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How to Connect to D-Link IP Camera in C# .NET

Video Capture SDK .Net Media Blocks SDK .Net

Brand Overview

D-Link Corporation is a Taiwanese networking equipment manufacturer headquartered in Taipei. D-Link produces IP cameras under the DCS (D-Link Cloud Security) product line, targeting consumer and small business markets. D-Link cameras are widely available through retail channels and are popular for home security and small office deployments.

Key facts:

  • Product lines: DCS-930/932/933/934 (consumer Wi-Fi), DCS-2130/2132/2230/2310/2330/2332 (prosumer), DCS-5020/5222/5615 (PTZ), DCS-6010/6113/6818 (enterprise), DCS-7010/7110/7410 (outdoor professional)
  • Protocol support: RTSP, ONVIF (some models), HTTP/CGI, MJPEG, D-Link mydlink cloud
  • Default RTSP port: 554
  • Default credentials: admin / (empty password); some models: admin / admin
  • ONVIF support: Select models only (typically DCS-2xxx and higher)
  • Video codecs: H.264, MJPEG, MPEG-4 (legacy)

RTSP URL Patterns

Current and Recent Models

D-Link cameras use the live.sdp or play.sdp URL format:

Stream RTSP URL Quality Notes
Main stream (H.264) rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp High Main H.264 stream
Sub stream (H.264) rtsp://IP:554/live2.sdp Medium Second stream
Third stream rtsp://IP:554/live3.sdp Low Third stream (some models)
Main stream (alt) rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp High Alternative URL
Sub stream (alt) rtsp://IP:554/play2.sdp Medium Alternative URL

Model-Specific URLs

Model RTSP URL Resolution Type
DCS-930L rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 640x480 Consumer Wi-Fi
DCS-932L rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 640x480 Consumer Wi-Fi IR
DCS-933L rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 640x480 Consumer Wi-Fi
DCS-934L rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 1280x720 Consumer HD
DCS-942L rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 640x480 Consumer IR
DCS-2100+ rtsp://IP:554/live.sdp 640x480 Legacy
DCS-2121 rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 640x480 Prosumer
DCS-2130 rtsp://IP:554//live1.sdp 1280x720 Prosumer HD
DCS-2132L rtsp://IP:554//live1.sdp 1280x720 Prosumer HD
DCS-2230 rtsp://IP:554//live1.sdp 1920x1080 Prosumer FHD
DCS-2310L rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp 1280x720 Outdoor HD
DCS-2332L rtsp://IP:554//live1.sdp 1280x720 Outdoor HD
DCS-5020L rtsp://IP:554/play1.sdp 640x480 PTZ consumer
DCS-5222L rtsp://IP:554//live1.sdp 1280x720 PTZ HD
DCS-6010L rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp 1600x1200 Panoramic
DCS-6113 rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp 1920x1080 Box camera
DCS-6818 rtsp://IP:554/live3.sdp 1920x1080 Enterprise
DCS-7010L rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp 1280x720 Outdoor PoE
DCS-7110 rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp 1280x800 Outdoor HD
DCS-7410 rtsp://IP:554/live1.sdp 1280x720 Outdoor enterprise

Double slash in some URLs

Some D-Link models use a double slash before the path: rtsp://IP:554//live1.sdp. This is common on DCS-2130, DCS-2132L, DCS-2230, DCS-2332L, and DCS-5222L models. Try both single and double slash if one format doesn't work.

Legacy Models (HTTP Only)

Very old D-Link DCS cameras only support HTTP:

Model URL Notes
DCS-900 http://IP/cgi-bin/video.jpg JPEG only
DCS-910 http://IP/video.cgi MJPEG
DCS-920 http://IP/video.cgi MJPEG
DCS-2100 http://IP/cgi-bin/video.jpg?size=2 JPEG only

Connecting with VisioForge SDK

Use your D-Link camera's RTSP URL with any of the three SDK approaches shown in the Quick Start Guide:

// D-Link DCS camera, main stream
var uri = new Uri("rtsp://192.168.1.45:554/live1.sdp");
var username = "admin";
var password = "YourPassword";

For sub-stream access, use /live2.sdp instead.

Snapshot and MJPEG URLs

Type URL Pattern Notes
JPEG Snapshot http://IP/image/jpeg.cgi Most current DCS models
MJPEG Stream http://IP/video/mjpg.cgi Continuous MJPEG
MJPEG (alt) http://IP/video.cgi Older models
MJPEG (auth) http://IP/mjpeg.cgi?user=USER&password=PASS&channel=1 With authentication
DMS Snapshot http://IP/dms.jpg DCS-2130/2132/2230/2310/2332
DMS Stream http://IP/dms?nowprofileid=2 Profile-based
ipcam stream http://IP/ipcam/stream.cgi?nowprofileid=2 Some models
Legacy JPEG http://IP/cgi-bin/video.jpg Very old DCS models

Troubleshooting

live vs play URL format

D-Link cameras use two URL naming conventions:

  • Current models (DCS-2xxx+): live1.sdp, live2.sdp, live3.sdp
  • Consumer models (DCS-930/932/933/942): play1.sdp, play2.sdp, play3.sdp

If one format doesn't work, try the other.

Default password is empty

Many D-Link cameras ship with admin as the username and an empty password. You may need to set a password through the web interface or D-Link Setup Wizard before RTSP works properly.

Some newer D-Link cameras are designed primarily for the mydlink cloud ecosystem and may have limited or no RTSP support. Check the camera's specifications for "RTSP" or "third-party integration" support.

Port configuration

D-Link cameras use port 554 by default for RTSP. The HTTP interface is typically on port 80. Both can be changed in the camera's web interface under Network Settings.

FAQ

What is the default RTSP URL for D-Link cameras?

For most D-Link DCS cameras, try rtsp://admin:password@CAMERA_IP:554/live1.sdp or rtsp://admin:password@CAMERA_IP:554/play1.sdp. The live format is used by newer models, while play is used by consumer models.

Do D-Link cameras support ONVIF?

Select models support ONVIF (typically DCS-2xxx and higher-end models). Consumer cameras like the DCS-930L and DCS-932L generally do not support ONVIF.

What is the difference between live1.sdp and play1.sdp?

Both serve the same purpose (main video stream) but are used by different D-Link camera generations. live1.sdp is more common on newer prosumer/professional models, while play1.sdp is used on older consumer models.

Can I connect to D-Link cameras without the mydlink app?

Yes. D-Link cameras with RTSP support can be accessed directly via their IP address without the mydlink cloud service. The mydlink cloud is optional for remote access.