Chinese are welcome to look at my front garden as much as they want.

https://github.com/samtap/fang-hacks

is what you are after.

Lovely stuff so that Chinese spies can watch you in your living room scratching your balls and watching TV.

Apparently there's a hack available that disables all the Chinese cloud server stuff for those worried about privacy.

I've just installed the xiaomi smart home, and this would be perfect!!

Nice find , If they send it. The last few deals from gearbest have ended in a refund due to problems with suppliers.

Chinese are welcome to look at my front garden as much as they want.

Total rubbish. Don't waste your time or money!

Mine wouldn't connect and the seller told me that I must use it on android :laughing:

never managed to connect it to my mobile.

I have one of these - not got round to using it!

Lovely stuff so that Chinese spies can watch you in your living room scratching your balls and watching TV.

Can confirm that this works... kind of. The rtsp stream served by the hack doesn't appear to be "to spec" so didn't integrate with my cctv system... until I proxies it through an instance of VLC.

Still for 17 quid it was well worth the hassle and I'll probably get a couple more. I just wish it had an ethernet port really.

Nice, enough fps to pick up every spurt?

Anyone managed to get it working on iPhone? I've got ring doorbell and camera front and back, any point having this one inside the house?

This cam works brilliantly . Just need to figure out the setup

Will this work for example checking on a dog at home while at work thru your mobile connection or that asking a bit too much?

I ordered one which came last week. Out of the box it will not work with iPhone (even after setting the Mi Home app to China mainland) but works fine on android (provided you have android 5 or above). Haven't got the hack to work yet
Bottom line imho - avoid if using iOS, should be fine with android

Thanks for that, interested in this camera but fear I might brick it trying to use the hack.
Any advice?
Anyone know if the IR lighting can be disabled if viewing a street lamp lit scene through a window?

Has it got like a memory card slot to save footage.

Is this compatible with Smart Things?

Like the look of these for home security but is it just for remote monitoring or can you record? Is there an sd card slot? And it's the build any good (appreciate they are very cheap!)

Bit of a faff to setup using the hack but once up and running they are tidy little cameras. Very good quality (comparative to cameras 4x the price). Bare in mind you *will* need to buy a sdhc card so factor that in

Is it safe to assume if I ordered this right now it wouldn't get here before Saturday?

Could this save the video to an external server ?
For example, if I'm away on holiday and I set this up with motion recording, will I be able up see the recorded footage whilst I'm away?

Not exactly the live footage as it's happening but the previously recorded footage.

Thanks in advance.

Is the clock still wrong on these?

Set mine up as Mainland China and it still tells me "cannot work outside china" when starting it up. Emailed gearbest 3 days ago and still had no reply.

thanks! I ordered. I may be back when they arrive if I get stuck setting up :man:

I thought I'll spread the delivery /customs risk and order 2 cams in 2 separate orders. However the code works only once, when you try to order a second time, it actually bumps the price up to $30. Weird

ordered,
thanks

Does it record onto that card?

We have a canary and are having nothing but bother with it. It just stares into its mirror all day unless you put some millet in.

Yes.

Works well and gives decent footage. Used the footage to get £350 claim from couriers who damaged my property just had to explain the time stamp was from cloud server in China. Upgrading to more permanent external cameras now but been very happy with the cheap smart cube (Although initial setup was a pain in the **** getting it to connect initially till I selected china as the location)

I like the two way sound feature for freaking the kids out that Santa is not happy with their behaviour.

Anyone tried to set this up on tinycam monitor on Android ? I assume the Xiaomi app is only necessary for the setup ?

Can this be configured as a 'standalone' ip camera i.e so I can use it with motion on linux?

That is a bit worrying. I assume you're using Android and not an iphone? Has anyone else experienced this?

bought x2 of them i think i paid little less approx. £16 due to currency in $ . Thanks

If you change the colour to Grey you get a drop down offering the European/American version. Wonder if that's actually true given the comments about location.

Hey was wondering what make was your doorbell with camera for your front and back. Looking at a similar setup for mother dearest so she knows whos at the door. Cheers

Is the motion detection optical (would work through a window) or infra red (wouldn't)?

Yes that's the whole point of them. The motion-activated clips are stored on a server in China, and you get a notification whenever motion is detected (if you've enabled motion detection in the settings). You can then review a 15-sec clip if you click on the clip - it'll then download the it from the server and play it in the app (and store it on your phone).

For some reason the clips start just after the thing that triggered the motion-detection. Really they should start 5 secs before the event.

I've set mine up to record 24/7 as well as I've installed an SD card and enabled 'continuous recording'. Again, you can remotely view this via the app.

Tinycam Pro monitor on Android allows to set up your own server, so I assume you don't need to use the one in China

Not sure, but mine is pointing outside through the kitchen window at a very oblique angle and the motion detection works fine - I always get an alert when the postie walks towards my front door :wink:

Brilliant. Already have two, simple to set up once you set your account to china. Even better if you have they smart home stuff with proximity sensors and so on.

Thanks, I don't know anything about these, so I was guessing about the question. But you gave the right answer :smiley:

Android indeed!! Just tried signing up and using a new account...still didn't work

I asked the Mfg. if it would work with an iPad using the stock App, they replied "Yes", ...were they telling sweet n' Sour Porkies? :man:

Does this camera allow you to:
Flip video for upside-down mounting?
Allow you to disable auto IR / force day mode recording for through-the-window recording?
Recording on motion with looping, so that old files are replaced with new when SD card is full?

Banggood forum post

"I've ordered four of these. The first three about 3 months ago and all three connected perfectly here in the UK. I ordered a fourth one recently and it is slightly different and, while it connects to my WiFi, the app then tells me it can only be used in mainland China - unhelpful when I cannot read the info in the app as it is all in Chinese. "

Looks like there's a different variant of this camera that will not work outside China.

Flip - yes

Disable Auto IR - yes. The old version of the Mi Home plugin for this camera had the options in English. Just IR on or off. The latest plugin has updated this section, and it's now in Chinese, and has 3 options. Not sure what the 3rd option is. The IR switches off during the day, even if the option is on - I know this as the camera makes a loud click whenever the state of the IR lights change.

Recording on looping - unsure. I'm down to 4gig left on my 32 gig card so I'll find out in a few days. I've read that it doesn't auto-overwrite the "continuous record" files. We'll see

Been reading through the questions and answers on the website and must say they a mite confusing!
many folks seem to have received units not suitable for their country, others are told they are not supplied with "chargers" (I presume they mean power supplies)

and then I noticed this piece of classic "chinglish" in the description:-
Note: New edition camera has been arriving. The products both editions of the new and old we send are random. And the needle will not be attached again in the new.
WTF does that mean?

How do we know if the one we will receive is for the UK market, ...and will we be charged customs/import duty on delivery?
Anyone know?:confused:

Update:
Here's a question and answer from their website which should worry anyone who's ordered. (From page 19 of the Q&A's) :-

By Alessandro Apr-17/2017 02:04:33
Question:
Hi, does this version work in Italy? You replied no to Elia and yes worldwide to Necdet. Which is the correct answer?

Reply::
Hello Alessandro，
Please note that this item is Non-European and Non-American Version.
The European and American Version is stopped production and we cannot ship it any more.

Think that's why you set it to China

Presume you're replying to the first couple of lines of my post.
Those people in the main have set the location to china and the cameras still won't work!:confused:

Sounds like a typical HUKD purchase for me!

Here is a video on how to setup and for people who want to have a look before buying
click me

For a cheap alternative I can recommend Wardencam from the Google Play store. It allows you to use an old phone as a security camera and it works very well. Has motion detection and will save clips to Google Drive and send you alerts via email and/or notifications.

Thanks OP. I had purchased one of these on a previous deal and found it useful when I was on holiday. Can run off a USB power bank as well. The image quality is good and the notifications worked for me. It was a bit of a faff getting it set up initially (about 15 minutes). Plenty of good advice on here on how to get the best out of these cheap cameras.

Thanks. And what's the power supply, micro USB? If I set this up as a security camera connected to a portable MiFi type dongle, will it use up my data continuously, or only when I actually log in to check it? And will it carry on recording if it loses wifi signal?

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/original-xiaomi-xiaofang-smart-1080p-wifi-ip-camera-20-06-gearbest-2671266

-63 heat

Hukd logic

Dont update it to the latest firmware 3.0.4 if you intend to use the hacks

£16.68 if you pay in dollars through revolut app

Could anyone recommend a decent power bank to power this please?
TIA

He already said 'RING' :smiley:

https://ring.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjw9MrIBRCr2LPek5-h8U0SJAD3jfhtWkDAUYNu3YH6xNDhLy8Orw9-zdJD7ecfSUHJ7wB7RhoCyEfw_wcB

haha cheers Justin i thought he was just on about his doorbell ring XD

yes it wasnt very clear. My friend has one of the Ring units and I was looking at them the other day thats the only reason I knew thats what he meant :wink:

It's the RING doorbell and RING camera for the back, great kit day and night I can see and hear perfectly outside the house, the only thing is I have to pay for recording subscription but it's not that bad , I can tell the tv licence man to xxxx off my property when I'm away and tell the courier to put my parcel where I want instead of leaving me card to go collect myself after paying all the postages, save me enough time and petrol.

How do you pay using the app?
Ta

thanks op ordered 2nd one

Does anyone know if this is compatible with synology NAS CCTV app? It is not listed on the compatibility page https://www.synology.com/en-uk/compatibility/camera on the synology site however some still work under the generic settings.

Thanks op.

The seller (gearbest in this case) should not sell products created for the internal Chinese market to international buyers, and manufactures (Xiaomi in this case) should manufacturer a bloody international version.

Enter your credit card details on gear best payment page

Your virtual card

Select dollars on gear best

Even though plenty of us are using them without problems

Plus my xiaomi phone xiaomi router etc

I think its great we can pick quality products up for next to nothing direct from source

The most ironic thing is this is actually a rebadged ismart camera which retails at $99 in the USA

Don't let lack of knowledge cloud your judgement

A real shame that they may ship the newer version that won't work in the UK. A great price but not a great deal as there's a good chance of receiving an item which won't work.

This is basically the Spot from iSmartAlarm, it's a shame nobody has managed to someone put their firmware on these

does this work with the bash the bishop and choke the chicken apps if performing online.

Coudn't you idiot not add that last sentence? You do realize we have at least two different persons in this thread saying they could not get them set up, another person quoting the seller itself that they no longer sell a version that can work outside China, that there are hacks involved to avoid security issues, that you have no warranty, that you wait for them weeks etc

Again there are plenty of us who have no problems, you can rant and rave all you want

The key to everything from China is to do your homework

Just becasue a couple of people in this thread cannot get them to work means nothing

Even if it was the case that there was a problem, how long do you think it will be before they are back up and running

Thats the beauty of this type of product, there are thousands of people on github analysing every last detail

It has been mentioned but there are copyright issues apparently

Ethical hacking....

China

Not without hacking the firmware. Btw I understand it can be done

Out of stock

Cheers for that. Got two for £33.37 using my Revolut card.

Theres a comment on the description:

Note: New edition camera has been arriving. The products both editions of the new and old we send are random. And the needle will not be attached again in the new.

Does anyone know what the new edition looks like?

I'm awaiting a reply from them asking just what that statement means.
... not holding my breath for clarity!
wtf a needle has to do with it I cannot imagine. :confused:

Anybody able to say yet if they have had to pay Customs charges on their packages?

I'm guessing they could be referring to the pin you use when setting up the camera, it's the same as the pin that comes with a lot of phones for opening the sim tray.

I've just taken the plunge n ordered two, cheap enough.

Also never been charged customs ever. Do let me know if u gear anything about the new version n needle thing

Thanks guys, I'm teetering on the brink, could do with selling a Logitech C920 HD Pro, (duplicated gift) to fund a pair though! :smiley:

Mine works on iPhone,
bought one when last on offer.

Code expired

Why not directly contact that geezer called Alice from Gearbest who runs their HUKD account? He always seems to show his face in threads when there is mention of trauma / scandal with a Gearbest purchase http://www.hotukdeals.com/profile/Gearbest1

Hi garlicmayo,

Could you please kindly PM me the details of your issue ?
Hopefully, i am helpful to solve the matter for you

Hope to hear back from you soon!

Gearbest Store Rep.Alice
You can contact me here: [email protected]

Cheers dude! They're like London buses, hear nothing for days then they reply on here and email me!

Can you let us know the outcome when it is done please? I've bought 2 and they were sent yesterday. But now I think I might have done a mistake as if they don't work here ..

Will do. and before anyone else reading this thinks "oh he probably just hasn't done it properly, mine was easy to set up" I've tried a new account, resetting, reinstalling app, a different phone and still nothing. I watched some set up videos on YouTube and I did exactly the same as they did!

For anyone still looking for these camera I see there are plenty available via aliexpress around the same price. very tempted myself but a but confused from reading some off the comments if it will work here in the uk ?! also loads info on YouTube regards hacks Etc

Thanks for that, I too am interested, but only at the current price-point.
...That doesn't mean that I'm happy to buy something about which Gearbest have already said "The European and American Version is stopped production and we cannot ship it any more"
I might be daft, but I'm not stupid! :laughing:
I'd need a categoric statement from the supplier that it works in the UK on both IOS and Android but that would also be worth Jack S**t without free return and refunds which they will not offer!

What is confusing me is I thought the only difference was that you had to choose china mainland within the menu during set up for the non European versions to work ? what is the difference between the euro and the Chinese market version take it is more than just the mains adapter plug ?! working out at around £18 on aliexpress with free delivery.

It's the inscrutability of these guys that we need to be wary of!
You will notice that there is precious little in the descriptions of the various "colors", One or two list an option for supply with a UK Plug for around £19.26, others just hike the price with no explanation of why or what is included.
I have noticed several of the "suppliers" at aliexpress make mention of 760p buried in the specifications, possibly this is to do with the night vision resolution I don't know, I'm not technical and tend to rely on the printed word, ...when that becomes confusing I get suspicious!
Much is made of the "Buyer Protection", which guarantees naff all really.
One other off putting statement which appears in some of the sellers descriptions is that the units destined for US and Europe can only be used with Android devices.
There is also a warning NOT to update the firmware!!!
Prince Philip's words are ringing in my ears! :confused:

Was the comment regarding the warning to not update the firmware not aimed as those that were planning to carry out the hack ie. updating would close the hacking loophole ?

Hi jono, don't know if you are more into the technology that makes these things work, to me it's just magic following these hackers as they un-pick the firmware, find a way in and then replace it with something better and less restrictive.
The collaboration is truly amazing and then they release it as freeware! Wow God bless 'em!
I can't even do much with Linux terminal, so these guys have my absolute respect.
Was following one such thread last night where they discovered that the firmware in these cameras was programmed to PERMANENTLY link to their servers in China, ...whether on or off!
They were also trying to get the frame rate up to [email protected] which would be fantastic but they were struggling with hardware bandwidth restrictions as far as I could understand, - fascinating!
With this kind of expertise focused on them, I doubt that an "anti-hacking" update would present anything more than a minor irritation.
Sent you a PM hope that's OK.

Okay cheers PM received with many thanks ! yep all interesting stuff and as you say some very clever people out there ! so am I correct in saying that there are two models off this camera a European model and a Chinese model and that with the Chinese model even if it is set to Chinese mainland within the settings it still won't work ? I don't see what would not work thou that's the confusing bit ? will ask on aliexpress if they have the euro model and if you or anyone else finds out anything then please do share thanks.

My thoughts exactly!
We'll see what further info surfaces, one of the suppliers on aliexpress did mention that the possibility of customs intervention was something of a lottery, which confirms that these cameras do attract import duty so if yours is among the unlucky packages intercepted it's pay up or the camera gets it!

To be honest as someone who has bought loads off various gear via china / Hong Kong over the year have yet to ever get stung for customs duty ( Touch wood !! )

ordering goods from the USA is a different story been stung on every occasion !

you got a link to the hacking talk you were talking about earlier sounds very interesting !!

Order cancelled this morning

Why did orders get cancelled this morning?

Same

Order cancelled

Order cancelled too

My order was cancelled, their reply was:
:disappointed:

Your luck if it's been cancelled as the one I got earlier this week has stopped working after a update and there does not seem to be anyway to get it work using the hack, it just says that this product is for mainland China only, wish they put that info on the website when I ordered it not happy with gearbest this time

If anyone knows how to fix please let me know thank you

could you rollback the firmware to the previous working version ? don't ask me how but I am sure with research it can be done. take it setting it to mainland china only within the menu set up makes no odds ?

**** mines been shipped, ive two previous cameras that work fine but now dreading this one if its been locked down. How are gearbest with refunds?.

Just got a refund. They hadn't shipped it yes. These will not work in the UK.

Just tried setting up one I ordered a couple of weeks ago and it won't allow me to open it once set up, I get the message saying it's for mainland China only. not sure if it's worth chasing them up about it, just hope I can use the hack to get it working...

Have you heard anything back from Gearbest yet Garlicmayo?

I have, they asked a bunch of questions about thr unit, and to take a screenshot of the problem. Sent it to them on Thursday so will keep you lot updated when I hear more

That's great, thanks for the info :smiley:

Message on their website states "Note: New edition camera has been arriving. The products both editions of the new and old we send are random. And the needle will not be attached again in the new." Your guess is as good as mine.

The version i received didn't have a pin hole reset button, it had a normal push button. Pin....Needle...close enough translation perhaps?

I got an email this morning, saying that they had cancelled my order
"I'm so sorry inform you that due to the product version limitation, it can't be used overseas." !
Unimpressed...

Same here, I was intending to bodge it anyway and just have it setup as a standalone camera without the Xiaomi app but Gearbest in their wisdom have decided otherwise

[/quote]
Me too. I wonder if this place is ok? https://www.tinydeal.com/XiaoMi-Mijia-XiaoFang-1080P-Portable-Smart-IP-Camera-Night-Vision-F2-0-Large-Aperture-for-Home-Living-p-163147.html?currency=GBP&ship_to=UK&gclid=CJfQwcH77dMCFQmNGwodJBQMiw

I bought about 20xCree5 Torches from China at £0.25 ea on Amazon, fortunately they intercepted the order and cancelled it on my behalf as the customs duty would have been totally disproportionate!

Been looking through my history all day yesterday and today and can't find the damned site again! ...it was somewhere on Github:-samtap/fanghacks but it was a long, long thread showing code, pictures of the camera MB and pads they had soldered onto for communicating with it.
Various attempts at overcoming problems and eventual success eg. just finding the code that controlled the IR LED's switch, and the one which flipped the filter in and out, you would think was fairly easy but not so!
Just wathcing the hack develop and the shear number of guys contributing was awesom. wish I could find it again myself!

No probs if you find it you can let me know thanks. does not look like anything will be happening soon with regards getting a camera working in the uk !

Got my camera. Nice looking ornament.

Does it work? Are you in UK? I'm guessing it doesn't work from your last few words...

Nope, doesn't work. So annoyed!

Do you think it is worth applying the hack? May it work after?

What are our chances of getting gearbest to refund for shipped orders, given these are not fit for use in the UK ?

I bought 2 but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them if they don't work here. It is not funny that they have changed the page of the product to say that they don't work in EU or USA after we have placed the order and have it shipped. I'm not impressed!

If you don't want to use the official software, it looks like all is good
https://github.com/samtap/fang-hacks/issues/123

Thanks for the link, so just to confirm that the older versions off the camera can still be used as long as you change the software to this hacked version ? is this the same with the new version ?

can the hack be installed via windows, or does it need linux to prepare the partitions ?

I'm going to give it a go. I've emailed Gearbest though, to see what they've got to say..

To answer my own question, yes, the hack can be installed in windows. using win32diskimager, and then applied via a browser, all pretty straight forward. It wasn't working before the hack ("only for mainland china" etc),

The resolution seems reduced, but it works on Android tinycam pro, while I'm on the same network as the camera. I need to play around to see if it also works on 3G.

At least the camera is not completely dead :smiley:

Btw I did upgrade to the latest firmware before flashing the image

Well done! I was about to reply to tell you that yes, you can use windows as well. I will receive today a microSD card I bought for the camera and I will test mine soon.

Sorry guys still confused are we saying that both the newer version ( one with scan code on the base )plus the older version ( one with supplied reset pin ) can both be hacked with this new software to allow them to be used here in the uk ?

I haven't tried it yet, but reading last night on the forum page where all the magic happens with these cameras, it looks like it is possible to make them work to have the camera stream 24/7. Camera won't stream to the original Mi app, but to a normal browser, VLC or TinyCam app. From there sky is the limit.. And yes, it looks like the camera will work fine in UK but it won't be streaming stuff to China as that is what is blocked with the new cameras. I hope this helps.

GearBest have just cancelled my order as well. What gives! What's the issue? Is it the fact that we've used a code? It was valid so what's the problem. They said that it's back-ordered but I can still see it on their website!

ebay and aliexpress still got them around the same price.

Just been looking at that, some don't seem to have any power supply with them, I also found this one which also has no PSU Not come across them before.

The picture re the hacked ones is getting muddier too, some reports that the hack is not enduring and has to be re-installed each time the camera boots. Not heard if the hacked units are able to be viewed on both IOS and Android.

Anybody know how long a 5200mAh Powerbank would run one of these?

You don't really need a powerbank, any old USB charger and a micro USB to USB cable will do.

Well the one I got was the updated version ie qr code on bottom/setup button not pin type. Im pretty annoyed they sent it out tbh my last two where older models I ordered over the last few months. Dont know what to do, Im hoping a simple region hack will come out, yes I know about fang hacks.

True but it just adds to the ever increasing price of the camera whilst it's functionality decreases by the day! :confused:

If anyone here has a working version that they now want to offload then let me know or even a hack able new version if they don't fancy having to hack it.

I have 2x to offload, still sealed box, new version. Just did another 2x with the hack, working with a rtsp stream. PM me if you want them.

Try sending me a pm mate as no luck in sending to you says you have PM feature switched off ? May be interested in the two at the right price. would you pre hack / rtsp stream them for me ?

Still nothing received in way off pm.

Have PMed you

email sent as per your request.

Is this the newer version?
http://www.gearbest.com/ip-cameras/pp_615275.html

No the newer version is virtually identical to the one in this thread but has a few cosmetic only differences i think ?.. no pin slot for reset ( now a button I believe ) and also new version has barcode ( ? )for the server app on the underneath off the unit. newer firmware as supplied as well I believe ?

Anyone found a YouTube tutorial or step by step tutorial for the rtsp hack / region hack for us not so tech savy users !!

Okay thanks does this cover the all important region hack as well thou ? also within the comments section off that video it mentions about not updating the firmware ?

P.S still not sure if the newer generation off these cams can be hacked - anyone confirm ?

Crap, got the newer version today (at least I think it is, doesn't have the sim ejecting hole).
Set up, set to China and updates the firmware.
Now won't connect, say mainland china only but already is.
Contacted seller to sort out a refund but if not will try the hack.

That's a pity, can I ask where you obtained your one from ? let us know how you get on with the hack as planning to get one / carry out the hack myself.

How do you find out which version it is? I received mine last week, I haven't had a chance to check it out

Why would you want one if won't work properly ? Also have a Mac and have to look into how will do the hack.

Got mine from eBay and saw somewhere that if it doesn't have the eject hole but a button instead it's the new one.
Also if you set it up do't update as it stops it from working, apparently.

Any updates on this guys, anyone bought one recently and managed to get it working properly ? trying to get the older version but seems everywhere has the newer stock !

I bought one from ebay a few days ago. it says it has the pin reset so should be the old version. It's coming from China though so I won't know for a few weeks.

Ok cheers keep us posted if you will, can I ask what was the ebay user you bought from ?

It was homevoila-amy. It was sent via Yodel though so fingers crossed it doesn't get caught for customs. Will post back here when I've got it.

Thanks that would be great.

Tried the hack. I gave up in the end.

That's a pity. Just ordered one today as well ! What happens when you put the sd card with the hack on it within the cam? Sure someone will assist you further don't give up.

I'm obviously doing something wrong. So frustrating. Installed the fang zip file onto the sd card using win 32 image and nothing.

Interesting thread within the following link regarding this very problem :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLg6-sK4DdQ

one guys says since a day or so ago no longer blocking camera outside off china ? not so sure on that but interesting / encouraging read !!

sorry is yours the newer style / what firmware ?

This is the one I have ordered, says will work with the firmware / app
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Newest-Original-XiaoMi-XiaoFang-Portable-Smart-IP-Camera-Night-Vision-1080P-CCTV-Wifi-Camera-Video-Webcam/32771341502.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.138.lTTgfJ&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_3_10152_10065_10151_10130_10068_5010013_10136_10137_10157_10060_10138_10155_10062_10156_437_10154_10056_10055_10054_10059_303_100031_10099_10103_10102_10096_10147_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_5020015_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_519_10111_10112_10113_10114_10179_10182_10185_10184_10078_10079_10073_10123_142-10052_10113,searchweb201603_16,ppcSwitch_5&btsid=7eb7ff5c-35ab-41ca-8649-84406e350bcb&algo_expid=03ce4672-c9fd-4186-8138-2af6d8e97399-17&algo_pvid=03ce4672-c9fd-4186-8138-2af6d8e97399

The camera can now be used as normal as the new mihome software/camera firmware has fixed the issue!, happy days!.

Still not working for me. Installed update and still says cannot use outside of china.

Ellis456 .. how did you learn everything was now working was it via the YouTube link above ? still like the idea off using other cam software so may still hack mine but again great news hopefully Godvilla yours will be working soon .

Well I have three cams 2 old version 1 latest model. As soon as it arrived had the mainland china message and ended up using mi home 10.0.11 to get it to work. Then yesterday i updated to the latest version and it also had new firmware after that its working. can confirm im runnning latest mi home plus latest cam firmware and working fine. They must have done something as others on youtube can clarify this.

My MI home is on version 4.1.26? That was installed recently from the play store as well.

I've suspect the updated firmware and mihome are only good on android.

The fang hacks is easy and got mine working..

Godvilla try the 4.0.11 version as per the wording within the advert for the camera on the aliexpress advert I posted earlier today, as I say they claim this version works. again not got my camera yet so just going by what I am reading on here and elsewhere on the net. indeed are there still different versions off the app available or once updated do the older versions disappear ?

so are we saying that the camera does not work on iOS with the app installed on say an iphone etc ?

also if I were to have the camera recording 24/7 would it just overwrite the card once full ?

Still won't post to UK...shame as it's 15 quid at the moment.

To be honest at anything £20 quid or under is still got to be a total bargain ! mine was £22 but that included the uk USB adapter .

If only

I have the original version and it's been broken for a week or so until today. The last firmware resulted in it becoming incredibly unreliable

Live stream would stop and start.

Recorded motion-detected clips were often useless as it would jump through 2 mins of random footage instead of 15 continuous seconds.

Take ages and several retries before the app would connect to the camera.

Etc!

I'd assumed it was due to slow Xiaomi servers, or that they were throttling non-China connections, as it had always worked fine before.

New firmware arrived today (3.0.4.20) and it's all fixed.

*Scrub that "all fixed" comment - this camera still breaks SD cards when continuous recording 24/7. Just had a 2nd 32Gb one fail this evening (first a Samsung last week, now a Sandisk this evening). I think it's because when on continuous record it's writing a tiny .mp4 file every minute. The cards are unusable as they can no longer be written to, but can be read - they're in a frozen state, even after doing a low level format/erase and the usual techy stuff to fix such issues. Looks like the cards are out of write-cycles and their firmware has disabled further writes.

No more continuous recording for me as can't afford to ruin another SD card! I'll stick to just having the motion-detected clips sent to my phone from Xiaomi's cloud instead.

You need to connect the xiaofang to your wifi first, then insert the sdcard..the blue light should be solid.
then with browse to ip addr/cgi-bin/status

Yea the continuous recording is botched on my three now they all show no timeline and one fam the latest model sometimes doesnt connect and when it dies it skips ie time frames.

Im about to give up in these things they are such a headache.

Can these cameras be monitored via say a windows PC ? that way you could record the picture to your hard drive ?

Use iSpy. freeware. work nicely.

Okay cheers will check it out, would I require the camera to be hacked to allow it to work with this alternative viewer software ie. other than the mi home one ?

for anyone who installed fang hacks, is it possible to set up a username & password to secure access to the camera ?

Would think most security software viewing apps would require a log in name / password ? Does the default viewing app require a password? Not sure how secure the cams are as supplied ?!

Updated app and camera, it seems to be working, at least I can view it

I use tinycam pro on android and i could set up a password to open the app itself. But I am more thinking of anyone who tries to access my router, or manages to get past the firewall, are they able to log straight onto the camera as there is no authentication ?

How do I update these, as there are no updates available when I login?
Thanks

What version you on just now ? you still no joy with the hack ?

I haven't done the hack. I just downloaded the other version if mi home and have the latest firmware. I don't get the mainland China error. But the camera doesn't get past stage 1 when connecting so I can't see anything. Any ideas?

Ok, as I bought 2. I got the other working. I think it was because i upgraded the firmware on the camera.
The issue I have now, I can't seem to connect to the camera from anywhere except my home Wi-Fi? Is anyone else facing the same. It makes it useless for me, as id hoped to connect to it from anywhere....

My new connects but skips ie time but both old dont.....

It arrived yesterday (only 9 days -delivered by Yodel and no customs :smiley:) Despite what it said on the listing it is the new version with the push-button setup rather than the hole and pin. However, I get the "Only doe use in mainland china" message both with the originally-supplied and latest firmware :disappointed:

Strange what FW is it on just now? Chap above had same problem so hopefully he got it sorted out and an advise you further.

Same here, so far I have not been able to get it to work via 3G/4G, despite the usual port forwarding and trying various settings...

Im going to do the fang hack and use tiny cam pro. I will update on more success / failure. This was like buying a hobby rather than buying a security device!

Read down the replies in this thread , seems plenty info on the net re . the problem

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/original-xiaomi-xiaofang-smart-1080p-wifi-ip-camera-20-06-gearbest-2671266

Spoke to soon, worked for two days then suddenly got Mainland China message again, updated firmware, no difference :disappointed:

Get the hack done and forgett worrying about that particular problem again !!

Does the hack allow you to use the original functions, or just use 3rd party software? From what I've read it doesn't get round the location restriction. I just want it to record to SD so I don't think it'll help in my case.

Also does anyone know where you get get hold of the old Mi Home app and firmware versions as mentioned on the aliexpress page?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Newest-Original-XiaoMi-XiaoFang-Portable-Smart-IP-Camera-Night-Vision-1080P-CCTV-Wifi-Camera-Video-Webcam/32771341502.html?spm=2114.01010208.3.138.lTTgfJ&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0%2Csearchweb201602_3_10152_10065_10151_10130_10068_5010013_10136_10137_10157_10060_10138_10155_10062_10156_437_10154_10056_10055_10054_10059_303_100031_10099_10103_10102_10096_10147_10052_10053_10107_10050_10142_10051_5020015_10084_10083_10080_10082_10081_10110_519_10111_10112_10113_10114_10179_10182_10185_10184_10078_10079_10073_10123_142-10052_10113%2Csearchweb201603_16%2CppcSwitch_5&btsid=7eb7ff5c-35ab-41ca-8649-84406e350bcb&algo_expid=03ce4672-c9fd-4186-8138-2af6d8e97399-17&algo_pvid=03ce4672-c9fd-4186-8138-2af6d8e97399&aff_platform=aaf&cpt=1496344322817&sk=Y7bAZbY&aff_trace_key=e3cae631c83a44a896bb49b85f10dba5-1496344322817-03052-Y7bAZbY

My new version cam now displays the mainland china message, the last few days it was working fine bar slow framerate. Great!, getting ready to bin these things witht he amount of wasted time on them!.

My new version cam now displays the mainland china message, the last few days it was working fine bar slow framerate. Great!, getting ready to bin these things witht he amount of wasted time on them!.


Download 10.0.11 here: http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/xiaomi-inc/mihome/mihome-4-0-11-release/mihome-4-0-11-android-apk-download/

Thanks! Will give it a go.

I am having the same issue with 10.0.11 of the app and the latest firmware. No region lock message but I can't connect to the camera. It get's stuck on stage 1/3.

Its their servers, my cams doing the same gets stuck 1/3 and thats using latest mi home with old cams. If this isnt sorted soon they are definatly going in the bin, so unreliable!.

can't keep up with all this but doesn't sound good ! what about just doing the hack which will get around the mainland china problem and also allow you to use an alternative cam viewer software ?

so anyone else confirm the mainland china problem is appearing again on there un hacked cams after working for the last few days.. what they playing at ?

I have hacked both my cams. I can now get them on RTSP server, and they play via Tiny Cam. However, i still cant figure out how to get this to work on 3G/4G any other wifi.

The hack is fairly simple if you have all the right stuff.

I did the simple image way, which just involved downloading
1) win32 disk imager, (https://sourceforge.net/projects/win32diskimager/)
2) downloading the image hack (https://github.com/samtap/fanghacks/releases/download/0.2.0/fanghacks_v0.2.0.zip)
3) pluging in a microsd card
4) mounting it on the sd card

this youtube video is helpful - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piFTctdxZ1I

If i figure out how to get it to work on 3G / 4G i will come back and share. But it works on home wifi.

Did you try what the " Gap30 " chap wrote on this very subject within the hotukdeals link I posted a few messages up ?

still waiting on my own cam arriving so hopefully by the time it does I will have learned enough to get it working 100 % !

Found this on their EU site (click on the "Description" Tab) which might explain why 3G/4G is not working.
I have no idea if that also holds true after applying the hack but quite evidently these guys need to get their act together if they truly wish to exploit the UK market.

My micro sd card arrived today so going to get the hack downloaded and ready for putting in the camera once it arrives ! okay from the instructions it says quote " The first partition on the device must be a vfat partition. It will only contain some small scripts so 100MiB should be more than enough. The second partition must be an ext2 partition and will contain all other files.

so if I put two partitions on the card how can I write the neccesary files to the card if windows wont show the second partition ?

Okay from reading a bit further tonight I see I can put the image straight on the card , the creation off the two partitions and adding files to both partitions etc is just another alternative method ?! sorry !!

Wow it gets worse, from that link we will need a special router to acess the stream via 3g/4g!, is this company for real??.

Don't think I'll bother with these....sound like a nightmare. Anyone know of a decent alternative around the same price?

Anyone here having joy with these things now ? from what I am reading here and elsewhere on the net the company is letting the owners down big time with the various problems the camera users are having with it ?!
still waiting on mine arriving and hopefully I may just be one off the lucky ones !!

No difference, new cams still not working via mi home, I even tried 10.0.11 but it never connects even via wifi keep waiting for new software/firmware but nothing yet....

Mine is working perfectly (original model) and I'm up to date with the latest Mi Home, camera plugin and camera firmware updates (yes there are 3 things to consider!).

I'm still getting alerts and the clips are correct and not skipping any seconds etc.

Working a treat since I removed the SD card (I'd written previously that this camera has knackered 2 32gig SD cards as it seems like it writes a gazillion times to it when streaming to the card so you need an "endurance" SD not a normal one).

I just did the image. I am still massively struggling getting this to work via 3g/4g on Tiny cam. Basically the easiest way I can find is to portforward the camera's IP, so the RTSP can be access by tinycam when you are anywhere outside of your home. However setting this up with my router etc, has been a nightmare. I gave up for the weekend on Friday and will try again this week at some point.

okay cheers appreciate the additional info and hope you eventually get it working 100% with 3G / 4G.

I applied the hack which was relatively easy, and didn't have a problem while on my home network since. wide screen & resolution is very good when accessing via tinycam pro.

what's still not so great :

- i don't know how to change the port (don't really want to use port 80)
- i don't know how to add authentication to the cam (username & pw)
- and i can't access the camera from 3g/4g yet. I don't really want to root my phone just for this purpose, as some of the banking apps don't work on rooted phones

I don't understand how to use the port forward, I cant get it to work on my router. I also can't work out how to open the port for 2 separate camera IP's. I also can't work out how to connect to the port of Tiny cam.

you sound like you may know what you are doing, if you could help me at all I would appreciate it :smiley:

Hi, I had ordered two, one was cancelled and the other arrived last week. Only got round to setting it up tonight. (It's the one with the setup button instead of the pin hole) The first go at setting it up got the mainland china error message. I then reset it and tried again and it worked.
Have a read of these two articles which may help:
http://www.gearbest.com/blog/how-to/how-to-reset-xiaomi-xiaofang-1080p-smart-ip-camera-1340
http://www.gearbest.com/blog/how-to/remote-mode-to-connect-xiaomi-1080p-smart-ip-camera-to-phone-1332

I do wonder if the app/camera just has connection issues with the server? I'm on Android and I have the latest app and camera firmware.

are you able to view the camera from outside your home?

Thanks for posting those links. I found that the light didn't turn off as indicated in step 3o of the first link. Also I noticed that there seems to be just one device icon to select to add the device now (there were two - one for AP mode and one for remote mode). Anyway, I tried again but I still got the Mainland China error.

Yes, I can see live video over my mobile data connection. I haven't quite figured out how the notification settings work yet. It seems quite sensitive though. I've turned it off for now as I was getting pinged every time the sun came out!

Not really sure why mine is working and yours is not. I held down the setup button for a while, unplugged it, waited for a bit, then plugged it in again and went through the setup steps.It did take a while though as the app seemed to be sending stuff to the camera (in the app I could see my new camera and that it was online and being updated - a round percentage icon would slowly increase to 100%).

do you know what firmware yours is running and what firmware the app is running?

Yes, that's exactly what I did and I got that percentage thing at the end too. I'll give it another go tonight but I don't think it's going to work. Like you I used the latest soft and firmware

MiHome version 4.1.26
Camera v 3.0.3.56.

Although I now see that I have a firmware update to 3.0.4.20.

I noticed there was a new Mi Home version (4.1.29) available today along with a firmware upgrade (3.0.4.20) and after a lot of messing around I have finally got this new version with the setup button (rather than pin) working.

This is what I did:
Download the new version of MiHome from the settings in the app (it's not on Google Play yet)
Try to connect the camera by putting it in setup mode and adding it in the app
Then upgrade the firmware, again via settings
Turn the camera off and back on
Go to add new device manually and select iSmartAlarmSpot
Hit the setup button on the camera again
You will be prompted to connect to the camera's wifi signal - do this then go back to the app
Click the prompt to connect to the camera
You will be forced to set a wifi password for the camera
Do that then reconnect to the camera's wifi and you will then be able to view the camera stream

The camera now works over wifi and I can get to all the settings (which is all I wanted as I just want to run it with the SD card)

You connect via the camera's own wifi network, not via your normal network. I don't know if that's possible yet.
Those instructions are from memory and I tried a lot of other things which didn't work inbetween so may need refinement but at least it's now possible!

Edit: I can't find the motion detection settings. Possibly they're in Chinese now but I think they're missing.
Edit2: The main camera settings are missing. Only "other settings" are available. I'm guessing this is because they don't want anyone in other regions to use their cloud backup but it's a shame as it prevents use of any motion detection, even if storing on the SD card.

Guys be very interested to see how you are getting on with these cameras ? my own one has arrived ( new style version ) not set up as yet . how are things regards the servers for getting the error message " mainland china " everything okay now ? any requirement to not update FW , miahome etc to keep things working ? still plan to mod it eventually to allow rtsp streaming etc

Hi Jono, yours has arrived quickly, did you have any communication from the nice people at HMRC? :laughing:
Had a bit of an expensive month myself but hope to follow your lead in about 3 weeks, did you get one or two?

The new plugin update is great. All the Chinese text has been completely removed, and they've reorganised some of the screens (eg the 15 second motion-detected video clips downloaded from the cloud are now in the 'Alarm' menu).

'Super' video quality has been removed (again!) but I think 'High' is now it's equivalent.

There's an amusing new message warning you about mobile data that appears every so often when you connect to the camera.

"You are using mobile phone flow, please check it's consumption"

HI guys nope no surprises from HMRC but then again wasn't expecting any as having ordered loads off the years from China / HK have never once had a charge for customs !

So okay so just update the FW on the camera and run the latest Mia home app yep ? Again no China mainland error messages etc ?! Just set it to the UK?

Can I ask where you guys find this latest mi home app ? the one on the play store is 4.1.26 and it's not giving me a chance to update to this 4.1.29 version from within the app says no update available ?
4.1.26 shows a lot off Chinese writing and giving me the china mainland error message !

Help ??!!!!!!

I think this is 4.1.29

Okay cheers I fell at the first hurdle eh trust me!! Anyway downloaded this 4.1.29 and still getting mainland done China problem!

Oh1 bad news, these guys really need to up their game, the fiasco that is unfolding makes them look a bunch of buffoons.
...Well, that's better than what the Duke of Edinbugh called 'em! :laughing:

Yep honestly thought things would have been sorted out by now but seems not. So be interested to hear from others who are running this mi home without any problem. Also how do I find out what FW is on the camera itself ? Thanks !!

Tried googling that question in various guises with no answer.
Maybe you have to kidnap one of their countrymen/women to find out! :laughing:

Have you tried installing that? It installs some third party App Store. I uninstalled immediately.

So your new version is still working yep? Are you still running 4.1.29 downloaded from an alternative source? My screen is showing as camera offline but sticks at the 1/3 screen.

I'm on 4.1.26. If I connect via the iSmart... icon (ie via wifi) it works - but I get the China error if I click the other icon and set up using the QI code.The China error page now has a link to complain!
The recent plugin update is a good improvement (thanks to the person who mentioned it above - I hadn't notice until then) but they still need to add motion detection - then I'll be sorted but I don't need to use it outside my network (infact I just want to use it standalone with an SD card on motion detection).

Yeah mine is working with iSmart Icon connecting the camera's wifi. But this doesn't meet my requirements of being able to view the camera via 4G/3G as basically I have to be close enough to connect to the camera's wifi. It will work for anyone who just wants to be able to view the camera when at home though.

I am thinking about getting a raspberry pi and creating a server using zoneminder, using the hack. Its all way too complex. All I wanted was a camera I could check when I am at work / abroad... this is what you get when you buy cheap hey :laughing:

Okay cheers still no joy !! can I ask how you got the ismart camera working , is it supposed to show up on the list off wifi signals found or your phone ? can I be a pain and ask to detail how you got that working ? May just run the hack and see if that works but will try everything else first !!!

I followed nick_subs walkthrough to get the ismart working -

I noticed there was a new Mi Home version (4.1.29) available today along with a firmware upgrade (3.0.4.20) and after a lot of messing around I have finally got this new version with the setup button (rather than pin) working.

This is what I did:
Download the new version of MiHome from the settings in the app (it's not on Google Play yet)
Try to connect the camera by putting it in setup mode and adding it in the app
Then upgrade the firmware, again via settings
Turn the camera off and back on
Go to add new device manually and select iSmartAlarmSpot
Hit the setup button on the camera again
You will be prompted to connect to the camera's wifi signal - do this then go back to the app
Click the prompt to connect to the camera
You will be forced to set a wifi password for the camera
Do that then reconnect to the camera's wifi and you will then be able to view the camera stream

The camera now works over wifi and I can get to all the settings (which is all I wanted as I just want to run it with the SD card)

You connect via the camera's own wifi network, not via your normal network. I don't know if that's possible yet.
Those instructions are from memory and I tried a lot of other things which didn't work inbetween so may need refinement but at least it's now possible!

Edit: I can't find the motion detection settings. Possibly they're in Chinese now but I think they're missing.
Edit2: The main camera settings are missing. Only "other settings" are available. I'm guessing this is because they don't want anyone in other regions to use their cloud backup but it's a shame as it prevents use of any motion detection, even if storing on the SD card.

Okay cheers have now carried out the hack and have the camera output working via the rtsp stream. Tried tiny cam but it doesn't find it any advice for getting a third party app to display the camera via WiFi before I move on to getting it to work via 4g?!

with

You need to put the IP address in to tinycam. I downloaded "FING" app, it sniffs out what is connected on your router and gives you the individual IP addresses. you should then be able to work out what the camera is (my phone and tv etc were all really obvious, so I figured it was the remaining IP)

Then just stick the IP address 192.168.1.103 etc in to tiny cam, and it should show the rtsp stream. You don't need to change the ports etc, if you select the xiamoi cam when setting up the tinycam, it inputs all the correct info, you just need the IP

Perfect thanks again for your continued assistance its much appreciatted.

Something has been updated recently because I'm now able to add my camera using the QR code method and I no longer get the Mainland China error (I have the new version with the button). It seems to all be working now which is great.

Does anyone know if it's possible to view motion captured videos on the Mi website somewhere? Viewing them on the phone doesn't seem to work very well.

hmm i just updated everything and i still cant access it unless i do the ismart alarm one which is just connected straight to the camera's own wifi. Its still just sat gathering dust until i buy a pi