How to activate or access your Hikvision recorder/camera using Internet Explorer or Google ChromeUpdated 9 months ago

Purpose of the guide

This guide will show you how to find the IP address of your Hikvision device and enter it into Internet Explorer so you can view your cameras without installing additional software. This will only work locally, and is only recommended for smaller systems with no more than eight cameras.

If you prefer to use Google Chrome, follow this guide to see how to use Internet Explorer as a separate window within Google Chrome

Before you begin

You will need a Hikvision recorder or camera that is set up and connected to your internet router. You will also need a Windows computer connected to the same internet router.

Let’s get started

First you need to find out the local IP address of your camera/recorder. If you don’t know this already, this can be found using the Hikvision program called SADP Tool. Just download it from this link if you use Windows, or here if you use a Mac. If you have already set up the device and know the IP address this is not necessary.

Run the file and install it, when you run the file it will show you the 'IPV4' address of the camera/recorder, it will look something like '192.168.1.64' and is displayed in two places on the screen. 

If the device has not been used before you will need to 'activate' it by setting up a password. You can also activate the device directly through Internet Explorer but SADP is useful for many people to be able to find the IP address of the device and for troubleshooting if any issues occur.

Now open up Internet Explorer if you are using Windows (other browsers are not supported) or Safari if you are on a Mac, and input the IP address of your recorder into the address bar (e.g. 192.168.1.64).

Log in using your username and password. The username is admin by default unless you have changed it when setting up the recorder.

When you first log in, you will see the below message. If you want to be able to view the cameras using this method, click on the link to install the plug-in. You will need to restart Internet Explorer and log in again, then just double click on the names on the cameras on the left side to view them.

If you just want to edit the settings without viewing the camera, this plug-in is not necessary. The settings can be found under 'Configuration'.

Need more help?

If you need help with anything else please check out our other guides or get in contact.