EmpireTech web interface questions.

[EagleEye7]

I just installed my first EmpireTech camera, a B54IR-Z4E-S3. Below are a couple of questions regarding the web interface, which I am obviously still familiarizing with.

1. How do I (or can I?) install a HTTPS TLS certificate into the camera? On Hikvision's which are I am slightly more familiar with, I was able to load a self-signed certificate into the web interface, which was signed by a CA trusted by my PC. I know that this does not add much security, considering the cams are on a separate network, never accessed remotely directly (except over VPN), etc, but all the browser security warnings annoy me. Hence I like to pop my certificate in where possible, and get a nice green padlock . However, I cannot find the option anywhere in the web interface.

2. Further to the above, am I likely to be missing a load of web UI config options by not using the plugin? I am using Chrome browser, and I like to avoid plugins where possible. The web interface seems perfectly functional, however occasionally the following notice shows up:

Although everything I can see seems to work OK. After not being able to find any HTTPS options, I wondered if my web UI could actually be missing some elements due to lack of the plugin? Attached are various screenshots of what the web UI currently looks like.

And a note question 1 above: Despite the HTTPS port being defined as 443 (can be seen in one of the attachments), the camera is not even listening on port 443 at all. Strange?

 

[wittaj]

Do not waste your time time with HTTPS - that is just giving you a false sense of security. It causes people more trouble than it is worth. Isolate your cameras from the internet and it is a mppt point.

You could be missing something by not having the plugin. Everyone system is different.

Personally I use Internet Explorer as that is what the firmware was designed around and it is still native to Windows. I only use IE for cameras and nothing else so any risk is remote.

 

[EagleEye7]

Thanks @wittaj. Cams properly setup on their own VLAN, strict hardware firewall between the camera LAN and everything else (internet and other local resources). HTTPS is not for security, I just like to have it, and for the sake of slapping the cert of the Hikvision, it was worth it to get rid of the warnings.

Presumably EmpireTech cams simply do not support it (for the reason you state)? Just seems odd there is a HTTPS port config option which does nothing.

I tried using IE (IE mode in Edge, which pretty much runs IE 'under the hood'), and this was actually worse than Chrome when running without the plugin. Perhaps I should install the plugin and explore the WUI to see if anything is there that wasn't before? If not, I can ditch the plugin and go back to Chrome.

 

[bigredfish]

Ignore the plugin nag message. i do

I tend to use Edge and on some cameras Edge in IE mode.

The only place I've found super sensitive to this is the IVS rules setup and associated global rules. If you're able to draw tripwires and Intrusion zones, and get settings like sensitivity to stick, you're fine and not likely missing any controls.Also check the Live tab abd zoom controls. Those for me seem to be the two areas that are browser sensitive

 

[EagleEye7]

OK - I will try IVS rules at some point, after I have got the basics right. Zoom controls in the WUI are functional, so hopefully I am fine!

 

[Ri22o]

OK - I will try IVS rules at some point, after I have got the basics right. Zoom controls in the WUI are functional, so hopefully I am fine!

Do make sure to take note of your Day/Night exposure settings prior to assigning an IVS rule. For some reason when you set a rule it will change your exposure to shutter priority and you will lose your custom/manual settings.

 

[EagleEye7]

Crumbs, that's good to know! Thanks.

 

[Ri22o]

After you apply the first rule, you’re fine. It’s just the initial rule that messes up your settings. I’ve found it’s good practice to throw a random rule on, to get it out of the way, before I start messing with the other settings.

 

[bigredfish]

And Shutter Priority makes your night image nice and bright and you think “this is awesome” until you see something indescribable move because of the motion blur

 

[steve1225]

I just installed my first EmpireTech camera, a B54IR-Z4E-S3. Below are a couple of questions regarding the web interface, which I am obviously still familiarizing with.

1. How do I (or can I?) install a HTTPS TLS certificate into the camera? On Hikvision's which are I am slightly more familiar with, I was able to load a self-signed certificate into the web interface, which was signed by a CA trusted by my PC. I know that this does not add much security, considering the cams are on a separate network, never accessed remotely directly (except over VPN), etc, but all the browser security warnings annoy me. Hence I like to pop my certificate in where possible, and get a nice green padlock . However, I cannot find the option anywhere in the web interface.

This function is very hidden in latest 5.0 UI...

You must go to main screen (home icon in top bar), rotate to second screen with icons (two dots on bottom), there should be Security icon...

In security module You have system service -> https where you can enable https, enable redirection from HTTP to HTTPS and manage SSL certs (it will switch to CA Certificate option)...

ps. I don't understand why all camera modules are NOT listed in top menu as one menu list.. the separation between top menu (with some modules there) and main screen icons (two pages with other modules) is huge problem for users...

 

[EagleEye7]

Good grief, I had no idea there was a 2nd page to the 'Home' menu! The two dots on the bottom were nicely obscured by the 'Please install plugin' prompt, making it even less obvious!

Thanks for pointing that out, I will now explore the Security menu...

 

[EagleEye7]

That's done it.

 

[tigerwillow1]

Good grief, I had no idea there was a 2nd page to the 'Home' menu!

For a lot of people, they didn't know there was even a first page because of the live view coming up by default.

 

[EagleEye7]

Annoyingly, I have just found that enabling HTTPS eventually breaks ONVIF access from my Hikvision NVR, which otherwise works very well. I have tried changing the ONVIF port to 443 in the Hikvision NVR, but this didn't help.

So in an effort to get the camera back online, I had to disable HTTPS - no big deal, but no nice padlocks in the browser, and yes a some annoying warnings in the browser!

If anyone knows why this happens, I would be glad to hear. (Can we enable BOTH HTTPS and HTTP on the camera, so the NVR can use HTTP for ONVIF, whilst I can use HTTPS in the browser?)

 

[wittaj]

Https for cameras is simply a false sense of security and won't prevent backdoor exploits.

We have seen, as you, that running https breaks lots of things.

Better to not give the cams internet access.

 

[EagleEye7]

Fear not - they are fully isolated, VLAN in use, decent firewall, no external port forwarding or other similar horrors!

 

[EagleEye7]

The only place I've found super sensitive to this is the IVS rules setup and associated global rules. If you're able to draw tripwires and Intrusion zones, and get settings like sensitivity to stick, you're fine and not likely missing any controls.Also check the Live tab abd zoom controls. Those for me seem to be the two areas that are browser sensitive

From memory I am fine in these areas.

 

[CCTVCam]

Annoyingly, I have just found that enabling HTTPS eventually breaks ONVIF access from my Hikvision NVR, which otherwise works very well. I have tried changing the ONVIF port to 443 in the Hikvision NVR, but this didn't help.

So in an effort to get the camera back online, I had to disable HTTPS - no big deal, but no nice padlocks in the browser, and yes a some annoying warnings in the browser!

If anyone knows why this happens, I would be glad to hear. (Can we enable BOTH HTTPS and HTTP on the camera, so the NVR can use HTTP for ONVIF, whilst I can use HTTPS in the browser?)

Strikes me you're not using IE if you're getting warnings about Https. I've never seen one and seem to remember that IE precedes https warnings. When we say use IE we don't mean it's replacement Edge, we mean literally discontinued IE as removed from visible access by Windows update from your PC. This is something you need to reactivate & access via a simple script as described elsewhere on this website. Alternatives to IE that might work are the moon browser or Firefox, but be aware, you may find some settings don't save when you exit from alternatives to IE.

 

[EagleEye7]

Strikes me you're not using IE if you're getting warnings about Https. I've never seen one and seem to remember that IE precedes https warnings. When we say use IE we don't mean it's replacement Edge, we mean literally discontinued IE as removed from visible access by Windows update from your PC. This is something you need to reactivate & access via a simple script as described elsewhere on this website. Alternatives to IE that might work are the moon browser or Firefox, but be aware, you may find some settings don't save when you exit from alternatives to IE.

Thanks, I am aware that most use IE, and I am aware it can be launched via a script, and I do use it with some systems. I usually use either Chrome or FF where I can, and it seems not to be an issue with these cams.

 

[wittaj]

Thanks, I am aware that most use IE, and I am aware it can be launched via a script, and I do use it with some systems. I usually use either Chrome or FF where I can, and it seems not to be an issue with these cams.

Keep in mind you could still be missing something you have no idea you are missing.

While newer cameras are supposed to work with other browsers and not need the plug-in nonsense, keep in mind to ensure full compatibility, IE is still preferred. And this isn't specific to just Dahua either. And sometimes the plug-in nonsense is needed.

It comes down to IE was the most popular browser when these cameras started to be made, so they centered the firmware around one particular browser and they got lazy and never updated the internals of the program to play nice with other browsers as more became available and IE started to fade.

Many don't have an issue with other browsers, but if they do, chasing camera settings isn't going to do it.

And we have seen some of these cameras in 2025 still perform better with Internet Explorer, like a member recently that kept getting false triggers and turned out that in Edge with IE mode it showed MD was turned off, yet logging in with Internet Explorer showed MD turned on. That can drive someone nuts trying to eliminate false triggers and it turns out to be a browser issue!

A trusted member here wildcat_1, who works closely with Dahua and gets "under the hood" of the firmware, including this new GUI, said in this thread:

"Not a case of only using IE for testing, it's more the case that this is the only fully compatible browser that truly work with Dahua GUI's. As we've all discussed before, other browsers unfortunately (up to Firefox support most recently) cause anomalies in config, maintenance modes, updates etc. All of this reported back to Dahua to tackle in future but while we all await compatibility with wider browser and platform acceptance OR browser agnostic GUI's, this is unfortunately where we're all at."


So while Dahua claims other browsers are supported, someone that looks at the fine details of the firmware, coupled with many users experience here, that Internet Explorer provides the best opportunity to set up the camera and the setting stick.

SD card download speed is impacted by the browser as well (fastest with Explorer).

Doesn't mean you won't have a problem with another browser, but it is rolling the dice depending on the parameters you are using.

Simply use Internet Explorer or Pale Moon and be done with it.

Even brand new NVRs still have Explorer coded into them to access the cameras:

Tell me why would they have the Explorer browser in their brand new NVR if that isn't the browser of choice....

Bigredfish points out in many threads the difference between using another browser or IE/Edge with IE and that you simply don't see some controls without IE enabled.

With IE:

Without IE:

Here is a thread that shows sometimes you don't know what you are missing by using another browser:

For those that do not know...use IE browser for Dahua (and others?) camera GUI to see more options
I've been using Chrome since I bought my first Dahua camera from Andy last year (the good 'ol 4231's). I was able to log in, see menu options, do the config, save, logout....all done. Always wondered how folks were able to see the AI detection boxes livestream and other stuff which I thought...



Or this one where someone showed that with a brand new 2024 camera model, downloading files from an SD card is 100Mbps with Explorer and only 10Mbps with other browsers.

Downloading videos files directly from camera via web interface (using other than IE) seems to be capped at TEN Mbps
UPDATE: If you use Internet Explorer (with plug-in), you can download videos via the web interface at the full 100Mbps speed - note you can't go any faster because the NIC doesn't support GigE. Thanks @TheOtherMike for pointing that out on the data sheet (maybe for 2024, Dahua will go with...


Most people here have a wide variety of cameras. It is stupid to have to say "oh I can use Chrome for this camera when I need to get in to the GUI" and "Oh I don't see everything in this camera with Chrome because I need to use Explorer."

The fact of the matter is, every one of these cameras will work with Internet Explorer regardless of age or firmware. Can't say that the other way around.

I believe in the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) philosophy. It is much easier to just use Explorer for every camera GUI than to bounce around different browsers based on the firmware variant.

Further, for those that are concerned about security, I would rather use the vanilla Explorer that is still baked into Win10 and Win11 for my cameras and my cameras only.

Personally, I don't want to use the same browser I use for other stuff to make changes to my camera in the event the camera firmware has some vulnerability that it exposes in another browser. Maybe the risk is remote or non-existent, but I would prefer to use just ONE browser for all my cameras.

And of course, YMMV