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Camera Setup

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phit edited this page Jun 30, 2026 · 2 revisions

Camera Setup

Prerequisites

Before adding a camera to Vigilatus you need:

  • A TP-Link Tapo camera on the same network as your computer
  • The camera's IP address (check your router's DHCP table or the Tapo mobile app)
  • Your Tapo / TP-Link account password (this is the API password)

Firmware Requirement

On newer firmware versions you must enable Third-Party Compatibility in the Tapo mobile app:

  1. Open the Tapo app
  2. Go to Me → Tapo Lab
  3. Enable Third-Party Compatibility

Without this setting the camera will reject API connections from Vigilatus.

Adding a Camera

  1. Open the Vigilatus menu → Add Camera, or click "+ Add your first camera" on the empty screen
  2. Fill in the required fields:
Field Description Example
Camera name A friendly label for this camera Front Door
IP address The camera's local IP 192.168.1.100
Tapo API username Almost always admin admin
Tapo API password Your Tapo / TP-Link account password
  1. Click Test connection to verify the API credentials work
  2. (Optional) Expand Stream settings to choose how the live feed is fetched. The default works for most wired cameras; battery/solar cameras need the HTTP Media Session protocol. See Stream Settings
  3. Click Add camera

The camera will appear in the preview strip and you can click it to start the live stream.

Editing a Camera

Right-click a camera in the preview strip and select Edit, or select the camera and click the ✎ button in the status bar. The same form opens with your existing settings pre-filled.

Removing a Camera

Right-click a camera in the preview strip and select Remove, or select the camera and click the ✕ button in the status bar. You'll be asked to confirm.

Reordering Cameras

Right-click a camera in the preview strip and choose Move Up or Move Down to change its position in the strip. The new order is saved automatically.

Camera Model (Optional)

You can set the Model field (e.g. C310, C200, TC70) for your own reference. This is purely informational and does not affect how Vigilatus connects to the camera.

Next Steps

  • If your camera is behind an RTSP proxy or you need direct RTSP streaming, see Stream Settings
  • To learn about live viewing, recordings, and UI options, see Features

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