Ceptory

Camera setup guide

Connect Axis to Ceptory

Axis cameras serve RTSP from /axis-media/media.amp, and the URL itself picks the codec, resolution and frame rate. That makes it easy to give Ceptory Edge a light H.264 stream without changing what your VMS records.

Connect a cameraHow it works

Also covers: Axis network cameras and encoders.

Stream URL

Axis RTSP URL format

Connect Axis network cameras to Ceptory with the media.amp RTSP URL and a low-resolution H.264 profile.

Sub stream (use this one)
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<host>:<port>/axis-media/media.amp?videocodec=h264&resolution=640x360&fps=15
Main stream
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<host>:<port>/axis-media/media.amp?videocodec=h264

On the camera

Prepare the stream

  1. 1

    Find the camera's IP address

    Use AXIS IP Utility or AXIS Device Manager, or your router's client list.

  2. 2

    Add a viewer account

    In the camera's web interface, add an account with the Viewer role for Ceptory under the system or accounts settings.

  3. 3

    Use the URL parameters for the stream

    The sub stream URL above asks the camera for H.264 at 640×360 and 15 fps. Change resolution= to a size your camera supports if it rejects that one.

In Ceptory Edge

Add the camera to edge.toml

Or let the Connect a camera page in your dashboard build this file, including the stream URL, and check each step live.

edge.toml
[ceptory]
url = "https://www.ceptory.com"
api_key = "${CEPTORY_API_KEY}"   # a WRITE key from Dashboard → API keys

[defaults]
index_id = "your-index-id"        # from /dashboard/indexes/<index_id>
upload_mode = "motion"

[[cameras]]
id = "front-entrance"
name = "Front entrance"
url = "rtsp://ceptory:${CAMERA_PASSWORD}@192.168.1.64:554/axis-media/media.amp?videocodec=h264&resolution=640x360&fps=15"
Check the camera, then start
ceptory-edge check
ceptory-edge run

check opens every stream and reports the codec, resolution and frame rate, so a wrong URL or password shows up before anything is uploaded.

Good to know

Axis notes

  • On multi-sensor or multi-channel Axis devices, add camera=2 (and so on) to the URL to choose the view.
  • If the password contains characters such as @, : or /, the connect flow in the dashboard encodes them for you. When you write the URL by hand, replace @ with %40, : with %3A and / with %2F.

FAQ

Troubleshooting

Still stuck? Email us your Axis model and the error you see, and we'll help you get it streaming.

Contact support

ceptory-edge check says it could not open the stream

Open the same URL in VLC (Media → Open Network Stream) from the edge box. If VLC fails too, the URL, username, password or port is wrong, or RTSP is turned off on the camera. If VLC works, check that nothing on the box blocks outbound connections to port 554.

The camera shows online but no clips arrive

Clips are only sent when something moves. Walk in front of the camera, or lower motion_sensitivity (for example to 0.01) in edge.toml. If the camera's on-screen clock is counted as motion, add it to ignore_regions.

Do I need to open ports on my router?

No. Ceptory Edge runs inside your network, reads the cameras locally, and only makes outbound HTTPS connections to Ceptory. Nothing on the internet can reach your cameras through it.

Does all my footage go to the cloud?

No. Ceptory Edge watches every frame locally and uploads only short clips with activity, with a few seconds of context either side. Still footage stays on your cameras or recorder. You can also set upload_mode to off to send health and snapshots only.

Are camera passwords sent to Ceptory?

No. Stream URLs and passwords stay in edge.toml on your edge box. Ceptory only receives the camera's name, health, an occasional snapshot and the activity clips.

Get started

Search your Axis footage in plain language

Connect a camera in a few minutes. Only activity clips are uploaded and indexed.

Connect a cameraAll camera guides