Support / “Wrong username or password”, or “camera clock is off”
The camera refuses the password — or its clock is off
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Two failures that look the same
Every ONVIF request carries a timestamp, signed together with the password, and the camera refuses one that is more than a few minutes away from its own clock. A camera whose clock was never set, or that has drifted, therefore refuses a correct password with the same fault it would give a wrong one.
ViewTile measures the camera’s clock before it signs in and adjusts its timestamps to match, so a steadily wrong clock is not a problem on its own. When the camera still refuses, the app measures the clock again:
- The clock was stable between the two measurements → the timestamps were already right, so the likely cause is the password. The app says wrong username or password, and mentions the offset so that you know it was accounted for. (A camera that has locked the account after too many tries answers the same way; the article below covers that.)
- The clock moved between the two measurements → the camera’s time is changing under the app, which nothing can compensate for. The app says camera clock is off, by how much, and that it moved.
What to do
Wrong username or password. It is the camera’s own login, not the Wi-Fi password and not the app of the camera’s maker. Many cameras have a separate ONVIF user; check the camera’s web page under users or ONVIF. Some cameras lock an account after a few wrong tries — wait a few minutes before trying again.
Camera clock is off. Set the camera’s time, or better, turn on NTP on the camera so it keeps itself right. If you can sign in at all, ViewTile can set the clock from the phone on the camera’s own screen; if you cannot, the camera’s web page can. Then try again.
What the diagnostics screen keeps
The clock offset that was measured, the fault the camera returned, and the time it happened. “Copy report” puts it on the clipboard with the password removed, so it can go to a supplier or a colleague as it is.