Frequently Asked Questions about Xeoma DVR ip cameras software

Frequently Asked Questions about Xeoma software

LICENSING

1. I downloaded Xeoma from the Download page but it was launched in the Trial mode. Do I get Xeoma Pro / Xeoma Standard / Xeoma Lite / Xeoma Starter then?

The downloaded Xeoma can work in any of the editions. By default it runs as the Trial mode of the Xeoma Pro edition where you can try nearly all of Xeoma features, and you can switch it to a Trial of another commercial edition – Xeoma Standard, Xeoma Lite or Xeoma Starter – through the Main menu (Main menu -> Registration –> Switch edition –> Switch to the … edition).

After you have tested the Trial version of the edition you’re interested in – Xeoma Pro, Xeoma Standard, Xeoma Lite or Xeoma Starter – you can obtain and activate a corresponding license to switch your Xeoma to that edition perpetually. Read more about editions here and see details on activation in the User Manual or in the ‘Activation’ section of this F.A.Q.

2. Where do I get Xeoma licenses from?

Xeoma licenses can be acquired in the following ways:
1. Purchased from our Buy page or from our resellers;
2. Received as a reward for taking part in special offers from Xeoma. See Special Offers;
3. A demo license can be requested from our website, in pages dedicated to Xeoma modes or Xeoma features. See the Support page.
Exceptions: Xeoma Starter (use the Free edition to have functionality similar to Xeoma Starter) and Xeoma Lite (use the Trial version of Xeoma Lite)

3. Is it possible to buy software and use it forever without having to pay every year? Are there any fees for technical support?

Yes, you can buy the software and use it without paying every year. Xeoma Starter, Lite, Standard and Pro licenses are in fact perpetual. Please note that typically free updates of the program are included for the first 12 months since the license purchase date, and their paid prolongation is optional. Our technical support isn’t limited in time and is free of charge.

Visit this page to learn more on license use and purchase conditions

4. How can I add a new license to the ones I’m already using?

It’s easy: simply activate the new license on the server you’d like to add it to, “over” the licenses already in use, in the same way you did for the previous licenses (in Xeoma’s Main menu or through console, or through config files or web interface for Xeoma Pro Your Cloud). Xeoma Standard and Pro licenses summarize. Xeoma Lite licenses are cumulated only with Lite licenses (up to maximum 4 cameras in total). Xeoma Starter licenses do not cumulate.
Read more on activation here

5. How long does a license last?

Licenses for Xeoma Video Surveillance Software are perpetual, which means that they aren’t limited in time. Once you buy a license for any amount of cameras, you get your version switched to that commercial edition and can use it as long as you want and/or need to. Each license (Standard and Pro) has a default 1 year of free updates period (you can purchase licenses with 1, 3 or 10 years): after that period is over, you’ll be able to purchase a Renewal license to continue updating Xeoma – or use your license without updating forever. Licenses are for lifetime.

Note: Xeoma licenses can be rented, too – in this case they come in the form of a temporary subscription that is valid for the purchased amount of time until it expires. More about rent

6. How many cameras do I need to buy a Xeoma license for?

It depends on how many cameras you are going to use. Use Xeoma’s Trial version to build chain(s) to meet your demands, count how many cameras are there in use. You will get the number of cameras you need to buy a license for. See example in our article ‘What is a Xeoma’s module?’

If you need continued testing, you can request a demo license for testing from the page dedicated to your selected edition (except for Xeoma Starter or Xeoma Lite).

7. I have a license for 16 cameras. I need to add 8 cameras more. Can I do that? I’m afraid that my first license will get lost.

There’s nothing to be afraid of. Licenses do summarize! You can add unlimited number of licenses. You will be able to use as many cameras as all of your activated licenses allow in total. Standard and Pro licenses can be summarized with one another. Lite licenses can be summarized only with Lite licenses (but only up to 4 cams per server).

Visit this page to learn more on license use and purchase conditions

8. I have lost my activation key. What do I do now?

First of all, if you still have a commercial version of Xeoma running, you can find your licenses in Xeoma’s ‘Active licenses’ menu (Main menu -> Information -> Active licenses).
The next best thing is to try the ‘Self-help on activation issues’ help page, the ‘Get information on licenses…’ section where you can get a reminder of all Xeoma licenses registered to your email address.
Another way to retrieve Xeoma licenses is to search through your email inbox that you used during the purchase process for letters from felenasoft.com that we use to send license messages from.
If for some reasons it doesn’t help, please contact us – we’ll do our best to help!

9. I have purchased Xeoma but didn’t get the license. What do I do?

Delivery time depends on the payment method. For credit card (through our partner MyCommerce/ShareIt) and PayPal payments, the license/subscription is dispatched to your email within a couple of minutes (max. an hour), and also shown on-screen. With money bank transfer, it usually takes 1-3 business days (for money yet has to arrive at recipient’s account).

First of all, please check the Spam folder of your email box. Due to a large amount of license letters we send some Spam filters can’t properly process them.

If the letter isn’t there, make sure that your payment was successful and that the money was withdrawn from your account.

If the payment was done through PayPal, please make sure you are checking the right email address, i.e. the email address associated with your PayPal account.

If the payment was through bank wire transfer, it takes up to 3 business days for the funds to reach us. After we get the money the license will be dispatched to the email address stated in the invoice request form (with the exception for hardware keys, read more about them below).

If you purchased a hardware key, it will be shipped to the physical address you input in the form during purchase. When your hardware key is shipped, we will send you its tracking number.

If you purchased a new Xeoma Cloud subscription, you will get a message with account credentials, not with a license. If you renew license rent or Xeoma Cloud subscription, you will not get a special message but you can check your account’s expiry date.

If nothing of this helps, please contact us – we’ll find your license!

10. How do I get a free license for Xeoma?

We offer a variety of possibilities to get Xeoma license for free. Find what fits you best on our Special Offer page!

11. Can I re-use the license:
1) when I re-install my operating system on the same machine?
2) when I move the system to another machine?

1) Yes, you can re-use your license if you re-install your operating system, but the machine stays the same. Simply re-activate Xeoma with your license again. In rare cases you may need to reset the license first – use this page for help.

2) As stated in Xeoma terms of use, regular licenses are not designed for overly frequent moves, since they are tied to the equipment during activation. So activation is recommended only after you’ve settled for the equipment for your video surveillance system for years to come, with equipment upgrades from time to time still being okay. But if your intention is to test Xeoma across several machines, we recommend you to test Xeoma with its Trial edition or with temporary demo licenses that you can get from the website page of an edition or a features you’re interested in. Activate a real license on the machine that you will be using it on permanently. However, in case your equipment goes out of order, you can move the license to a new permanent place of use, but don’t forget to reset it first.

If your situation requires frequent transfers of the license between several machines, please consider buying a hardware license instead.

12. I’ll need to reset and move my license to other machines very often. What should I do?

You are advised to purchase hardware key (USB-key) instead of a regular ‘soft key’ license that Xeoma licenses come in by default. With a USB hardware key you won’t have problems with moving the license around and will not have to worry about resetting the license or activation.

13. Why do I need the updates (renewal period) for my license and how can I activate it?

Learn about what updates and renewals mean in Xeoma here
When you buy a Xeoma Standard or a Xeoma Pro license, free updates are included for 12 months since the license purchase date by default (or you can purchase Xeoma Standard/Pro license with 3 or 10 years of updating period instead). After the updating period of your license is over, you can purchase a renewal license to continue updating Xeoma or you can use your license without updating in the last available version of Xeoma for your license forever.

When you activate the renewal license, you get the possibility to use new versions, where you can find new features and program improvements. More information about update license and its activation.

14. Should a Xeoma license be activated on the client and the server part of Xeoma?

You buy and activate license only on server. All clients are free of charge, you can use unlimited number of them. You can activate the license remotely from a client machine if it is connected to the server machine.

15. Where can I check information about my licenses in Xeoma?

If you use Xeoma Starter/Lite/Standard/Pro, then you can check your licenses and registration data via Main menu -> Information -> Active licenses

If you use Xeoma Cloud, then you can check remaining subscription days via Main menu -> Information -> About

If you use Xeoma Pro “Your Cloud”, then you can check licenses in adminUser.config file in the line ActivationKeys=LICENSES or via Administrator’s web page in the field “Activation parameters”.

16. Will Xeoma license work without Internet?

Yes, Xeoma Starter, Xeoma Lite, Xeoma Standard or Xeoma Pro licenses don’t need constant Internet access if they are working on a physical (dedicated) machine. Licenses can be activated both online and offline (without Internet access).

If you use a virtual machine, then constant Internet connection is required.

Also constant Internet connection is needed if you use rent licenses.

See overview of activation options here

17. I’ve purchased Xeoma Lite, but I can’t activate it on the virtual machine. Why?

Maybe you’ve purchased your Lite license until the end of 2020? Lite licenses activation on VMs is available starting from Xeoma 20.12.18. Previous versions of Xeoma do not allow activating Lite on virtual machines. So if you purchased your Lite license before December 2020, then you’ll not be able to activate it on a VM. You might consider using a physical machine instead. Please contact us, we’ll gladly help!

18. Is there an upgrade from one edition to another?

The rules regarding switching between editions are as follows:

1. Switching between free editions – Free and Trial – is unrestricted and can be done at any time.
2. Switching from free editions (Free and Trial) to paid editions (Xeoma Starter, Xeoma Lite, Xeoma Standard, Xeoma Pro) is done by purchasing a license for the edition you are switching to.
3. Switching from the Xeoma Standard edition to Xeoma Pro can be done in two ways:
a) by purchasing new Xeoma Pro licenses from scratch (for all cameras, or for the portion of cameras that need Xeoma Pro features), or
b) by purchasing a special “Upgrade to Pro” license for all cameras – or just for the portion of cameras that need Xeoma Pro features. See more details about transitioning from Xeoma Standard to Xeoma Pro.
4. Switching between all other paid editions (Xeoma Starter, Xeoma Lite, Xeoma Standard, Xeoma Pro) can be done only by purchasing a license for the edition you are switching to. There are no transition programs that would take into account your initial license.
5. Switching from paid editions to free editions is unrestricted and can be done at any time.

Example: If you have a Xeoma Lite license (e.g., for 4 cameras) and want to switch to Xeoma Standard with the same number of cameras, you will need to purchase a Xeoma Standard license for the required number of cameras – in your case, for 4. You can find the current price on the Purchase page.
Unfortunately, your Lite license doesn’t summarize with Standard (or other licenses instead of Lite) and can not be used to lower the price, because there’s no upgrade from Lite to Standard.
On the positive side, you still have your Lite license and you can use it e.g. on another Server.

If you still have questions, please feel free to contact us. We’re always happy to help!

19. Is tax (VAT) included in Xeoma licenses/subscriptions?

No. We don’t charge VAT or any other tax for Xeoma licenses or subscription. If you intend to pay with bank wire transfer and VAT or any other tax is applied in your country, make sure to pay the tax yourself.

VAT may be applied (and increase cost) in some countries when you purchase Xeoma licenses via MyCommerce option on our website.

20. Do you offer bulk discounts?

Yes, the price per camera is lower with reference to the amount of cameras of the license, i.e. license for 1024 cameras will be cheaper per camera compared to the license for 32 cameras and so on. The more cameras you purchase in a single license, the bigger your profit is. Prices can be checked here.

But please note that Xeoma license can not be divided (spread between multiple servers), i.e. if you purchase a Xeoma Standard license for 32 cameras, you will not be able to divide it between 2 servers to use 16 cameras per server. In case of multiple servers usage, you’ll need to purchase Xeoma license for each server separately.

21. I tried to update Xeoma via Main menu – Information- Check for updates and didn’t manage to do it. Why?

First of all, please check if your licenses allow updating to new versions (for example, Xeoma Starter/Lite edition doesn’t have renewal period) or to this particular new version (for example, the free updates period run out). You can check your licenses and their renewal period via Main menu -> Information -> Active licenses.

If the update error is not connected to license issues, please try to ping our website address via console: ping felenasoft.com or traceroute felenasoft.com
Maybe firewall is blocking the activation attempt, or there’s no Internet connection at the moment.

Also, you can update manually:

1) stop old Xeoma via Main menu – Install – Delete (except for archive and settings) or via console
Windows: /xeoma.exe -install -removeexe
Linux: sudo ./xeoma.app -install -removeexe
2) Download new version of Xeoma from our website or via console
Windows: wget https://felenasoft.com/xeoma/downloads/latest/win/xeoma_win64.exe
Linux: wget https://felenasoft.com/xeoma/downloads/latest/linux/xeoma_linux64.tgz
3) unpack (if you’re using console/Terminal): tar -xvzf xeoma_linux64.tgz
4) launch the new version of Xeoma and install it via Main menu – Install or via console
Windows: /xeoma.exe -install -coreauto
Linux: sudo ./xeoma.app -install -coreauto

All console commands can be checked here.

22. I tried to use a new version of Xeoma and it says my license only allows older version. Where do I get previous versions of Xeoma from?

Older versions of Xeoma are conveniently stored at the History of changes page. Scroll down a little to find the version you are looking for. If you are not sure what version to use or cannot find the right version, please contact us – we will be delighted to help!

You can check your licenses and their renewal period via Main menu – Information – Active licenses.

Xeoma’s version number forms this way: 21.1.25 (where 21 is a year 2021, 1 is a month (January) and 25 is the day, this way the version was released on the 25th of January 2021). You can choose Xeoma version on the previous versions page accordingly.

23. Can I use a hardware key with other Xeoma licenses on one server?

The hardware key does not combine with other Xeoma licenses as hardware keys take the exclusive priority.
If you already have a ‘soft key’ license activated and you’re thinking about adding a hardware key, you will need to make a choice between them, as old, activated ‘soft key’ licenses cannot be put into a hardware key.
However, you can stack hardware key licenses if they are assigned to the same USB-device or several ones – or you can purchase a new ‘soft key’ license and put it into a hardware key.

24. Do Xeoma licenses include additional services and/or products (for example, Repeater)?

You can see which features and modules are included in each edition on our website on the pages dedicated to those editions. See the List of all pages here
You can also try the selected edition in the Trial version of Xeoma. Or the other way around: check the terms of use for a particular service to see if it is included in the edition you need.

Paid Repeater subscriptions are sold separately and are not included in any of Xeoma editions. However, the Repeater can be used for free for 10 minutes a day in Commercial modes.

To use the Repeater subscription, you need to have a base Xeoma license too, which means that a Xeoma license (Starter, Lite, Standard, or Pro) must be activated on your server. You can purchase a Xeoma license here, and a Repeater subscription here.

You can also test Repeater in Xeoma’s Trial edition, but please remember that it resets your settings every 4 hours and after restarting the program.

25. If I buy a hardware key, when will it start working? (updating period of the license) And if I’d like to update Xeoma e.g. within 1,5-2 years, will I be able to do that?

Xeoma license’s renewal period on a hardware key starts since the time of the license’s generation. The license’s updating period will start from the purchase date when you purchase a Xeoma license and order a hardware key via our website.

For Xeoma Standard and Xeoma Pro licenses you will be able to purchase Renewal licenses when your license’s built-in renewal period is over. You can also purchase Xeoma Standard or Xeoma Pro licenses with longer renewal period e.g. 3 or 10 years. There are no Renewals for Xeoma Starter and Xeoma Lite licenses, so for those editions you would need a new license if you wanted to update your Xeoma to newer versions.

Note that Xeoma Renewal licenses or new perpetual licenses can be added on your hardware (USB) key via offline activation.

26. I bought Xeoma quite a time ago (in 2013-2014). The license simply says “Xeoma”. Is it the same as Xeoma Standard that you have now?

Yes. Before professional features were added to Xeoma there was only 1 commercial edition simply called Xeoma. It is governed by the same rules Xeoma Standard now is. For example, if you need renewals for your “Xeoma” license from old times, opt for renewals for Xeoma Standard. Contact us if you need assistance.

27. How can I update Xeoma from 17.X.X version to 20.X.X (any of the latest versions)?

You can update Xeoma via Main menu -> Information -> Check for updates – this way you can update to the latest official or beta version.

If your license’s renewal period is over, and you get a message that updating will cause you to lose some licenses, you can purchase a Renewal license for 1 or 3 years – it doesn’t depend on the purchase date of your license, you can e.g. purchase Xeoma Standard renewal for 1 year for your Xeoma Standard license purchased in 2014. Alternatively, you can continue using your current version of Xeoma without updating because purchasing renewals is completely optional.

Note that Lite and Starter versions do not work with Renewals, i.e. you can not purchase Renewal licenses for them. But you can purchase a new Xeoma Lite (or Starter) license to use in the latest Xeoma version.

If you’d like to update to a specific Xeoma version that is not the latest, you can download it here and install it manually (see section ‘If your Xeoma is 13.3.7 or older’).

28. I have Xeoma Standard license for 64 cameras and Pro for 1 camera. Can I view several archives at the same time?

Yes. If at least one Xeoma Pro license is activated (even for 1 camera) then synchronized playback of several archives function will be available for all cameras on this server even if you have Xeoma Standard license for all other cameras.

29. Is it possible to add more Xeoma licenses on a hardware (USB) key?

Yes, you can buy new licenses for the hardware key. In order to do this, you need to buy a software license (without a hardware key) and add it to the hardware key using the offline activation via “Main menu” – “Registration” – “Activate” – “Offline activation”.

30. What if we renew Xeoma license, e.g. one year after the license expired? Do you charge for each year that the license hasn’t been updated? Is there a time limitation for renewing licenses after they are expired?

Renewal licenses can be applied to the full (perpetual) Xeoma licenses at any time, there is no time limit for it. If a Renewal license is applied to the full license before it expires – the time will be added to the full licenses’ expiration date.

Example:
Full license purchased in July 2014, renewal period ends in July 2015
Renewal license purchased in January 2015, ends in January 2016

When activated on the same server they will change the full licenses’ expiration date to July 2016.

If a Renewal license is applied to the full license after it expired – the time will be taken into account based on the renewal license’s expiration date. Example:

Full license purchased in July 2014, renewal period ends in July 2015
Renewal license purchased in May 2020, ends in May 2021

When activated on the same server they will change the full licenses’ expiration date to May 2021.

Also, please note that Xeoma licenses are perpetual and can be used without purchasing renewal licenses. When a license’s renewal period is over, you can use your license in the last available Xeoma version for your license forever. So renewal licenses are optional.

31. Can I expand the number of cameras in the future?

Yes, Xeoma Standard and Xeoma Pro licenses cumulate when activated on the same server, so you can always purchase more licenses to expand your system when needed.

Xeoma Lite licenses summarize up to 4 cameras, but Lite has no renewal period, so please note that you’ll not be able to update Xeoma even if you add more cameras (4 cameras maximum) in the future. Xeoma Starter licenses cannot be expanded.

32. I changed my computer’s motherboard/HDDs/RAM/etc., will my license continue working?

Usually Xeoma license continues working, even if a part of computer hardware where Xeoma works changes. Still, in some cases the licenses stop working with a warning that this might be a different computer. In such case, please reset all affected licenses with this page and re-activate them in your Xeoma. In case you have questions or issues with the reset, please contact us – we will be happy to help!

Please remember that any licenses can only work in one place at a time, and should be activated after you’ve decided on the equipment they will be used in permanently. If you are still choosing between the equipment, we recommend to use test licenses instead that you can get from this page (or other pages dedicated to the product you are interested in).

33. Where can I get a demo license for Xeoma Starter or Xeoma Lite from?

We do not have demo licenses for Xeoma Starter or Xeoma Lite but you can use the Trial version of Xeoma Starter or Xeoma Lite.
Alternatively, you can use Xeoma’s Free edition to test the functionality similar to Starter. See more here

34. Can I cancel Xeoma subscription (or licenses for rent)?

Yes. If you no longer need Xeoma monthly rent or subscriptions, you can cancel your subscription by not renewing it at a due date (i.e. by not making a payment to prolong the rent/subscription).
For recurrent/automatic monthly subscriptions or rent (available for PayPal and MyCommerce), you can cancel it in your account in the used payment system. Or you can contact us for assistance

PURCHASE

See more questions and answers about purchase in the dedicated section “Questions about purchase”

ACTIVATION

1. How do I activate Xeoma licenses?

See the Activation section of Xeoma’s User Manual Setup Guide

2. How can I expand my license (add more cameras)?

It’s easy! Just buy a new Xeoma Standard or Xeoma Pro license/licenses for as many cameras as you’d want to add to your existing Xeoma Standard/Xeoma Pro licenses. Activate the new licenses the same way you did for your ‘original’ license(s). The new and the old licenses will work together, and your camera limit will be the total from both of them. See activation options in Xeoma’s User Guide

3. I bought a license, I need to activate it both on client and server? How can it be done with one license?

You activate license only on the server side. All clients are free of charge, you can use unlimited number of them. You can activate the license remotely from a client machine if it is connected to the server machine.

4. I have lost my activation key. What do I do now?

5. I have a license for 16 cameras. I need to add 8 cameras more. Can I do that? I’m afraid that my first license will get lost.

There’s nothing to be afraid of. Xeoma Standard and Xeoma Pro licenses do summarize! You can add unlimited number of licenses. You will be able to use as many cameras as all of your activated licenses allow in total. You can add as many new licenses as needed. Furthermore, Xeoma Standard and Xeoma Pro licenses can be combined with each other. And Xeoma Lite licenses can only be combined with other Xeoma Lite licenses, with a maximum of 4 cameras total. The Xeoma Starter licenses cannot be combined with any editions.

Please note: The only case where the number of cameras may decrease upon activation is if you activate a license of a more advanced edition that happens to be for less cameras than what you used to have. Here are the possible scenarios:

a) If you are using the Trial or Free version and activate a license for one of the paid versions (e.g., you were using the Trial version of Xeoma Standard for 8 cameras, and you purchased and activated Xeoma Lite for 1 camera).

b) If you are using a Xeoma Starter or Xeoma Lite license and activate a license for a more advanced commercial edition (Xeoma Standard or Xeoma Pro). For example, you had a Lite license for 4 cameras and activated a Xeoma Pro license for 2 cameras – Lite will be replaced by Pro, and only 2 cameras will be available (as many as your Pro license allows).

c) If you are using a demo license for Xeoma Standard or Xeoma Pro and activate a paid license for Xeoma Starter or Xeoma Lite. Any paid license is considered more advanced than demo licenses.

Also, old licenses may be discarded if, after activating new licenses, you update the program to a Xeoma version that the old licenses no longer support (but the new ones do). In such case, if you try to update the program through the internal update, Xeoma will display a warning about this and offer to cancel the update so that the old licenses continue to work.

Visit this page to learn more on license use and purchase conditions

6. I’ll need to reset and move my license to other machines very often. What should I do?

You can purchase hardware key (USB-key), this way you’ll not have problems with resetting license or activation.

7. Why do I need the updates and how can I activate it?

When you buy your Xeoma license, free updates are included for 12 months since license purchase date (or you can purchase Xeoma Standard/Pro license with 1, 3, 10 years of updating period). After the updating period of your license is over, you can purchase renewal license to continue updating Xeoma or you can use your license without updating in the last available version of Xeoma for your license forever.
When you activate the renewal license, you get the possibility to use new versions, where you can find new features and program improvements. More information about update license and its activation.

8. I’ve purchased Xeoma Lite, but I can’t activate it on VM, why?

9. Can I use Xeoma and my license on a hypervisor?

Yes, Xeoma supports working on virtual machines. More information can be checked here.

10. How do I get a free license for Xeoma?

We offer a variety of possibilities to get Xeoma license for free. Find what fits you best on our Special Offer page!

11. Can I use Xeoma on Huawei device?

If you have a Huawei device and it does not have google services, you can still download our mobile app! There are several ways to do it.
1) You can download it from our website, so you won’t need Google Services to set it up.
2) From April 2021 Xeoma app is also available in the Huawei AppGallery app store. Just search for “Xeoma” in the platform’s search field and download it from there.

12. Which ports should I keep open for activation on VM?

Xeoma needs to communicate with a.felenasoft.com over ports 443 and 80.

13. I cannot activate my license. Where can I get help with activation issues?

If you are having issues with license activation, please see what the error message says. We made the messages informative, so they inform you about both the issue and the way to resolve it.
Please also see the ‘Activation’ section in the ‘Messages in Xeoma’ page.
If none of the above works, let our tech support team know as much about the issue as possible.

CAMERAS

1. What cameras does Xeoma support?

Xeoma can work with USB, analog, network (IP) cameras and the Raspberry camera module. See here the list of supported/unsupported cameras, and camera requirements.

2. Will Xeoma work with my wifi cam?

Yes, Xeoma supports various IP-cameras, including wireless (wi-fi) cams. List of supported cams can be viewed here. You can search for cameras in Xeoma via the ‘+’ menu.

3. How does Xeoma work with PTZ cameras?

You can connect and test your PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera in Trial version of Xeoma. Cameras can be added via «+» menu (you can specify necessary PTZ port in «Universal camera» module’s settings). If you use PTZ camera, Xeoma will automatically add controls to move your camera. This option to move your camera manually (using controls) is available in Commercial versions Lite/Standard/Pro, and creating presets/touring is available in Pro version only (available under Xeoma Pro license). “PTZ Tracking” module (triggering camera based on different modules, e.g. “Motion detector”) is available in Standard and Pro.

By the way, Xeoma allows creating presets and automatically follow them e.g. triggering from a particular module by means of additional module «Moving to PTZ preset». This module can be purchased additionally in Standard or Pro version.

Also, you can use PTZ in browser, you’ll need Xeoma Pro license for that (Xeoma Pro license for 1 camera will allow PTZ in browser for all cameras).

4. Will Xeoma work with my capture card?

Xeoma works with capture cards and USB-dongles that use DirectShow (WDM) drivers and each channel has separate chips. Capture cards like these are seen in Windows as a number of separate devices (Device #1, Device #2, etc.). Xeoma will detect the cameras as USB cameras.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a list of supported USB-dongles, you can choose any.

As for video capture card, we can not guarantee that a particular capture card will work 100% with your analog camera and OS. We only have info from our users about the following ones that worked fine in Xeoma: Lumens (USB b PCI), EasyCap VZ-007 with HTV600 chip, TVISS4E with saa7134 chip. You can contact manufacturer to find out if necessary capture card was tested in Xeoma.

5. Will Xeoma work with my DVR?

Yes, it will work with DVR that transmit data via http/rtsp (MJPEG/JPEG/H264 streams), no matter the manufacturer. If the conditions are fulfilled, the cameras will be detected as IP ones automatically, or they can be added manually with their respective URLs.

6. How do I add a camera to Xeoma?
Xeoma has a special search process that will help you find and automatically add your camera. To learn more about the search, please watch this video or read this section in Xeoma’s User Manual Setup Guide.

Tip: if you launch Xeoma for the first time, you will see a welcome screen that also offers to launch the camera search.

7. How do I make sure Xeoma works with my camera/operating system?

First of all, check if your camera is on the list of supported cameras, and your operating system is on the list of supported OSs. If they are in their respective lists, they will work with Xeoma.
Please note that even if your camera is not on the list of supported cameras, there are still chances it will work with Xeoma! Try Xeoma in either the Free or Trial mode in your environment and see if it works. Please let us know if you find a camera that works in Xeoma but is not yet listed – your user report will be much appreciated!

8. Xeoma can’t find my IP cam. What should I do?

Xeoma can scan cams automatically and find even cams protected with default password. However, if your cam is not in the list of found cams, you can specify the URL manually. Go to the cam’s Web Control Interface (use your camera’s ip address in browser and port e.g. http://IP_ADDRESS:PORT). Provided you can see image from the cam there, do right click on it and copy its URL, then paste it in Xeoma (in “Universal camera” module’s settings into the URL field). More on this topic in «What if my camera is not auto-detected in Xeoma?» article.

9. How can I change cameras order in Xeoma?

If you view cameras with Xeoma software or app, you can change camera order just by dragging a camera preview to a new place.
For view via web browser, however, this order depends on camera’s (or rather camera’s stream’s) name in the Web server module’s settings, sorted alphabetically. So to make cameras be displayed in the web main page in the certain order, change the names in Web server’s settings.

10. How many cameras can I have on screen?

It depends on limitations of your Xeoma edition. For example, you can have up to 4 cameras in Lite, and as many cameras as you have a license for in Xeoma Standard.
Apart from that, there are no software limitations on how many cameras you can have on screen – both in software/app and in web browser view.

11. Does Xeoma support camera built-in video analytics?

Yes, Xeoma supports camera built-in video analytics, for example, motion or human detection. For synchronizing your camera features with the program use the “Camera embedded detector” module. Please note that for the built-in functions of the camera to work correctly with the program, the detectors themselves must support the ONVIF protocol.

12. How do I change name of cameras shown on preview? How do I change the font size?

You can change camera’s name in the settings of the ‘Preview and Archive’ or ‘Preview’ modules. To change the font size for this name, please click the Layouts icon (lower panel), choose the ‘Change font size, fps and transparency’ option.

13. We have many cameras, so the camera cells in Xeoma are tiny. Is there a way we can keep up with alarms on them?

Of course, as a video surveillance program Xeoma has several ways to optimize viewing and help security operators not miss important events.

First, we recommend using convenient camera grids with the Pages function. This way all cameras will be divided between tabs (automatically or manually selected) instead of being just gathered on the Main Window. Consequently, camera cells will be larger since there will be fewer of them per ‘page’.

The Device list feature is another popular way to group cameras, frequently used in DVRs and other surveillance equipment. See its detailed photo instruction here.

For the Pages mentioned above there are various options that will make cameras pop up upon detection of an alarm event. For example, you can choose between the ‘Larger grid mode’ and ‘Show only active cameras’ functions. Details

The eMap function may also be useful: put camera icons on a site plan, and you will see which ones are triggered, and click on them for a quick jump to view the camera’s “live” stream. Learn more about eMap

14. I have Xeoma on a PC. Now I want to virtually connect some IP cameras from afar to it. What’d I need, how do I do that?

If cameras have a static external IP address, make sure that the ports in use by camera are forwarded (usually, it’s 554 for rtsp, 80 for http and ONVIF). Then just run the “Search by IP/password” option in Xeoma with the camera’s IP address, port, login, password. If the cams don’t have a static external IP address, see if you can use any of these options.

15. If the connection to camera is temporarily gone, I’d like the camera to continue storing records to its embedded SD memory card. When the connection is back, I need the records from SD card to be downloaded to and visible in Xeoma archive player. Is it possible?

Yes, starting from version 19.3.7 Xeoma’s PRO edition offers synchronization with SD memory cards of cameras that work through ONVIF. For older versions of Xeoma this type of synchronization is available for a few of Vivotek cameras. If another model or brand of camera has to be used (for example, ONVIF-non-compliant cameras), paid development will be required. Each camera model will need an individual synchronization. The fewer camera models you choose, the faster and more economical the development will be. Also, opt for a camera model or models that provide access to the SD card through ONVIF, if possible. Contact us to request paid development.

16. How can I lower network bandwidth required when Xeoma client connects to Xeoma server to view cameras?

Here are the ways to reduce traffic consumption between server and client:

1) On the server side go to Main menu -> Remote access -> Users – and tick Forced video decoding on the client – this way a compressed stream will go over the network from the server to the client.
2) On the client side use tabs to distribute the cameras – the network is loaded only from those cameras that are currently on the screen, so several tabs with fewer cameras consume less traffic than all cameras on the screen at the same time.
3) On the client side go to the Layouts meny (squares icon on the lower panel) -> Client decoding settings – set Maximum number of cameras for which a high resolution stream will be displayed to 0 – so if there are several cameras on the screen, only the preview stream will be transmitted to the client, it usually consumes less traffic than the archive (higher resolution) stream.
4) (if you don’t use the 1st paragraph) On the client side go to the Layouts menu -> Client decoding settings – choose “Enabled” in Video decoding on the client side for live preview.
5) On the camera’s side lower 2nd stream parameters (resolution, FPS, bit rate). If you’re using MJPEG for the 2nd stream, then change it to H.264/H.265.
6) Use more effective compression on the cameras (e.g. H.265/H.265+ instead of H.264).

17. In Xeoma I can see other people’s feeds. Will mine also be shown all around the world?

What you see is random world Internet cameras. You only see these feeds because you have them manually. These world web cameras have been made public by their owners on purpose. Your pictures and videos in Xeoma are not going public unless you do it on purpose by posting the link on website or blog, etc. So there is nothing to worry about – your feeds are safe because your camera is under the password. Also, if you use “Web server” module in Xeoma and check your cams via browser, you can create password for them too, simply setup it in “Web server” module’s settings.

18. (Rare question) I’ve connected all cameras in Xeoma from provider 1, also connected all cameras from provider 2. But there’s also a static IP address on the router that is used by three DVRs with cameras, but Xeoma can not see these cameras. The weird thing is if I disconnect provider 2 from the network, all cameras from the static IP and DVRs can be added in Xeoma. However, in this case all cameras from provider 2 are lost. What should I do?

We recommend conducting this simple test:

1) whenever you’re using provider 1 and 2 use this command via command line: ping static_IP_address
2) also use telnet to check the port of one DVR that uses the static IP, the command in the command line will be: telnet static_IP_address port
(if telnet is unavailable by default, then please turn it on)

If ping and/or telnet show an error message, then the issue is connected with network routing. In this case you can examine the router’s settings to make sure everything is configured correctly (no IP addresses conflicts, correct port forwarding etc.).
If both commands work fine, then please contact us.

19. All cameras are gone, what’s wrong?

There are several variants. Please check:

1) If you have a license and use a virtual machine, then please check that there’s Internet access available. Because Xeoma needs constant Internet connection when working on virtual machines. If there’s no Internet, you’ll see messages in Xeoma instead of camera’s image «Waiting for image from camera».
2) If your license’s renewal period is over, then after Xeoma’s updating, your licenses might be lost (usually, there’s a warning message saying that license might be lost because its updating period is over).
3) If you don’t have a license and use a Trial version of Xeoma, then all settings will be reset within 4 hours.

MODULES & FEATURES

1. What functions does Xeoma have?

Xeoma video surveillance software embraces over 100 various features from notifications, loop recording triggered by detection of invasion, schedule, security officer’s command, to advanced video analytics of objects and events in camera sight. You can see a list of Xeoma features here. To learn what features are included into a certain Xeoma edition please visit a page dedicated to that edition.

Tip: many of Xeoma functions (such as motion detector, email notifications) are represented by modules, but there are also functions that work outside of modules (for example, eMap or remote access) – we refer to them simply as ‘features’.

2. How do I know if a feature I need is included into a certain Xeoma edition?

Please visit a web page of an edition you have selected and see if it lists the feature you’re looking for. See the List of all pages here
Or the other way around – you can open a page dedicated to the feature you’re interested in and see if it says anything about what edition this feature belongs to.
The third way is to check it yourself in Xeoma’s Trial of the selected edition.
If none of this helped you acquire the information you seek, contact us – we will be happy to assist.

3. Are all Xeoma features spread across editions?

Almost all Xeoma features are spread between Xeoma editions. Exclusions are Repeater and Xeoma Cloud services and the Additional modules – which are all bought separately.

4. What is an Additional module?

Additional modules are high-profile modules in Xeoma, most of which are based on artificial intelligence technologies. Additional modules include advanced versions of Face Recognition, ANPR, as well as exclusive features like Eye Tracking, Emotions Recognition, Text Recognition, etc. They are sold separately from all Xeoma editions, and they can only work in combination with Xeoma Standard or Xeoma Pro. Details about Additional modules

5. Is it possible to start/stop the recording to the archive when I want?

Yes, you can use the “Scheduler” module that can be used to start/stop recording according to the necessary time frame or there’s the “Button Switcher” module to manually start/stop the recording.

6. Does Xeoma save recordings and other files that it works with on my computer, or does it send it to a cloud?

When we’re speaking about desktop Xeoma and Xeoma apps (that is of the following Xeoma editions: Free, Trial, Starter, Lite, Standard, Pro, and Additional modules), Xeoma stores all data (including recordings) locally, on the computer it is working on. Additionally – but only with your consent and specific extra configuration – you can make Xeoma use network disks, RAID, or Cloud storage instead.
There is however another product – Xeoma Cloud service – that only works in the Cloud and consequently stores all its data and recordings in the Cloud.

7. Can I install Xeoma on my own server and save recordings from cameras there?

Yes, the licenses are meant for your own server(s), Xeoma will store everything on premise. You can also store recordings on network, cloud disks, for example, Xeoma Cloud.

8. Will Xeoma work with my camera/operating system?

If your camera is not on the list of supported cameras, or your operating system is not on the list of supported OSs, you can try Xeoma in either free or trial mode in your environment and see if it works. Your user report will be much appreciated!

9. Can Xeoma’s video analytics work on a Raspberry Pi 3B +?

It depends on what video analytics feature or module you mean. Most of Xeoma’s video analytics work in all devices with supported operating systems. For example, motion detection, face recognition and ANPR for most countries can be used in ARM-based devices including a Pi 3B+.

Some modules and features however, like Safety Gear Detector or Text Recognition, have special requirements of processors they can work with and won’t work with an ARM device. You will see a warning about that in their promo pages.

10. What happens after the trial version expires?

You can activate trial period again. Specify settings once more and continue using Xeoma. The settings will be reset in 4 hours again. You can activate trial version as many times as you need to feel all the powerful possibilities of Xeoma.
If you need continued testing, you can always contact us to get a demo license for testing.

11. Where can I find Xeoma settings files?

Settings are located in the default user directory. Read more.

12. Can I install Xeoma on Ubuntu server or do I need desktop interface?

Absolutely, you can install Xeoma on Ubuntu server without graphical shell. Please pay attention: console sound support requires libasound2. If you’re running a 64-bit version you may need to install ia32-libs. After the installation there will be an access password in console – you need to save it somewhere to have an ability to connect from another machine (client). Linux instruction can be found here for both GUI/no GUI installation.

13. I need a feature you don’t seem to provide. How can I inquire about upcoming improvements?

Just contact us and ask your question to see if the feature will be added soon or is already implemented.

14. Xeoma will work as long as my PC is on, won’t it? What about sleep mode/hibernation?

Sleep mode turns PC and processor off (while only state retains), so none of the programs can continue working. If you need stable non-stop surveillance, you should switch off the sleep mode option in Windows in: Control panel -> Power Options. You can also use our cloud service if you don’t want to have your PC running all the time.

15. How do I change the path to install Xeoma to?

You can do that in the Installation menu (run Xeoma, go to Main menu > Install > Install). Alternatively, you can edit autostart scripts manually (requires higher level of tech background). Or, if it’s required out of conspiracy reasons, you can change Xeoma’s name with our rebranding utility – this way the folder with Xeoma will also have another name.

16. How many monitors can I connect to view Xeoma?

Multiple monitors can be connected, in fact, as many as your computer allows for. Xeoma will work with all of them.

17. Can I re-use the license:
1) when I re-install my operating system on the same machine?
2) when I move the system to another machine?

If your situation requires frequent transfers of the license between several machines, please consider buying a hardware license instead.

18. I’d like to get notified to E-Mail if the server loses connection to a certain IP, is there a way to do it in Xeoma?

Sure, connect the ‘Problems Detector’ module to the chain. In its settings, you will need to specify the IP address you’d like to watch for connection. Connect “Email sending” module after “Problems detector” to receive notifications.

19. I’m trying to send e-mails over gmail but it doens’t work. When I press the Test button, it says “Invalid username/password” even though I’m sure they are correct.

Previously, occasional issues with GMAIL boxes used to be resolved with turning off blocking of “less secure apps”.
Starting from May, 30 2022, Google disabled password authorization for email sending from automated systems. Now you need to use a separate special ‘app password’ for that.
App passwords can only be used with accounts that have 2-step verification enabled. If you want to use a GMAIL email to get notifications from Xeoma, you must get a special Google’s ‘app password’ and use it in Xeoma instead of your email’s password. Read more on App Password and how to get it here

20. Motion Detector. Is it possible to configure the motion detector so that this is visible in the recording and not to view the entire archive, but only the fragments (in which motion is registered)?

Yes, this scenario is offered by default: the motion detector filters what is happening in the camera sight and sends it further down the chain, ultimately to record, if the “Preview and Archive” module is used only episodes with motion.

Alternatively, there is an option “Continuous operation to enable search in the archive” in the “Motion Detector”. As its name suggests, this setting allows to record the stream from the camera continuously, yet still do motion detection ‘in background’, which will result in having uninterrupted video footage on disk with the ability perform a special search process to watch only episodes with motion events. If this is what you need, you can search for motion episodes through Menu archive –> Search archive –> Search by motion, and then select the area of the frame to search for motion events in. If, on the contrary, you need to record only episodes with motion, then make sure that the “Continuous operation to enable search in the archive” option in the settings of the “Motion Detector” module is not checked. By the way, this will also save you disk space.

21. How can I prevent false detections in the “Motion Detector” module?

You can find detailed information on how to prevent false detections in this article and general information about the “Motion Detector” module and its settings here.

22. Motion Detector. The motion sensor is triggered by the movement of the timecode seconds on the camera screen. What do I do?

First, you should make sure that this area displaying the changing timecode is excluded from the detection zone.

If the timecode area is visually excluded from the detection zone, but triggering still occurs, it may be due to a difference in the streams used (if the checkbox for using the archive stream (high resolution) is not checked in the “Motion Detector” settings). Try excluding a larger area.

24. Motion Detector. What does the message “Does not trigger due to global motion” mean?

The “Does not trigger due to global motion” message means that 80+ % of the image is changing simultaneously, which is suspicious in most cases because such big changes are usually caused by external factors, not actual motion. It is possible that at this moment the camera is shaking (from wind or some other impact), rotating (using some PTZ function), etc. At such a moment, the motion detector stops working, as it presumes this is not a motion event.

25. What tools does Xeoma have for human detection?

Depending on which aspects of a human are important, there are several ways and modules in Xeoma to react specifically to people.

To detect people by figure/silhouette, you can use the “Object Recognizer” module (select people in its settings), the “Motion Detector” module (it has a checkbox for “People Recognition”), or the “Crowd Detector” (can react to a certain number of people in the frame – for example, to count passengers or people in a queue).

To “recognize” people, you need modules that work with faces – “Face Recognition” (recommended) or “FaceID” (for dual authentication in combination with access cards).

There are also various modules for counting visitors (“Visitor Counter”, “Cross-Line Detector”, “Restaurant Clients Counter”).

26. What is prerecord? Where can I find it?

Prerecord is a possibility to record archive some time before the actual event. This option can be found in “Preview and archive” module, by means of prerecord you can record 1 second or 5-30 mins before the actual event, for example, before there’s the event that “Motion detector” has detected.

27. I’ve noticed that if I use pre-recording in Motion Detector module, there is always a delay in preview. Is there a way to improve the situation?

Try Xeoma’s new version (starting from 15.6.26), we have fixed this issue there. For older versions, you can simply set pre-record time to 0 to eliminate those delays. Also, in the latest versions of Xeoma “pre-record” can be found in “Preview and archive” module’s settings.

28. What is post-record? Where can I find it?

Post-record is a possibility to record archive some time after the actual event.

This option can be found in “Motion detector” module, by means of post-record you can record 1 second, 1 hour (any specified time) after the actual event that “Motion detector” has detected.

Also, post-record is available in “ANPR” module. By means of post-record you can specify necessary time that module will use not to detect the last detected license plate, i.e. if a car is moving slowly in camera’s field of view and there’s 10 mins post-record set in “ANPR” module, then after recognition of this license plate it’ll not be detected (recorded into archive too many times) for 10 mins. But new license plates will be detected anyway.

By the way, post-record is available in other modules-filters (“Sound detector”, “Face recognition”, “QR-code recognition” etc.) and can be used to record archive some time after the actual event.

29. Would it be possible to set the detection zone in Motion Detector on a full screen rather than the small one that appears in the settings for that module?

The zone itself is not resizable but here’s a lifehack: you can try using bigger screen or a TV with Xeoma Client on it to make the detection zone bigger.

30. When movement is detected I find the visibility of the detection rectangle that appears to be brief and difficult to see; could there be a way to make these detections more obvious?

You can set “Turn on movement track visualization” option via Layouts menu (lower “windows” panel in the main window) – Visualization settings. It will display not just the rectangles but also green dots to demonstrate the path of the moving object. See more about visualization here

31. Is it possible to switch the camera to fullscreen mode when a detector in its chain triggers?

Yes, this is possible in Xeoma. In order for the Pop-up Window module on the client to open a window with the camera on which the detector triggered on your client device, you need to first configure the “Active cameras” tab.

You can also configure the display of cameras with events in enlarged view mode. Detailed instructions are here

32. I get Connection-to-server dialog when I run Xeoma. What is that? What should I type in there?

When you work on 1 computer without remote access, you don’t need to type anything. Xeoma will find and connect to the ‘local’ server by itself (learn more about the program’s architecture). If you use remote access feature, type in the IP address of the server you’d like to connect to, or Repeater address. More about remote access here.

33. When I connect via Client I receive this message “Ignore and connect to server anyway”. What does it mean?

If you connect to Xeoma and receive the following message “Ignore and connect to server anyway”, then you use different Client and Server (installed) versions. It might cause problems with Xeoma’s work, archive reviewing etc. We recommend using the same version of Client and Server. Xeoma’s version can be checked in the program’s header after connecting to the server (choose option “Ignore and connect to server anyway”). Older versions can be downloaded here.

34. Are there any restrictions on using the client?

There are no restrictions on using the client except your hardware requirements.

35. Are clients free?

Yes, all clients are free, only the servers require licenses.

36. Can I use different versions of Client and Server?

Yes, you can. But we do not recommend using different versions of Client and Server because there might be problems due to incompatibility. Information about Xeoma updating you can find here.

37. Can I watch cameras from different servers on one client?

Yes, a single client can connect to multiple servers at the same time and show all of their cameras.

38. How many clients can I use?

There are no software limitations on the number of clients.

39. Does Xeoma have push notifications for Android?

Yes. To get these push notifications in your Android client of Xeoma, you need to connect the “Window Popup” module into the chain in Xeoma’s server part on your server. When the camera is triggered, you’ll get these notifications in notification panel in your device. See more in article Mobile video surveillance with Xeoma free Android app.

40. I want to launch only the client’s side of Xeoma via a shortcut. How do I do that?

Access the shortcut’s properties and add [space] -client to the full path for the file.

41. How do I give someone access to certain cameras or limit actions they can perform?

Xeoma Administrator can create user profiles and assign access rights to cameras, menus or features of Xeoma via the Users menu. See details

42. I have several operators to monitor different sets of cameras. I created a separate profile for each with certain permissions. They use their passwords to connect. But how do I make Xeoma keep other settings like cameras order or window’s location on the screen, etc.?

You can do that by creating different shortcuts for each of them with the clientIndex parameter (see console commands).

43. Users. Can a user profile add or remove cameras?

Users other than Administrator cannot add or delete new cameras to Xeoma. These actions – along with control of user accounts – are believed to be too critical to the system functioning correctly to be given to anyone other than the Admonistrator.

44. What is rebranding? Can I create my own version of software, but with my name in it?

Rebranding of Xeoma is a possibility to create software completely as you need, i.e. you can change almost everything: logo, name, icons, module’s pics, contact information, design and add/remove particular options if needed. Such OEM versions are often used by reseller companies that sell Xeoma licenses and their own OEM software. You can download customization utility here.

45. Can your software ‘see’ video from a file storage/folder, not just a camera?

Yes, there are 2 variants:

1) You can use “File reading” module that allows streaming JPEG-pictures or MJPEG-video from a file storage/folder
2) If the storage is available via HTTP or RTSP, the link to the desired video can be specified in the settings of the “Universal camera” module. Read more

46. Is it possible to use Xeoma’s intelligence module on an already existing video, not a live camera stream?

Yes, there are several ways to do it:
1) You can select either the “File Reading” or “Screen Capture” module as the source, instead of Universal Camera regularly used for live camera streams. In its settings, specify the path to the file you need. This will emulate a live stream from a video, although the events in the video have already happened. After that you can work with it like you regularly do with usual chains: connect smart detectors, notifications, etc.
2) Connect a smart module you need into the chain after the File Reading or Screen Capture module, set it up. When required, connect destination modules of choice after the smart detector. This will function as a regular chain of modules.

47. Do you have API for integration?

Yes. In fact there are several API options in Xeoma, depending on the feature you need it for. There’s API for JSON or HTTP commands, for running Xeoma Pro Your Cloud, general Xeoma API available in most editions, and the possibility to run external scripts as well.

48. How do I make Xeoma show time on display?

Use our Marking module (please keep in mind that if you have many cameras, embedding marking can insignificantly slow down the performance).

49. How do I change name of cameras shown on preview? How do I change the font size?

50. I accidentally did something and Xeoma interface is enormously large now. How can I get back to a normal view?1) Go to Layouts menu on the lower panel and choose there Windows Settings, then scale interface back to 100%.
2) Close Xeoma. Go to XeomaClient folder (the path to it depends on your OS: Windows – C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\XeomaClient; Linux – /home/USERNAME/XeomaClient) and delete there a file called “user.cache”. After you open Xeoma again, it should be of a normal size.
You need to perform any of these scenarios if you’ve lessened Xeoma interface and now want to get back.

51. With what can I view .xem files in the archive?

The recommended way is to view Xeoma recordings straight in Xeoma interface with the help of its built-in media player. But if you need to watch the files outside Xeoma, you can use, for example, the VLC player (specify fps of the video in the command line so that it would look like “C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe” –mjpeg-fps=30 1077.xem where 1077.xem is your file’s name and “C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe” is the path to your VLC player). Moreover, with sufficient codecs other popular players can play the .xem files, too. But the easiest way is to export the needed extract in the desired format that your media player supports straight from the Xeoma’s built-in player.

52. I can not afford Xeoma license at the moment, I can’t purchase at the full price, what can I do?

We have a great opportunity – you can rent Xeoma licenses.

53. By removing the current version and installing a new one, will I lose the current settings?

It depends on the method of deleting Xeoma. If you want to keep your settings, you can uninstall Xeoma with settings saving via Main menu – Install – Uninstall (except for archive and settings). In this case licenses, settings and archive will be kept. If you’d like to uninstall Xeoma completely (archive, settings, licenses and other components), then you can choose Main menu – Install – Uninstall ALL
You can always create settings’ backup via Main menu – Install – Restore
More information about settings restore can be checked here

54. Can I create a backup server in case of a failure of the main server?

Xeoma does have an option for failover, but please note that each backup server will require its own set of licenses. You can find full instructions on creating a backup server here.

55. How can I fix time difference between timestamp on the photo that I receive on my email (using ‘Sending email’ module) when motion is detected and real time of my server? Time difference is 5 hours. Example: “Sources: Motion detected 2020-07-31 06:47:42”. I have Lite version.

Please check your server’s time zone and make sure it’s correct. You can do it via Main menu – Remote access – Users. But there’s no such menu in Lite, so you need to switch to the Trial version first via Main menu – Install – Switch to 4-hours Trial version. After you check (and change time zone if needed), you can get back to the Lite version via Main menu – Install – Switch to Lite version.

56. I cannot register at your forum, what’s wrong?

Please check that you use Confirmation code correctly: it should be entered in reverse order and dot should be used at the end, e.g. if Confirmation code is 1234, then you need to enter 4321. <- dot. You have only 1 attempt each day. If you still have problems, please contact us.

57. I need to detect people that walk in, but Xeoma detects people that are walking by. Too many false detections. How can I locate my camera to detect visitors with visitors counter module?

In order to avoid false detections, your camera should be located the way it doesn’t “see” unnecessary movement if somebody’s walking by. If you need to detect visitors who pass through the door and enter the premises, you can locate your camera above the door, and select necessary zone in “Visitors counter” module’s settings to detect movement in (mark it with the line).

Also, you can use Cross-line detector to detect direction of movement, this way you can detect people that walk in and out.

If you still have problems, please contact us.

58. License plate recognition module doesn’t work properly, what should I do?

Here are the ways to increase the successful recognition rate:
•Point the camera in the direction of vehicles, facing license plates at right angle;
•Fasten the camera to minimize wind interferences, vibrations, etc.;
•Place the camera so that a license plate would take most of the frame;
•Use proper lighting in the low-light circumstances (for example, an IR projector);
•Use long-focus objective;
•Set exposure to a minimum;
•Turn auto focus off.
•Use special HLC (High Light Compensation) cameras (often marked ‘For LPR/ANPR’).

If you still have problems, please contact us.

59. „Face recognition module” doesn’t detect faces. Camera simply doesn’t ‘see’ them. Any advise?

•You can place the camera as close as possible to the area where you need to detect faces in (preferably at right angle to the face)
•Place camera at right angle, face should occupy a large part of the frame
•Lighting should not be very dim or with a lot of flashes (you can use special HLC (High Light Compensation) cameras (often marked ‘For LPR/ANPR’))
• Use long-focus objective for a better view
•You can choose “Range of face recognition” in «Face recognition» module’s settings
•Also, there’s “Artificial intelligence” option available in «Face recognition» module’s settings that increase average recognition accuracy up to 90%. You can test this option in Trial version and purchase it as an additional module.

If you still have problems, please contact us.

60. I have a standard version of Xeoma, and a ONVIF compatible camera with PTZ. I don’t have the PTZ touring function, nor presets in the PTZ command. If I switch to the trial version with all modules enabled, it’s the same, no tour guard. Do you have any idea about this ?

PTZ tours and preset are available in the Pro version of Xeoma, and consequently in the Trial of Pro version.
Note that PTZ presets (“bookmarks”) and PTZ touring are supported in Xeoma starting from version 18.7.10 for the cameras that work through ONVIF.
If you’re using the latest Xeoma version, please make sure that you use the correct ONVIF PTZ search while searching for your camera via ‘+’ menu”

61. When I add my camera in Xeoma, its time zone and time switches to the incorrect one (it’s a Chinese camera). Could you please tell me how can I fix it in Xeoma?

This issue sometimes appears on Chinese cameras. Please try the following: “Layouts” menu (“squares” icon on the bottom panel in the main window) – ONVIF cameras time synchronization – Disable automatic time synchronization

62. I setup ‘Decoding only key frames’ in the ‘Universal camera’ module’s settings to reduce CPU load. This helps – reduces the load significantly, but only I’m not sure what effect it has on motion detection.

Usually, if you choose ‘Decode only key frames’ option in the ‘Universal camera’ module’s settings, then Xeoma will decode only important “key frames” once in half of a second (or even more often). So Xeoma will not waste time and resources on recovering the rest of the frames (it reduces CPU load). This way detectors might receive fewer frames and there might be fewer attempts in search by motion.

But in general, Xeoma already detects movements no more than three times per second. Therefore, decoding only key frames option shouldn’t affect the quality of detection.

63. The “Decode only keyframes” option is not working properly. Sometimes it appears and then disappears when the camera’s are changed.

Note that this “Decode only keyframes” option works only with H.264 preview URL (1st URL in “Universal camera” module’s settings). This option will not be applied if the preview URL is in H.265 (hevc), H.264+, H.265+, MJPEG or MPEG-4 format.

64. I can’t run an application on Windows using the “Application Runner” module, the server is installed on Linux, what should I do?

Most of the modules work on the server side, so if you have it running under Linux, then the “Application Runner” module will only be able to run applications that are installed on the server, i.e. in this case under Linux. In other words, it is only possible to run the application on the server side.

65. Trying to use “Application runner”, but necessary application is not launched. I use Windows. What is the problem?

If you use Windows and Xeoma is installed to autostart, then “Application runner” will launch necessary apps in foreground, so visually you’ll not see them. The reason is when you install Xeoma to autostart, it works under ‘system’ user, and apps/scripts will be launched under ‘system’ user (not the one that you’re using at the moment). You can check all working processes in task manager.

66. Can’t run Xeoma on my Mac

If you can’t run Xeoma on MacOS, there may be two reasons for that: the program is blocked by antivirus software or your system does not allow you to install third party software. Read more about how to fix this problem here.

67. I’m using image rotate module in Xeoma Standard version. Image is correctly flipped on the OSX Xeoma, but not in the iOS Xeoma app and web browser (“Web server” module). Any idea hot to fix it?

This behavior is connected with decoding processes.
For the web part if you use “WebRTC” in “Web server” module’s settings please turn on “Transcoding on Xeoma side for WebRTC broadcasting”.

And for iOS client, please open Xeoma Client on your Server/PC – go to Main menu – Remote access – Users – turn off Forced video decoding on the client (for all users)

68. How do I reduce processor load on a machine with Xeoma?

See the ‘Reducing CPU load: full guide’ article

69. We have 10 cameras each of them having a Problems Detector module. When this module is set to react to, say, RAM running out, does it do this for the server machine? We’re having lots of identical notifications at once, what might be wrong?

Yes, the system health notifications are only possible about the server machine. You just need to select and set system health notifications in one of the Problems Detectors on your server; otherwise you will be getting duplicated reports from all of the server’s cameras that have Problem Detectors set to monitor system health issues (RAM, drive space, CPU load, etc). While camera individual issues (like tampering, defacement), on the contrary, should be set in each camera Problems Detectors separately.

70. How do I configure a multi-monitor view in Xeoma?

In Xeoma, you can connect multiple monitors to view the cameras on them. This feature is especially useful for security guards and operators monitoring a large number of cameras. You can also configure the monitors so that when a camera’s module triggers, it opens on a separate monitor in enlarged format.

You can find more detailed instructions on setting up multi-monitor mode in our article.
But in short, to do this, launch two Xeoma clients and distribute them across the monitors. Leave one client on one monitor displaying all cameras, and attach a client to the other screen where you configure the “Active cameras” tab. You can switch the tab to active camera status in the “Layouts” menu -> “Manage layouts” -> “Larger grid mode” -> “Show only active cameras”.
The number of cameras that can be displayed simultaneously in this window is unlimited. Cameras are added within seconds after a triggering event and remain on the tab for 5 seconds after the event ends by default (the time can be increased in “Layouts” -> “Manage layouts” -> “Larger grid mode” -> “Display time of active cameras”).

There’s also a “Window Pop-up” destination module that can make a client pop up, for example, on a separate monitor upon an event.

71. I’m using Web Server. How can I check which users are currently connected or were connected previously?

Xeoma keeps all of its logs in the Log folder located in Xeoma’s main directory. You can monitor all of web Server’s activity in the separate logs located in the WebServerLog subdirectory. Note that the same logs also show the activity produced by HTTP Switcher and HTTP Marking.

72. Can I conduct surveillance with only 1 computer like on the scheme IP cam > Internet > Computer using your software?

Yes, you can use cloud service for that. But if you don’t need saving footage when the computer is off, you can view the camera remotely without cloud service. In this case you need to set up port forwarding to your IP cam from the router and so you can connect to the IP cam same as to a router from away. To test Xeoma Cloud, please request a free trial.

73. How to transfer all Xeoma settings from one PC to another?

To transfer Xeoma video surveillance system with all settings from one server to another follow these instructions.

74. How can I lower network bandwidth required when Xeoma client connects to Xeoma server to view cameras?

Here are the ways to reduce traffic consumption between server and client:

75. Is it possible to use network names in Xeoma? Or do I need to use IP addresses only?

You can use both IP addresses and network names in Xeoma. For instance, you can use dynDNS address of the camera to search for it via “+” menu – Search by IP/password.
And for archive recording you can specify network name in the “Preview and archive” module’s settings.

Also, you can use Xeoma’s own discs mounting. More here.

76. Is there a way to have PTZ on an android device?

Yes, in the Xeoma app for Android you can use the PTZ camera control feature. For your convenience, use the touch screen to change the camera view angle. Please note that PTZ control feature is available on all supported by Xeoma devices and platforms. You can learn more about all the features of the application in our article.

77. We’re using the Sound Alarm module. Can we have a different sound on the client side?

The Sound Alarm lets you select a custom sound file to play it on the server side. For the client side (Xeoma Pro license needed) you can only select from 2 default sounds. If you need another sound, there are “Application Runner” and “HTTP Request Sender” modules that can launch a custom script of your which can be for running a specific audio file on the client side, or launching a VoIP call, etc. For large projects, you can contact us to discuss custom development for you (including new sound types)

75. Live Streaming to YouTube. Is there a way to automatically restart a YouTube live stream, either on a schedule or immediately after it disconnects?

Ideally, we recommend investigating and resolving the cause of the interruptions – then you won’t need to worry about restarts.

However, if you need a quick fix, you can use the API of Xeoma to toggle the ‘Live Streaming to YouTube’ module on and off via HTTP requests – this effectively restarts the stream. Please note that you need at least one Xeoma Pro license on the server to access the API.

76. Is it possible to set up “sleep mode” for cameras when no recording is done and no one is viewing them? At night recording is disabled but Xeoma still loads the network to receive data.

Yes, it’s possible to achieve that in case Universal Camera module is directly connected to the Scheduler module – then you can check Allow auto stop when idle box in the Universal Camera.
An activity in Xeoma is any action with a camera, for example, viewing by a client or operating with a video stream by any of the modules. The option ‘Allow auto stop when idle’ can be relevant when you have the “Universal Camera -> Preview” chain in your camera. If no one is watching the camera, then it is inactive, but still puts a load on the network. In this case, this permission will disable the camera to save the traffic.
Attention, no Problems detector module should be connected to a camera in this case.
The correct scheme would look like: Universal camera – Scheduler – Motion detector – Preview and archive.

77. My server is Linux. Can I connect to it from a Mac?

See the REMOTE ACCESS section

78. How can I learn what features used to be available, for example, for a Xeoma Standard edition in an older version of Xeoma?

1) Download the version you need here: https://felenasoft.com/xeoma/en/changes/
2) Rename the file by adding this in the middle: _trial_standard; example: xeoma_win64.exe -> xeoma_trial_standard_win64.exe
3) Run this file and scroll through the list of modules here – all modules that are not greyed out are available to you. See lifehacks for other editions
For new versions of Xeoma you can find this information on our website.

79. We need to automatically switch the camera live views in the interface where operators have the rights to review cameras only. Is there some kind of an interface or API where we could switch these views from our system? Also, is there a possibility to deactivate some streams with the above mentioned scenes because of bandwidth limitations.

You can switch between cameras automatically, in order to do that you need to create different pages via Layouts menu (“squares” icon in the bottom panel) – Manage Layouts – Layout 1×1 – Automatic scrolling

More about Layouts here.

As for the deactivating of cameras, in Xeoma if a camera is not being reviewed at the moment and there are no detectors analyzing the image (e.g. “Motion detector”, ANPR, Face detector etc.), then this camera will be turned off automatically. Or you can do it manually using API.

80. I’m exploring the use of arm based devices for simple ‘ai’ based detections. Can it use the npu part of these types of hardware?

Unfortunately, at the moment, Xeoma does not use NPU when running on ARM devices. The main reason for that is that NPUs do not provide any video decoding options, which is the primary performance concern when it comes to processing video from cameras. We do have plans to add NPU acceleration for AI-based analytics for x64, but this needs to be studied further before we can make any commitments.
At present, there are no such plans for ARM, though this may change in the future.

However, the current version of Xeoma can utilize hardware acceleration of video decoding for ARM devices. This allows you to get more performance out of the device’s CPU.

REMOTE ACCESS

1. What is remote access in Xeoma?

Remote access (or remote connection) is connecting the Xeoma Client to the Xeoma Server (or to an Xeoma Cloud account) whenever they are on different devices and/or machines, including virtual machines. Physical distance is irrelevant. You can read more about the Xeoma client-server architecture here, and about remote access here.

2. How do I start a remote connection in Xeoma?

In short, you need to enter the server-side details (address and password) into the client-side application. A more detailed guide depends on the connection scenario – for example, whether both sides are on the same local network or are remote. See our infographic outlining the different remote access options here.

3. Can I view my cameras with mobile devices?

You can view cameras connected to Xeoma using Xeoma’s free mobile applications (for Android and iOS devices). If your smart phone is running another operating system, you can use a web browser. Read more on the topic in this instruction.

4. What are my options if I want to use remote control?

First of all, Xeoma offers severals media of remote control, a ‘client-to-server’ type being the primary and the advised one, so we’ll be talking about this one here. For other options, you can check Xeoma’s User Manual, section Remote Access.
Next, it’s important to establish whether you will be connecting from within the same ‘local’ network, or from outside of it.
In the former case, you don’t need anything extra, except for using a Xeoma edition that supports remote access. Read more about it in our User Manual, section “Client-to-server remote access. 1. Connection within the same network”

In the latter case, you’d need either of these 3 things: 1) ‘public’ IP address for your Xeoma, or 2) try Xeoma’s P2P connection, or 3) a substitute of the public IP address – one of which is a paid service called Repeater. Read more about options for remote connection in our User Manual, section “Client-to-server remote access. 2. Connection from another network”

5. What option for remote access do I need to use?

Please take a look at our comparison of remote access options with Xeoma.

6. Does remote access require a static IP address for your computer? How do I know if I have one?

As always, Xeoma offers several options in regards to remote access as well, which may or may not include having a public IP address.
However, if you’re using the connection method that requires to have a static IP address, you only need this public IP address on the server computer (the one that you’re connecting to). If your server doesn’t have a static external IP address, you can try the free P2P connection (available in 90% of cases), or you can purchase a subscription to the Repeater service or use a third-party dynamic DNS (dynDNS) service.

How do you know if you have a static IP address? You’d likely know it, as most internet service providers charge extra for this service. Please contact your ISP to inquire if you have a public address.

7. I want to view my Xeoma remotely. My computer with Xeoma has a static IP address. What else do I need?

If you’re connecting remotely from a different network using a public IP address, you’ll also need to forward the port used for access on your router. By default, this is 8090 for viewing through the Xeoma client, and 10090 if you’re using the “Web Server” module in Xeoma to view through a web browser. Please note: if you’ve changed these ports in Xeoma’s settings previously, make sure to forward the new ones instead. You can find instructions on how to forward ports based on your router model at portforward.com. We also recommend installing Xeoma (or running the -showpassword command in the console) to open the port.

8. How can my clients monitor cameras remotely?

They can either use Xeoma’s client (either a mobile app for Android and iOS, or desktop software for Linux, MacOSX, Windows) – or the web interface to connect via a browser. You can find more information about remote access here.

8. My server is Linux. Can I connect to it from a Mac?

Yes. The program is cross-platform. Your server can be installed (or just run, without installation) on any of the supported OSes, say, Debian, and you can connect to it remotely from another machine with any of the supported OSs, from a Mac with Mac OSX. You just need to have the right Xeoma file for the operating system it is launched on.

9. I get Connection-to-server dialog when I run Xeoma. What is that? What should I type in there?

When you work on 1 computer without remote access, you don’t need to type anything. Xeoma will find and connect to the ‘local’ server by itself (learn more about the program’s architecture). Just click OK without inputting anything, or wait until Xeoma stops showing it in a couple of seconds.

If, however, you do use remote access feature, type in the IP address of the server you’d like to connect to, or its P2P or Repeater address. More about remote access here.

10. How can I change the remote access password or even can I do this?

Yes, you can. To change the default (administrator’s) password please go Main menu -> Remote access-> Users. There you can change the administrator password which is equal to remote access password. Please write down and save your changed password.

11. How do I change port when connecting to a remote server?

You don’t need to change the port here unless it has been changed on the server part’s side previously.
For remote access from outside of the local network, if the server computer doesn’t have a static IP address, what you need to do is set port forwarding (use portforward.com for instructions or – easier and more conveniently – try Xeoma’s P2P option or get a Repeater subscription and don’t worry about port forwarding!).
But, if Xeoma’s usual port (8090) is taken when you launch the server part, you should use the -serverport command to set a new one. See instruction here
You can also use the serverport command if you want to change Xeoma’s default remote connection part for other reasons.
If Xeoma is not installed, launch it with this command followed by port you need. If Xeoma is installed, go to the autostart script and change serverport there. For example, in Windows: go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\XeomaCoreService in registry and change there
C:\Program Files\Xeoma\xeoma.exe -service -startdelay 10 -serverport 10099. For Linux, see here where autostart script is

11. Can I conduct surveillance with only 1 computer like on the scheme IP cam > Internet > Computer using your software?

Yes, that’s the default way of working with Xeoma. Download and install Xeoma to your computer, connect the camera, set up features you’d like to use – and there you have it. The camera processing (including recording. notifications, and what ever you set it up to do for you) will be conducted on your computer – but the computer needs to be running all the time that you want Xeoma to do its job. You can use Xeoma’s mobile app for remote view if you need that – but that’s not a necessary condition for work.

If, on the contrary, you’d only like to have a computer or a smart phone to view the results of camera processing, not having to have a computer running all the time, then you can use our cloud service for that. Here’s a guide on how to do that. To test Xeoma Cloud, please request a free trial.

12. I use connection to server from remote client via Repeater service. While video is ok, sound gets intermittent. What may be the problem?

The most probable reason for intermittent sound is the Internet connection speed. We recommend to check the bandwidth. Perhaps, several clients connect to the server at the same time and drain all of the bandwidth.

13. If I bring up the client on a PC at my office and try to connect to my server at home (which I can address directly via a VPN between my home and office) it doesn’t connect.

Xeoma does support VPN connection. If it’s set up all right, it’ll be perceived by Xeoma as if it was in the local network (aka a ‘home’ network) with your office PC.
You must be using Xeoma in free mode. Server in the free mode doesn’t accept remote connections. Any edition of Xeoma (including the free edition) can be used as a client that connects to a remote server, but the server part must be either in a Trial (not to be confused with the Free edition) or a commercial mode. Please switch to the Trial mode to test remote connection feature, or purchase a license.

14. Xeoma is running in fedora 18. When I run xeoma -core, I cannot connect remotely from the client. What should I do?

Please run -showpassword in a command line of Xeoma to see a remote access password (you need it to connect remotely) and it will enable remove access automatically. Then start Xeoma again and it will accept connections from any IP. If you install Xeoma, remote access will be enabled automatically.

15. I see you have this Export feature to download a piece of video from the archive. Can I download it when connected with a remote client?

Yes, exported videos get stored on the client side. You can choose the storage folder in the Export dialog.

16. Does Xeoma have push notifications for Android?

Yes. To get push notifications in your Android or iOS app by Xeoma, you need to have the “Mobile notifications” module in your camera chain in Xeoma’s server part on your server machine. When the camera is triggered, you’ll get push notifications in the notification panel of your device. See more in the ‘Mobile notifications in Xeoma’ article .

17. I want to launch only the client’s side of Xeoma via a shortcut. How do I do that?

The recommended way for this would be Xeoma’s installation process where you can select either to have Xeoma’s client or server parts running all the time or to launch them manually – with the later creating a shortcut on your desktop. Read more about that in Xeoma’s User Manual, section 4.2 Installation.
As an alternative workaround, you can create a shortcut for Xeoma’s executable file, then access the shortcut’s properties and add [space] -client to the full path for the file.

LINUX

1. Can I install Xeoma on Ubuntu headless server or do I need desktop interface?

2. What are the commands to control Xeoma via Terminal (on OSes without graphical shell)?

Please read our Xeoma on Linux guide and list of available commands.

3. My server is Linux. Can I connect to it from a Mac?

4. Linux. How do I run application from the archive (xeoma.app) or isn’t that an application at all? Is there any requirements for Linux hardware?

Xeoma supports the following distributions of Linux so far: openSUSE, Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS and other, full list can be found here. To install or run Xeoma on Linux please make sure you are uncompressing xeoma_linux.tgz archive on Linux machine. Otherwise, it is required to execute: chmod a+x xeoma.app and then you can run Xeoma as usual: ./xeoma.app.
Please read our Xeoma on Linux guide.

5. How do I change port when connecting to a remote server?

6. Xeoma is running in fedora 18. When I run xeoma -core, I cannot connect remotely from the client. What should I do?

7. I have Xeoma server on my Linux without GUI. How do I get to know the server part’s version?

When you connect to the server part from a client you will see version of server and version of client in the title of Xeoma window. If your server part is not installed to autostart, you get the info in Terminal when you launch Xeoma.

8. How do I download previous Xeoma version on my Linux server without GUI?

See our ‘Xeoma on Linux’ guide that also has instructions for headless Linuxes.

9. I am running Xeoma on an Odroid XU4 with Ubuntu Mate 20.04. Installed a VNC server for remote access, but the Xeoma app will not start over the VNC session. Any ideas how to fix this

Are you using TightVNC? Its settings do not allow to start Xeoma Client.

The easiest way to resolve this issue is to install RealVNC version:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install realvnc-vnc-server realvnc-vnc-viewer

then:
sudo raspi-config

Then select Interfacing Options and enable VNC. This way the client should start correctly.

10. I don’t have sound on Linux. What is the reason?

When Xeoma is installed to autostart on a Linux system, it runs under “root” user. By default, “root” does not have access to audio, that is why you can’t get it to play back your own files.
You can either run Xeoma under a normal user (without installing to autostart) or use a workaround to provide sound for “root”. Read the instruction on how to do it by the link: https://www.computernetworkingnotes.com/linux-tutorials/enable-sound-service-for-root-user-in-ubuntu-linux.html

Please feel free to contact us if you need assistance regarding Xeoma!

11. I’m trying to activate my license but I keep receiving “Can’t store activation file” error. What should I do?

Can’t store activation file – this error is most frequently encountered in Linux machines and is usually connected with the system access right for file writing. First of all try to run activation of your licenses through Terminal or command line like this

{path to xeoma.app} -activateOnline SERIAL1,SERIAL2IFANY,SERIAL3IFANY (or, if you want to use semicolons as separators, -activateOnline ‘SERIAL1;SERIAL2IFANY;SERIAL3IFANY’)

If it doesn’t help activate your license, please run chmod 777 for xeoma.app (give rights to write files).

See more information about error messages in Xeoma here

12. How do I launch Xeoma Clients on several monitors on Linux?

You can check information in this instruction.

13. How can I launch xeoma.app automatically? I use Intel device + Linux OS, but I can not install Xeoma as a service that since the Linux OS there is crippled, and I can not install via systemctl. Currently, I run Xeoma manually. What should I do?

The default way to have Xeoma auto start is Xeoma’s own installation process.
However, if that’s not feasible under some circumstances, the alternative way would be to launch Xeoma server using crontab (script)
In order to do that you can use the following command in the Terminal:

sudo crontab -e

Then you’ll see the window where you should specify this (in the end of the line):

@reboot /home/a/Desktop/xeoma_linux64/xeoma.app -core

This way Xeoma will be launched each time upon the start of your device.

XEOMA CLOUD

1. What is Xeoma Cloud?

Xeoma Cloud is a cloud-based video surveillance service. Unlike the computer program version of Xeoma, with Xeoma Cloud you only need a camera – you don’t need your own server hardware (computer), as all processing, including video analytics and recording, takes place on the Xeoma Cloud side. Xeoma Cloud is sold as a monthly subscription, making it a very affordable service to get started with. You can find more details about Xeoma Cloud on the product page.

2. How do I choose the right Xeoma Cloud subscription plan?

Unlike other cloud video surveillance services, Xeoma Cloud allows you to use video streams from cameras of any resolution.

Because of this, while other services are chosen strictly based on how many days you want to use the service and store recordings, when choosing an Xeoma Cloud plan, it’s very important to also provide information about your camera and its specifications. Enter the details into the plan calculator on the purchase page, and you’ll see a suitable plan displayed in the results cell. It will also recommend which parameters to adjust to find a neighboring, more affordable plan.

3. What features are available in Xeoma Cloud? Does it include intrusion detection, recording, and notifications?

By default, every Xeoma Cloud account includes a basic set of features: simple video analytics (motion detection, day/night detection, sound detection, people counting), recording, and sending notifications. You can view the full list here.

However, a key advantage of Xeoma Cloud is that we also offer custom cloud video surveillance with the ability to connect “advanced” analytics (zone masking, smoke detection, abandoned object detection, basic facial and license plate recognition) and even professional AI-powered features (like eye tracking, gathering emotion, gender, and age information for people in the frame, advanced facial and license plate recognition, object detection, and much more). Contact us to learn pricing for connecting specific modules.

4. How can I test Cloud before purchasing?

You can request test account here.

5. For how long will my Xeoma Cloud account be valid?

You settings will be valid as long as your Xeoma Cloud subscription lasts. If the subscription time runs out, your account will still be retrievable for a few days for you to have time to buy a new subscription. However, don’t be long – surely, your settings will be gone if you come back in a month’ time. A good way to avoid the expiration situation is the “Automatic subscription renewal” available for PayPal payments.

6. Do I need to install software if I use Xeoma Cloud?

Most of those who use Xeoma Cloud only use Xeoma software or apps as a viewing client. Xeoma Cloud is our remote Cloud Server, so you can easily connect to it using Xeoma Client (desktop software can be used without installation but an app should be installed). Besides, there’s a browser interface available for Xeoma Cloud users – however, with limited functionality as compared to desktop software or an app.

Read more in the ‘HOW TO CONNECT TO XEOMA CLOUD‘ section

7. Can I review my Cloud via smart phone/browser?

Yes, you can use smart phone, tablet, laptop, PC or any other device to review your Cloud account. You can use Xeoma Client or check cameras in browser.

Read more in the ‘HOW TO CONNECT TO XEOMA CLOUD‘ section

8. Do I need static ip to connect my cameras to Xeoma Cloud?

While having a ‘public’ IP address is the preferred, easiest and recommended way, there are some more ways to connect your cameras without static ip address. See them in the ‘Connection of cameras to Xeoma Cloud’ article

9. Do I need to pay extra for keeping the archive in cloud or downloading footage from it?

No, each subscription allows using particular disc space (1 Gb, 5 Gb etc.) for recordings storage, as well as unlimited exporting from that archive, that you can use as long as your subscription lasts. There are no extra charges for that. However, please keep in mind that keeping your recordings for the desired period of time would require more disk space than allocated with your subscription, you might need to upgrade to the next level of subscription plan – or reduce the time before overwriting.

10. Where can I check my subscription days in Xeoma Cloud?

You can check remaining subscription days via Main menu -> Information -> About in Xeoma Cloud.

11. Do I have to pay for Xeoma Cloud to connect to my camera through your application on Android?

It depends on whether you will be using Xeoma Cloud service – or just Xeoma software/app.
If you are using the app to connect to Xeoma on your own server – no, Xeoma Cloud is not necessary to access your cameras in Xeoma on your computer.
If you are using the app to connect to cloud.xeoma.com – yes, you will require a subscription to Xeoma Cloud in order to keep accessing the cameras. Read more about Xeoma Cloud in this article.

12. Can’t connect my ip camera to my Cloud account. What’s wrong?

An IP camera must have a ‘public’ IP address to connect to Xeoma Cloud. What IP address does your camera have? If it’s a static IP address, then please make sure that camera’s working using its ip address in browser (also you might need to turn off firewall). If camera’s ip address is 192.168.X.X, then it’s a local ip address and it can not be used to connect your camera straight to Xeoma Cloud (our remote Server). Please check there options that allow connecting cameras without static (public) ip address.

Also see: Xeoma Cloud questions: connection, work with cameras, subscriptions

13. I have a static picture with multiple cameras on screen and a normal moving picture with only 1 camera on screen. Why is that?

Please check preview URL (1st URL/stream in “Universal camera” module’s settings) for the cameras that have static image. It looks like preview URLs for those cameras have higher parameters (resolution, bit rate etc.) than it’s allowed. Xeoma Cloud allows using preview URLs in H.264/Н.265 format with parameters not higher than:
– resolution 320×240
– bit rate 150 Kbit/sec
You can use MJPEG-URLs, they don’t have limitations.

14. My export speed is really low, can I make it faster?

The download speed of recordings is not limited by Xeoma Cloud and does not depend on the tier of your subscriptions.
You need to check your Internet connection – most probably it is to blame for the low speed. Try a WiFi connection instead of mobile Internet, etc.

15. I have static ip address and I connected my cameras to Cloud, but image from camera is blinking and changing to the image of my 2nd camera. What is wrong here?

It looks like your cameras are using the same port – which they shouldn’t. Please forward different ports, i.e. each camera should have its own port (e.g. camera 1 will have IP_ADDRESS:554 and camera 2 – IP_ADDRESS:555).

16. I got the nvr stream working with VLC but not working with your Xeoma Cloud. There is microscopic message on the bottom screen video limitation etc. and of course the big one no connection. What is it and what should I do?

We strive to make all Xeoma warnings and errors informative. This is one of the cases where the message contains the reason and solution to the issue.

Looks like your Preview URL is too big. Please remember the Xeoma Cloud’s condition for H264/H265 preview URL:
– Preview stream with 320×240 256kbit or less.

Please check if that is the case, and in case of necessity please set lower parameters for the stream you use in Xeoma for live view – or switch to an MJPEG stream.

17. I have a camera Hikvision DS-2CD2145FWD-I that is connected to a Teltonika RUT-240 router that goes online via SIM-card (without PC). How can I connect it to Xeoma Cloud?

In order to connect your camera to Xeoma Cloud (remote Cloud server), your camera should be ‘seen’ from the Internet, which usually means it must have a unique ‘public’ IP address. Since in many cases mobile networks do not provide static (public) ip addresses, it’ll not be possible to connect the camera to Xeoma Cloud directly.

But you can connect it via openVPN. We’ve checked your router and it allows openVPN connection. So you can create VPN-client in the router and connect your camera to Xeoma Cloud. Here’s the instruction.
Please contact us if you need help with that.

XEOMA PRO YOUR CLOUD

1. What is Xeoma Pro Your Cloud? How does it differ from Xeoma Pro and Xeoma Cloud?

Xeoma Pro Your Cloud is a special operating mode for the Xeoma Pro edition, allowing you to deploy your own video surveillance service that you can offer to subscribers for a fee. Xeoma Pro Your Cloud runs on Xeoma Pro licenses and largely mirrors the principles of the “desktop” Xeoma: it runs on your hardware, licenses are perpetual, and it supports the same devices and operating systems. Learn more here

Our cloud service, Xeoma Cloud, is an example of what Xeoma Pro Your Cloud can look and function like to an outside observer, as Xeoma Cloud is also a server running in Xeoma Pro Your Cloud mode.

You can find a detailed comparison here

2. How do I launch Xeoma Pro Your Cloud mode?

See the step-by-step instructions for Xeoma Pro Your Cloud here. In short: download Xeoma for your operating system. Run the executable file with a special key through the console, or simply launch Xeoma as usual and switch to the mode through the interface: Main Menu -> Install -> Install Cloud Server to autostart. Then activate your licenses, set your pricing, and configure billing.

3. Which editions can be combined with Xeoma Pro Your Cloud? Can I launch Xeoma Pro Your Cloud, for example, on Standard licenses?

Xeoma Pro Your Cloud mode only works with Xeoma Pro licenses and licenses for Additional Modules. While Xeoma Pro and Xeoma Standard licenses can be combined and used within a single server in “normal” use, Xeoma Pro Your Cloud is an exception: this mode does not work with any editions other than Xeoma Pro.

4. I’m trying to add camera to the user’s account but I’m receiving a message that I need more licenses/subscriptions. What is wrong?

Next, please see the SourceLimit parameter in configuration files first for this user – and then for all users – to check how many camera limits are assigned to the user profile you’re having issues with and how many are already ‘taken’ by other users. If the limit is already ‘taken’ by other users you need to either re-distribute the limit between existing users, or add more licenses to expand the limit and have some limit for the new user.

Please note that the Xeoma Pro Your Cloud Administrator profile cannot have cameras in their profile because this profile is just for management.

5. Created a user but can’t log in, why?

Please check that you’re using correct login. Login is created according to the email that you indicated when you created the user. Email address’ symbols (@, – etc.) should be transformed into underscore “_” , e.g. test-user@test.com should be transformed into this login: test_user_test_com

Another frequent mistake is when an already existing user profile is re-purposed to assign it to another user. It’s better to remove users that you no longer have and create new profiles for new users.
If you take an existing user profile and replace its credentials, only the password will change but the initial username/login will stay, unless you manually rename their config files in folder.

See Guide to working with your own cloud video surveillance service Xeoma Pro Your Cloud

6. Why can’t I add more cameras?

7. All Users’ settings got reset. What is wrong here? (License got lost. What should I do?)

The first thing to check if your Xeoma Pro license is still valid and you do in fact have as many camera limits at your disposal as you think you should – especially when you are using trial licenses or if you have recently updated Xeoma to a newer version. If your Xeoma Pro Your Cloud log says you have 0 licenses, it means either your Trial license ended, or you have updated your Xeoma to a version that your perpetual licenses no longer support and so you need to roll back.

8. How can I move my Cloud to another Server?

Find detailed instruction here

9. How can I create integration with billing system?

You can use special scripts for integration with billing. See the ‘Integration with billing’ section in Xeoma Pro Your Cloud guide.

10. Where can I check information about my licenses in Xeoma Pro Your Cloud?

You can check licenses in adminUser.config file in the line ActivationKeys=LICENSES or via Administrator’s web page in the field “Activation parameters”.

11. Do you have API for integration?

12. How do I move users from one server to another?

If you’d like to move created users and their archive recordings to the new server, you need to do the following:

1. Activate Xeoma Pro licenses on the new server
2. Stop Xeoma on the new server
3. Move users’ .config files from the old server to the folder with configs on the new server
4. Move all folders from the data folder (from the old server) to the data folder on the new server
5. Launch Xeoma on the new serer and make sure everything is working fine

REBRANDING

1. What is rebranding in Xeoma?

Rebranding is the ability to customize Xeoma by changing its name, logo, icons, links, colors, available modules, menus, and windows.

There are typically two goals for rebranding:
1) to integrate Xeoma seamlessly into your existing infrastructure and make it your product, and
2) to create specialized versions tailored to specific needs – like a version for medical facilities or a particular branch of your company.

You can find more details about rebranding here.

2. Is Xeoma’s rebranding free?

Yes, Xeoma rebranding is free if you do it yourself using our rebranding utility. Read more here

However, if you’d prefer we handle the customization for you, we offer a paid rebranding service. Some additional services may also incur a fee. You can find the terms for paid rebranding here.

3. How does rebranding work in Xeoma?

You can find the instructions here
In short: download the rebranding utility from our website, extract it to a Windows machine, edit the text file to your specifications, place your logo, icons, and/or other resources in the designated folder, and add the Xeoma distributive for the operating system it will run on. Launch the utility and wait a few seconds. Then, you can use the customized Xeoma!

4. I want to change program’s name. How can I do that? Will my name be changed in everywhere in the program?

First of all, Xeoma offers a free rebranding and customization tool that allows to perform some changes in Xeoma, including changing of its name. And yes, when you change program’s name with Xeoma’s rebranding tool, it’ll be changed everywhere in the software. Here’s more about the rebranding tool and how to use it.

Here’s the line oem_info.xml file that you’d need to use to change the name:
<ProductName>Your Program Name</ProductName> where «Your Program Name» should be changed to your name. This name will be used instead of «Xeoma» everywhere in customized version.

5. How can I change program’s icon?

You can put the necessary icon into the «icon» folder that contains different variants of icons in different formats and sizes for different OSes. You need to name your icon file icon. For Linux you need to use .png (144х144), for Windows – .ico (128х128), for Mac OSX – .icns (128х128).

6. How do I use customization utility? Do you have a text or video guide?

Detailed text instruction can be found here

As for the video instruction, it can be checked here.

7. How can I change Xeoma’s name that is shown in task manager?

You can change service name in oem_info.xml by means of the following line:
<ApplicationServiceName>CoreServiceNameHere</ApplicationServiceName>

Detailed instruction on how to use the rebranding tool can be found here

8. What is splash screen? How can I do it using customization?

Splash screen – is the image that is shown during program’s start. You can put the image 400х300 in .jpg format into custom folder. And change in oem_info.xml file the following line: <ShowSplashScreen>false</ShowSplashScreen>, change false to true.

Detailed instruction on how to use the rebranding tool can be found here

9. I want customized version to start in fullscreen, can I do that?

Yes, of course. You need to change the following line in oem_info.xml file:
<AlwaysFullscreen>false</AlwaysFullscreen>, change false to true.

10. How do I change modules’ images and icons in the bottom panel?

Icons can be put into custom folder. Icons in the bottom panel shold be “double”, first position – usual view, second – when the icon is ‘clicked’. For the bottom panel’s icons images should be in .jpg format and 26×26 size, and for modules’ ‘single’ image should be used in .jpg format and 70х70 size. All names, sizes and formats of the images can be checked in skin.xml file.
E.g.:
«+» button in the bottom panel should be in 26х26 size and named “26x26_add.png ”.
<Add>26x26_add.png</Add>
And so on.

11. I noticed you also offer paid rebranding. Will I end up being charged even if I do the rebranding myself for free?

We don’t operate that way. All our services are purchased with upfront payment. So you can rest assured: if you receive something without paying, it’s free.

You can do the rebranding yourself for free. If you wish to order any of the specialized services listed here, you first need to contact us to purchase them. It’s that simple. No hidden fees. If you have any doubts, you can always reach out to our support team for a consultation.

12. All versions changed except Xeoma for Android, why?

Please check if there are Cyrillic letters or other special characters in the product/software name. For Android we recommend using English transliteration.
Also, if there are problems with Java on your computer, we recommend installing latest version (you can find it in the Internet).

13. How can I remove particular lines from the menu?

All necessary lines from Main menu can be removed using oem_info.xml file. For example, you can change in the line <MainMenuIstallItemEnabled>true</MainMenuIstallItemEnabled> true to
false, then line «Install» will be removed from the Main menu.

14. How can I add contact information to the customized version?

You can add necessary information using oem_info.xml file:
<WebsiteURL>http://your_website.com/</WebsiteURL> – you can add website address
<CompanyAddress> Address line 1 \n Address line 2 \n Address line 3 </CompanyAddress> – company address
<CompanyName>Your company name</CompanyName> – company name

And other parameters.

15. How can I update customized version?

You need to change the following lines in oem_info.xml file:

<NewVersionChangesURL>http://your_website_app_changes_history_page.com/</NewVersionChangesURL> – history of versions updates
<NewVersionInfoDownloadURL>http://last_version_update_xml_file.com/</NewVersionInfoDownloadURL> – information about new versions
<NewVersionNotificationURL>http://your_website_new_version_info_page.com/</NewVersionNotificationURL> – notifications about new versions available

If you use ‘dot’ instead of the link http://your_website_app_changes_history_page.com/ (and other links) (e.g., <NewVersionChangesURL>.</NewVersionChangesURL>, then line about updates wil be removed from the main menu;

If you leave the field blank (e.g., <NewVersionChangesURL></NewVersionChangesURL>, then updating will be conducted via our website by default; This way you can update your version via Main menu – Information – Check for updates, so Xeoma will be updated and stay customized.

Also, you can use your own links that user will be redirected to whenever he/she chooses to update.
You can e.g. download new Xeoma versions on your website (or other storage), and your clients will download versions from your website. This variant perfectly suits resellers that want to sell customized version of Xeoma under their own brand.

16. How can I customize Xeoma application for iOS?

Due to AppStore restrictions, there’s no possibility to customize Xeoma for iOS platform.
But there’s a version of Xeoma app for iOS with a ‘generic’ name that doesn’t mention Xeoma: My Camera (you can find it in AppStore).
The only way to get another iOS app for Xeoma is to request paid development from us – but that would cost thousands of dollars because we’d have to make a whole new app to avoid it being banned from the App Store. Read more about paid development

17. I receive an error message during customization. And when I launch software, it’s still under Xeoma name. What should I do?

Please make sure that Xeoma is not working (in background or foreground) when you launch the customization tool. If Xeoma is installed and launched, then customization will not work. You can check if Xeoma server is working in background in task manager. Use a different machine to run customization on, or uninstall Xeoma with settings saving if it’s installed (Main menu -> Install -> Uninstall (except for archive and settings)) – or simply close Xeoma if it’s not installed.

18. I purchased license, activated it and configured Xeoma. After customization license and settings reset themselves. How can I get my license and settings back?

After customization program’s name has changed to your name, and if you launched customized version, then settings folder with your program’s name was created. It means that the original Xeoma folder with all your settings and activation information is no longer used, that’s why your program was launched in Trial mode.
You can copy the contents from Xeoma folder to the folder with your name (in most cases it’s somewhere near Xeoma settings folder), all settings and licenses will be picked up after program’s restart. Or you can activate customized version with your license, this way it’ll be working in Commercial mode – but you’ll need to configure it again in this case.

20. Can’t customize Xeoma. Can not disable modules. What should I do?

Please make sure that you’re using the latest version of customization utility.

You can download it here.

21. I have a customized version of Xeoma with my own program name. When I updated Xeoma, the program name has disappeared. What should I do?

This issue sometimes appeared when updating via Main menu -> Information -> Check for updates. The problem has been resolved in Xeoma versions starting from 23.3.22.

RESELLERS

1. I want to be a reseller. How do I start?

You can purchase necessary licenses from our website and resell them. We provide various bonuses to our resellers. There’s no need to sign any papers (agreement is optional) to start.

See more about our partner program on the Resellers page

2. What discounts do you have?

For end-users, Xeoma license packages are available with a progressive discount depending on number of cameras in the license. See the purchase page here

If you are a reseller, manufacturer, distributor or a store selling products to end-users, please contact us to tell us about yourself and get a personal access to the page with discounts.

We also have cashback programs and free demo licenses. More here.

3. I want to sell Xeoma under my own brand. What should I do?

You can customize Xeoma and change almost anything by means of rebranding utility: name, logo, design, icons, menu items and more.

4. Do you have discount for Xeoma Cloud?

If you are a reseller, manufacturer, distributor or a store selling products to end-users, please contact us and tell us about yourself to get personal conditions for reselling Xeoma.

5. I want to receive licenses immediately and don’t need to wait after the purchase. Is it possible?

Yes, you can use Reseller’s admin area. You can leave deposit and generate licenses yourself on Reseller’s admin page.

6. When do I receive Xeoma licenses after the purchase?

Usually, when you purchase via PayPal or PayProGlobal, you receive the license in a couple of minutes, almost instantly. For bank transfers it takes more time: usually 3-5 business days, depending on your bank and its intermediaries. Shipping a hardware key usually takes even more time – around a month (but we can give you temporary demo licenses while you wait).

If you need to receive licenses immediately, you can use Reseller’s admin area.

You can contact us to check on the status of your payment and licenses.

7. I purchase licenses for my customer without discount. How can I get my bonus?

You can purchase licenses without discount and notify us via email about your purchase to get back a fraction of the cost as a bonus. E.g. if you’ve purchased Xeoma licenses for 32 cameras, you can get a small license for free, and sell it too. You can collect bonuses and cash them out in the form of licenses anytime by contacting us.

8. I want to pay via bank. How do I get the invoice?

You can generate the invoice with discount yourself here.
You’ll need to choose necessary license and fill in the following fields:

Your company or personal full name: specify your company name or your own name (if you purchase licenses as an individual)
Your email (to receive a license key): specify your email address where email with license and instruction will be sent to.

Also, you can always contact us, we’ll gladly help you and send the invoice.

9. How do I know if I can qualify as a reseller?

Resellers are people that resell licenses and are not end-users of the licenses and subscriptions.
I.e. if you want to purchase a license and then sell it to your customer, you can be considered as a reseller and are able to purchase licenses with a discount (or you can purchase licenses for a full price and get part of the cost back as bonuses).

You can always contact us, we’ll gladly help to clarify.

10. I’d like to discuss details of our cooperation and take a closer look at Xeoma. How do we organize our meeting?

Sure! We’ll be happy to contact you and discuss everything in details. You can choose any method that’s convenient for you: phone, Skype, email or any other option (WebEX, Google Hangouts etc.). At your service are webinars and video conferences, as well as any amount of test licenses. We’re always happy to help you with setting up demo versions of Xeoma. You can find our contacts here.

11. If I use rebranding and sell Xeoma under my name and brand, who will conduct tech support if needed?

Your company can provide technical support directly – or we can do it. You can contact us and ask about customer’s questions yourself, or e.g. your customers can contact us directly (whenever they name your brand, we’ll find out that the customer is your). If you have questions please contact us.

12. If I become a reseller, how can I get a reply to my urgent questions? Will I have a personal manager?

Yes, for your convenience you’ll have a personal manager that will answer all your questions quickly and efficiently. And a team of professionals is always ready to help you with technical support. You can choose any method to contact us.

13. I want to sell Xeoma together with my cameras and DVRs as a bundle. Is it possible?

Sure, you can sell Xeoma together with your cameras as a bundle or sell Xeoma licenses separately. Xeoma can be installed inside DVR/NVR or camera, so you’ll be able to sell plug-n-play bundle.
Also, you can customize Xeomato sell software under your own brand/name.
Decent discounts will help you to earn and at the same time you’ll sell high quality video surveillance software.

You can contact us anytime.

14. Do you offer bulk discounts?

Yes, price per camera is lower with reference to the amount of cameras of the license, i.e. license for 1024 cameras will be cheaper per camera compared to the license for 32 cameras and so on. The more cameras you purchase (as a single license), the bigger your profit is.
Prices can be checked here.

You can contact us anytime if you have questions.

15. Are there any restrictions on the number of resellers? Can I, as a reseller, sell Xeoma to other countries?

We have no restrictions on the number of resellers. Our reseller program is distributed among our customers all over the world. That’s why we have no territorial restrictions on Xeoma sales. It means that you can freely sell it to your clients from other countries (a few restrictions in the MENA area apply for now, please inquire if interested).

Did not find the right answer? Check out these other helpful resources:
Questions about licenses and activation
Choosing a camera
Choosing hardware
User Manual
More options

Answers to frequently asked questions as notes:

Frequently Asked Questions about Xeoma software

LICENSING

PURCHASE

ACTIVATION

CAMERAS

MODULES & FEATURES

REMOTE ACCESS

ARCHIVE

LINUX

XEOMA CLOUD

XEOMA PRO YOUR CLOUD

REBRANDING

RESELLERS

LICENSING / PURCHASE / ACTIVATION / EDITIONS

CAMERAS

MODULES & FEATURE

REMOTE ACCESS

ARCHIVE and RECORDING

LINUX / MAC

XEOMA CLOUD

XEOMA PRO YOUR CLOUD

SCENARIOS AND USE CASES

RESELLERS / PARTNERSHIP

ERRORS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

OTHER