nixos/system/machines/server/modules/frigate

Frigate Camera Setup

Camera Models

Camera	Model	MAC	IP
parking_lot	W461ASC	00:1f:54:c2:d1:b1	192.168.1.194
doorbell	B463AJ	00:1f:54:a9:81:d1	192.168.1.167
living_room	W463AQ (ch1)	00:1f:54:b2:9b:1d	192.168.1.147
kitchen	W463AQ (ch2)	00:1f:54:b2:9b:1d	192.168.1.147
porch	SL300

Network Architecture

• Camera network: 192.168.1.0/24 (isolated, no internet)
• Server NIC: enp2s0f1 @ 192.168.1.1
• WiFi AP: TP-Link RE315 @ 192.168.1.254
• DHCP range: 192.168.1.100-200

RTSP URL Format

rtsp://admin:ocu?u3Su@<IP>/cam/realmonitor?channel=<CH>&subtype=0

• channel=1 for single-camera devices
• channel=1,2 for dual-camera devices (W463AQ)
• subtype=0 for main stream, subtype=1 for sub stream

Camera Reset Procedures

W461ASC (parking_lot)

1. Keep camera powered on
2. Reset button is on the back of the camera
3. Press and hold reset button for 30-60 seconds until chime sounds

B463AJ (doorbell)

1. Remove doorbell from mount
2. Locate reset button on the back
3. Press and hold until you hear chime reset sound
4. Reconnect via Lorex app as new device

W463AQ (living_room/kitchen)

1. Keep camera powered on
2. Rotate the lens upwards to reveal hidden reset button
3. Press and hold reset button until you hear audio prompt
4. Flashing green Smart Security Lighting confirms reset
5. Solid green = not fully reset, repeat if needed

SL300 (porch)

1. Keep camera powered on
2. Tilt camera lens upwards to reveal reset/microSD card cover
3. Remove the cover
4. Press and hold reset button until audio prompt
5. Replace cover quickly
6. Wait for green LED flash + audio confirmation

Initial Setup

1. Temporarily enable internet for camera network:

   sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -s 192.168.1.0/24 -o enp2s0f0 -j MASQUERADE
   sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1
   

2. Connect camera to "cams" WiFi network

3. Use Lorex app to configure camera (requires cloud - CCP middleman)

4. Get camera MAC from DHCP leases:

   cat /var/lib/dnsmasq/dnsmasq.leases
   

5. Add DHCP reservation in system.nix:

   dhcp-host = [
     "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff,192.168.1.XXX,camera_name"
   ];
   

6. Add MAC to firewall block list in system.nix:

   iptables -A FORWARD -m mac --mac-source aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff -j DROP
   

7. Update camera IP in frigate/default.nix and enable

8. Deploy and disable internet:

   nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#server --target-host server
   sudo iptables -t nat -D POSTROUTING -s 192.168.1.0/24 -o enp2s0f0 -j MASQUERADE
   sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=0
   

Storage

Frigate data is stored on /data to avoid filling root partition:

Path	Bind Mount	Contents
/var/lib/frigate	/data/frigate/lib	Database, recordings, clips
/var/cache/frigate	/data/frigate/cache	Temporary cache
/var/cache/nginx/frigate	/data/frigate/nginx-cache	API response cache

Notes

• Lorex cameras are cloud-only for configuration (no local web UI responds)
• RTSP works locally without internet
• Cameras phone home aggressively when internet is available - keep isolated
• Haswell CPU cannot hardware decode HEVC - using CPU decode
• Consider T400 GPU for hardware acceleration if scaling to more cameras

Port Scan Results (W461ASC)

• 80/tcp - HTTP (non-responsive, proprietary)
• 554/tcp - RTSP (working)
• 8086/tcp - Proprietary
• 35000/tcp - Proprietary