Connecting Xiaomi’s camera to NAS: Complete guide with setup and tips

Why? NAS — Best solution for storing records from Xiaomi cameras?

Network storage NAS (Network Attached Storage is becoming more popular among Xiaomi smart camera owners, for good reason: First, they solve the problem of limited cloud storage: instead of paying for a Mi Home Cloud subscription, you get unlimited space for an archive of records with a resolution up to the resolution of the previous one. 4K. Secondly, NAS It allows local access to video without delay, which is critical for security systems. Finally, it's the only way to save records when you shut down the Internet -- the cloud is useless in this situation.

Xiaomi Cameras (Mi Home Security Camera) 360° 2K Xiaomi Smart Camera C400) The box does not support direct recording of NAS. Protocol settings are required FTP, SMB integration through ONVIF (In this article, we will discuss all the ways of connecting, from basic to professional, taking into account the nuances of firmware and the limitations of Mi. Home/Mi Home Security.

It is important to understand that not everyone NAS Cheap single-disc models (such as Western Digital My Cloud) may not be able to handle streaming video due to poor performance. And some Xiaomi cameras (such as Xiaomi Mi Home Camera) 1080p) They can't write to external storage without a workaround. We tested Synology. DS220+, QNAP TS-251D homemade NAS on TrueNAS – and ready to share working schemes.

What? NAS Choosing Xiaomi Cameras: Criteria and Recommendations

Choice NAS Xiaomi cameras are dependent on three key factors: number of cameras, recording resolution, and archival requirements. C300 permittingly 2K@15fps generate ~1.5 TB of data per month with round-the-clock recording. NAS capacityless 6 TB (including reservations).

Minimum requirements for NAS steady-work:

• 🔹 Processor: Dual-core 1.4 GHz+ (For example, Realtek RTD1296 synology DS220j). For 4.+ You need an Intel Celeron or ARM Cortex-A72.
• 🔹 RAM: 1 GB for 1-2 cameras, 2-4 GB for a 3-camera system+ device.
• 🔹 Network interface: Gigabit Ethernet (required! 100 Mbps won't pull multiple threads 2K).
• 🔹 Support for protocols: FTP, SMB 2.0/3.0, NFS (advanced).
• 🔹 Capacity: HDD 4 TB+ format RAID 1 (mirroring) for reliability.

From ready-made solutions, we recommend:

⚠️ Xiaomi cameras with Mi Home firmware (not Mi Home Security) do not support recording NAS down ONVIF. They are only available to them. FTP or SMB.

Preparation NAS Connecting Xiaomi cameras

Before you set up the cameras, you have to configure the storage itself, which is often overlooked, which causes the later to write errors or lose data, and starting with creating a separate folder for the cameras, which will make it easier to manage access rights and backup.

Steps of preparation NAS:

1. Create a shared folder (for example, Xiaomi_Cameras) interfaced NAS. For Synology, this is done in the Control Panel. → Shared folder.
2. Set up access rights: 🔐 For FTP: Create a user (for example, xiaomi_camera) password and give him permission to write to the folder. 🔐 For SMB: turn on the protocol in the settings NAS And point to the same folder.

Check the network settings:

192.168.1.x

Open the ports:

FTP

21

SMB

445

For Synology and QNAP There are ready-made video surveillance packages (like Surveillance Station), but they are paid and not always compatible with Xiaomi cameras. NAS as a simple file storage, and camera management leave in Mi Home.

Created a common folder for records|User with password configured|Access rights vetted|Ports FTP/SMB router-bound|NAS and cameras in the same subnet-->

Connecting Xiaomi’s camera to NAS down FTP: step-by-step

Protocol FTP — The most universal way to connect Xiaomi cameras to the NAS, It is supported by all models (including the Mi Home Camera 360).° Xiaomi Smart Camera C300). However, it has drawbacks: data transfers are unencrypted, and some providers block port 21.

Instructions for cameras with firmware Mi Home:

1. Open the Mi Home app, select the camera and go to Settings → Warehouse → Network disk (NAS).
2. Choose. FTP and fill in the fields: 📌 Server address: IP yours NAS (for example, 192.168.1.100). 📌 Port port: 21 (or other, if the non-standard). 📌 User name/password: user data created by NAS. 📌 Way: /Xiaomi_Cameras/ (point with a straight slash!).

Passive regime (PASV)

Connection test

• 🔌 Is port 21 open on the router?
• 🔌 Is the path to the folder correctly indicated (registrar is important!)?
• 🔌 Is access allowed for the user?
• Make sure the protocol version is — SMB 2.0 or 3.0 (Xiaomi cameras don't work with the same camera) SMB 1.0).
• Create a user with a password (as for the user). FTP) And give him the file rights.
• Save the settings and wait for the connection test.

If the connection is not established, check:

• 🔧 Is port 445 open on the router?
• 🔧 Does yours support you? NAS SMB 2.0+?
• 🔧 Is there a blockage from the antivirus or firewall on the NAS.

Solving common connection errors

Even with the right setup NAS We've collected typical problems and solutions based on user experience and our tests.

If the camera is connected but the recordings are not saved, check:

• 📁 Path to folder: in FTP must be straight-slashed (/Xiaomi_Cameras/), into SMB — slashless (Xiaomi_Cameras).
• 🕒 Time on camera and NAS: If it is more than 5 minutes apart, the recording may not work.
• 📡 Network speed: for 2K At least 5 Mbps of stable channel is required.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi cameras with Mi Home (not Mi Home Security) do not support scheduled recording on the device NAS. They will only record when motion is detected or around the clock if the appropriate mode is turned on.

💡

If the camera says “Failure to save video”, check the file system format on the NAS. Xiaomi cameras don’t work with exFAT – use it NTFS or ext4.

Optimizing the recording: how to reduce the load on NAS

Round-the-clock recording from multiple Xiaomi cameras can quickly fill the disk and overload NAS. To avoid this, use the following settings:

Setup of the camera:

• 🎥 Permission: enough for the archive 1080p (Even if the camera is still there 2K).
• 🎥 Bitrate: reduce to 2000-4000 Kbps (in the recording quality settings).
• 🎥 Recording mode: turn on the Record by movement instead of round-the-clock.
• 🎥 Clip Length: Set 5-10 minutes (less file fragmentation).

2.Tune in. NAS:

• 💾 RAID: use RAID 1 (mirror) for reliability or RAID 5 for 3+ disk.
• 💾 Caching: On Synology, turn on SSD-cache.
• 💾 Cleanup: set up automatic deletion of old records (e.g., older than 30 days).

Network settings:

• 🌐 Connection: Use the Gigabit Ethernet cable to NAS and cameras (if supported).
• 🌐 QoS on router: Prioritize camera traffic to avoid lags.

For advanced users: If you have multiple cameras, consider using them. ONVIF (For models with firmware Mi Home Security, this protocol allows you to flexibly adjust threads and reduces the load on the device. NAS camera-side compression.

💡

To check the actual load on NAS, Use built-in monitoring tools (e.g. Resource Monitor on Synology). CPU Upload more than 70%, reduce the number of cameras you can record at the same time or upgrade NAS.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi cameras to NAS