Setup Guide

The path to online.

From box to online. Start with the pre-install items - that's where deployments are won.

Quick Start PDF Technical details

What's in the box

Three pieces - nothing to assemble.
CompScience VMS device
The video gateway itself - a small, fanless appliance.
Power adapter
Plug into any standard outlet. The device boots automatically.
Ethernet cable
For the preferred wired connection to your local network.

Deployment steps

Do the prep before the device arrives and install day takes minutes.
1
Prepare
IT checklist + camera credentials
2
Plug in
Power and Ethernet
3
We configure
Cameras connected remotely
4
Live
Validated, then hands-off

Before the device arrives

1
Confirm the IT checklist with your network team
Firewall rules, bandwidth, subnets - full list in the technical details. Blockers surface and get solved here.
2
Enable RTSP on your cameras and set resolution
RTSP is often off by default. Enable it per camera, set streams to 1080p or 2K - we can guide your camera vendor if needed.
3
Send us the camera credentials
Camera RTSP username and password (not your NVR or app login), camera IPs if cross-subnet, and Wi-Fi credentials if going wireless. Missing credentials are the #1 deployment delay.

When the device arrives

4
Connect to your network and power it on
Ethernet into the same network as your cameras (or your preconfigured Wi-Fi), then power. No buttons - it boots on its own.
5
It connects; we configure everything remotely
Secure, outbound-only connection - no inbound ports, no software. We connect your cameras, set your schedule, and validate everything with you before calling it live.

Prefer hands-on? Add cameras yourself

+
The on-device Camera Portal
Ask us for a sign-in code, open the portal on your local network, and add cameras with live preview - full guide here.

Technical details - IT compatibility checklist

Confirm each item with your network team before the scheduled installation. Prefer paper? Download the one-page checklist (PDF).

Network & connectivity

  • VMS device connected to the local network - Ethernet preferred; Wi-Fi works when preconfigured with your network credentials before shipping
  • VMS device on the same subnet as cameras - or routable cross-subnet access configured
  • DHCP available, or a static IP assigned
  • Minimum 10 Mbps internet upload speed - required for video data exports
  • Minimum 100 Mbps local network speed between device and cameras - the device pulls multiple streams at once; slow LAN links cause dropped frames

Firewall rules - required (outbound only)

  • TLS/443 (HTTPS) to *.viam.com - remote device management; if your firewall needs exact hostnames, include packages.viam.com
  • TLS/443 (HTTPS) to *.viam.cloud - device management, secondary domain
  • TLS/443 (HTTPS) to *.compscience.com - video upload & API; if your firewall needs exact hostnames, include safety.compscience.com and uploader.prod.compscience.com
  • TLS/443 (HTTPS) to storage.googleapis.com - device software downloads
  • TLS/443 (HTTPS) to pypi.org & files.pythonhosted.org - Python packages for device modules
  • HTTP/80 to archive.ubuntu.com, security.ubuntu.com & ports.ubuntu.com - OS security updates
  • Persistent outbound WebSocket connections allowed - required for device management

All required rules are outbound. Nothing needs to reach the device inbound for normal operation.

Firewall rules - optional / fallback

  • STUN servers, UDP 3478 - NAT traversal for the device's management connection
  • TURN relay, TCP/UDP 3478 & 5349 (or TCP 443) - keeps all traffic outbound if direct WebRTC is blocked; TCP 443 works in most corporate networks that block UDP
  • Inbound port 8080 open to the VMS device - last-resort fallback, only if all WebRTC paths fail

Notes for corporate networks

  • Persistent connections must be allowed - if your firewall, proxy, or IDS terminates idle connections, request an exception for *.viam.com; otherwise the device will repeatedly drop offline
  • Exempt management domains from SSL/TLS inspection - *.viam.com and *.viam.cloud use certificate pinning, which breaks under inspection
  • The device does not use HTTP proxies - if all traffic is forced through a proxy, request a bypass for the device's IP or MAC address

Camera access

  • Camera username & password for RTSP provided to the CompScience team
  • RTSP streaming enabled on each camera - must be enabled in camera settings; often off by default
  • Stream resolution set to 1080p or 2K - at least 720p; avoid 4K, which overloads the stream and adds no analysis value
  • Camera model confirmed to support RTSP - battery-powered cameras usually do not
  • Camera IPs documented - if cameras are on a different subnet

Bandwidth planning

Rough local-network load per camera stream - multiply by your camera count. Upload bandwidth is separate and typically much less.
Stream resolutionApprox. bandwidth per cameraNotes
720p @ 15 fps1-2 MbpsA clean 720p stream beats an artifacted 1080p one.
1080p @ 15 fps2-4 MbpsRecommended Sweet spot for analysis quality vs. load.
2K @ 15 fps4-8 MbpsFine where the LAN has headroom.
4K8-15 MbpsAvoid No analysis benefit - set streams to 1080p/2K. Stream resolution is separate from local recording quality.

Camera compatibility

The VMS speaks standard RTSP - here's how common camera platforms line up.
Camera platformStatusNotes
Axis, Hikvision, Dahua, Hanwha, Bosch, Avigilon, Pelco & most commercial IP cameras Compatible RTSP is a standard feature - usually a great fit.
Verkada Needs setup A Site Admin must enable RTSP in Verkada Command (off by default). Streams are local-only, max 2 concurrent RTSP streams per camera.
Meraki MV Needs setup Second-generation and newer models with firmware 4.2+. RTSP enabled per camera; uses TCP port 9000. First-gen models (MV21, MV71) not supported.
Eagle Eye Needs setup Eagle Eye support must enable QL Stream per camera (local RTSP, port 8554) - takes them minutes.
UniFi Protect Needs setup RTSPS on port 7441 (not 7447), with a token generated in the Protect UI.
Rhombus Not compatible Uses a proprietary streaming protocol rather than standard RTSP - contact us to evaluate alternatives.
Ring, Arlo, Blink, Nest / Google Home & most battery-powered consumer cameras Not compatible No RTSP support.
Anything else / not sure Ask us Email [email protected] with the make and model - we'll confirm before install day.

Downloads

Printable copies of everything on this page.
VMS Quick Start Guide
The unbox-to-online walkthrough in printable form.
Download PDF
IT Compatibility Checklist
One page for your network team to confirm and return before installation.
Download PDF

Not the right fit? Two other paths

The VMS device isn't the only way to work with CompScience.
Upload your own video
Export clips from your own video system and upload them through Safety Center when we send a video data request - no hardware, no IT checklist.
Upload guide (PDF)
Safety Pulse
Real-time AI monitoring with live alerts, supervisor daily briefs, and executive reports - included at no additional cost for eligible policyholders. Typically live within 20 days.
Explore Safety Pulse How setup works

Stuck on a step?

Check the troubleshooting guide, or reach our Customer Success Engineers - we'll get back to you within one business day.

Troubleshooting Guide [email protected]