AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted - User manual

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This is AXIS Body Worn Live

With AXIS Body Worn Live, body worn camera users can stream live video and audio over Wi-Fi® or mobile networks. Operators can view the live video. The video stream is encrypted for secure transmission.

When you set up AXIS Body Worn Live, you have two hosting options:

Axis-hosted – hosted in the Axis cloud.

Self-hosted – hosted by you.

This manual helps you set up and use the self-hosted option. We describe a custom setup, but the setup varies depending on your VMS (video management software). Check your VMS documentation for more information.

For instructions on how to set up the Axis-hosted option, see AXIS Body Worn Live Axis-hosted user manual.

Solution overview

  1. Body worn camera
  2. Peer-to-peer streaming (encrypted)
  3. WebRTC client
  4. WebRTC signaling
  5. AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server device
  6. AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app

In the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted solution, the Live Self-hosted Server app (6) installed on the Live Self-hosted Server device (5) is used to set up WebRTC signaling (4) between the body worn camera (1) and a WebRTC client (3). Once the connection has been established, the body worn camera uses an encrypted peer-to-peer connection (2) to stream live video to the WebRTC client.

Network recommendations

This is an example of a professional, segmented network configuration. Your network doesn’t have to be connected to the internet like the one in the example. Contact your IT admin for help with your network setup.

  1. Body worn camera connected to Wi-Fi
  2. Client for watching streams
  3. System controller
  4. Video management software server
  5. AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server device
  6. Network infrastructure services
  7. Gateway/firewall solution
  8. Internet (only for internet-connected networks)
  9. Body worn camera connected to mobile network (only for internet-connected networks)
  10. Different network segments

Recommendations

  • If you plan to use Wi-Fi, the access points must support IEEE 802.11k/v/r.

  • Segment the network based on need (in this example there are four segments – 10), where the body worn system (system controller – 3, video management software server – 4) is in a separate segment.

  • Minimum recommended network infrastructure services are DHCP, DNS, and NTP server (6).

  • If your network is connected to the internet, the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server device (5) must be reachable from a public IPv4 address (no CGNAT).

  • If your network is connected to the internet and you are using body worn cameras connected to a mobile network, the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server device (9) should have appropriate DDoS mitigation (gateway/firewall solution – 7) in place.

    Default inbound/outbound ports: 8082 (TCP), 3478 (TCP and UDP).

  • Access to a Certificate Authority to sign certificate requests.

  • Infrastructure that supports 2.5 Mbps (360p resolution) or 8 Mbps (720p resolution) per body worn camera.

Limitations

The camera connection doesn’t support IEEE 802.1x, IPv6, or proxies.

Get started - quick setup

If you want to evaluate the solution, you can do a quick setup of Live Self-hosted. The quick setup requires that the body worn system, the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server device, and your PC are all connected to the same network. You can try out the solution for 30 days after you have installed the system controller.

To get started with the quick setup:

  1. If the Live Self-hosted Server device isn’t new, reset it to factory default settings. For instructions, see the device’s user manual at help.axis.com

  2. Upgrade the device with the latest AXIS OS version.

  3. Go to System > Network and assign a static IP address.

  4. Install AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app

  5. Use the switch to start the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app.

  6. Open the app.

  7. Select Quick setup.

  8. Enter the hostname, username, and password for the body worn system.

  9. Click Continue.

Note

You can continue using the solution after the evaluation period if you add licenses. If you want to add more body worn systems, you can’t use the quick setup again.

Get started - normal setup

To be able to live stream to AXIS Body Worn Live you must go through all the steps below:

  1. Create a system controller configuration file in AXIS Body Worn Manager

  2. Prepare the Live Self-hosted Server device

  3. Install AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app

  4. Set up AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted

  5. Connect AXIS Body Worn Live to AXIS Body Worn Manager

  6. License

Create a system controller configuration file in AXIS Body Worn Manager

  1. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, go to Add-on services .

  2. Under AXIS Body Worn Live, click Self-hosted.

  3. Click Install.

  4. In Certificate validity, enter how many days the file should be valid, and click Next.

  5. In System controller configuration file, click Download to download the system controller configuration file.

Prepare the Live Self-hosted Server device

Use AXIS D3110 Connectivity Hub to run the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app.

  1. If the device isn’t new, reset it to factory default settings. For instructions, see the device’s user manual at help.axis.com

  2. Upgrade the device with the latest AXIS OS version.

  3. Go to System > Security and add a certificate.

  4. Upload and install your organization’s client-server certificate using a signing request.

  5. Go to System > Network > HTTP and HTTPS.

  6. Under Allow access through, select HTTPS.

  7. In the list of certificates, select the certificate you installed and click Save.

Install AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app

Before you start

Download the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app from axis.com/support/software.

  1. In the device you’ll use for AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server, go to Apps.

  2. Click Add app.

  3. Drag-and-drop the app and click Install.

Set up AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted

  1. In the device that runs AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server, go to Apps.

  2. Use the switch to start the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app.

  3. Open the app.

  4. Click Advanced.

  5. Go to Settings > HTTPS.

  6. In the list of server certificates, select the certificate you installed when you prepared the device.

  7. Click Apply settings. The server configuration is loaded automatically.

Note

If you’re using a custom certificate, you must enter the server configuration data manually. The endpoints are domain names or IPv4 addresses and the port.

Connect AXIS Body Worn Live to AXIS Body Worn Manager

  1. In the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app settings, go to Body worn systems and click Add.

  2. Click Select file and select the system controller configuration file created in AXIS Body Worn Manager.

  3. Click Add.

  4. Download the live self-hosted server configuration file.

  5. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, go to Add-on services > AXIS Body Worn Live.

  6. Click Import.

  7. Select the live self-hosted server configuration file.

  8. If you intend to use Wi-Fi for streaming, go to Settings > Camera > Wi-Fi® networks and select the network.

  9. If you intend to use a mobile network for streaming, go to Settings > Camera > Mobile networks and configure the settings.

  10. Go to Camera profiles > AXIS Body Worn Live and allow Streaming.

  11. If you intend to use Wi-Fi for streaming, click Wireless connection and select the network.

License

To license AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted, you must export a system file, upload it to AXIS License Manager to generate a license file, and then import that file.

  1. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, go to Settings > AXIS Body Worn Live > License.

  2. Click Add licenses to expand the instructions.

  3. Click Export and save the system file to your PC.

  4. Log in to AXIS License Manager.

  5. Upload the system file in AXIS License Manager. For instructions, see License offline systems in My Systems user manual.

  6. Start your subscription, see Start a subscription.

  7. Buy licenses, see Buy licenses.

  8. Redeem your license key, see Redeem license key.

  9. Go to Systems setup and click your system name.

  10. Click Download license file.

  11. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, click Import.

Learn more

Options for viewing live video streams

There are different options for viewing the live video streams:

  • Connect to the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app through a video management software, for example Milestone XProtect® or Airship AI. This option allows for several clients to view the live streams.

  • Embed the simple web client as a web tile in your video management software. Use the following URL: https://[live_self-hosted_server_device_IP]/local/BodyWornLiveSelfHosted/index.html#/targets/[camera_MAC_address]?compact. This option only allows for one client to view the live streams.

  • Connect to the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app through a browser. This option only allows for one client to view the live streams.

Daily use

Start a live stream

To start a live stream:

  1. Double-press the function button on the body worn camera. The recording LED turns red, and depending on your camera model:

    • The Wi-Fi® connectivity LED starts pulsing amber.

    • turns white.

  3. When the camera has established a connection, depending on your camera model:

    • The Wi-Fi® connectivity LED starts pulsing green.

    • turns blue.

  5. When the camera has started streaming, depending on your camera model:

    • The Wi-Fi connectivity LED turns green.

    • turns green.

Note

You can start a live stream whether you’re already recording or not. If you’re not already recording, a recording starts at the same time as the live stream.

Troubleshooting

To help troubleshoot some issues, you can use troubleshooting mode in AXIS W102 and AXIS W120 Body Worn Cameras. To turn it on:

  1. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, go to Add-on services > AXIS Body Worn Live.

  2. In Server configuration, click Show more.

  3. Turn on Allow troubleshooting mode.

  4. On the body worn camera, double-press the top button.

    To show the next page, single-press the top button.

    To leave troubleshooting mode, press and hold the top button for 5 seconds.

The information is organized in pages in this way:

  • Page 1:

  • System time

  • Network status (Net)

  • Wi-Fi or mobile network mode (Submode: WLAN or LTE)

  • Signal strength in dB

  • Page 2 – when using Wi-Fi:

  • SSID

  • Authentication method (Auth)

  • The camera’s IPv4 address

  • Authentication status (Status)

  • MAC address of the connected access point

  • Page 2 – when using mobile networks:

  • The camera’s IP address

  • Roaming status

  • SIM status

  • APN

  • Page 3:

  • Nameservers used by the camera

  • Page 4:

  • The status of the Live Self-hosted Server device (Server)

  • The status of the viewer client (Peer)

  • Response code from endpoint query

  • The IP address of the Live Self-hosted Server device (Sig IP)

General issues

Problem: The live stream doesn’t show up in the client.

Symptom

Cause

Solution

I can’t reach AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted.

  • Firewall issues

  • Port forwarding issues

  • DMZ rules

  • Proxy required

If you can reach AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted over port 443, go to Settings > Health and click Perform ICE self-test.

Otherwise, use the PowerShell commands to verify the connection:

  • Test-NetConnection [IPv4 address] -Port 8082

  • Test-NetConnection [IPv4 address] -Port 3478

Problem: The body worn camera doesn’t show up in the list when I try to stream live video.

Symptom

Cause

Solution

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, there is no information about the Live Self-hosted Server device.

The camera doesn’t have the required information to connect to the device.

Dock the camera to synchronize it with the body worn system.

The body worn camera doesn’t show up in the list.

  • Firewall issues

  • Port forwarding issues

  • DMZ rules

  • Proxy required

Turn on troubleshooting mode and enter a Network test endpoint that the camera can try to ping.

Certificate appears to have expired.

The time in the camera, the Live Self-hosted Server device, and the body worn system are not in synch.

  1. Check and compare the time in the camera with that of the Live Self-hosted Server device and the body worn system.

    To check the time in the camera, turn on troubleshooting mode.

  2. If the time in the camera differs from the device and/or the system, dock the camera.

  3. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, check if there is any RTC error on the camera. If there is, contact Axis support.

  4. If there is no RTC error, define an NTP server for the system controller and the Live Self-hosted Server device to synchronize the time.

  5. Redo the configuration.

The certificate has expired.

Renew the certificate in AXIS Body Worn Manager and redo the configuration.

There is a certificate mismatch between the camera and the Live Self-hosted Server device.

Check the log file and system report from AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted for any mismatch errors. If there are errors, dock the camera and redo the configuration.

The AXIS Body Worn Live license appears to have expired.

The license has expired.

Renew the license.

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, I see No signaling IP.

Bad DNS configuration.

Check the DNS configuration.

Problem: The body worn camera shows up in the list but can’t stream.

Symptom

Cause

Solution

I get the message Can’t communicate with device.

All ICE candidates fail.

Use chrome://webrtc-internals/ in Chrome or about:webrtc in Firefox to improve the network infrastructure.

The video is badly rendered. When I click the video client’s information button, the bitrate is lower than 2.5 Mbps in 360p or lower than 8 Mbps in 720p.

UDP packets get dropped.

Improve the network infrastructure to allow for a higher throughput. Examples of commands to simulate one camera and verify the UDP throughput:

  • iperf3.exe --server

  • iperf3.exe --client SERVER_IP --udp --bitrate 8M --time 30 --length 1460

The video is badly rendered. When I click the video client’s information button, relay mode is used.

TURN is used instead of peer-to-peer streaming.

Wi-Fi issues

Problem: The body worn camera won’t connect to the Wi-Fi network.

Symptom

Cause

Solution

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the submode is LTE.

There’s a SIM card in the camera.

Turn off the camera and remove the SIM card.

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the camera has no IPv4 address.

WPA2 isn’t allowed by the access point.

Enable WPA2 on the access point.

The password for the Wi-Fi network is wrong.

In AXIS Body Worn Manager or AXIS Body Worn Assistant, enter the correct password.

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the access point has no MAC address.

Wrong SSID.

Enter the correct SSID.

The camera display shows .

The camera is too far away from a Wi-Fi access point.

Use the camera closer to an access point.

When the camera switches from one Wi-Fi access point to another, the stream sometimes lags.

This is a known limitation. For more information, see the release notes.

-

Mobile network issues

Problem: The body worn camera won’t connect to the mobile network.

Symptom

Cause

Solution

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the submode is WLAN.

There’s no SIM card in the camera.

Turn off the camera and insert a SIM card.

In AXIS Body Worn Manager, the SIM card’s state is Unknown.

The SIM card is incompatible.

Contact the operator or try another SIM card.

The camera display shows .

The SIM card has been replaced while the camera was turned on and undocked.

Dock the camera.

The camera isn’t enabled for use by the network provider.

  1. In AXIS Body Worn Manager, go to Cameras and click the camera to find the camera’s international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number.

  2. Check if the IMEI is blocked, for example at imeicheck.com.

  3. If the IMEI is blocked, contact the operator to allow it.

When I dock the camera, I get an alert in AXIS Body Worn Manager that the SIM card is locked.

The SIM card is locked.

Use the PUK code to set a new PIN.

When I dock the camera, I get an alert in AXIS Body Worn Manager that the SIM PIN is wrong or missing.

The SIM card PIN is wrong or missing.

In AXIS Body Worn Manager, go to Cameras and click the camera. Enter the correct PIN.

doesn’t show up in the camera display.

The operator doesn’t support any of the LTE bands that the camera supports.

Compare the LTE bands listed in the camera’s datasheet to the operator’s band capabilities.

The camera is too far away from a mast.

Use the camera closer to a mast.

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the camera has no IPv4 address and there’s no APN listed.

The gateway between the mobile network and the internet, the access point name (APN), is required by the operator.

  1. Add the APN in AXIS Body Worn Manager:

  2. Go to Settings > Camera > Mobile networks.

  3. Click Show more.

  4. Enter the access point name used by your network provider.

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the camera has no IPv4 address and roaming is inactive.

Roaming is disabled in the mobile network subscription.

  1. Dock the camera.

  2. Enable roaming in the mobile network subscription.

When I turn on troubleshooting mode, the camera has an IPv4 address.

There is no more credit for data transfer.

Contact the network operator for help.

Upgrade the app

Before you start

Download the latest version of the AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server app from axis.com/support/software.

  1. In the device used for AXIS Body Worn Live Self-hosted Server, go to Apps.

  2. Click Add app.

  3. Drag-and-drop the app and click Install.

  4. Open the app.

  5. Go to Settings > HTTPS.

  6. In the list of server certificates, select the certificate you installed when you prepared the device.

  7. Click Apply settings. The server configuration is loaded automatically.