Registering a Rhombus camera

Topics in this article include:

• Registration Methods
• Registering an R2, R2-L, and R2-180
• Registering an R360
• Registering an R1, R100 or R400
• Showing a QR code
• Registering a Camera over Wi-Fi

The Registration process is the secure authentication of Rhombus devices to a specific account. Devices can only be registered to one account, and cannot be moved to another account unless unregistered first. This security feature means that if a camera is disconnected for whatever reason, it will not be usable by any other account but the one that it was registered to. 

Registration Methods

Once you have powered up your camera (instructions to wire a camera), registering a new camera is fast and simple. Make sure that the camera has the correct LED status that indicates it's ready to be registered. A full explanation of all LED statuses can be found here.

You can register a camera either from a mobile app (download links below) or via the web.  

1. Registering from the Mobile App

App Download: Android or iOS

Once an app is downloaded, login to the app and click "Register Devices" from the home screen.  That will launch the registration wizard which will guide you step by step through the registration process. 

Select the type of device you are registering. Note that if you have a mix of devices, you might have to have a registration event per device type. It's also recommended that you register at least one Bluetooth enabled R2 camera before you register a sensor device like the T1, E1, or D1. 

If this is the first camera you are registering, you'll need to add a location first either during this wizard or you can go to the Locations tab and choose "Add Location".  

 If you don't see the location you are looking for, filter the results by clicking the 'filter' button a the top right. You can read more about Managing Locations here. 

Users are assigned to roles which control permissions and access to cameras. For more information on how to configure this, click here. The roles can always be configured after registration if changes are desired. 

The steps will differ based on which device you are registering. 

To continue follow along in the process, find the device you are registering down below. 

Next, you will be prompted to specify the camera connection. The cameras do not have built in wifi antennas, so a Wi-Fi connection must use an adapter, such as the RP-131. For more information on connection, please click here. If a wifi connection is desired, please ensure the network name and password match both case and spelling, or the camera will not connect. 

The last step is IP address configuration. The R2, R2180 and R2L can registered with a DHCP or static IP configuration. Details on static IP can be found here.

DHCP is the most common configuration. With DHCP enabled, the network will automatically assign an IP address to the camera. For more information about the network requirements, please click here. 

Clicking "Next" will complete the camera registration. If, for some reason, the registration does not succeed, a detailed error report will display with a failure explanation. 

2. Registering from the Web

To register a camera from the web, go to the Camera tab and select "Register Cameras". 

If this is the first camera you are registering, you'll need to add a location first either during this wizard or you can go to the Locations tab and choose "Add Location".  

Registering an R2, R2-L, and R2-180

Select 'R2 Cameras Only - Register via Bluetooth' 

After you've selected your Location, the phone will now perform a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) scan to find nearby devices. Please ensure that bluetooth is enabled on the mobile device and the cameras are within bluetooth range. 

Note that from the web, you have to register R2 cameras with a QR code as well which is why we suggest to use a mobile app.

Registering an R360

Connect the R360 to a PoE (802.3af) switch or a non-powered ethernet switch with a PoE injector. In a matter of seconds, the camera should just appear as a live stream from you phone app or web dashboard. 

If you R360 doesn't arrive pre-registered, then you can register it using the QR code method. 

Registering an R1, R100 or R400

The registration process for an R1 or R4 requires the use of a QR code to show the camera.

If you are registering through the phone app, click "Register Camera" from the home screen.  

Select 'Any Cameras - Register via QR Code' 

The follow the steps. Tee last screen will display a QR code which you can then show one or more cameras. 

The last step is to show the QR code to the camera (a few inches from the lens is good).  When you hear an audible click and the red IR LED's flash, you'll know the camera has accepted the QR code.

Showing the QR Code

After the camera powers up, you can show the QR code to the camera when the LED is flashing blue.  At this point, show the QR code on the phone to the camera (generally a few inches away is fine). 

You'll know when the camera has accepted the QR code when you hear a "click" sound and then the LED will change from flashing blue to flashing green.  Once complete with registering, the camera will have a solid blue LED.  This generally takes 1-2 minutes.   

If for some reason it doesn't get to solid blue, then it could be there is a network issue.  Try unplugging the camera and going through the above steps again.  If for some reason it still doesn't work and you're using WiFi, ensure your WiFi network supports the following requirements which are listed at the bottom of this article.  If you're using Ethernet, try plugging a laptop into the Ethernet to ensure it can connect to the internet.

A full explanation of all LED statuses can be found here.

Registering a Camera over Wi-Fi with the Rhombus Wi-Fi Adapter

If you are using the Rhombus WiFi adapter for internet connectivity, there are a couple of network prerequisites.  

1. The network must have 2.4GHz enabled
   1. 802.11 b/g 
   2. The cameras do not support the 5GHz band
2. The network must support one of the following authentication protocols
   1. WPA2 Personal
      1. WPA2-PSK (AES)
      2. WPA2-PSK (TKIP)
   2. WEP
   3. Please contact support if you are using an unsupported authentication protocol as new ones are in development including RADIUS authentication
3. The network does not use a captive portal

Please note, the RP-131 does not work for R360 or R4 cameras. 

For a full list of wiring setup, please read through the 'Wiring a new Rhombus Camera' article.