Changing video unit passwords - Security Center 5.9

Security Center Administrator Guide 5.9

Applies to
Security Center 5.9
Last updated
2022-10-25
Content type
Guides > Administrator guides
Language
English
Product
Security Center
Version
5.9

For the security of your system, you should always change the unit password after enrolling them. For certain models of your video units, you can change their passwords directly from Config Tool.

Before you begin

If you need to change the passwords on a large number of units, you can update them in batches from the Hardware inventory task.
CAUTION:
Changing a unit password causes a short recording interruption because the Archiver must disconnect and reconnect to the unit. Therefore, choose a time of day that least disrupts your operations to perform this task.

What you should know

  • You need the Update video unit password privilege to perform this operation.
  • Only certain models of video units support the password update feature from Config Tool. For the list of manufacturers that support this feature, see Manufacturers that support password update.

    You might have to upgrade the unit firmware for this feature to work.

For the video units that are not supported, you must change their password on the unit itself through their web portal, and then update their password in Config Tool to match the new password.

Procedure

  1. From the Config Tool home page, open the Video task, and click the Roles and units view.
  2. Select the video unit you want and click the Properties tab.
  3. In the Authentication section, if the Change unit password button is disabled and its tooltip reads Not supported, then you must change the password on the unit itself.
    1. At the bottom of the screen, click Unit > Unit's web page.
    2. Log on to the unit's web page and change its password.
    3. Return to Config Tool, update the Password field, and click Apply.
    If the tooltip indicates another cause, fix the problem and try again.
  4. If the Change unit password button is enabled, click it.
  5. In the Change unit password dialog box, do one of the following:
    • (Recommended) Click for the system to generate a secure password.
    • Enter the password manually, twice. The password must comply to the password policies that are displayed. Ensure that the password strength gauge indicates at least Strong.
  6. Click Update password.
    If the update is successful, you would see Password changed.
  7. If the password is rejected, log on to the unit's web page to learn about its password policies and try again.
    Password policies are defined by manufacturers. Some manufacturers enforce more rules than the ones displayed in the dialog box. For example, some manufacturers do not accept four consecutive ASCII characters, such as "1234" or "abcd", nor a string of four or more identical characters, such as "!!!!" or "aaaa".

After you finish

Change more unit passwords if necessary, then export the new passwords and keep them in a safe place.
IMPORTANT: We strongly recommend that you export your passwords if they are generated by the system. If you ever delete these units from Security Center, you will not be able to connect to these units through their web portal if you do not have a copy of their passwords.