The Boring Lab

How to Change All of Your Camera Device Names in Milestone XProtect in Under 60 Seconds

Whereas standard processes for changing camera device names can take hours to complete, the Boring Toolbox simplifies this function for Milestone VMS admins by making bulk setting updates quick and simple.
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Changing the camera device names within your Milestone XProtect system to include relevant descriptors can help your company avoid security-related growing pains as it scales. Whereas standard processes for changing camera device names can take hours to complete, the Boring Toolbox simplifies this function for Milestone VMS admins by making bulk setting updates quick and simple.

Did you know that the only time you can bulk change your camera device names in Milestone XProtect is when you initially add them into the system? 

If you want to update the naming convention on your camera hardware in Milestone XProtect any other time, you must follow a simple yet tedious process for each device:

  1. Select a device
  2. Update the device name
  3. Repeat for every device within the camera hardware. Some camera hardware can include up to 38 devices in each (cameras, inputs, outputs, metadata, audio, etc.)

Are you bored yet? Us too.

Most organizations start off with simple names for their cameras.  Names that are not very descriptive, like “Camera 1” or “Front Camera.” 

But as your organization grows, you’ll find that you need your camera naming conventions to tell a “story” about your system and how it works. 

Using additional descriptors for your camera names such as its location, direction, focus area, function, IP address, etc., makes managing your broader VMS system easier.​

As we have already learned, renaming your camera hardware is not as simple as it seems, it entails renaming each individual device within each hardware set. 

Because of the exorbitant amount of time needed to complete this task, it often gets pushed onto the back burner… where it will live a long, sad, boring life. 

As surveillance professionals with over 20 years of experience, we had battled with this annoyance one too many times. It was our extreme boredom while renaming cameras and updating passwords, one by one, drove us to find a solution!

The solution to our monotony? 

You guessed it…

The Boring Toolbox's easy-to-use interface allows Milestone XProtect users to easily update thousands of camera names at the same time.

Only want to update a specific part of the name but not change the whole thing? 

No problem.

Easily perform a “find and replace” to update as many device names as your heart desires!​

If you’re working with a large number of cameras in the same location, Boring Toolbox allows you to add text before or after your original device name to differentiate your cameras and devices with key descriptors!

Solving a boring problem has never been more exciting. 

We created our live monitoring smart notifications with one goal in mind: to give you peace of mind and confidence in knowing that your video footage will be there when you need it.

Team Boring

Your go-to XProtect eXPerts. We learn the technical stuff that will save you time and make it less boring.

Team Boring

Your go-to XProtect eXPerts. We learn the technical stuff that will save you time and make it less boring.

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