Hello!
Can I integrate a remote Hikvision DVR system in Home Assistant? The DVR system is in another city and I want to integrate it in my Home Assistant . Is this possible?
Thank you!
To integrate a remote Hikvision DVR system with Home Assistant, you’ll need a static public IP address at the DVR location and to set up port forwarding on the DVR site’s router. This allows external access to the DVR.
You’ll also require the RTSP URL for each camera, which typically looks like this:
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<ip_address>:<port>/Streaming/Channels/<channel_number>
With these URLs, you can add each camera as an entity in Home Assistant to view live feeds.
Keep in mind that a fast and stable internet connection is needed at both locations, as there may be a delay of 1–5 seconds due to network latency. Additionally, exposing DVR devices to the internet without proper security measures can make them vulnerable to attacks. Always prioritize encryption and use secure access methods to protect your system.
From what I read the RTSP protocol is not secure.
I can set up a DDNS configuration in my remote Hikvision DVR system. Can I use this to integrate in my Home Assistant system?
The DDNS method helps avoid the need for a static public IP, but once you configure DDNS, you’ll still need to use RTSP in this format:
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<your_ddns_address>:<port>/Streaming/Channels/<channel_number>
So, security considerations would remain the same. Personally, I wouldn’t go this route.
Another option could be to set up a server at the Hikvision site and use Cloudflare for added security. This way, you can take advantage of Cloudflare’s SSL protection. However, I’m not a network expert, and I’m not sure if it’s even feasible, but with Cloudflare, you’d get SSL encryption, and then you could use a proxy server to encrypt the RTSP stream (using WebRTC or FFmpeg).
Again, I’m not a network expert, but I have a decent understanding. I recommend doing further research on this approach.