When you add or edit a hotkey, and the hotkey is already in use for another action, a warning icon appears. Hover over the warning icon to see the conflict action. Press ESC to cancel. Press ENTER to use the hotkey and automatically remove the conflicting hotkey.
    • When connected to multiple servers, the Navigate to cameras and Navigate to views categories also list the cameras and views on the connected servers.

    Assign a hotkey

    If the keyboard value of an action is empty, click the empty field to add a hotkey for this.

    • To add a hotkey with the keyboard, press Ctrl and at least one another key or a function key F2-F12.

    • To add a hotkey with a keypad, press a numeric key combination or press one of the function keys F1-F5.

    • To add a hotkey with a joystick or jog dial, press the joystick or jog dial button to assign it.

    Edit a hotkey

    Click the keyboard value of an action to edit it.

    Remove a hotkey

    Click the keyboard value of an action to remove it.

    Click to print the hotkey table.

    Click to reset all hotkeys to the original settings.

    Video surveillance control board keys

    Hotkey mapping - JoystickDefault actionAXIS TU9002AXIS T8311
    Button 1Go to preset 1J1J1
    Button 2Go to preset 2J2J2
    Button 3Go to preset 3J3J3
    Button 4Go to preset 4J4J4
    Button 5Simulate left mouse buttonJ5L
    Button 6Simulate left right buttonJ6R
    Button 7Select previous cell in split viewTop left-
    Button 8Select next cell in split viewTop right-
    Button 9Jump to previous recording-
    Button 10Play/pause-
    Button 11Jump to next recording-
    Button 12Add bookmark-
    Button 13Toggle zoom ring function between digital zoom and playback speedM1-
    Button 14Switch between live/recordingsM2-
    Button 15Frame step backwardTop left toggled-
    Button 16Frame step forwardTop right toggled-
    Hotkey mapping - KeypadDefault actionAXIS TU9003AXIS T8312
    AOpen views
    BNavigate to next camera or view
    ALT+BNavigate to previous camera or viewAlt+-
    TABNavigate to the next tab-
    ALT+TABNavigate to the previous tabAlt+-
    C--
    D--
    E--
    PLUSFocus farther+-
    MINUSFocus nearer--
    F2Open hotkeysF2F2
    F4Open logsF4F4
    F5Open configurationF5F5
    F10Auto focusF10-
    Hotkey mapping - JogDefault actionAXIS T8313
    Jog 1Show or hide export markerL
    Jog 2Add bookmark
    Jog 3Jump to previous recording
    Jog 4Play/Pause
    Jog 5Jump to next recording
    Jog 6Switch between live/recordingsR
    Note

    AXIS T8311 Video Surveillance Joystick doesn’t support joystick buttons 7–10.

    Logs

    By default, the Logs tab shows live alarms, events, and audit logs. You can search for previous logs as well. You can configure the number of days to keep logs under Configuration > Server > Settings.

    TimeDate and time of the action.
    TypeThe type of the action: Alarm, Event, or Audit.
    CategoryThe category of the action.
    MessageA short description of the action.
    UserThe AXIS Camera Station 5 user who performs the action.
    ComputerThe computer (Windows domain name) on which AXIS Camera Station 5 is installed. This value is provided by the client and can't be independently verified by the server.
    Windows userThe Windows user who administers AXIS Camera Station 5. This value is provided by the client and can't be independently verified by the server. The User column shows the authenticated user.
    ServerOnly available when connecting to multiple servers.
    The server on which the action occurs.
    ComponentThe component that the log is generated from.

    Search logs

    1. In the Logs tab, click Search under Log search.

    2. In the filter box, type the keywords. AXIS Camera Station 5 searches the log list, excluding Time, and shows results that contain all the keywords. For supported search operators, see Optimize your search.

    3. Select Alarms, Audits, or Events under Filter.

    4. Select a date or a range of dates from the calendar.

    5. Select Start time and End time from the drop-down menus.

    6. Click Search.

    Alarms log

    The Alarms log displays system alarms and those generated by rules and motion detection. The list includes the date and time of the alarm, alarm category, and an alarm message. See Alarms.

    Click an alarm and to open the Recordings tab and start playback when the alarm contains a recording.

    Click an alarm and to open the alarm procedure when the alarm contains an alarm procedure.

    Click an alarm and to notify other clients that the alarms have been acknowledged.

    Click an alarm and to export the log to a text file.

    Events log

    The Events log displays camera and server events, for example recordings, triggers, alarms, errors, and system messages, in a list. The list includes the date and time of the event, event category, and an event message. Select the events and click in the toolbar to export the events as a text file.

    Audit log

    In the Audit log, you can view all user actions, such as manual recordings, video streaming started or stopped, action rules, door created, and cardholder created. Select the audits and click in the toolbar to export them as a text file.

    Alarms

    The Alarms tab is available at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station 5 client and displays triggered events and system alarms. For information about how to create alarms, see Action rules. For information about the alarm "Database maintenance is required", see Database maintenance.

    Time

    The time the alarm occurred.

    Category

    The category of the triggered alarm.

    Description

    A brief description of the alarm.

    Server

    Available when connected to multiple servers. The AXIS Camera Station 5 server that sends the alarm.

    Component

    The component that triggers the alarm.

    Shows an alarm procedure. Only available when the alarm contains an alarm procedure.

    Goes to recordings. Only available when the alarm contains a recording.

    Acknowledge the selected alarm

    Remove the alarm. The alarm is only temporarily removed if you don’t acknowledge it first.

    To deal with a specific alarm:

    1. Click Alarms and Tasks at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station 5 client, and open the Alarms tab.

    2. For alarms with a recording, select the alarm and click to go to the recording in the Recording alerts tab.

    3. For alarms without a recording, open a tab with live view and double-click the alarm to show the recording for the time of the alarm in the Recording alerts tab.

    4. For alarms with an alarm procedure, select the alarm and click to open the alarm procedure.

    5. To notify other clients that the alarms have been acknowledged, select the alarms and click .

    6. To remove the alarms from the list, select the alarms and click .

    Tasks

    The Tasks tab is available at the bottom of the AXIS Camera Station 5 client.

    The following tasks are personal and are only visible for the administrators and the users who started them:

    • System report

    • Create incident report

    • Export recordings

    If you are an administrator, you can view and operate all tasks started by any user, including the personal tasks.

    If you are an operator or viewer, you can:

    • View all tasks started by you and the tasks started by other users that aren’t personal.

    • Cancel or retry the tasks you started. You can only retry the incident report and export recordings tasks.

    • View the result of all tasks in the list.

    • Remove any finished tasks in the list. This only affects the local client.

    NameThe name of the task.
    StartThe time when the task started.
    MessageShows the status or information about the task.
    The possible statuses:
    • Canceling: Cleaning up before canceling the task.

    • Canceled: Cleaning is complete and the task is canceled.

    • Error: The task failed on one or more devices.

    • Finished: Task completed.

    • Finished during lost connection: The task completed while the server connection was down. Task status can't be determined.

    • Lost connection: The client lost connection with the server while the task ran. Task status can't be determined.

    • Running: Performing the task.

    • Pending: Waiting for another task to complete.

    OwnerThe user who initiated the task.
    ProgressShows the progress of the task.
    ServerAvailable when connected to multiple servers. Shows AXIS Camera Station 5 server that performs the task.

    To deal with one or more tasks:

    1. Click Alarms and Tasks at the bottom of AXIS Camera Station 5 client, and click the Tasks tab.

    2. Select the tasks and click one of the actions

    Click to display the Task result dialog.

    Click to cancel the task.

    Click to delete the tasks from the list.

    If the task fails when you export recordings or create incident reports, click to retry the failed task.

    Task result

    If a task was performed on multiple devices, the dialog shows the results for each device. Review and configure all failed operations manually.

    For most tasks, the following details are listed. For tasks such as Export recordings and System report, double-click the task to open the folder with the saved files.

    MAC addressThe MAC address of the updated device.
    AddressThe IP address of the updated device.
    MessageInformation about how the task was executed:
    • Finished: The task completed successfully.

    • Error: The task was unable to complete on the device.

    • Canceled: The task was canceled before completion.

    DescriptionInformation about the task.

    Depending on the type of performed task, the following details are listed:

    New addressThe newly assigned IP address of the device.
    Action rulesThe firmware version and the product name of the device.
    DetailsThe serial number and IP address of a replaced device and the serial number and IP address of the new device.
    Reference IDThe reference ID of the incident report.

    Generate reports

    Client configuration sheet

    The client configuration sheet is useful for troubleshooting and when you contact support.

    To view an HTML overview of the client system configuration:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Diagnostics.

    2. Click View client configuration sheet.

    Server configuration sheet

    The Server configuration sheet includes information about general configuration, camera settings including action rules, schedules, recording storage, auxiliary devices, and licenses. This is useful for troubleshooting and when you contact support.

    To view an HTML overview of the server system configuration:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Diagnostics.

    2. Click View server configuration sheet.

    System report

    The system report is a .zip file that contains parameters and log files that help Axis Customer Support to analyze your system.

    Always include a system report when you contact Customer Support.

    To generate the system report:

    1. Go to the menu in the top right corner.

    2. Click Help > System report.

    3. Edit the file name if you want to change it from the automatically generated one.

    4. Click Browse to select where to save the system report.

    5. Choose your preferred settings:

      • Automatically open folder when report is ready to open it immediately.

      • Include all databases to add detailed information about recordings and system data.

      • Include screenshots of all monitors to help analyze the system report.

    6. Click OK.

    Generate a system report

    AXIS Installation Verifier

    AXIS Installation Verifier starts a performance test after installation to verify that all the devices in a system are fully operational. The test takes about 20 minutes to run.

    Tests

    Normal conditions

    Test of data streaming and storage using the current system settings in AXIS Camera Station 5. Results show as passed or failed.

    Low light conditions

    Test of data streaming and storage using settings optimized for typical low light conditions. Results show as passed or failed.

    Stress test

    Tests that incrementally increase data streaming and storage until the system reaches its maximum limit. Results show the maximum system performance.

    Note
    • You can only test devices that support AXIS Camera Application Platform 2 (ACAP 2) and later.
    • During the test, AXIS Camera Station 5 goes into maintenance mode, and all surveillance activities are temporarily unavailable.

    To start the test:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Diagnostics.

    2. Click Open AXIS installation verifier....

    3. Click Start.

    4. When the test finishes, click View report to open it Save report to save it.

    Feedback

    You can choose to share anonymous client usage data automatically when you configure the client and manually send your feedback to help us improve AXIS Camera Station 5 and your user experience. SeeConfigure client.

    Note

    Don’t use the feedback form to submit support requests.

    1. Go to > Help > Feedback.

    2. Choose a reaction and enter your feedback.

    3. Click Send.

    Asset list

    You can export a list of assets for your video management system. The asset list includes the name, type, model, status, and serial number of the following:

    • All connected servers

    • All connected devices

    • The client terminal from which you export the asset list when connected to multiple terminals

    To export an asset list:

    1. Go to > Other > Asset list.

    2. Click Export.

    3. Select the file location and click Save.

    4. Under Latest export, a link to the file appears or is updated.

    5. Click the link to go to the file location.

    Body worn settings

    To connect with a body worn system, you must create a connection file. See Set up an Axis body worn system.

    Note

    Before you create the connection file, renew the server certificate if the server IP address has changed, or AXIS Camera Station was upgraded from a version earlier than 5.33. For how to renew the certificate, see Certificates.

    To create a connection file:

    1. Go to > Other > Body worn settings.

    2. To change the default site name shown in your body worn system, enter a new name.

    3. Click Export.

    4. Under Latest export, a link to the file appears or updates.

    5. Click the link to go to the file location.

    Set up an Axis body worn system
    Playback and export Axis body worn camera recordings

    Status of Axis services

    To view the status of Axis online services:

    1. Go to Configuration > Server > Diagnostics.

    2. Click View status of Axis services.

    AXIS Camera Station 5 service control

    The server uses AXIS Camera Station 5 service control to start, stop, and change its settings. It automatically starts after the installation is complete. If the server computer restarts, service control automatically restart in about 2 minutes. An icon in Windows notification area shows the status of the service.

    Right-click the icon, and select Open AXIS Camera Station Service ControlStart ServiceStop ServiceRestart Service, or Exit.

    To open service control from the start menu:

    Go to the Start menu and select All Programs > Tools > Service Control.

    Running

    Starting

    Stopped

    Modify Settings

    Select to change the server settings.

    Restore Default Settings

    Click to restore all settings to the original default settings.

    Start

    Click to change the server status.

    Stop

    Restart

    Click to restart the server.

    General

    In AXIS Camera Station 5 service control, select Modify settings and click General to change the general server settings.

    Server settings

    Server name

    The name of the server. The server name appears in the software client. The default server name is the computer name. The name doesn't change if you change the computer name.

    Ports range

    Specify the range of ports. The rest of the ports change automatically.

    Server HTTP port

    The HTTP port number that the server uses to communicate with the client. The default port is 55752.

    Server TCP port

    The TCP port number that the server uses to communicate with the client. The default port is 55754. The port number is calculated by adding 2 to the server port number.

    Mobile communication port

    The mobile port number that the server uses to communicate with the client. The default port is 55756. The port number is calculated by adding 4 to the server port number.

    Mobile streaming port

    The mobile port number that the server uses for video streaming. The default port is 55757. The port number is calculated by adding 5 to the server port number.

    Component communication port

    The port number used by the component to communicate with network devices through the server. The default port is 55759. The port number is calculated by adding 7 to the server port number.

    Ports used by AXIS Camera Station 5 components

    After you specify the port range, the list shows the ports usable for the components. The default port range for AXIS Camera Station 5 components is 55760–55764.

    Allow AXIS Camera Station 5 to add exceptions to the Windows Firewall

    Select to allow AXIS Camera Station 5 to automatically add exceptions to the Windows Firewall when a user changes the port range.

    Note
    • If there is a NAT, firewall, or similar between the server and the client, configure the NAT or firewall to allow these ports to pass through.
    • The port numbers must be within the range 1024-65534.
    Proxy settings

    Direct connection

    Select this option if there isn’t a proxy server between AXIS Camera Station 5 server and the cameras in the system.

    System account Internet options / automatic

    Default proxy settings. This option uses the current proxy settings in Internet Options for the system account.

    Use manual proxy settings

    Select this option if a proxy server separates the AXIS Camera Station 5 server and any cameras in the system. Enter the address and port number of the proxy server. This is usually the same address and port number under Internet Options in Windows Control Panel.

    • Specify to not use the proxy server with addresses beginning with certain characters.

    • Select Always bypass proxy server for local addresses and enter local addresses or hostnames of local cameras where communication doesn’t need to pass through the proxy. You can use wildcards in the address or hostnames, for example: "192." or ".mydomain.com".

    Port list for AXIS Camera Station 5

    The following tables show which ports and protocols AXIS Camera Station 5 uses. You may need to allow these in your firewall for optimum performance and usability. We calculate port numbers based on the default HTTP main port 55752.

    AXIS Camera Station 5 server sends data to devices on the following ports:

    PortNumberProtocolIn/OutDescription
    Main HTTP and HTTPS ports80 & 443TCPOutboundUsed for video streams and device data.
    Default bonjour port5353UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)Used to discover devices with mDNS Discovery (Bonjour). Multicast 224.0.0.251.
    If unable to bind to the default port it can be because another application uses it and refuses to share it. In that case a random port is used. Bonjour doesn’t discover devices with link-local addresses when you use a random port.
    Default SSDP port1900UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)Used to discover devices with SSDP (UPNP).
    Multicast 239.255.255.250.
    Default WS-Discovery port3702UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)WS-Discovery webservices discovery used to discover Onvif devices.
    Multicast 239.255.255.250.

    AXIS Camera Station 5 server receives data from clients on the following ports:

    PortNumberProtocolIn/OutCommunication betweenDescription
    Default SSDP port1900UDPMulticast (Inbound + Outbound)Server and clientUsed to discover AXIS Camera Station 5 servers with SSDP (UPNP).
    Multicast 239.255.255.250.
    Main HTTP port and HTTP streaming port55752TCPInboundServer and clientUsed for video, audio, metadata stream (AES encryption).
    Main TCP port55754TCPInboundServer and client+2 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for application data (TLS 1.2 encryption).

    For 5.15.007 or lower, TLS 1.1 encryption is used.

    SSDP web server port55755TCPInboundServer and client+3 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for AXIS Camera Station 5 server discovery with SSDP/UPNP.
    API web server port55756TCPInboundServer and mobile app+4 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for application data and video stream MP4 over HTTPS.
    API media port55757TCPInboundServer and mobile app+5 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for video stream RTSP over HTTP.
    Local proxy HTTP port55758TCPInboundInternal communication in server+6 offset from main HTTP port.
    +2 offset from API web server port.
    Only accessible internally on AXIS Camera Station 5 server computer.
    Workaround port for unknown issue. Mobile apps makes calls to the SRA module, which receives HTTPS, converts it to HTTP and resends it to the local proxy HTTP port and the API media port.
    Web proxy endpoint port55759TCPInboundServer and component+7 offset from main HTTP port.
    Used for secure communication between component and devices.

    Reserved ports for components

    ComponentListens on interfacePortNumberProtocolIn/OutCommunication betweenDescription
    Secure Entry Localhost (127.0.0.1)Web server port

    55766

    HTTPSInboundClient (Access management tab) and component

    +14 offset from main HTTP port.

    Older installations used port 8081.
    Secure EntryAll (0.0.0.0/INADDR_ANY)Web server port

    55767

    HTTPSInboundMain server and sub servers

    +15 offset from main HTTP port.

    Used for communication between main server and sub servers in multi-server setup.
    System Health MonitoringAll (0.0.0.0/INADDR_ANY)Web server port

    55768

    HTTPSInboundClient (System Health Monitoring tab) and component

    +16 offset from main HTTP port.

    Used to host System Health Monitoring web pages and for sharing data in multisystem setup.
    System Health Monitoring Cloud ServicelocalhostWeb server port

    55769

    HTTPSInboundAXIS Camera Station 5 (web page) and CloudService backend (plugin)

    +17 offset from main HTTP port.

    Used for System Health Monitoring Cloud Service to enable System health monitoring.
    Smart search 2localhostWeb server port

    55770

    HTTPSInboundClient (Smart search tab) and component

    +18 offset from main HTTP port.

    Used to host Smart Search API and serve client web page.

    55771

    Reserved for future use.

    55772

    Reserved for future use.

    55773

    Reserved for future use.

    55774

    Reserved for future use.

    55775

    Reserved for future use.

    55776

    Reserved for future use.

    55777

    Reserved for future use.

    55778

    Reserved for future use.

    55779

    Reserved for future use.

    55780

    Reserved for future use-

    55781

    Reserved for future use.

    55782

    Reserved for future use.

    55783

    Reserved for future use.
    Local-IAM (IDP)0.0.0.0IDP_OIDC (Public)

    55784

    HTTPSInboundReverse proxy and local-iam

    +32 offset from main HTTP port.

    Public port.
    Local-IAM (IDP)0.0.0.0MTLS (Admin)

    55785

    HTTPSInboundThird party services

    +33 offset from main HTTP port.

    Administrator port.
    Local-IAM (IDP)127.0.0.1TOKENIZER

    55786

    HTTPSInboundThird party services

    +34 offset from main HTTP port.

    Tokenizer port.

    55787

    Reserved for future use.

    Opentelemetry127.0.0.1gRPC port

    55788

    gRPCInboundThird party services

    +36 offset from main HTTP port.

    Opentelemetry127.0.0.1HTTP port

    55789

    HTTPSInboundThird party services

    +37 offset from main HTTP port.

    Web server port

    55790

    HTTPSInbound3rd party integration services and component

    55791

    Reserved for future use.

    55792

    Reserved for future use.

    55793

    Reserved for future use.

    55794

    Reserved for future use.

    55795

    Reserved for future use.
    NATS Broker127.0.0.1NATS

    55796

    NATSInboundBetween AXIS Camera Station 5 and components, and between components themselves

    +44 offset from main HTTP port.

    Opentelemetry127.0.0.1HTTP port

    55797

    HTTPInboundMonitoring endpoint to fetch metrics from the open telemetry collector

    +45 offset from main HTTP port.

    Other ports

    PortNumberProtocolIn/OutCommunication betweenDescription
    Internet HTTPS80 & 443TCPOutboundClient and server to internetUsed for license activation, download firmware, connected services etc.
    Server TCP streaming port55750TCPInboundServer and device-2 offset from main HTTP port.
    Upgrade status UDP port15156UDPInbound + OutboundServer and service controlAXIS Camera Station 5 service control listens on the port, and the server broadcasts the status of an ongoing upgrade.

    Database

    Database files

    Core database files

    AXIS Camera Station 5 stores the core database files under C:\ProgramData\AXIS Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server.

    For AXIS Camera Station versions earlier than 5.13, there is only one database file: ACS.FDB.

    For AXIS Camera Station version 5.13 or later, there are three database files:

    • ACS.FDB: This main database file contains the system configuration such as devices, views, permissions, events, and stream profiles.

    • ACS_LOGS.FDB: This logs database file contains references to the logs.

    • ACS_RECORDINGS.FDB: This recordings database file contains the metadata and references to the recordings stored in the location specified under Configuration > Storage. AXIS Camera Station 5 requires this file to display the recordings in the timeline during playback.

    Component database files

    SecureEntry.db
    AXIS Secure Entry database file contains all access control data except cardholder photos. It’s saved under C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Secure Entry.
    smartSearch.sqlite3
    The smart search database file contains camera configuration and saved search filters. It’s saved under C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Smart Search\data.

    Database settings

    The system backs up the database every night and before each upgrade. In AXIS Camera Station 5 service control, select Modify settings and click Database to change the backup settings.

    Backup folder

    Click Browse and select where to save the database backups. Restart AXIS Camera Station 5 server to apply the change.

    If the backup folder path is incorrect or AXIS Camera Station 5 doesn’t have access to the network share, the backup is saved toC:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\backup.

    Days to keep backups

    Specify the number of days to keep backups. You can set any number between 1 and 30. Default is 14 days.

    Upgrade progress

    Click View details to view the details about the latest database upgrade. It includes events that happened since last restart of AXIS Camera Station 5 service control.

    Backup database

    The database contains information about recordings and other metadata necessary for the system to work properly.

    Important
    • The database doesn’t store the recordings. Specify a storage location under Configuration > Storage and back up the recordings separately.
    • Server settings, proxy settings, and database settings in AXIS Camera Station 5 service control aren’t saved.
    System backup

    The system automatically saves the system backup in the folder specified on the Database tab. See Database settings. A system backup includes both the core database files and the component database files. See Database files.

    Backup files

    System_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.zip

    A nightly triggered backup.

    PreUpgrade_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.zip

    A backup triggered before a database update.

    User_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.zip

    A backup triggered before the removal of a storage.

    In the .zip file, you can find the following files:

    ACS

    This folder includes the core database files ACS.FDB, ACS_LOGS.FDB, and ACS_RECORDINGS.FDB.

    Components

    This folder is only available if you use a component, for example, AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry or smart search.

    • ACMSM: This folder includes AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry database file SecureEntry.db and cardholder photos.

    • smartsearch: This folder includes smart search database file smartSearch-backup-yyyyMMddHHmmssfff.sqlite3.

    backup_summary.json

    This file includes more detailed information about the backup.

    Maintenance backup

    Specify the backup folder to store the maintenance backups in the Database tab. SeeDatabase settings. A maintenance backup includes the core database files with each database file in a separate folder PreMaintenance_YYYY-MM-DD-HH-mm-SSSS.

    It can be triggered in different ways:

    • Automatically when you update AXIS Camera Station 5.

    • When you manually run Database maintainer fromAXIS Camera Station 5 service control. See Database maintenance.

    • Automatically by the scheduled database maintenance task configured in Windows Task Scheduler. See Tools.

    Manual backup
    Note

    A manual backup can only back up the core database files. It doesn’t back up the component database files, for example, smart search database file.

    There are two ways you can do a manual backup:

    • Go to C:\ProgramData\AXIS Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server and make a copy of the database files.

    • Generate a system report with all databases included and copy the database backup files. Make sure to select Include all databases. See System report.

    Restore database

    If you lose the database due to hardware failure or other problems, you can restore the database from one of the saved backups. By default, the system keeps the backup files for 14 days. For more information about database backup, see Backup database.

    Note

    The database doesn’t store the recordings. Specify a storage location under Configuration > Storage and back up the recordings separately.

    To restore the database:

    1. Go to AXIS Camera Station 5 service control and click Stop to stop the service.

    2. Go to the database backup files. See Backup database.

    3. Extract the files.

    4. In the extracted folder, copy the following database files under ACS to C:\ProgramData\AXIS Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\.

      • ACS.FDB - You must copy this file to restore the database.

      • ACS_LOGS.FDB - Copy this file if you want to restore logs.

      • ACS_RECORDINGS.FDB - Copy this file if you want to restore recordings.

    5. If you use AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry, copy SecureEntry.db from Components > ACMSM to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Secure Entry 2\INTERNAL\main_db.

    6. If you use smart search, copy smartSearch-backup-yyyyMMddHHmmssfff.sqlite3 from smartsearch to C:\ProgramData\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station\Components\AXIS Smart Search\data and rename it to smartSearch.sqlite3.

    7. Go back to AXIS Camera Station 5 service control and click Start to start the service.

    Database maintenance

    Perform database maintenance if the alarm Database maintenance is required appears or if the system shuts down unexpectedly, for example after a power outage.

    To start database maintenance, see Tools.

    Note

    AXIS Camera Station Secure Entry uses DB Janitor to monitor and shrink the database files if necessary. The access control system becomes temporarily unavailable when forced shrinking occurs.

    Database best practice

    To avoid problems, keep the following in mind:

    Check for disk errors
    Disk errors can cause database corruption. Use a tool such as chkdsk (Check disk also known as Error checking) to look for damaged sectors on the hard drive used for the database. Run chkdsk regularly.
    Antivirus software and external backups
    Don't run virus scans on the database because some antivirus software can corrupt it. If you use an external backup system, don't back up the active database. Create a backup from the files in the backup folder instead.
    Power failure
    An unexpected shutdown, for example due to power failure, can corrupt the database. Use a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for critical installations.
    Out of space
    The database can become corrupted if the hard drive runs out of space. To avoid this, install AXIS Camera Station 5 server on a computer with sufficient memory. For hardware requirements, see axis.com/products/axis-camera-station/hardware-guidelines.
    Corrupted RAM memory
    Run Windows Memory Diagnostic regularly to check for RAM errors.

    Tools

    In AXIS Camera Station 5 service control, select Modify settings and click Tools to start database maintenance and create partial system reports.

    Database maintainer

    • Open AXIS Camera Station 5 service control.

    • Click Tools.

    • Under Database maintainer, click Run.

    • The estimated downtime appears. Click Yes to continue. Once started, the process can’t be canceled.

    Note
    • AXIS Camera Station 5 server and all ongoing recordings stop during maintenance. After maintenance, the server starts automatically.
    • Don’t turn off the computer during maintenance.
    • Database maintenance requires administrator rights on the Windows computer.
    • If database maintenance can’t recover the database, contact Axis technical support.

    Make sure to run database maintenance if the alarm "Database maintenance is required" appears or if the system shuts down unexpectedly, for example after a power outage.

    Database maintenance can also be scheduled to run automatically if you turn on "AXIS Camera Station 5 Database Maintenance Task" in Windows Task Scheduler. You can edit the trigger to customize when and how often to run the Database maintainer.

    System report

    The partial system report is a .zip file that contains parameters and log files that help Axis customer support to analyze your system. Always include a system report when you contact customer support. To generate a complete system report, go to > Help > System report in AXIS Camera Station 5 client.

    To generate a partial system report:

    1. Click Run.

    2. Select and enter the requested information in the dialog.

    3. Click Generate report.

    System Report Tool

    File name

    Enter a file name for the system report.

    Folder

    Select where to save the system report.

    Automatically open folder when report is ready

    Select to automatically open the folder when the system report is ready.

    Include database file in report

    Select to include the database in the system report. The AXIS Camera Station 5 database contains information about recordings and data necessary for the system to work properly.

    Network logging

    • Click the link to download a network protocol analyzer application.

    • Once installed, click Start to run the application.

    Reset certificate authority

    • Click Reset to generate a new certificate authority and restart the service.

    • Once the service restarts, you'll be able to log in and import a custom certificate authority if needed.

    Troubleshooting

    About this guide

    This guide is a collection of issues related to AXIS Camera Station 5 and how to troubleshoot them. Issues are grouped by topic to make them easier to find. A topic can be, for example, audio or live view. Every issue includes a suggested solution.

    For more resources including hardware requirements, software upgrades, and tutorials, visit axis.com/support.

    1. If you experience general issues, try restarting the AXIS Camera Station 5 server service before troubleshooting further:
    2. Go to Configuration > Server > Diagnostics.

    3. Click Restart AXIS Camera Station server service....

    Note

    Restarting the server service can take a while, and there's no way to cancel the restart. The server is unavailable, and all connected devices lose connection while it restarts.

    Learn more

    Visit axis.com/support for

    • Frequently Asked Questions

    • Hardware requirements

    • Software upgrades

    • Tutorials, training material and other useful information

    The AXIS Camera Station 5 service

    The service restarts often

    • The server can be overloaded, which causes a long task queue and can also corrupt the databases.
    • Check whether AXIS Camera Station 5 or any other application is using a high number of resources.

    • Run the Database maintainer. See Database maintenance.

    If none of the above helps, contact Axis Support. Go to Escalation process.

    Devices in the video management system

    Common issues

    The listed cameras weren’t added because the VMS can’t contact the camera

    1. Make sure the camera has a network connection, that there’s power, and that the camera is running.

    2. Go to Configuration > Add devices and try to add the camera again.

    The listed cameras weren’t added because the user canceled the installation

    To add the cameras, go to Configuration > Add devices.

    Password can’t be set for the listed cameras

    1. To set the password manually, go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Right-click the camera and select User Management > Set password.

    Device can't be added

    The device was used in a different system before it was added to AXIS Camera Station 5

    • Perform a factory reset on the device.

    • Try adding the device to AXIS Device Manager.

    A different device model is added instead of the one you want

    This may be a compatibility issue. Use the latest AXIS Camera Station 5 version.

    Not possible to add another device model

    Troubleshoot the camera at axis.com/support/troubleshooting.

    Can't upgrade device firmware through AXIS Camera Station 5

    The camera’s firmware can't be upgraded from its web interface

    Troubleshoot the camera at axis.com/support/troubleshooting.

    Firmware can’t be upgraded on all devices

    • Make sure there’s a network connection.

    • If it’s not a network-related issue, contact Axis support. Go to Escalation process.

    Firmware can’t be upgraded for specific models

    This may be a compatibility issue. Contact Axis support. Go to Escalation process.

    No devices found

    The video management system automatically searches the network for connected cameras and video encoders but hasn't found any.

    • Make sure the camera has a network connection and that there’s power.

    • If the client, server, or cameras are located on different networks, configure the proxy and firewall settings.

      • Change the client proxy settings if a proxy server separates the client and the server.

      • Change the NAT or security system if a NAT or security system separates the client and the server. Make sure to allow the HTTP port, TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) port, and streaming port specified in AXIS Camera Station service control to pass through the security system or NAT. To view the full port list, see Port list for AXIS Camera Station 5.

    • Add cameras manually. Go to Add devices.

    Repeated message "Reconnecting to camera in 15 seconds"

    Possible issues:

    • An overloaded network.

    • The camera isn’t accessible. Check that the camera has a network connection.

    • There are problems with the graphics card.

    Possible solutions for graphics card problems:

    • Install the latest graphics card driver.

    • Upgrade to a graphics card with more video memory and higher performance.

    • Use the CPU for video rendering. Select it under Graphics card in Hardware decoding. You can find this setting under Configuration > Client > Streaming.

    • Adjust the video and audio settings. For example, optimize the profile settings for low bandwidth.

    Recordings

    Common issues

    Continuous recording isn’t turned on

    1. To turn on continuous recording, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera and turn on Continuous.

    Can’t record on the specified drive

    1. To use a different storage, go to Configuration > Storage > management.

    2. Add the storage and configure the storage settings for the cameras.

    Can’t install the AXIS Video Content Stream application

    1. To install the application manually, go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. Select a camera and click .

    Recording doesn't start

    If recordings don't start, or if they stop after a few seconds, the disk is full or there's too much intruding data.

    • In the server configuration sheet, under Recording Storage check that there’s free space and no intruding data.

    • Increase the storage limit for the video management system.

    • Assign more storage to the storage pool. See Configure storage.

    Recording gaps during continuous recording

    Gaps trigger alarms labeled Recording errors. The gaps can occur for several reasons, such as:

    • Server overload

    • Network issue

    • Camera overload

    • Disk overload

    Check whether the recording gaps occur on all cameras. If they don't occur on all cameras, it may indicate camera overload. Use these questions to help identify the cause:

    • How often does the gap occur – every hour or every day?

    • How long is the gap – seconds or hours?

    • At what time does the gap occur?

    Possible solutions:

    • In the server task manager, check whether any hardware resource is being used more than normal. If the disk shows signs of overuse, add more disks and move some cameras to record to the new disks.

    • Reduce the volume of data written to the disk (video settings, Zipstream, frame rate, resolution). Consider the throughput estimated by AXIS Site Designer, see axis.com/support/tools/axis-site-designer.

    For more information, see Live view and playback performance.

    Can't play exported recordings

    If Windows Media Player doesn’t play your exported recordings, check the file format. To play your exported recordings, use Windows Media Player (.asf) or AXIS File Player (.asf, .mp4, .mkv).

    For more information, see Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player.

    Note

    AXIS File Player automatically opens all recordings that are in the same folder as the player.

    Recordings disappear

    The system saves recordings only for a specified number of days. To change the number of days, go to Configuration > Storage > Selection.

    If storage is full, the system may delete recordings before the retention period ends. To avoid full storage, try the following:

    • Add more storage. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    • Change the amount of storage space assigned to AXIS Camera Station 5. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management.

    • Reduce the size of recorded files by changing, for example, resolution or frame rate. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

      • Use the H.264 video format for recording. The M-JPEG format requires much more storage space.

      • Use Zipstream to further reduce the size of the recordings.

    Failover recording issues

    The bandwidth between the camera and the server is insufficient to transfer the recording

    Increase the bandwidth.

    The camera didn’t record to the SD card during the disconnection
    The camera time changed or shifted since the disconnection
    • Make sure to set up NTP for future recordings.

    • Synchronize the camera’s time with the server, or use the same NTP server on the camera as on the server.

    Note

    Failover recording doesn't work during controlled server shutdowns or connection interruptions shorter than 10 seconds.

    Live view

    Live view and playback performance

    This section describes possible solutions if you experience either frame loss or graphical issues within your AXIS Camera Station 5 client.

    Client hardware

    Verify that the graphic card’s or network adapter’s driver is up to date

    1. Open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (search for dxdiag on the computer).

    2. Go to the manufacturer’s website to make sure the driver is the latest for this OS.

    3. Check that the client and server run on the same machine.

    4. Try to run the client on a dedicated computer.

    Verify the number of monitors

    We don’t recommend more than two monitors per graphics card.

    Note

    We don't support running the client on a virtual machine.

    The graphics card doesn’t support the encoding format configured under Configuration > Devices > Stream Profiles

    • Make sure the graphics card supports the encoding format of your streams.

    • Try using different encoding formats.

    • If a supported encoding format doesn’t work as expected on multiple cameras, make sure your graphics card drivers are up to date.

    Connected devices

    Many clients connected at the same time

    Based on your typical use case, make sure the system meets the requirements and follow the hardware guidelines. See axis.com/products/axis-camera-station/hardware-guidelines.

    The camera is connected to another video management system than AXIS Camera Station 5

    Disconnect the camera from the other client and default the camera before you connect it to AXIS Camera Station 5.

    One camera uses many different streams, especially high resolution

    This could be a problem especially for some M-Line cameras or multi-sensor cameras.

    • Change the stream to the same streaming profile or lower resolution. See Stream profiles.

    Server overload

    Unusual CPU or RAM usage corresponding to the same time as the issue

    Make sure no other application that consumes CPU or RAM runs at the same time.

    Network issue

    Unusual bandwidth usage corresponding to the same time as the issue

    Make sure no other application that uses a lot of bandwidth runs at the same time.

    Enough bandwidth, remote or local network

    • Look over your network topology.

    • Do a health check on any network device, such as switch, router, network adapter, and cable, in use between cameras, server and client.

    No video in live view

    Live view doesn’t display video from a known camera.

    • Turn off hardware decoding. Hardware decoding is set to Auto by default. See Hardware decoding in Streaming.

    • If you have an antivirus software installed, it might block live streams or AXIS Camera Station 5 folders and processes. See the FAQ.

    Other possible solutions:

    • If you can’t see the live view through the web interface, or if the web interface doesn’t work, troubleshoot the camera. Go to axis.com/support/troubleshooting.

    • Create a camera server report. Go to axis.com/support/troubleshooting.

    • Make sure the firewall doesn’t block connections on certain ports, see General.

    • Make sure the Desktop Experience was installed for supported Windows server OS versions. See Scheduled export.

    • Verify that the lower resolution stream works correctly.

    If none of the above helps, go to Escalation process.

    Storage

    Network storage isn't accessible

    If you use the local system account to log in to AXIS Camera Station 5 service control, you can’t add network storage that links to shared folders on other computers.

    To change the service logon account:

    1. Open Windows Control Panel.

    2. Search for “Services”.

    3. Click View local services.

    4. Right-click AXIS Camera Station 5 and select Properties.

    5. Go to the Log on tab.

    6. Change from Local System account to This account.

    7. Select a user with access to Windows Active Directory.

    Network storage is unavailable

    Make sure the computer and server that run the video management software are part of the same domain as the network storage.

    Can't reconnect to a network storage with new username and password

    If your network storage requires authentication, it’s important to disconnect the network storage from all ongoing connections before you change your username and password.

    To change the username and password for a network storage and reconnect:

    1. Disconnect your network storage from all ongoing connections.

    2. Change the username and password.

    3. Go to Configuration > Storage > Management and reconnect your network storage with your new username and password.

    Motion detection

    Common issues

    Can’t install the AXIS Video Motion Detection application

    To install the application manually, go to Install camera applications.

    Can’t retrieve current motion detection

    1. Restore the camera to factory settings:
    2. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    3. Right-click the problem camera and click Restore the camera to factory settings.

    The camera is unavailable during the reset. IP and HTTPS settings aren't affected. When the reset is done, the status column shows Set password. Click Set password to reconnect the camera to the server.

    Motion detection not configured

    1. To configure motion detection manually, go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera and click Motion settings to configure motion detection.

    Motion detection isn’t turned on

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera and turn on Motion detection to turn on motion detection recording.

    The motion detection detects too many or too few moving objects

    This section describes possible solutions if you have more or fewer detections in your recordings related to Video Motion Detection.

    Adjust motion settings

    You can select motion settings to adjust the area that detects moving objects.

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera and click Motion Settings.

    3. Choose settings according to the camera firmware.

    AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4

    You can configure the area of interest. See Edit AXIS Video Motion Detection 2 and 4.

    Built-in motion detection

    You can configure the included and excluded windows. See Edit built-in motion detection.

    Adjust trigger period

    The trigger period is the interval between two successive triggers. Use this setting to reduce the number of successive recordings. If an additional trigger occurs within the interval, the recording continues and the trigger period starts over.

    To change the trigger period:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    2. Select the camera.

    3. Under Advanced adjust Trigger period in seconds.

    Audio

    No audio in live view

    If there’s no audio in live view, do the following:

    • Make sure that the camera has audio capabilities.

    • Make sure that the computer has an audio card and that the card is in use.

    • Make sure that the profile in use was configured for audio.

    • Make sure the user has access rights to audio.

    Configure profiles for audio
    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles.

    2. Select the camera.

    3. Select MPEG-4 or H.264 under Format in the video profile settings.

    4. Under Audio, select a microphone in the Microphone drop-down menu.

    5. Select when to use audio in the Use microphone for drop-down menu.

    6. If applicable, select a speaker in the Speaker drop-down menu.

    7. Click OK.

    Check and change user access rights
    Note

    To follow these steps, you must have administrator rights to AXIS Camera Station 5.

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

    2. Select the user or group.

    3. Select Audio listen or Audio speak for a specific device.

    4. Click Apply.

    No audio in sequences

    You can turn on or off audio in stream profiles. For more information, see Stream profiles.

    No audio in playback

    Audio is available in playback if you turn on audio in the profile used for the recording.

    Note

    You can’t use audio with M-JPEG video. Select another video format.

    To use audio in recordings:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Stream profiles to set the video format for the video profile you want to use.

    2. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Recording method.

    3. Select the camera.

    4. Select the profile you configured from the Profile drop-down menu.

    5. Click Apply.

    Rule-triggered recordings

    To enable audio in an existing rule:

    1. Go to Configuration > Recording and events > Action rules.

    2. Select the rule and click Edit.

    3. Click Next to go to Actions.

    4. Select the Record action and click Edit.

    5. Select a profile that uses audio.

    6. Click Finish to save.

    Login

    Unable to log in or connect to server

    This section describes login and connection problems that occur when connected to a single server. When you're logged in to multiple servers, the client starts and shows the connection status in the status bar. For more information about the connection status, see Connection status.

    The username or password is incorrect

    • Review the spelling or use a different account.

    • Make sure the user has access rights to AXIS Camera Station 5 server.

    • The clocks in AXIS Camera Station 5 server and client must be synchronized. For domain users, the domain server clock must be synchronized with the server and client.

    • A user that wasn’t added to the server but is a member of the local administrators group must run the client as administrator.

    • For information about user access rights, see User permissions.

    A user isn’t authorized to log in to the server

    Add the user in the User permissions dialog.

    Unable to verify message security

    The server and client UTC times must be reasonably synchronized. Adjust the client and server time to be within 3 hours from each other.

    No contact with the server

    • Make sure the server computer can connect to the network.

    • Make sure the server computer is running.

    • Make sure the firewall is properly configured.

    • Check the spelling of the server address.

    • Check the client proxy settings.

    No response from the server

    Make sure that you connect to the right computer and that AXIS Camera Station 5 server is running.

    Client can’t connect to the server

    Make sure that your network is properly configured:

    • Verify that the OS is supported. For a full list of the supported OS, go to release notes.

    • From Service Control, verify that the AXIS Camera Station 5 server is running, or start the server if necessary.

    • Verify that the client and the server are connected to the same network. If not, the client should use the server’s external IP address.

    • On the server machine, configure the server proxy settings in Windows Internet Options.

    • Configure the client proxy setting at the login page, select Change proxy settings.

    • On the client machine, configure the client proxy settings in Windows Internet Options.

    Unable to connect to the server

    • Make sure the AXIS Camera Station 5 server’s address and port are correct. Verify the port range is set correctly in Service Control.

    • Make sure that no NAT, firewall, or antivirus software blocks the connection to the server.

    • Use AXIS Camera Station 5 service control to make sure that the server is running.

      • Open AXIS Camera Station 5 service control, see AXIS Camera Station 5 service control.

      • View the server status in the General tab. If the status is Stopped, click Start to start the server.

    Unable to find the server

    • Make sure that the server computer can connect to the network.

    • Make sure the AXIS Camera Station 5 server’s address and port are correct.

    • Make sure that no NAT, firewall, or antivirus software blocks the connection to the server.

    • Verify your client DNS settings are correct.

    • Verify your DNS server has an entry for the server hostname and IP address.

    Unable to connect to server

    Make sure the server computer and the network aren’t overloaded.

    The server and client version differs

    Upgrade the server to run the same version as the client.

    The local AXIS Camera Station 5 server doesn’t run

    Use service control to start AXIS Camera Station 5, or select a remote server to log in to.

    This computer doesn’t have the AXIS Camera Station 5 server installet

    Install the AXIS Camera Station 5 server or choose a different server.

    The selected server list is empty

    To add servers to the server list, click Edit next to the server list selection.

    Licenses

    License registration issues

    If automatic registration fails, try the following:

    • Control that the license key was entered correctly.

    • Change the client proxy settings to allow AXIS Camera Station 5 access the internet.

    • Register your license offline, see License registration issues.

    • Make a note of the Server ID and activate AXIS Camera Station 5 license from license-portal.lp.axis.com.

    • Make sure that the server’s time is up to date.

    Users

    Can't find domain users

    If the domain user search fails, change the service logon account:

    1. Open Windows Control Panel.

    2. Search for “Services”.

    3. Click View local services.

    4. Right-click AXIS Camera Station 5 and select Properties.

    5. Click the Log on tab.

    6. Change from Local System account to This account.

    7. Select a user with access to Windows Active Directory.

    Certificate errors

    AXIS Camera Station 5 can't communicate with the device until you solve the certificate error.

    Possible errors

    Certificate Not Found

    If you know the reason, click Repair. If you suspect unauthorized access, investigate the issue before you restore the certificate. Click Advanced to view the certificate details. Possible reasons for removing the certificate:

    • The device was reset to factory default.

    • Secure HTTPS communication was disabled.

    • An unauthorized person accessed and modified the device.

    Untrusted Certificate

    If you know the reason, click Trust This Device. If not, investigate the issue before you trust the certificate. Click Advanced to view the certificate details.

    Missing password for certificate authority

    If you have a certificate authority in AXIS Camera Station 5 without a stored password, the following alarm appears:

    You need to provide a password for the Certificate Authority certificate. Read the user manual for more information.

    You can resolve this issue in three ways:

    • Turn on HTTPS on a device

    • Import an existing certificate authority

    • Generate a new certificate authority

    To turn on HTTPS on a device:

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    2. In the list, right-click a device and select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update.

    3. Click Yes to confirm.

    4. Enter the certificate authority password.

    5. Click OK.

    To import an existing certificate authority:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > Devices.

    2. Under HTTPS, turn off Validate device certificate.

    3. Under Certificate authority, click Import.

    4. Enter your password and click OK.

    5. Select the number of valid days of the signed client/server certificates.

    6. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    7. Right-click the devices and select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update.

    8. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > Devices and turn on Validate device certificate.

    9. Note

      AXIS Camera Station 5 loses its connection to the devices, and some system components restart.

    To let AXIS Camera Station 5 generate a new certificate authority:

    1. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > Devices.

    2. Under HTTPS, turn off Validate device certificate.

    3. Under Certificate authority, click Generate.

    4. Enter your password and click OK.

    5. Select the number of valid days of the signed client/server certificates.

    6. Go to Configuration > Devices > Management.

    7. Right-click the devices and select Security > HTTPS > Enable/Update.

    8. Go to Configuration > Security > Certificates > Devices and turn on Validate device certificate.

    9. Note

      AXIS Camera Station 5 loses its connection to the devices, and some system components restart.

    Time synchronization

    Windows time service isn’t running

    The Windows Time service and the NTP server are out of sync. This can be because the Windows Time service can’t reach the NTP server.

    • Make sure the NTP server is online.

    • Make sure the firewall settings are correct.

    • Make sure the device is on a network that can reach the NTP server.

    For assistance, contact your system administrator.

    Detected time difference on a device

    The device is out of sync with the server time. The recording is timestamped with the time when the server received it, instead of the time when the device recorded it.

    1. Go to Configuration > Devices > Time synchronization and review the server time offset.

    2. If the server time offset is more than 2 seconds:

      1. Select Enable time synchronization.

      2. Make sure the device can reach the specified NTP server.

      3. Reload the device under Configuration > Devices > Management.

    3. If the server time offset is less than 2 seconds, the device might not send sufficient data for time synchronization.

      1. Clear Send alarm when the time difference between server and device is larger than 2 seconds to turn off alarms.

    For assistance, contact Axis support.

    Technical support

    Technical support is available for customers with a licensed version of AXIS Camera Station 5. To contact technical support, go to > Help > Online Support or axis.com/support.

    We recommend that you attach the system report and screenshots to the support case.

    Go to > Help > System report to create a system report.

    Escalation process

    When you have issues that can’t be solved using this guide, escalate the issue to Axis online helpdesk. For our support team to understand your issue and be able to solve it, you must include the following information:

    • A clear description on how to reproduce the issue, or under what circumstances the issue happens.

    • The time the issue occurred, and, if applicable, the name or IP address of the affected camera.

    • AXIS Camera Station 5 system report generated directly after the issue happens. The system report must be generated from the client or server where the issue was reproduced. If the issue reoccurs in a predictable way, enable debug logging for both the server and the client to capture the issue more completely. Remember to disable debug logging when done.

    For some issues, the support team may request additional information.

    Note

    If the file is larger than 1 GB, for example, a network trace or database file, use a secure file sharing service that you trust to send the file.

    Additional information

    Debug-level logs

    Debug-level logs are disabled by default because the logfile size is limited. If you enable debug level logging, remember to disable it once you have generated the system report.

    Server: Configuration > Server > Settings > Enable debug logging
    Client: Configuration > Client > Settings > Enable debug logging

    Live view and playback debug overlay

    When you encounter an issue with live view or playback, it’s helpful to have a screen recording of the debug overlay. This recording should capture the entire screen, including the system clock so we can trace the problem in the logs.

    • Press Ctrl + I one time to display overlay information in the live view.

    • Press Ctrl + I twice to add debug information.

    • Press Ctrl + I three times to hide the overlay.

    Database files

    Use this in cases where we have to examine or manually repair the database. Select Include database in the report before you generate the system report. Include this any time there’s an issue with starting the AXIS Camera Station Service.

    Screenshots

    When adding screenshots, capture the entire screen to increase the context. If you believe that it’s ambiguous with a fullscreen screenshot, point to the focus area with arrows.

    Screen recordings

    Use screen recordings when the problem is difficult to describe in words, for example when reproducing the issue involves many interactions in the user interface.

    Recording files

    Support may ask for you to provide examples of the .acsm and .acsi files that AXIS Camera Station uses to store recordings. This applies when there’s an issue with playback or export of recordings, or if there are issues with AXIS File Player. You can find these files in the storage location you selected for each camera.