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Common Issues & Solutions

Quick solutions to the most frequently encountered Clone problems.

Camera Connection Issues​

❌ "Camera not responding"​

Symptoms: Camera appears offline, no video feed, connection timeouts.

Solutions:

  1. Check network connectivity:

    ping 192.168.1.50  # Replace with camera IP

  2. Verify camera web interface:

  3. Check firewall settings:

    • Ensure ports are open between Clone server and cameras
    • Test connectivity: telnet 192.168.1.50 80
Network Troubleshooting

Use nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24 to scan for cameras on your network if you're unsure of IP addresses.

❌ "Authentication failed"​

Symptoms: Login errors, 401/403 responses, credentials rejected.

Solutions:

🔍 Verify Credentials

  1. Check Clone configuration:

    /config/clone.yml
    cameras:
      camera_name:
        credentials:
          username: "admin"  # Check this matches camera
          password: "your_password"  # Check this matches camera

  2. Test in camera web interface:

    • Visit camera IP in browser
    • Use same credentials to verify they work
🔄 Reset Camera Credentials

  1. Physical reset method:

    • Locate reset button on camera
    • Hold for 10-30 seconds while powered
    • Wait for camera to reboot

  2. Check default credentials: Common defaults: admin/admin, admin/password, admin/123456

  3. Manufacturer-specific resets:

    • Dahua: Reset button for 30 seconds
    • Hikvision: Reset + power cycle
    • ONVIF: Check manufacturer documentation

❌ "Unsupported camera model"​

Symptoms: Camera detected but features don't work, limited functionality.

Solutions:

  1. Check compatibility:

    • Verify camera supports ONVIF Profile S or T
    • Enable ONVIF in camera settings if available

  2. Update camera firmware:

    • Download latest firmware from manufacturer
    • Follow manufacturer's update procedure

  3. Use generic ONVIF connector:

    /config/clone.yml
    cameras:
      camera_name:
        connector: "onvif"  # Use generic ONVIF instead of brand-specific
Camera Compatibility

Clone supports Dahua cameras natively and any ONVIF-compatible camera. Check our Camera Compatibility Guide for detailed support information.

Configuration Issues​

❌ "Configuration not applying"​

Symptoms: Settings don't save, changes revert, synchronization fails.

Solutions:

  1. Check file permissions:

    # Configuration file should be writable
    ls -la /config/clone.yml
    # Fix permissions if needed
    chmod 644 /config/clone.yml

  2. Validate YAML syntax:

    # Check YAML is valid
    python -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('/config/clone.yml'))"

  3. Restart Clone service:

    docker restart clone
    # Or if running manually
    sudo systemctl restart clone

❌ "Clone.yml not found"​

Symptoms: Startup errors, configuration file missing warnings.

Solutions:

  1. Check file location:

    # Default locations Clone checks:
    ls -la /config/clone.yml
    ls -la ./clone.yml
    ls -la /opt/clone/config/clone.yml

  2. Create from template:

    # Copy example configuration
    cp /opt/clone/config/clone.yml.example /config/clone.yml

  3. Set environment variable:

    export CLONE_CONFIG="/path/to/your/clone.yml"

Docker & Container Issues​

❌ "Container won't start"​

Symptoms: Clone container exits immediately, startup errors in logs.

Solutions:

  1. Check Docker logs:

    docker logs clone --tail 50
    # Look for specific error messages

  2. Verify volume mounts:

    docker inspect clone | grep -A 10 "Mounts"
    # Ensure config directory is properly mounted

  3. Check host directory permissions:

    # Config directory should be readable
    ls -la /opt/clone/config/
    # Fix if needed
    sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /opt/clone/config/

❌ "Port already in use"​

Symptoms: Cannot bind to port 1776, address already in use errors.

Solutions:

  1. Check what's using the port:

    sudo lsof -i :1776
    # Or
    sudo netstat -tulpn | grep 1776

  2. Stop conflicting service:

    # If another Clone instance is running
    docker stop clone-old
    # Or change port in docker-compose.yml

  3. Use different port:

    docker-compose.yml
    services:
      clone:
        ports:
          - "1777:1776"  # Use port 1777 instead

Performance Issues​

⚠️ "Slow response times"​

Symptoms: Web interface slow, API timeouts, delayed camera updates.

Solutions:

  1. Check system resources:

    # Monitor resource usage
    docker stats clone
    # Check available memory/CPU
    free -h && top

  2. Optimize configuration:

    /config/clone.yml
    cameras:
      camera_name:
        poll_interval: 30  # Increase interval if too frequent
        timeout: 10        # Adjust timeout for slow cameras

  3. Network optimization:

    • Use wired connections where possible
    • Check network latency to cameras: ping camera_ip
    • Consider VLAN segmentation for camera network

Need More Help?​

📞 Getting Support​

🔍 Before Asking for Help​

When reporting issues, please include:

  1. Clone version: Check container logs or about page
  2. System information: OS, Docker version, hardware specs
  3. Camera details: Brand, model, firmware version
  4. Configuration: Relevant parts of clone.yml (remove passwords)
  5. Logs: Recent log entries showing the problem
  6. Steps to reproduce: What you did when the problem occurred
Getting Better Help

The more detailed information you provide, the faster the community can help you solve the problem!

Still stuck? The Clone community is here to help! Join our GitHub Discussions for personalized assistance.