troubleshooting
SADP not finding cameras: checklist
Work from Layer-1 upward: PoE, VLAN, VPN, firewall, and firmware state. A repeatable checklist saves hours on site.
Start physical: link lights, patch cables, PoE budget. Then confirm the laptop shares the same broadcast domain. Disable VPNs, verify VLAN tagging on the switch port, and try a second cable run.
Software side
Run SADP as administrator on Windows if UAC blocks adapters. Confirm Windows Private network profile so the firewall does not block discovery (see our firewall article). Reboot the camera once—some firmware hangs mDNS until power cycle.
Still empty?
Mirror the port to Wireshark if you are qualified, or escalate with switch configs and photos. Random guessing wastes customer time.
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