#
MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH: Swann Baichuan Camera Authentication Solved via Neolink on Linux
## Previous Status (May 23-24)
We were completely blocked on Windows trying to integrate 8 Swann security cameras (manufactured by Shenzhen Baichuan Digital Technology) with
Blue Iris. The cameras use a proprietary Baichuan protocol on port 9000, not standard RTSP. After a week of Windows troubleshooting (GStreamer DLL missing, Neolink 0.6.2 TOML parse errors), we pivoted to Linux.
## TODAY'S BREAKTHROUGH (May 25, Evening)
###
Problem SOLVED: Camera Authentication
The default password is 12345 — not 123456
This was the critical missing piece. We had been trying:
- admin / 123456 (WRONG — has 6 digits)
- admin / blank (WRONG)
- admin / EC71DB512EB2 (MAC address — WRONG)
But the actual default is:
admin / 12345 (exactly 5 digits)
###
Neolink on Linux is WORKING
Once we used the correct password, Neolink 0.6.2 immediately:
- Connected to camera at 172.16.25.57:9000
- Successfully authenticated
- Established TCP connection
- Retrieved camera details:
- Model: IPC-388M
- Firmware: Version 541.15120202
- Streams available at multiple paths
###
RTSP Server is Running
Neolink is successfully serving RTSP streams at port 8554 with these available paths:
/swann1/main and /swann1/Main/swann1/mainStream and /swann1/MainStream/swann1/sub and /swann1/Sub/swann1/subStream and /swann1/SubStream
###
Network Connectivity Verified
- Windows laptop → Linux machine: ping successful (0.3-0.7ms latency)
- Port 8554 firewall verified open:
sudo ufw allow 8554
- Network path is solid and confirmed working
###
Current Blocker: Blue Iris RTSP 404 Error
When Blue Iris attempts to connect to the RTSP stream at
172.16.25.3:8554/swann1/main, it returns:
Code:
Cam1: No signal
RTSP 404 not found
This is puzzling because:
- Neolink IS running and serving streams
- Port 8554 IS open and reachable
- Network connectivity IS confirmed
- Camera authentication IS successful
Blue Iris can reach the RTSP server (it gets a response) but is getting a 404 error, suggesting the stream paths or stream format might not match Blue Iris's expectations.
## Technical Details
System Configuration:
- Linux Mint 22.3 Xena (dual-boot, recently upgraded)
- Neolink 0.6.2 (linux_x86_64_ubuntu)
- GStreamer 1.0 installed via apt (complete with RTSP components)
- Blue Iris 5 on Windows 11 HP laptop
Camera Details:
- IP: 172.16.25.57
- Port: 9000 (Baichuan proprietary protocol)
- Username: admin
- Password: 12345 ← KEY FINDING
- Manufacturer: Shenzhen Baichuan Digital Technology
- MAC: EC:71
B:51:2E:B2
- Model: IPC-388M
- Firmware: 541.15120202
Network Topology:
Code:
Windows 11 (Blue Iris) ← → Linux (Neolink) ← → Camera
192.168.x.x 172.16.25.3 172.16.25.57
Port 8554 (RTSP) Port 9000
## What Works Now
1.
Linux environment is stable — Xena upgrade was seamless, package management works well
2.
Neolink successfully translates Baichuan → RTSP — authentication and connection working perfectly
3.
Camera is accessible and responsive — all 8 cameras in the box likely have same default credentials (12345)
4.
Network infrastructure is solid — no latency issues, firewall manageable
## Remaining Questions for Community
1.
RTSP 404 Error: Why is Blue Iris getting 404 when Neolink says streams are available? Is this a stream format issue, authentication in the URL, or something else?
2.
Stream Path Format: Should the URL be:
-
172.16.25.3:8554/swann1 (base path)?
-
172.16.25.3:8554/swann1/main (with main stream)?
- Something else entirely?
3.
Blue Iris Compatibility: Does anyone have experience connecting Blue Iris to Neolink-proxied camera streams? Any known issues or workarounds?
## Next Steps We're Exploring
1.
Contact Blue Iris support — since the error is originating from their RTSP client, they may have insight into the 404 issue
2.
Try Frigate as alternative — native Linux video management software, might handle these camera streams differently than Blue Iris proxy approach
3.
Test other Baichuan cameras — all 8 came in same box, should respond to same credentials (12345)
## Key Takeaway for Others
If you have Swann cameras from Shenzhen Baichuan Digital Technology:
- Default credentials are: admin / 12345 (not 123456)
- Use Neolink on Linux (not Windows) to avoid GStreamer DLL issues
- Camera is at port 9000, not standard RTSP port 554
- Linux infrastructure (Docker, apt packages) handles this setup much more smoothly than Windows
We're very close to full integration. The authentication breakthrough suggests the other 7 cameras in the box are equally accessible once we resolve the Blue Iris RTSP connection issue.
Any insights from the community would be greatly appreciated.
---
Update Status: May 25, 2026, ~11:45 PM
Project Progress: 85% (authentication solved, RTSP serving confirmed, only client connection issue remains)
192.168.3.101:554/0