How to Add a Generic IP Camera to Vera

Out of the box, Vera will natively support a handful of cameras only but will still provide partial integration for most generic IP cameras, allowing you to use them in your security scenes. For example, you can have Vera take snapshots when an associated Z-Wave motion sensor is tripped. 

The following guide explains how to add a generic IP camera to your Vera using UI7. It assumes you have already connected the camera to your LAN or WiFi network and have installed and configured the device as per the manufacturer's instructions. You need to make sure you can see a live stream via a browser on your PC, or via a 3rd party app on your phone, before you begin. 

Step 1: Click the “Add Camera” button under the “Cameras” menu: 

When choosing a camera to complement your Z-Wave home automation system, you'll need to ensure it's compatible with your Z-Wave gateway, such as Vera, as opposed to searching for a "Z-Wave camera", of which there are none. All cameras that integrate with Vera are IP-based, not Z-Wave, which means that Vera communicates with the device via TCP/IP over your LAN or WiFi network. 

Step 2: Click “Next” twice…:

Step 3: Then click “Manually install the camera (advanced)”:

Step 4: At the “Pair your Device” screen, give your camera a name, select "Other IP camera" for the type, enter the camera's JPG snapshot URL (check your manual but usually something like what is shown below), your username and password (if applicable) and select a room (optional). Then click “Next”: 

Step 5: At the screen below, click "Next" (despite no image being shown):

And you're done!

You won't be able to view a live stream directly via the Vera interface but any 3rd party app will work for this. If you're looking for a great all-in-one app to control your Z-Wave devices via Vera as well as your cameras, check out Imperihome. It's one of our favourites!