Nx Witness troubleshooting

The pattern

Why does Nx Witness stop recording?

Almost never because of the software itself. In most cases a disk has filled up, a server was unreachable for too long, or a licence no longer matches its hardware. All three can be seen coming, and all three are usually noticed only when someone needs footage.

A system that is not recording looks exactly like one that is, until you try to play something back. That is why we put alerts on these events instead of waiting for them.

Storage

What does ‘Storage Failure’ mean?

The server has stopped writing to that disk. According to Network Optix, the warning appears once free space drops below a minimum threshold, and that threshold is lower on an ARM device than on a normal x64 server. Put an alert on the event itself, not on the disk, so you hear about it the same day.

Source: How does Nx Witness manage storage, Network Optix support.

Why doesn’t Nx Witness see my second disk?

Because the media server decides which storage it accepts. It scans the volumes and filters out file systems that are not on its list. On Linux, ext4 is the safe choice. A disk with another file system simply does not appear, which makes it look broken when it is not.

We see this most on systems someone expanded with a disk taken from another machine. The disk works fine; it just speaks the wrong language.

Does a backup storage give me a longer archive?

No. Backup storage is a mirror of your recording, not an extension of it, so you gain no extra days of retention. You gain a second copy. To keep footage longer, add storage to the main recording or write less, for example by recording on motion instead of continuously.

You can also set a minimum and maximum retention period per camera. See our Nx Witness servers page for how we size storage.

Cameras

Why does a camera show as offline?

Nx Witness marks a camera offline after 10 seconds without video. First look at the pattern: if every camera on one server is offline, the server is the problem. For a single camera, the usual causes are an IP address conflict, two servers pulling streams from the same camera, or packet loss on the network.

We give cameras fixed or reserved addresses, keep them in their own VLAN and make exactly one server responsible for each camera. Then we run the built-in diagnostics on the camera, which report the reason and a suggested action.

Why can’t Nx Witness find my camera?

Cameras that support ONVIF Profile S are discovered automatically. If yours is not, it is either a network issue, such as the camera sitting in another subnet, or the camera itself. If it delivers an RTSP or HTTP stream, you can add it manually and viewing and recording work as normal.

Network Optix says Nx Witness supports 99% of IP video devices, whatever the brand. Features specific to one brand, such as built-in analytics, do not always come across. We test that per model before you decide.

Source: ONVIF camera troubleshooting guide, Network Optix support.

Access

I forgot the admin password. What now?

There is no shared default password to fall back on; the admin password is set when the system is first configured. On a cloud-connected system you use the reset link on the login page. On a local system, Network Optix follows a fixed chain of trust: user, administrator, integrator, reseller and only then Network Optix.

In practice that means: ask the person who administers the system, then the company that installed it. Has that company gone quiet? As an authorised reseller we can start the reset with Network Optix for you. After a reset you get a temporary password, which you replace straight away.

Source: Password security and reset options, Network Optix support.

Licences

Why are my licences suddenly invalid?

Because something changed in the server. An Nx Witness licence is bound to the machine’s Hardware ID, a 34-digit code derived from components such as the motherboard and the network card. Replace one of those and the system sees a different machine and releases the licence.

It happens by accident more often than on purpose: a network card swapped after a fault, a motherboard replaced under warranty, a virtual machine moved to other hardware. A licence can be deactivated and moved a limited number of times, three in practice. For planned work, deactivate first, change the hardware, then activate again. For an unexpected failure there is a manual procedure through the manufacturer, which we handle for you.

How the licence model works as a whole is on our Nx Witness licences page.

Source: Deactivate or move a licence key, Network Optix support.

Why does live view pause with ‘Live Streaming Time Limit Reached’?

Because you have more devices connected than licence channels. Since version 6.1, live view on the extra devices pauses for 30 seconds every ten minutes. Recording continues.

The fix is to make your licences match your devices, or to remove what you don’t use. The full explanation, including the rollback option, is on Live Streaming Time Limit Reached in Nx Witness.

Source: Types of Services, Network Optix support.

How many trial licences do I get?

Four, each valid for 30 days. Once a trial licence has expired it cannot be deactivated or activated again, so only start the trial when you have time to test properly.

Multiple servers

What happens when one server in a merged system goes offline?

More than most people expect. In merged systems licences count across the whole system. If one server stays unreachable for too long, the system can no longer verify its licences and recording stops on all servers, including the healthy ones. Network Optix describes this as behaviour by design.

What to do: remove the licences from a server while it is still reachable, or disable as many cameras as there were licences on the failed server, before the grace period ends. We prefer to prevent it: spread licences over the servers least likely to fail and put an alert on server availability.

Is failover seamless?

Not quite. When a second server takes over the cameras, the Network Optix community reports a gap of roughly 15 to 20 seconds, and about the same again when the first server returns. It is a short interruption instead of a long one. Worth knowing before you explain your setup to an insurer or an auditor.

Can I merge servers into one system?

Yes. Servers with the same system name on the same network find each other automatically. Across locations you connect them manually by IP address, on the default port 7001. All servers must run the same version first. Nx Witness makes a database backup automatically before merging.

Remote access

My system shows as offline in the app or the cloud

The usual causes: the server has no outbound connection to the cloud services, a firewall or proxy blocks it, or the certificate on the server is wrong. Network Optix provides a connection test that checks each required service.

Source: What to do when a cloud-connected system shows unreachable or offline, Network Optix support.

Do I need to open ports in my firewall?

Usually not, and we would rather you did not. Nx Cloud sets up the connection and uses a relay when a direct connection is not possible. That is safer than forwarding ports into your network. Port 7001 is the server’s default port for connections inside your own network, not something to expose to the internet.

My system still runs version 5.1 or older

Then plan the upgrade now. From 1 January 2027, Nx Cloud will no longer keep backward compatibility for version 5.1 and older, and those systems may lose their cloud connection. Support for version 5 ends on the same date. The upgrade from v5 Pro to Gen 6 Pro is free. See migration and takeover.