Bring your own camera to Kisi with VORTEX

VORTEX by VIVOTEK network video recorders (NVRs), such as the Core+ AI Series, let you connect your own third-party IP cameras and manage their footage through VORTEX. Any camera connected to a VORTEX NVR becomes available to Kisi through the existing VORTEX by VIVOTEK integration, without requiring Kisi-native camera hardware.

How it works

The VORTEX NVR records video from supported ONVIF-compliant IP cameras, regardless of manufacturer, using video codecs such as H.264, H.265, or MJPEG. Once a camera is added to the NVR, linked to VORTEX Connect, and mapped to a Kisi door, its footage is available in Kisi the same way as with a native VORTEX camera: video clips are fetched into Kisi's event history, and a live stream is available in the Kisi dashboard.

Prerequisites

• Kisi Organization Administrator access rights
• A VORTEX NVR (such as the Core+ AI Series) with your third-party camera connected and recording
• The NVR linked to a VORTEX Connect account
• A VORTEX by VIVOTEK license that includes third-party integrations

Set up your camera in VORTEX

1. Connect your third-party IP camera to the NVR, either directly to a PoE port or over the local network
2. Sign in to the NVR, either through the local console (connected by HDMI or VGA) or through a web browser using the NVR's IP address
3. Go to Cameras > Management and click + Add. The NVR scans the local network and lists supported cameras it discovers automatically. Select your camera from the list and click the arrow button to add it, or add it manually by clicking + Add Manually and entering its name, IP address, port, and credentials
4. If the camera uses factory-default credentials, you will be prompted to Set password before it can stream normally
5. Confirm the camera shows as online in the Management list, and that its live stream loads in Live View
6. If the NVR is not already linked to VORTEX Connect, link it under Cloud Service (or later from the system menu) so its cameras and events sync to your VORTEX account

Connect the camera to Kisi

Once your camera is added to the NVR and synced to VORTEX, follow the standard VORTEX by VIVOTEK integration setup to map the camera to a Kisi door:

1. Sign in to Kisi
2. Click the integrations icon (3x3 grid of dots) > Add Integration
3. Open the Type dropdown and select Vortex
4. Click Add
5. Sign in to your VORTEX by VIVOTEK account
6. Click on Add camera
7. Under Select device, select your camera
8. Under Select place, select the Kisi place where you have the camera installed
9. Under Search doors, select the door you want to assign the camera to
10. Click Save

Once mapped, video clips are fetched into the corresponding Kisi unlock event in Event History, and the camera's live stream also becomes available in the VORTEX Video section of the Kisi dashboard.

For the full integration reference, including access control setup and troubleshooting, see VORTEX by VIVOTEK.

note

VIVOTEK VORTEX also supports tailgating detection with Kisi. See the VIVOTEK VORTEX tailgating detection guide for setup instructions.

Tailgating detection with a third-party camera

Tailgating detection can also work with a third-party camera, but only if the camera meets all of the following conditions:

1. It performs line-crossing analytics locally on the camera
2. It publishes the detection as an ONVIF event
3. The NVR successfully recognizes that event as a Generic ONVIF Event

Support for this varies by camera model and is not guaranteed. Whether a specific third-party camera meets these conditions needs to be verified on a case-by-case basis. We recommend using official VORTEX cameras for tailgating detection.

note

For questions about NVR compatibility, setup, or third-party camera support, contact VORTEX support directly.