Integrating Your Zosi Camera with Home Assistant: A Troubleshooting Guide
Connecting your Zosi security cameras to Home Assistant (HA) opens up a world of powerful automation possibilities. You can trigger lights when motion is detected, create custom notifications, and view all your cameras in a single, unified dashboard. However, because Zosi doesn't offer an official integration, the setup process can sometimes be tricky.
This guide will help you troubleshoot the most common problems encountered when trying to get your Zosi cameras working with Home Assistant, primarily using the widely supported ONVIF and RTSP protocols.
## Pre-requisites: Essential First Steps
Before you even open Home Assistant, you need to prepare your Zosi system.
- Assign a Static IP Address: Your camera or NVR's IP address can change, which will break the connection to Home Assistant. Log in to your router and assign a static IP address (or DHCP reservation) to your Zosi device. This is the most important step for long-term stability.
- Find Your Credentials: You will need the username and password for your camera or NVR. This is the same login you use for the Zosi app or web interface.
- Enable ONVIF: Log in to your Zosi NVR or camera's settings via its web interface. Navigate to the network or advanced settings section and ensure that the ONVIF protocol is enabled. You may also need to create a separate ONVIF user account.
## Troubleshooting the Home Assistant Connection
Once the pre-requisites are met, you can try adding the camera in Home Assistant.
### Problem: Camera Not Discovered or Fails to Connect
If you're using the "ONVIF" integration in Home Assistant and it can't find your camera, or it fails to connect when you enter the details manually, follow these steps.
- Verify IP Address: Double-check that the static IP address you are entering in Home Assistant is correct. Try to 'ping' the address from another computer on the network to confirm it's online and reachable.
- Check Username/Password: Credentials are case-sensitive. Carefully re-enter your username and password.
- Confirm ONVIF Port: The standard ONVIF port is
8000, but it can sometimes be different. Check the ONVIF settings in your Zosi device's web interface to confirm the correct port number. - Firewall Issues: A firewall on your computer, router, or even the Zosi device itself could be blocking the connection. Temporarily disable firewalls to see if the connection succeeds.
### Problem: Camera is Connected, But No Video Stream
This is a common issue and it means Home Assistant has connected to the camera for control but isn't receiving the video feed. This is where RTSP comes in.
- Find Your RTSP URL: You need the specific Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) address for your camera's video stream. This URL is unique to the manufacturer and model. You may need to search online forums or Zosi's documentation for your model's URL. It typically follows a format like:
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<ip_address>:554/stream1 - Add as a Generic Camera: Instead of the ONVIF integration, you may have more success using the "Generic Camera" integration in Home Assistant.
- Go to Settings > Devices & Services > Add Integration.
- Search for and select "Generic Camera".
- In the "Still Image URL" field, you can leave it blank or enter a snapshot URL if you have one.
- In the "Stream Source URL" field, enter the correct RTSP URL you found earlier.
- Complete the setup, and a camera entity should be created with a live video feed.
### Problem: Motion Detection Doesn't Work
Standard ONVIF and RTSP integrations in Home Assistant do not typically include motion detection sensors from the camera. The camera stream is just a video feed. To create automations based on motion, you need an alternative approach:
- Use NVR Alarm Outputs: If your Zosi NVR has physical alarm output terminals, you can wire them to a device like an ESPHome or Shelly to create a binary sensor in Home Assistant.
- Use a Software NVR: For the most powerful integration, consider using a software NVR like Blue Iris or Frigate as an intermediary. These systems process the video feeds, perform their own superior motion/object detection, and then integrate seamlessly with Home Assistant, providing rich data for automations.
By methodically checking your network settings and using the correct protocols and URLs, you can successfully integrate your Zosi cameras into your Home Assistant ecosystem.