Search

AXIS Camera Station version 3

FAQs

Version 2.xx

Installation & License registration
Problem: Software registration failure

Solution:

  1. If initial registration from inside AXIS Camera Station fails, registration can also be done from the AXIS Camera Station activation page.
  2. If initial installation and registration was successful but software / PC needs to be reinstalled at a later stage (e.g. changed or new hardware), contact Axis Technical Support to deactivate registration. Include information on the original license key and the company and name of the person it was registered to. Allow 72 hours for this request to be processed. Meanwhile you can run the software with full functionality by selecting 'Grace Period' in the license dialog after starting AXIS Camera Station the first time.
  3.  If you have lost your original license key(s), you can find your active licenses on your personal MyAxis account page.
Problem: The registration form in the AXIS Camera Station gives a connection error.
Solution:
Check the following: If your local network uses a proxy for Internet connection, check that the proxy is set in MS IE under Tools/Internet Options/Connection/LAN Setting/Proxy. Auto-script for proxy is not supported for the registration page.
You can also use the manual registration page.
 
Problem: Is there any difference in hardware requirements for the server and the client?

Solution:  Yes, as the AXIS Camera Station Client will show live images and play recorded material, there is a higher requirements for the client. For example, the client can only be installed on Windows XP, Vista and requires Windows Media Player 11 whereas the server also will run on Windows 2003 and do not have the same high requirements for the graphics adaptor. Please see the hardware recommendations.

Problem: Can I use my current license from my version 2 installation for AXIS Camera Station version 3?
Solution: Yes, you can use the current licenses if you have installed AXIS Camera Station within the last year and/or you have purchased additional support licenses that give you access to future upgrades. See also “Licenses Link” .
 
Problem: Must I be Internet connected in order to install AXIS Camera Station?
Solution: No, but when installing AXIS Camera Station version 3 you will need to install Microsoft .NET 3.5 and Microsoft Media Player version 11. The .NET version 3.5 installation file is available on the AXIS Camera Station CD-ROM, but due to license limitations we can’t redistribute Windows Media Player. So if your PC is not Internet connected, please download the Media Player and install this on the target PC before installing AXIS Camera Station.

 
Upgrading from previous versions (From 2.xx to 3.xx)
Problem: Will my current configuration and recordings be kept during upgrade from AXIS Camera Station 2 to version 3?

Solution:  No, when installing AXIS Camera Station version 3 on a current AXIS Camera Station 2 installation it will actually install as a new software package with separate configuration and recording database. The current configuration will not be converted. AXIS Camera Station version 2 will still be available and you can search for the old recordings using the old interface.
See also the instructions Upgrading from version 2 to version 3 (pdf).
Problem: Is there any difference in hardware requirements from AXIS Camera Station 2.xx?

Solution: Yes, due to the enhanced flexibility and increased performance in the AXIS Camera Station Client user interface, the requirements for the graphics adaptor has raised. The graphics adaptor must support DirectX 9.0C and Windows Media Player 11 must be installed on the client. Please see the hardware recommendations.
Problem: When upgrading to the latest version, installation stops with an error message: "Installation cannot continue because your upgrade license has expired".

Solution: Your original one-year upgrade license has expired and you need an upgrade license to install the current version. This can be purchased from your local reseller. Read more License Administration for AXIS Camera Station 3.0.
Problem: What is the difference between AXIS Camera Station 2.xx and AXIS Camera Station 3.0?
Solution: In AXIS Camera Station 3 we have implemented a more flexible user interface allowing the use of any size of monitors. Also support for up to 50 cameras on one AXIS Camera Station server is now allowed.
Some differences is listed here, but please take a look at Upgrading from version 2 to version 3 (pdf) to get the complete list:

- Windows 2000 no longer supported
- Support for H.264 streaming added
- AXIS Camera Station web interface is removed from the product
- Motion detection is now using the build in camera VMD
- Some old camera models are no longer supported


Configuration
Problem: How do I copy my configuration from one server to another?

Solution: Simply copy this file to the other server at the same location:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\Settings\ACS.FDB
Problem: I have specified a NAS drive for my recording, but no images are stored?

Solution: When using a remote hard drive for recording please make sure that configure this as a UNC path and NOT a drive letter, since drive letters are user specific in Windows. Also make sure that the AXIS Camera Station recording service has access to this drive. Changing the LogOn for the AXIS Camera Station service can do this.

Go to:
Windows Control Panel – Administrative tools – Services – Axis Camera Station – action - properties – Log On tab. Set the user to have Administrative rights and 'write access' to all hard drives.

Make sure that the user/password for the service doesn't expire, as this will stop the AXIS Camera Station service.
Problem: Does AXIS Camera Station automatically starts with the server?

Solution: Yes, during installation a Windows background service is created called AXIS Camera Station. This will start recording as soon as the PC is started and Windows is running.

In Windows you can set the Service to 3 different modes:
Automatic – the service will start with the PC. This is the default setting.
Manually – the Service will only start if some user does this from the ACS or the Service desktop
Disabled – the service can never start. If you try to start it from ACS an error message will appear.

Also the client can be configured to start automatically with the PC, so live images can be shown without any user actions taken. This is often used in retail business.
Problem: How do I reset the configuration back to default?

Solution: Stop the background service "Axis Camera Station", remove this file and reboot the server:

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\ACS.FDB

e.g C:\Documents and Settings\All Users \Application Data\Axis Communications\AXIS Camera Station Server\ACS.FDB

Problem: I have specified the number of days to store recordings, but fewer days are saved and the hard disk gets full.

Solution: Probably the recordings fill up more storage space than estimated when defining the size of the hard disk. Please use the AXIS Design Tool to get an estimation of the required hard disk space. Also consider changing the settings for frame rate, compression and image size to reduce the storage space needed.

Problem: I get a 'Lost camera connection' error in the Event log.
Solution: There can be multiple reasons for this error message. Please check that cameras are connection and available in the network and that you can see live images from the camera using the camera web interface from Internet Explorer. Please check the following in the AXIS Camera Station configuration:

Check that:

  • the correct 'Camera Type' is selected
  • the IP address/user/password of the camera is correct. Click 'Test Image' to verify this.
  • the Camera Port is correct. This is the port number used if the camera/video encoder supports multiple cameras.'
  • the camera has the latest firmware installed

If a personal firewall other than the Microsoft Firewall is used, the following applications must be granted full access to the network:

  • ACSService.exe
  • Server.exe
  • AcsAdmin.exe
  • AcsClient.exe

If you are using NOD32 antivirus, you must create an exclusion where you exclude the background recording service running in the file ACSService.exe:

  1. In NOD32 go to IMON > Setup > Miscellaneous > >>Edit exclusions
  2. Exclude acssservice.exe
  3. Check that no files named IHxxxx.tmp are present in the windows temp folder (C:\Windows\Temp)
Problem: I can't connect from a remote client outside my LAN?

Solution: Please make sure that you have open the two TCP ports 55752 & 55753 in your firewall and made portforwarding to your ACS server. See also diagram.

Using AXIS Camera Station
Problem: Where can I find a player to playback files created by AXIS Camera Station? Windows Media Player does not work?

Solution: Files created by AXIS Camera Station can only be viewed by AXIS Camera Station. Recordings can be converted to ASF files in the playback dialog. The ASF files can then be played in Windows Media Player.

Problem: I get a black image when I start playback of an event
Solution: The playback functionality requires a graphical adaptor with at least 256 MB memory supporting DirectX and is Windows Vista Compliant. To see the current graphics settings, go to:

Start – run and type dxdiag.

A window will open showing your current DirectX settings. The DirectX version must be 9.0c or later.

Please also make sure that you have the latest graphics adaptor driver installed on your server.
Problem: I get "media failed" when showing live images?

Solution: There are two reasons for getting the media failed warning when showing live images:

  1. Network limitations. For some reasons the connection is lost to the cameras. Please check:
      - You have the required bandwidth available
      - Using latest drivers and software for switches, network adaptors etc
      - Have the latest firmware installed in the cameras
  2. Limitations in graphics adaptors.
    The graphics adaptor must have at least 256 Mb memory available and it is highly recommended to use separate graphics adaptors not sharing memory with the CPU as this could introduce some limitations in performance. Also make sure that your graphics adaptor is DirectX 9.0C compatible and Windows Vista compliant.
Problem: When I open the AXIS Camera Station client, I get a warning that my graphics adaptor is not DirectX 9 compatible, although I believe it is.
Solution: In the AXIS Camera Station Client user interface, the requirements for the graphics adaptor has raised. The graphics adaptor must support DirectX 9.0C and Windows Media Player 11 must be installed on the client. Another requirement is that the graphics adaptor is Windows Vista compliant (even if running on Windows XP) and that it will support Windows Presentation Foundation tier 2.This is a part of the Microsoft .NET Framework. More info can be found on Microsoft.com here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms742196.aspx
Graphics adaptors must meet the requirements for tier 2 to get best performance and to avoid the warning at client startup.
 

 

Axis is the world’s leading expert in network video
    Glossary  |  Contact  |  Sites  |  Privacy Statement