AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance

AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance is an all-in-one recording solution with integrated PoE switch designed to deliver reliable high-definition surveillance, supporting cameras up to 4K resolution. For quick and easy installation, the appliance is preconfigured and preloaded with AXIS Camera Station video management software including licenses plus all necessary system software. AXIS Camera Station offers an intuitive user interface that allows users to take full advantage of Axis wide range of video surveillance cameras and other IP products. With the operating system stored on a solid-state drive (SSD) and 5-year hardware warranty, the appliance provides a reliable surveillance solution.

AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance consists of two parts:

• Switch: Built-in Power over Ethernet (PoE) switch.

• Computer: Preloaded with all necessary software you need to create a surveillance solution including the video management software AXIS Camera Station.

• The switch and computer are two separate parts.

• The switch and computer communicate through the internal uplink connectors: one is located on the switch Power Circuit Board and the other is located on the computer motherboard.

• The server uplink is an external network interface that can connect to an existing network.

• Devices connected to server uplink can not communicate with devices connected to the switch directly.

• Devices connected to server uplink can communicate with devices connected to the switch through AXIS Camera Station.

You can create an independent network by assigning static IP address to each device and the AXIS S2108 Appliance. This network will have no interconnectivity to another external network unless parameters match between the networks. The computer can still get internet connectivity through the server uplink port. As soon as the devices are plugged into the powered PoE ports, they will take the link-local address and will need a fixed IP set, matching the AXIS S2108 Appliance.

You can create an independent network by using link-local address on each device and the AXIS S2108 Appliance. This network will have no interconnectivity to another external network. The computer can still get internet connectivity through the server uplink port. As soon as the devices are plugged into the powered PoE ports, they will take the link-local address and can be found by AXIS Camera Station on the AXIS S2108 Appliance.

You can join the AXIS S2108 Appliance and connected devices by having an existing network and DHCP server plugged in the switch uplink. This will make all connected devices to have an IP address from the DHCP server’s range. If internet connectivity is available on that network, it will be available to the AXIS S2108 Appliance too. Otherwise, the computer can still get internet connectivity independently through the server uplink port. When the devices are plugged into the powered PoE ports, they will take the DHCP address if the DHCP server is active.

The standard workflow to configure an AXIS Camera Station Pro recording server is:

1. Install your device

2. Initial Windows® setup: After installing your device, you are guided through a few steps to set up the region, language, keyboard layout, an administrator account and its password.

3. Initial Axis recorder setup: After the initial Windows® setup, AXIS Recorder Toolbox is opened and you are guided through a few steps to set up basic and necessary settings, for example, computer name, date and time, and network. See Initial Axis recorder setup.

4. Configure Windows®. We recommend to:

5. • Update Windows® to the latest version. See Update Windows®.

   • Create a standard user account. See Create a user account.

6. Update AXIS Camera Station Pro to the latest version.

7. • If your system is online: open the AXIS Recorder Toolbox app and click Update AXIS Camera Station.

   • If your system is offline: go to axis.com and download the latest version.

8. Start the AXIS Camera Station Pro client.

9. Connect to AXIS Camera Station Pro server

10. Configure AXIS Camera Station Pro

• Prepare additional accessories used for installation: monitor, mouse, keyboard and network cable.

• Understand the usage of different user accounts.

The following table lists the user accounts that can be used for installation, configuration and operation of your Axis system.

After you have configured Windows®, AXIS Recorder Toolbox is opened automatically and you are guided through the first-time configuration setup assistant. In this setup assistant, you can configure several basic and necessary settings before you manage your device in AXIS Recorder Toolbox.

1. Select Light or Dark theme and click Next (if it’s available for your product).

2. Change the computer name if you want and click Next.

3. Under Date and time, configure the following settings and click Next.

4. • Select a time zone.

   • To set up an NTP server, select NTP server and enter the NTP server address.

   • To set manually, select Manual and select a date and time.

5. Under Network settings, configure the following settings and click Next.

6. • Use automatic IP settings (DHCP) and Use automatic DNS settings are turned on by default.

   • If your device is connected to a network with a DHCP server, the assigned IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and preferred DNS are automatically displayed.

   • If your device is not connected to a network or there is no DHCP server available, enter the IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and preferred DNS manually depending on the network requirements.

7. Click Finish. If you have changed the computer name, AXIS Recorder Toolbox will prompt you to restart the device.

Using the AXIS Camera Station Pro client, you can connect to multiple servers or a single server installed on the local computer or somewhere else on the network. You can connect to AXIS Camera Station Pro 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 Log in on a remote server.

Axis Secure Remote Access

See Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access.

Server list	To connect to servers from a server list, select a one from the Server list drop-down menu. Click to create or edit the server lists.
Import server list	To import a server list file exported from AXIS Camera Station, click Import server list and browse to an .msl file.
Delete saved passwords	To delete saved usernames and passwords all connected servers, click Delete saved passwords.
Change client proxy settings	You might need to change the client proxy settings to connect to a server, click Change client proxy settings.

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 reload all the available remote servers. If the server is configured to accept clients on a different port than the default port number 55752, enter the IP address followed by the port number, for example, 192.168.0.5:46001.

3. You can:

4. • 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 a different username and password.

1. Click the Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access link.

2. Enter your My Axis account credentials.

3. Click Sign in.

4. Click Grant.

This tutorial will walk you through the basic steps to make your system up and running.

Before you start:

• Configure your network depending on your installation. See Network configuration.

• Configure your server ports if needed. See Server port configuration.

• Consider security issues. See Security considerations.

After necessary configurations, you can start to work with AXIS Camera Station Pro:

1. Start the video management system

2. Add devices

3. Configure recording method

4. View live video

5. View recordings

6. Add bookmarks

7. Export recordings

8. Play and verify recordings in AXIS File Player

Double-click the AXIS Camera Station Pro 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 Pro server installed on the same computer as the client.

You can connect to multiple AXIS Camera Station Pro servers in different ways.

The Add devices page opens the first time you start AXIS Camera Station Pro. AXIS Camera Station Pro searches the network for connected devices and shows a list of devices found.

1. Select the cameras you want to add from the list. If you can’t find your camera, click Manual search.

2. Click Add.

3. Select Quick configuration or Site Designer configuration. Click Next.

4. Use the default settings and ensure the recording method is None. Click Install.

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.

1. Open a Live view tab.

2. Select a camera to view its live video.

1. Open a Recordings tab.

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

1. Go to the recording.

2. In the timeline of the camera, 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 in the description to make the bookmark easy to find and recognize.

5. Select Prevent recording deletion to lock the recording.

6. Note

   It’s not possible to delete a locked recording. To unlock the recording, clear the option or delete the bookmark.

7. Click OK to save the bookmark.

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....

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:

5. 1. Go to Tools > Verify digital signature.

   2. Select Validate with password and enter your password.

   3. Click Verify. The verification result page appears.

6. Note

   Digital signature is different from Signed video. Signed video allows you to trace video back to the camera it came from, making it possible to verify that the recording wasn't tampered with. See Signed video and the camera’s user manual for more information.

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

Client proxy settings

If a proxy server is between the client and the server, you must configure the proxy settings in Windows on the client computer. Contact Axis support for more information.

Server proxy settings

If the proxy server is between the network device and the server, you must configure the proxy settings in Windows on the server. Contact Axis support for more information.

NAT and Firewall

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

AXIS Camera Station Pro 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.

To prevent unauthorized access to cameras and recordings, keep the following in mind:

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

• Install AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance server, cameras, video encoders, and auxiliary devices on a secure network separate from the office network. You can install the AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance client on a computer on another network, for example, a network with internet access.

• Make sure all users have strong passwords. Windows® Active Directory provides a high level of security.

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. The license key automatically generates and appears under License keys.

5. If you purchased license keys separately, enter your license key under Add license key.

6. Click Add.

7. In AXIS Camera Station client, make sure your license keys appear under Configuration > Licenses > Keys.

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 AXIS License Portal, axis.com/licenses,

6. Sign in with your My Axis account.

7. Click Upload system file to upload the system file from your USB flash drive.

8. The license key automatically generates and shows under License keys.

9. If you purchased license keys separately, enter your license key under Add license key.

10. Click Add.

11. Under License keys, click Download license file and save the file to a USB flash drive.

12. In AXIS Camera Station client, go to Configuration > Licenses > Management.

13. Click Import license file and select the license file on your USB flash drive.

14. Make sure your license keys appear under Configuration > Licenses > Keys.

To help keep your personal data and information more secure, we recommend that you add a password for each local account.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users > Add other user and click Add account.

2. Click I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.

3. Click Add a user without a Microsoft account.

4. Enter a user name, password and password hint.

5. Click Next and follow the instructions.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other people.

2. Go to the account you want to change and click Change account type.

3. Go to Account type and select Administrator.

4. Click OK.

5. Restart your device and sign in with the new administrator account.

1. Go to Computer Management.

2. Go to Local Users and Groups > Group.

3. Right-click Group and select New Group.

4. Enter a group name and a description.

5. Add group members:

6. 1. Click Add.

   2. Click Advanced.

   3. Find the user account(s) you want to add to the group and click OK.

   4. Click OK again.

7. Click Create.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Other people.

2. Go to the account you want to remove and click Remove.

1. Log in with an administrator account.

2. Go to User Accounts > User Accounts > Manage another account in sequence.

   You’ll see a list with all user accounts on the device.

3. Select the user account whose password you would like to change.

4. Click Change the password.

5. Enter the new password and click Change password.

We recommend to create a password reset disk on a USB flash drive. With this, you can reset the password. Without a password reset disk, you can’t reset the password.

1. Sign in to your device with a local user account. You can’t create a password reset disk for a connected account.

2. Plug an empty USB flash drive into your device.

3. From the Windows® search field, go to Create a password reset disk.

4. In the Forgotten Password setup assistant, click Next.

5. Select your USB flash drive and click Next.

6. Type your current password and click Next.

7. Follow the onscreen instructions.

8. Remove the USB flash drive and keep it in a safe placet. You don't have to create a new disk when you change your password even if you change it several times.

Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions to view the users and groups that exists in AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance.

Before you can add a user or group, register the user or group on the local computer or make sure they have an Windows® Active Directory user account. To add users or groups, see Add users or groups.

When a user is part of a group, the user gets the highest role permission assigned to the individual or the group. The user also gets the access granted as an individual and receives the rights as part of a group. For example, a user has access to camera X as an individual. The user is also a member of a group that has access to cameras Y and Z. The user therefore has access to cameras X, Y, and Z.

Microsoft Windows® and Active Directory users and groups can access AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance. To add a user to AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance, you must add users or a group to Windows®.

To add a user in Windows® vary depending on which version of Windows® you use. Follow the instructions on Microsoft's site. If you use an Active Directory domain network, consult your network administrator

Add users or groups

1. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

2. Click Add.

   You can see the available users and groups 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 result doesn’t display if there are too many users or groups. Use the filter function.

5. Select the users or groups and click Add.

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.

There are three roles you can give 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 configure anything in the system.

Operator

Select cameras, views, and I/O ports to get access to live and recorded. An operator has full access to all functionality of AXIS Camera Station S2108 Appliance 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.

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.

I/O

The following access privileges are available for users or groups with the Operator or Viewer role.

System

You can’t configure greyed out access privileges in the list. Privileges with check mark means the user or group have 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.

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.

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.

Windows® periodically checks for updates. When an update is available, your device automatically downloads the update but you've to install it manually.

To manually check for updates:

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update.

2. Click Check for updates.

It is possible to change how and when Windows^® do its updates to suit your needs.

1. Open the Run app.

2. • Go to Windows System > Run, or

3. Type gpedit.msc and click OK. The Local Group Policy Editor opens.

4. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.

5. Configure the settings as required, see example.

Example

To automatically download and install updates without any user interaction and have the device restart, if necessary, at out of office hours, use the following configuration:

1. Open Always automatically restart at the scheduled time and select:

2. 1. Enabled

   2. The restart timer will give users this much time to save their work (minutes): 15.

   3. Click OK.

3. Open Configure Automatic Updates and select:

4. 1. Enabled

   2. Configure Automatic updates: Auto download and schedule the install

   3. Schedule Install day: Every Sunday

   4. Schedule Install time: 00:00

   5. Click OK.

5. Open Allow Automatic Updates immediate installation and select:

6. 1. Enabled

   2. Click OK.

The switch has a total power budget of 105 W. This is the maximum power output to all connected devices.

In most cases, the connected devices consume less power than requested. To optimize the power usage, the PoE controller allows connected devices to request up to 125 W and limits the actual power usage to 105 W at the same time.

For example, the switch can power 8 PoE class 3 devices.

• 1 PoE class 3 device requests 15.4 W power.

• 8 PoE class 3 devices request (8 x 15.4) = 123.2 W power. This is within the 125 W limit allowed by the PoE controller.

• 1 PoE class 3 device usually consumes 10-12 W power.

• 8 PoE class 3 devices usually consume 80-96 W power. This is within the 105 W limit of the total power budget.

Front LEDs

Rear LEDs

1. This is only valid for Switch uplink and Server uplink.

If the device has had a complete system failure, you must use a recovery image to recreate the Windows® system. To download the AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery Kit, contact Axis technical support and supply the serial number of your device.

1. Download the AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery Kit and AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery: ISO to USB Tool.

2. Insert a USB drive into your computer.

3. • Use a USB drive with a minimum of 16 GB.

   • The USB drive will be formatted, and all existing data will be erased.

4. Run the AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery: ISO to USB Tool and follow the onscreen instructions.

   Writing data to the USB drive takes approximately 10 to 15 min. Don’t remove the USB drive until the process is complete.

5. After the AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery: ISO to USB Tool is complete, take the USB drive and plug it into your device.

6. Start your device.

7. When you see the Axis splash screen, press F12.

8. Click UEFI: USB Drive.

9. Navigate to your USB drive and press enter. The system boots into the AXIS Network Video Recorder Recovery Kit.

10. Click Reinstall Operating System.

    The recovery takes roughly 10 to 15 min to complete. You find detailed instructions in the download for the recovery kit.

For information about how to troubleshoot AXIS Camera Station Pro, go to the AXIS Camera Station Pro user manual.

• AXIS Camera Station Pro user manual

• Sign in to AXIS Secure Remote Access

• What to include in an Antivirus allowlist for AXIS Camera Station

If you need more help, go to axis.com/support.