Connect IP Camera Directly to HDMI Decoder with No Network Router or Switch

How do I connect an ONVIF or RTSP IP camera straight to the Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 using only a PoE injector, with no network switch, router, or NVR? We get this question from customers who want one camera on one TV, for example a gate, a dock, or a vehicle, and do not have a network at that spot. The answer is yes. You put both devices on a static IP address in the same class C subnet, and the decoder pulls the live RTSP stream from the IP camera over a single cable run through the injector.

This is the IP camera version of using the Viewtron IP encoder and decoder directly with each other. If you do have a network switch or router at the site, follow the standard Connect IP Camera to TV Decoder Setup without NVR instead.

1. What You Need
- A Viewtron IP-HDMI-D4 IP camera to HDMI decoder or and its power supply. Please note that you can also use the 4K IP camera to HDMI converter model.
- Any Viewtron IP camera, or any other brand IP camera, as long as it supports ONVIF or RTSP
- A PoE injector that matches the PoE standard of the camera (802.3af or 802.3at). Check the camera’s spec sheet for its PoE class and maximum power draw (for example PTZ cameras and cameras with IR or heaters often need 802.3at).
- Two CAT5e or CAT6 network cables
- A laptop with an Ethernet port (or USB Ethernet adapter) for the one-time setup
- An HDMI TV or monitor
2. Wiring
1. Camera to the PoE (power + data out) port on the injector.
2. Injector Data (LAN / data in) port to the Ethernet port on the IP-HDMI-D4.
3. Injector power cord to an outlet.
4. IP-HDMI-D4 power supply to an outlet, and the decoder HDMI output to the HDMI input of the TV.
The injector only adds power to the cable for the camera. The data side is a straight network connection, so the camera and the decoder talk to each other the same way they would through a switch. Do not plug the data port of the injector into anything that sends PoE, and do not use the PoE port of the injector to feed the decoder. The decoder runs on its own power supply.

A standard Ethernet patch cable works between the PoE injector’s data port and the decoder. You do not need a crossover cable.

3. Why This Works

The IP-HDMI-D4 does not need a router or NVR. It only needs to reach the camera’s RTSP stream on the network. The camera and decoder just have to be on the same subnet. Without a router there is no DHCP server, so neither device will get an address automatically. That is why you set a static IP on both. Latency stays low because the decoder pulls live RTSP stream from the IP camera.

Example class C addressing used in this how-to:
- IP camera: 192.168.1.10, subnet mask 255.255.255.0
- IP-HDMI-D4: 192.168.1.20, subnet mask 255.255.255.0
- Laptop (for setup only): 192.168.1.50, subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Any free addresses work as long as the first three numbers match and the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.

4. Set the Static IP on the IP Camera

The easiest way is to do this on a regular network with a router before you take the camera to the install location.
1. Connect the camera (through the PoE injector) to your router or switch, on the same network as your PC.
2. Find the camera’s current IP address. For Viewtron IP cameras use the Viewtron IP Installer. For 3rd Party cameras use the scan tool from that camera’s manufacturer. Our Viewtron IP Installer is only for Viewtron IP cameras.
3. Open the camera’s IP address in a web browser and log in. The Viewtron IP camera default user ID is admin and the default password is 123456.
4. In the camera’s network / TCP/IP settings, change the IPv4 mode from DHCP to static (sometimes labeled manual). On a Viewtron IP camera open Config > Network > TCP/IP, choose Use the following IP address, enter IP address 192.168.1.10, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and a gateway (see section 6), then click Save. The camera will reboot on the new address.
5. While you are logged in, enable RTSP (and ONVIF on 3rd Party cameras that ship with it off) and note the RTSP URLs. See section 7.
On a Viewtron IP camera, Config > Network > TCP/IP looks like this. Choose Use the following IP address, enter the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway, then click Save.

For more on 3rd Party cameras and static IP vs DHCP, see Dealing with 3rd Party IP Camera Set to Static IP.

5. Set the Static IP on the IP-HDMI-D4

By default the decoder uses DHCP, so do this step on a network with a router too.
1. Connect the IP-HDMI-D4 to your router or switch and power it up.
2. Download the Viewtron Encoder / Decoder Network Scan Tool on a Windows PC, unzip it, and run it. It will list the decoder and its LAN IP address.
3. Click on the decoder in the scan results, then click on the Set button in the lower right. In the IP address set window, enter IP address 192.168.1.20 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0.
4. You can also log in to the decoder web page (default user ID admin, default password admin), go to System setting > Network setting, set DHCP to Disable, enter the IP address, subnet mask, and gateway, and click Apply.
These screens are from the Viewtron 4K decoder (IP-HDMI-D4K). The IP-HDMI-D4 uses the same network setting screen. Set DHCP to Disable, then enter the IP address, mask, and gateway, and click Apply.

6. Gateway When There Is No Router

The gateway is only used to reach other networks or the internet. In a direct camera to decoder setup, nothing leaves the subnet, so the gateway value does not affect live view. Neither device accepts a blank gateway. The camera rejects 0.0.0.0 and shows Gateway is not legal. The decoder shows the same Gateway is not legal message when the gateway is 0.0.0.0. On a direct link with no router, enter a valid address in the same subnet, for example 192.168.1.1. That address is never used for live view on the direct link.

7. Reach Each Device’s Web Page from a Laptop

After both devices are on their static addresses and wired through the injector, you can still log in to either one at the install site.
1. Set the laptop’s wired Ethernet adapter to a static IP on the same subnet, for example 192.168.1.50 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0 (Windows: Settings -> Network and Internet -> Ethernet -> IP assignment -> Edit -> Manual).
2. Connect the laptop to the link. With only one data port on the injector, the simplest way is to temporarily unplug the decoder and plug the laptop into the injector data port to reach the camera, or plug the laptop straight into the decoder to reach the decoder.
3. Open http://192.168.1.10 for the camera or http://192.168.1.20 for the decoder in a web browser.
Set the laptop back to automatic (DHCP) when you are done.

To reach the decoder’s web page during setup, you have two options. You can plug a laptop directly into the decoder’s Ethernet port and give the laptop a static IP on the same subnet. Or you can connect the laptop and the decoder to a small unmanaged network switch for the setup, then remove the switch when you are done.

8. Add the Camera Stream on the IP-HDMI-D4
1. Log in to the decoder at http://192.168.1.20 (default user ID admin, default password admin).
2. Click on the Stream address setting link. The page is Address setting.
3. Keep Play number of channels at 1 for a single camera full screen.
4. Add the camera in one of two ways.
  - Option A: The ONVIF device block lists cameras found on the network. Pick the camera, enter the camera username and password, click Get RTSP URL, then click Apply on the channel.
  - Option B: Paste the camera’s RTSP URL into Channel URL (the Channel1 address field) and click Apply.
Option A is the ONVIF device block on the Address setting page. These Address setting screens are from the Viewtron 4K decoder (IP-HDMI-D4K).

Option B is the Channel URL field. Paste the RTSP URL, then click Apply.

Viewtron IP camera example (Config -> Network -> Port -> RTSP, check Enable). profile1 is the highest resolution stream:
```
rtsp://192.168.1.10:554/profile1
rtsp://admin:123456@192.168.1.10:554/profile1
```
Use the second form (with the camera’s user ID and password) if you did not check Allow anonymous login.

3rd Party ONVIF / RTSP cameras: the decoder does not need the camera brand to match Viewtron as long as you can get a working RTSP URL. Look up the RTSP path in that brand’s documentation. Many Dahua-style cameras (including many Lorex IP cameras) use:
```
rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.10:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0
```
If you want to confirm the URL first, test it in VLC from the laptop: IP camera RTSP stream test in VLC.

If your camera is ONVIF compliant, it will almost definitely work, because ONVIF compliant IP cameras provide access to the raw stream. The decoder uses the RTSP URL. ONVIF is what makes that stream available on most 3rd Party cameras.

Quick Checklist
- PoE injector matches the camera’s PoE standard (802.3af or 802.3at).
- Injector PoE port -> camera, injector data port -> IP-HDMI-D4.
- Camera static IP 192.168.1.10 / 255.255.255.0.
- IP-HDMI-D4 static IP 192.168.1.20 / 255.255.255.0.
- RTSP enabled on the camera (and ONVIF on 3rd Party cameras if needed).
- RTSP URL in Channel1 address, Apply, TV on the decoder’s HDMI input.
Related
Questions? Email info@cctvcamerapros.net or call or text 1-561-433-8488.