VXG Knowledge Base
VXG Knowledge Base
Breadcrumbs

Hybrid (VMS) Gateway

Hybrid VMS: Add a Gateway, Connect a Camera, and View Live Video

The Hybrid VMS gateway lets you manage cameras through an on-site gateway while still using the cloud for monitoring. This guide walks through adding a Hybrid VMS gateway, connecting a camera to it, opening that camera in Monitoring, and switching between Cloud and Local viewing. For more information on how to install and instance of this gateway that you can connect to CloudTwo, please reach out to the technical support team.

Before you begin

Make sure your account has permission to manage cameras and gateways. If your administrator has not already set a Customer Name under App Settings, ask them to do so first — it is required to create a Hybrid VMS gateway.

You will also need:

  • The gateway credentials (username and password)

  • The Gateway ID and Instance Name for your Hybrid VMS system

  • The camera’s network details (IP address, ports, and login) when you are ready to add a camera

Add a Hybrid VMS gateway

  1. Open Settings, then go to Cameras.

  2. Select the Gateways tab.

  3. Click Add Gateway.

  4. Fill in the basic details:

    • Site — where this gateway belongs

    • Name — a label you will recognize later

    • Username and Password — the gateway login

  5. Under gateway type, choose Hybrid VMS.

  6. Enter the Hybrid VMS fields:

    • Gateway ID

    • Instance Name

    • Retention Time — how long video is kept. This is measured in days and will be applied to every camera on the local VMS

  7. Click Create Gateway.

Your new gateway appears in the Gateways list. You can edit it later from the same page if needed.

Connect a camera to the gateway

  1. Still under Settings → Cameras, open the Cameras tab.

  2. Click Add Cam.

  3. On the Connection step, choose Uplink Gateway as the camera type.

  4. Select your Hybrid VMS gateway from the Gateway list.

    (If you have not created it yet, you can choose + Add Gateway from this field.)

  5. Enter the camera details:

    • Name and Timezone

    • IP Address, HTTP Port, and RTSP Port

    • Path, Username, and Password (as required by the camera)

  6. Optionally choose a Subscription - this will assign retention in the cloud, local retention time is defined when adding the gateway and is applied to every camera added on this gateway.

  7. Continue through the remaining steps (Streams, Backup, Services) as needed, then finish creating the camera.

When creation succeeds, you will see a confirmation that the camera was created. The camera is now linked to your Hybrid VMS gateway and ready to view.

Open the Gateway UI

You can open the gateway’s own web interface from the cameras list:

  1. Go to Settings → Cameras and open the Cameras tab.

  2. Find a camera connected to your Hybrid VMS gateway (or the gateway itself, if it appears in the list).

  3. Open the row’s Actions menu.

  4. Choose Gateway UI.

The Gateway UI opens in a new browser tab. Use it to work with the on-site gateway directly when you need settings or tools that live on the gateway rather than in the cloud app.

You can also open Gateway UI from the Gateways tab by using the same Actions menu on the gateway row.

Open the camera in Monitoring

  1. Open Monitoring from the main sidebar.

  2. In the left panel, browse All, Layouts, or Sites to find your camera.

  3. Drag the camera into the viewing area, or double-click it to open it.

Live video from that camera appears in the monitoring gallery.

Switch between Cloud and Local

When at least one Hybrid VMS camera is open in Monitoring, a Cloud / Local toggle appears above the video gallery.

Option

What it does

Cloud

Plays the stream through the cloud connection

Local

Plays the stream through the local (on-site) gateway

Use this toggle when you want to compare or choose how the live video is delivered. Cloud is typically used for remote access; Local is useful when you are on the same network as the gateway and want to view video directly from the site.

The toggle applies to the Hybrid VMS cameras currently shown in the gallery. Switch back at any time without changing your camera or gateway settings.

Tips

  • If a gateway shows as offline after you add it, wait a few minutes and refresh — connection can take a short time.

  • To change how video and events are backed up from the gateway, open the camera’s settings and check the Backup step (NVR Backup options such as Video and Events or Events Only).

Summary

  1. Add a gateway under Settings → Cameras → Gateways and choose Hybrid VMS.

  2. Add a camera with type Uplink Gateway and select that gateway.

  3. Open Gateway UI from the Cameras (or Gateways) tab when you need the on-site gateway interface.

  4. Open the camera in Monitoring.

  5. Use the Cloud / Local toggle to switch how live video is viewed.