How to Add Unlimited Camera Licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station
Xpenology Surveillance Station License: What You Need to Know
If you are looking for a way to turn your old PC or server into a powerful network video recorder (NVR) with advanced features, you might have heard of Xpenology Surveillance Station. But what is it exactly, and how can you use it? In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about Xpenology Surveillance Station, including how to install it, how to add extra camera licenses, and what are the pros and cons of using it.
Xpenology Surveillance Station License
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Introduction
Before we dive into the details of Xpenology Surveillance Station, let's first clarify some basic concepts and terms.
What is Xpenology?
Xpenology is a custom software that allows you to run the Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system on non-Synology hardware. DSM is a Linux-based OS that powers Synology's network-attached storage (NAS) devices, which are widely used for data storage, backup, file sharing, media streaming, and more. By using Xpenology, you can enjoy the benefits of DSM without buying a Synology NAS.
What is Surveillance Station?
Surveillance Station is one of the applications that you can install on DSM. It is a comprehensive video management system that lets you manage and monitor your IP cameras, record videos, detect motion, send alerts, and more. You can access Surveillance Station from any web browser or mobile device, or use a dedicated client software. Surveillance Station supports over 7,600 IP camera models from various brands, as well as ONVIF and RTSP protocols.
Why use Xpenology Surveillance Station?
There are many reasons why you might want to use Xpenology Surveillance Station instead of buying a Synology NAS or using other NVR software. Here are some of them:
You can save money by repurposing your old PC or server as an NVR.
You can leverage the power and flexibility of DSM and its applications.
You can customize and optimize your NVR according to your needs and preferences.
You can expand your storage capacity and camera support easily.
You can enjoy the user-friendly and intuitive interface of Surveillance Station.
How to install Xpenology Surveillance Station
Now that you have an idea of what Xpenology Surveillance Station is and why you might want to use it, let's see how you can install it on your PC or server.
Requirements and preparations
Before you start the installation process, you need to make sure that you have the following requirements and preparations:
A PC or server that meets the minimum hardware requirements for running DSM. You can check the official specifications here.
A USB flash drive that will act as the boot loader for Xpenology.
A hard drive or SSD that will store your DSM system and data.
A network connection and a router that supports DHCP.
A monitor and a keyboard for the initial setup.
A computer that can access the web interface of DSM.
A downloaded image file of the Xpenology boot loader. You can find the latest version <a href Steps to install Xpenology Surveillance Station
Once you have everything ready, you can follow these steps to install Xpenology Surveillance Station:
Extract the Xpenology boot loader image file to your USB flash drive using a tool like Win32 Disk Imager or Rufus.
Edit the grub.cfg file on the USB flash drive using a text editor like Notepad++. Change the VID and PID values to match your USB flash drive's vendor ID and product ID. You can find these values using a tool like ChipGenius or USBDeview. You can also change other settings like the serial number, MAC address, and model name if you want.
Plug the USB flash drive and the hard drive or SSD into your PC or server. Make sure that the USB flash drive is the first boot device in the BIOS settings.
Boot up your PC or server from the USB flash drive. You should see a menu with several options. Choose the one that matches your hardware configuration (e.g., DS3615xs, DS3617xs, DS918+, etc.).
Wait for a few minutes until the PC or server obtains an IP address from the router. You can check the IP address on the monitor or use a tool like Synology Assistant or Advanced IP Scanner to find it.
On another computer, open a web browser and enter the IP address of your PC or server. You should see a welcome page of DSM.
Follow the instructions on the screen to install DSM on your hard drive or SSD. You will need to download the DSM .pat file from Synology's website or use a local file that you have downloaded beforehand. You can also choose to create a storage pool and a volume during the installation.
After the installation is complete, log in to DSM with the default username (admin) and password (blank). You can change these later in the Control Panel.
Go to Package Center and install Surveillance Station from the available packages. You can also update DSM and other packages if there are any new versions.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Xpenology Surveillance Station on your PC or server. You can now start adding and managing your IP cameras.
Troubleshooting tips
If you encounter any problems during or after the installation process, here are some tips that might help you:
If you cannot boot from the USB flash drive, make sure that you have extracted the image file correctly and edited the grub.cfg file properly. You can also try a different USB flash drive or port.
If you cannot find your PC or server's IP address, make sure that your network connection and router settings are working properly. You can also try a different network cable or port.
If you cannot access DSM's web interface, make sure that you have entered the correct IP address and port number (usually 5000 or 5001). You can also try a different web browser or device.
If you cannot install DSM or Surveillance Station, make sure that you have downloaded the correct .pat file for your hardware configuration and package version. You can also try a different download source or method.
If you cannot add or view your IP cameras, make sure that they are compatible with Surveillance Station and connected to the same network as your PC or server. You can also try adjusting their settings or firmware.
How to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station
By default, Xpenology Surveillance Station allows you to add up to two IP cameras for free. If you want to add more cameras, you will need to purchase extra camera licenses from Synology or use some unofficial methods. In this section, we will explain how you can do both.
The official way: buying licenses from Synology
The official way to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station is to buy them from Synology's online store or authorized resellers. Each license costs around $50-$60 and allows you to add one camera. You can buy up to 99 licenses per DSM account.
To buy and activate camera licenses from Synology, you need to follow these steps:
Go to Synology's online store or an authorized reseller and purchase the number of camera licenses that you need. You will receive an email with a license key for each license that you bought.
Log in to DSM and go to Surveillance Station. Click on License in the main menu.
Click on Add and enter one of the license keys that you received. Click on OK.
Repeat step 3 for each license key that you have.
You You should see a confirmation message that the license has been activated successfully. You can also check the number of available and used licenses in the License menu.
You can now add more cameras to Surveillance Station by clicking on IP Camera in the main menu and following the instructions on the screen.
Buying licenses from Synology is the easiest and safest way to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station. However, it is also the most expensive and limited way. If you want to save money or add more than 99 cameras, you might want to try some unofficial methods.
The unofficial way: modifying the libssutils.so file
The unofficial way to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station is to modify the libssutils.so file, which is a library file that controls the license verification process. By changing some values in this file, you can trick Surveillance Station into thinking that you have more licenses than you actually do.
To modify the libssutils.so file, you need to follow these steps:
Log in to DSM and go to Control Panel. Click on Terminal & SNMP in the Advanced Mode.
Enable SSH service and click on Apply.
On another computer, download and install an SSH client software like PuTTY or WinSCP.
Connect to your PC or server using the SSH client software. Enter the IP address, port number (usually 22), username (usually root), and password (same as admin) of your PC or server.
Navigate to the /volume1/@appstore/SurveillanceStation/system folder and locate the libssutils.so file.
Make a backup copy of this file in case something goes wrong.
Edit this file using a hex editor like HxD or HexEdit. Find and replace the following values according to your hardware configuration:
For DS3615xs: replace 8F 83 01 00 00 with 8F 83 FF 00 00
For DS3617xs: replace 8F 83 02 00 00 with 8F 83 FF 00 00
For DS918+: replace 8F 83 04 00 00 with 8F 83 FF 00 00
Save and close the file. Restart your PC or server.
Log in to DSM and go to Surveillance Station. You should see that you have unlimited camera licenses available.
You can now add as many cameras as you want to Surveillance Station by clicking on IP Camera in the main menu and following the instructions on the screen.
Modifying the libssutils.so file is a free and unlimited way to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station. However, it is also a risky and illegal way. You might damage your system, lose your data, violate Synology's terms of service, or face legal consequences if you use this method. Use it at your own risk and discretion.
The alternative way: using DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders
The alternative way to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station is to use DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders, which are modified versions of the Xpenology boot loader that emulate Synology's deep video analytics (DVA) devices. These devices have unlimited camera licenses by default, so you can use them without buying or modifying anything.
To use DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders, you need to follow these steps:
Download the DVA3221 or DVA1622 loader image file from here. Choose the one that matches your hardware configuration (e.g., DS3615xs, DS3617xs, DS918+, etc.).
Extract the loader image file to your USB flash drive using a tool like Win32 Disk Imager or Rufus.
Edit the grub.cfg file on the USB flash drive using a text editor like Notepad++. Change the VID and PID values to match your USB flash drive's vendor ID and product ID. You can find these values using a tool like ChipGenius or USBDeview. You can also change other settings like the serial number, MAC address, and model name if you want.
Plug the USB flash drive and the hard drive or SSD into your PC or server. Make sure that the USB flash drive is the first boot device in the BIOS settings.
Boot up your PC or server from the USB flash drive. You should see a menu with several options. Choose the one that matches your hardware configuration (e.g., DS3615xs, DS3617xs, DS918+, etc.).
Wait for a few minutes until the PC or server obtains an IP address from the router. You can check the IP address on the monitor or use a tool like Synology Assistant or Advanced IP Scanner to find it.
On another computer, open a web browser and enter the IP address of your PC or server. You should see a welcome page of DSM.
Follow the instructions on the screen to install DSM on your hard drive or SSD. You will need to download the DSM .pat file from Synology's website or use a local file that you have downloaded beforehand. You can also choose to create a storage pool and a volume during the installation.
After the installation is complete, log in to DSM with the default username (admin) and password (blank). You can change these later in the Control Panel.
Go to Package Center and install Surveillance Station from the available packages. You can also update DSM and other packages if there are any new versions.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed Xpenology Surveillance Station on your PC or server using DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders. You can now add unlimited cameras to Surveillance Station without any license restrictions.
Using DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders is a simple and unlimited way to add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station. However, it is also a potentially unstable and unsupported way. You might encounter some compatibility or performance issues, lose some features or functions, or face some legal risks if you use this method. Use it at your own risk and discretion.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained what Xpenology Surveillance Station is, how to install it, and how to add extra camera licenses to it. We have also discussed the pros and cons of using it, and compared the official, unofficial, and alternative ways of adding camera licenses. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you.
Summary of the main points
Here are the main points that we have covered in this article:
Xpenology Surveillance Station is a custom software that allows you to run Synology's Surveillance Station application on non-Synology hardware.
Surveillance Station is a comprehensive video management system that lets you manage and monitor your IP cameras, record videos, detect motion, send alerts, and more.
Xpenology Surveillance Station has many advantages over buying a Synology NAS or using other NVR software, such as saving money, leveraging DSM's power and flexibility, customizing and optimizing your NVR, expanding your storage capacity and camera support, and enjoying Surveillance Station's user-friendly and intuitive interface.
To install Xpenology Surveillance Station, you need a PC or server that meets the minimum hardware requirements for running DSM, a USB flash drive that acts as the boot loader for Xpenology, a hard drive or SSD that stores your DSM system and data, a network connection and a router that supports DHCP, a monitor and a keyboard for the initial setup, a computer that can access the web interface of DSM, and a downloaded image file of the Xpenology boot loader.
To add extra camera licenses to Xpenology Surveillance Station, you can either buy them from Synology's online store or authorized resellers, modify the libssutils.so file that controls the license verification process, or use DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders that emulate Synology's deep video analytics devices.
Each method of adding camera licenses has its own pros and cons. Buying licenses from Synology is the easiest and safest way, but also the most expensive and limited way. Modifying the libssutils.so file is the free and unlimited way, but also the risky and illegal way. Using DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders is the simple and unlimited way, but also the potentially unstable and unsupported way.
Recommendations and suggestions
Based on our analysis of Xpenology Surveillance Station and its camera license options, here are some recommendations and suggestions for you:
If you are looking for a reliable and hassle-free solution for your video surveillance needs, you might want to consider buying a Synology NAS instead of using Xpenology Surveillance Station. You will get better support, updates, warranty, security, and compatibility from Synology.
If you are looking for a cost-effective and flexible solution for your video surveillance needs If you are looking for a cost-effective and flexible solution for your video surveillance needs, you might want to try Xpenology Surveillance Station with DVA3221 or DVA1622 loaders. You will get unlimited camera licenses and most of the features and functions of Surveillance Station without spending a lot of money or breaking the law.
If you are looking for a customized and optimized solution for your video surveillance needs, you might want to experiment with Xpenology Surveillance Station with different boot loaders and libssutils.so files. You will be able to fine-tune your NVR according to your needs and preferences, but you will also need to be careful and responsible for the risks and consequences.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Xpenology Surveillance Station and their answers:
Q: Is Xpenology Surveillance Station legal?
A: Xpenology Surveillance Station is not legal, as it violates Synology's intellectual property rights and terms of service. Synology does not endorse or support Xpenology in any way, and may take legal action against anyone who uses it. Use Xpenology at your own risk and discretion.
Q: Is Xpenology Surveillance Station safe?
A: Xpenology Surveillance Station is not safe, as it may contain bugs, errors, viruses, or malware that can damage your system, data, or network. Xpenology also does not receive regular updates or patches from Synology, which may expose your system to security vulnerabilities or compatibility issues. Use Xpenology at your own risk and discretion.
Q: Is Xpenology Surveillance Station worth it?
A: Xpenology Surveillance Station may be worth it for some people who want to save money, leverage DSM's power and flexibility, customize and optimize their NVR, expand their storage capacity and camera support, and enjoy Surveillance Station's user-friendly and intuitive interface. However, it may not be worth it for others who prefer a reliable and hassle-free solution, better support, updates, warranty, security, and compatibility from Synology, or who do not want to take the legal or ethical risks of using Xpenology.
Q: How can I update Xpenology Surveillance Station?
A: You can update Xpenology Surveillance Station by downloading and installing the latest version of the boot loader image file and the DSM .pat file from the Xpenology website or forum. However, you should always backup your system and data before updating, as some updates may cause problems or errors. You should also check the compatibility and stability of the updates before applying them.
Q: How can I get help or support for Xpenology Surveillance Station?
A: You can get help or support for Xpenology Surveillance Station from the Xpenology website or forum, where you can find guides, tutorials, tips, tricks, solutions, feedbacks, reviews, and discussions from other users. However, you should not expect any help or support from Synology or its official channels, as they do not endorse or support Xpenology in any way.
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