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Milestone VMS Troubleshooting

Overview​

This guide covers common issues and solutions for Milestone VMS integration with GCXONE. Use this guide to diagnose and resolve problems during installation, configuration, and operation.

How to use this guide:

  1. Identify the symptom you're experiencing
  2. Review the possible causes
  3. Follow the solutions step-by-step
  4. Verify the expected result
  5. If issue persists, see Escalation Guidelines

Connection Issues​

Device Not Discovered​

Symptoms:

  • Device does not appear in GCXONE discovery list
  • Auto-discovery fails or times out
  • "Device not found" error message

Possible Causes:

  1. Network connectivity issues between device and GCXONE
  2. Incorrect IP address or hostname
  3. Firewall blocking communication
  4. Device not configured for discovery protocol
  5. Incorrect credentials

Solutions:

Solution 1: Verify Network Connectivity

  1. Ping the device IP address from a computer on the same network
  2. Verify device is powered on and network cable connected
  3. Check network switch/router for link status
  4. Verify device has valid IP configuration (not 0.0.0.0 or 169.254.x.x)

Solution 2: Check Credentials and Settings

  1. Verify username and password are correct
  2. Ensure user account has administrator/sufficient permissions
  3. Check if device requires HTTPS (try both HTTP and HTTPS)
  4. Verify port number is correct (check device documentation)

Solution 3: Verify Firewall Configuration

  1. Check device firewall settings allow incoming connections
  2. Verify GCXONE IP/network is whitelisted on device (if applicable)
  3. Check network firewall rules between device and GCXONE
  4. Temporarily disable device firewall to test (re-enable after testing)

Expected Result: Device appears in discovery list and connection succeeds.

Device Shows Offline in GCXONE​

Symptoms:

  • Device was online, now shows offline status
  • Red or gray status indicator in GCXONE
  • "Connection lost" or "Unreachable" message

Possible Causes:

  1. Network connectivity interruption
  2. Device restarted or powered off
  3. Credentials changed on device
  4. IP address changed
  5. Firewall rules changed
  6. Device firmware updated and settings reset

Solutions:

Solution 1: Verify Device Status

  1. Check if device is powered on
  2. Verify device web interface is accessible
  3. Check device system logs for errors or restarts
  4. Verify network cable connections

Solution 2: Check Network Connectivity

  1. Ping device IP address
  2. Access device web interface from browser
  3. Check for network changes (VLAN, routing, firewall)

Solution 3: Verify Credentials

  1. Try logging into device with credentials stored in GCXONE
  2. If login fails, update credentials in GCXONE:
    • GCXONE → Devices → [Device] → Edit → Update credentials
  3. Save and test connection

Solution 4: Check for IP Address Change

  1. Verify device IP address hasn't changed
  2. If IP changed, update in GCXONE device settings
  3. Consider assigning static IP or DHCP reservation

Expected Result: Device status shows online/green in GCXONE.

Video/Streaming Issues​

No Live Video​

Symptoms:

  • Black screen when opening live view
  • "Stream not available" error
  • Loading icon that never completes

Possible Causes:

  1. Stream not enabled on device
  2. Network bandwidth insufficient
  3. Codec not supported
  4. Camera/channel disabled
  5. Incorrect stream URL or settings

Solutions:

Solution 1: Verify Stream Configuration

  1. Access device web interface
  2. Navigate to Video/Stream Settings
  3. Verify main stream is enabled
  4. Check stream encoding settings:
    • Codec: H.264 or H.265
    • Resolution: [Recommended settings]
    • Frame Rate: 15-30 fps recommended
    • Bitrate: [Recommended range]

Solution 2: Check Network Bandwidth

  1. Verify network has sufficient bandwidth
  2. Test with lower resolution or bitrate
  3. Check for network congestion
  4. Test from different network location

Solution 3: Verify Channel Status

  1. Ensure camera/channel is not disabled
  2. Check camera has power (for IP cameras)
  3. Verify camera is connected to NVR/VMS

Expected Result: Live video streams successfully in GCXONE.

Poor Video Quality or Lagging​

Symptoms:

  • Pixelated or blurry video
  • Stuttering or choppy playback
  • Delayed or frozen frames

Possible Causes:

  1. Insufficient bandwidth
  2. High network latency
  3. Bitrate too low on device
  4. Network packet loss
  5. CPU overload on device

Solutions:

Solution 1: Adjust Stream Settings

  1. Access device video settings
  2. Increase bitrate (if too low)
  3. Adjust frame rate to 20-25 fps
  4. Use H.265 codec for better compression (if supported)

Solution 2: Check Network Performance

  1. Test network latency: ping [device_ip] -t
  2. Check for packet loss
  3. Verify bandwidth availability
  4. Consider quality of service (QoS) settings

Expected Result: Smooth, clear video streaming.

Playback Not Working​

Symptoms:

  • Cannot access recorded video
  • Timeline shows no recordings
  • Playback fails to load

Possible Causes:

  1. Recording not enabled on device
  2. Storage full or unavailable
  3. Time zone mismatch
  4. Playback protocol not supported
  5. Recording corrupted

Solutions:

Solution 1: Verify Recording Settings

  1. Check recording is enabled on device
  2. Verify recording schedule is configured
  3. Check storage status (disk space available)
  4. Verify recording mode (continuous, motion, event)

Solution 2: Check Time Zone Settings

  1. Verify device time zone matches GCXONE settings
  2. Synchronize time (NTP recommended)
  3. Check for daylight saving time discrepancies

Expected Result: Recorded video plays successfully from timeline.

Event/Alarm Issues​

Events Not Received in GCXONE​

Symptoms:

  • No events appearing in GCXONE
  • Events showing on device but not in platform
  • Delayed event notification

Possible Causes:

  1. Event detection not enabled on device
  2. Event transmission not configured
  3. Network blocking event protocol
  4. Event filters misconfigured
  5. Wrong receiver IP/port configured

Solutions:

Solution 1: Verify Event Configuration on Device

  1. Access device event/alarm settings
  2. Enable event detection:
    • Motion detection
    • Intrusion detection
    • [Device-specific events]
  3. Configure event sensitivity/zones
  4. Enable event notification

Solution 2: Configure Event Transmission

  1. Navigate to alarm/event server settings
  2. Configure GCXONE receiver details:
    • Protocol: [SIA-DC09 / Custom / etc.]
    • IP Address: [GCXONE receiver IP - obtain from GCXONE device view]
    • Port: [Receiver port]
    • Account Number: [If required - from GCXONE]
  3. Enable transmission
  4. Save settings

Solution 3: Test Event Triggering

  1. Manually trigger a test event on device
  2. Check device logs for event transmission
  3. Verify event appears in GCXONE within expected time
  4. Check GCXONE event logs if needed

Expected Result: Events appear in GCXONE immediately or within configured delay.

False Alarms​

Symptoms:

  • Excessive motion detection alerts
  • Alarms triggered by non-threatening events
  • Repeated false positives

Possible Causes:

  1. Motion sensitivity too high
  2. Detection zones not configured properly
  3. Environmental factors (wind, shadows, insects)
  4. Analytics settings need tuning

Solutions:

Solution 1: Adjust Motion Sensitivity

  1. Access motion detection settings
  2. Reduce sensitivity level (start with medium)
  3. Test and adjust as needed

Solution 2: Configure Detection Zones

  1. Define motion detection zones
  2. Exclude areas with movement (trees, flags, traffic)
  3. Focus on critical areas only

Solution 3: Use Advanced Analytics

  1. Enable smart motion detection (if available)
  2. Configure object classification (person, vehicle)
  3. Set minimum object size
  4. Enable AI-based false alarm filtering (GCXONE feature)

Expected Result: Significant reduction in false alarms while maintaining detection of real events.

Feature-Specific Issues​

PTZ Not Working​

Symptoms:

  • Cannot control PTZ from GCXONE
  • PTZ controls unresponsive
  • Camera does not move to presets

Possible Causes:

  1. PTZ not enabled on device
  2. PTZ protocol mismatch
  3. User permissions insufficient
  4. PTZ locked by another user/system

Solutions:

Solution 1: Verify PTZ Configuration

  1. Confirm camera supports PTZ
  2. Check PTZ is enabled in device settings
  3. Verify PTZ protocol matches (Pelco-D, Pelco-P, ONVIF, etc.)
  4. Test PTZ from device interface

Solution 2: Check Permissions

  1. Verify GCXONE user has PTZ control permissions
  2. Check if PTZ is locked by another session
  3. Ensure no conflicting PTZ commands

Expected Result: PTZ controls respond correctly from GCXONE.

Audio Not Working​

Symptoms:

  • No audio in live stream
  • Audio playback fails
  • Distorted or garbled audio

Possible Causes:

  1. Audio not enabled on device
  2. Microphone not connected or faulty
  3. Audio codec not supported
  4. Audio stream not configured

Solutions:

Solution 1: Enable Audio

  1. Access device audio settings
  2. Enable audio for the stream
  3. Configure audio encoding (G.711, AAC, etc.)
  4. Adjust audio bitrate

Solution 2: Check Hardware

  1. Verify microphone is connected
  2. Test microphone on device directly
  3. Check audio input levels

Expected Result: Audio streams successfully with video.

Performance Issues​

High Latency​

Symptoms:

  • Significant delay in live video
  • Slow response to PTZ commands
  • Delayed event notifications

Possible Causes:

  1. Network congestion
  2. Insufficient bandwidth
  3. Device CPU overloaded
  4. Too many concurrent streams
  5. Inefficient routing

Solutions:

Solution 1: Optimize Network

  1. Check network utilization
  2. Implement QoS for video traffic
  3. Use dedicated VLAN for video (if possible)
  4. Verify routing is optimal

Solution 2: Reduce Load

  1. Decrease number of concurrent streams
  2. Lower resolution/bitrate for less critical cameras
  3. Disable unnecessary features
  4. Restart device to clear resources

Expected Result: Latency reduced to acceptable levels (less than 500ms for local, less than 2s for cloud).

Diagnostic Tools​

Built-in Device Diagnostics​

Most vms devices include diagnostic tools:

  1. Access device web interface
  2. Navigate to Diagnostics or System Tools
  3. Available tools may include:
    • Network Test: Ping, traceroute, bandwidth test
    • System Logs: View device logs for errors
    • Resource Monitor: CPU, memory, disk usage
    • Connection Status: Active connections and sessions

Network Testing​

Test network connectivity:

# Ping device
ping [device_ip]

# Traceroute to device
tracert [device_ip]  # Windows
traceroute [device_ip]  # Linux/Mac

# Test port connectivity
telnet [device_ip] [port]

GCXONE Logs​

Access GCXONE logs for device communication:

  1. GCXONE → Settings → System Logs
  2. Filter by device name or ID
  3. Look for connection errors, authentication failures, or event reception issues

Escalation Guidelines​

When to Contact Support​

Contact GCXONE support if:

  • Issue persists after following all troubleshooting steps
  • Device behavior is inconsistent with documentation
  • Suspected platform or integration bug
  • Need assistance with complex configuration
  • Require access to advanced logs or diagnostics

Information to Gather Before Contacting Support​

Prepare the following information:

  • Device Information:
    • Device model and firmware version
    • Device serial number
    • Device IP address
  • GCXONE Information:
    • Tenant name
    • Device name in GCXONE
    • User account experiencing issue
  • Issue Details:
    • Symptom description
    • When issue started
    • Frequency (constant, intermittent)
    • Steps already attempted
  • Logs and Screenshots:
    • Error messages (screenshots)
    • Device logs (export if possible)
    • GCXONE logs (if accessible)
    • Network diagram (for connectivity issues)
  • Recent Changes:
    • Firmware updates
    • Configuration changes
    • Network changes

How to Contact Support​

Change Log​

  • 2025-12-20 v1.0.0 - Initial troubleshooting guide

Still need help? Contact GCXONE Support