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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most common questions. Click the links for detailed guides.

For Facility Managers

What should I look for when choosing a security system?

Ask about individual user accounts, two-factor authentication, audit trails, health monitoring, and remote access without port forwarding. See Questions to Ask Your Security System Supplier for a complete checklist of questions to ask any supplier.

How do I download CCTV footage?

Go to Events, find the event, and click Download. You can download individual clips or use bulk download for multiple events. See Events for download limits and requirements.

How do I stop receiving emails from TetherX?

Click your profile icon in the top-right corner → select the Permissions & Notifications tab → disable the notifications you don't want → click Update User. See Notifications for details on platform, marketing, and billing emails.

How do I add a user to TetherX?

Go to Admin → Users → New User. Set their permissions and which cameras they can access. See User Permissions for permission explanations.

How do I share events or video with someone?

On the Events page, drag a selection box over the events you want to share, then click Share. You can send directly via email or copy a link. Recipients can view footage without a TetherX account. See Events for details.

What does "flagging" an event do?

Flagging marks important events for later review and prevents them from being automatically deleted. Flagged events are kept indefinitely. Use the Flagged filter on the Events page to find them. See Events for details.

How do I arm/disarm cameras?

Go to Cameras and toggle the Armed switch for each camera. You can also arm from the camera's Details tab. To arm all cameras at a site, go to Sites and toggle the Armed slider. See Notifications for details.

How do I reduce false notifications?

Configure your camera's Video Content Analytics (VCA) or Smart Motion Detection to filter by object type (people, vehicles) and ignore animals, shadows, and foliage. Use TetherX's Camera Notification Settings to add unwanted event types to Always Ignore. You can also use the camera's Mask tab to ignore busy areas of the frame.

Can I access footage when the TetherBox is offline?

If you have Cloud Backup enabled, yes - footage that has already been uploaded to the cloud remains accessible even when the TetherBox is offline. Without cloud backup, you'll need to wait for the TetherBox to reconnect or visit the site.

How do I reset my password?

Click Forgot Password on the login page. You'll receive an email with a reset link. See Two-Factor Authentication if you also have 2FA enabled.

Do you have mobile apps?

Yes - download the native apps for the best experience:

• iOS: Download from App Store
• Android: Download from Google Play

For Integrators

How do I replace a TetherBox with another one?

During activation of the new TetherBox, select "Replacing an existing TetherBox" and choose the old unit from the list. Cameras, zones, network devices, and subscription details transfer automatically. See Replacing a TetherBox for what transfers and what needs reconfiguring.

Can an engineer work for multiple security companies?

Yes - a single user account can have access to multiple timelines across different companies. Each company manages their own timeline permissions.

How do I delete a TetherBox, camera, or user?

For cameras and users, go to Admin → select the resource → scroll to the bottom and click Delete. For TetherBoxes, use Factory Reset instead - this permanently removes all devices, cameras, and recordings.

Can I add cameras from different sites to the same account?

Yes - use separate Sites for each physical location. Users can have access to specific sites via Zone & Camera Access Permissions.

Why can't I tunnel to a camera?

Check that the camera is online and the TetherBox can reach it. Some cameras block connections after failed auth attempts - try rebooting the camera. See Tunnelling to Network Devices.

How do I move a camera to another TetherBox?

Go to Cameras → select the camera → Details tab → change the TetherBox dropdown to the new unit.

Can I use TetherBoxes over 4G/5G?

Yes - TetherBoxes work well on mobile connections. See TetherBox Recording Capacity for bandwidth estimates.

How do I set up reporting to Sentinel or IMMIX?

Go to Admin → Sites → Edit → ARC Integration tab. Enter your receiver details. See Control Room Software Integration.

What's the minimum internet speed required?

We recommend 2 Mbps upload for optimal performance, but TetherX works with as little as 256 Kbps upload. Reliable operation depends more on connection quality than speed - keep packet loss under 20% and latency under 2,000ms.

How often are TetherBox updates performed?

Updates are automatic and applied when the unit next reboots or reconnects. We use scoped rollouts - units receive updates relevant to their hardware and configuration. Critical security updates are pushed immediately. See TetherBox Firmware Updates for details.

Security & Compliance

What encryption does TetherX use?

All communication between TetherBox and TetherX Cloud is encrypted through a VPN with 4,096-bit SSL certificates. Each connection is challenged for reauthorisation weekly, and certificates can be revoked if suspicious traffic is detected. See our Security Whitepaper for full details.

What is the TetherX warranty?

TetherBoxes come with a 2-year warranty. Replacements under warranty do not reset the warranty period. Contact us for warranty claims.

Cameras & Recording

What's the difference between Monitor and Record mode?

Monitor mode tracks camera health without recording - you can monitor 10x more cameras than your TetherBox's recording limit. Record mode adds full recording, events, timelapse, and analytics. See Monitor vs Record Mode for details.

What cameras does TetherX support?

TetherX supports 200+ manufacturers and 17,000+ devices including Axis, Hanwha, Bosch, Avigilon, Panasonic, Vivotek, Dahua, Hikvision, and any ONVIF-compliant camera. See the Camera Compatibility list - if your device isn't listed, it probably still works. Contact us to confirm.

Should I record in H.265 or H.264?

TetherX defaults to H.264 for maximum compatibility. H.265 offers approximately 50% bandwidth savings but many cameras produce non-compliant streams that cause playback failures. If you want to use H.265, enable Disable Defaults on the camera, configure H.265 via tunnelling, and test playback on all devices before rolling out. See Automatic Configuration for full details.

Can I use fisheye/360 cameras?

Yes - most 360° cameras work out of the box. Dewarping is usually done by the camera itself. See Fisheye & 360° Cameras for view modes and setup.

What ANPR cameras are compatible?

Most ANPR cameras with built-in licence plate recognition, including native API support for Hikvision and Dahua, plus any ONVIF-compatible ANPR camera. See Setting Up ANPR Cameras for tested models and setup.

How do I set up motion detection?

Configure analytics on the camera itself, then TetherX receives the events automatically. See Camera Notification Settings for filtering which events trigger notifications.

TetherBox Hardware

What TetherBox models are available?

• TetherBox - Entry-level, records up to 5 x 4K cameras
• TetherBox Pico - Compact Mini PC, records up to 16 x 4K cameras
• TetherBox Giga - Enterprise 2U rackmount, records up to 50+ cameras

See TetherBox for details.

How much power does a TetherBox consume?

TetherBox: 5-15W typical. TetherBox Pico: 10-25W. TetherBox Giga: up to 130W depending on specs and load. See Hardware Specifications.

My TetherBox won't power on after a power cut - what do I do?

TetherBoxes are configured to automatically power on after power loss. If yours doesn't, a power surge or repeated outages may have reset this setting. See Power Recovery & BIOS Settings for how to restore it.

Can I attach additional storage to a TetherBox?

Yes - plug in a USB drive and it activates automatically. NAS storage is also supported. See TetherBox Recording Capacity.

Will the TetherBox automatically reconnect after an internet outage?

Yes - TetherBoxes continue recording locally during outages and automatically reconnect when connectivity returns. After reconnecting, events sync to the cloud - this takes 15-30 minutes after days offline, 1-2 hours after weeks, or up to 4 hours after a month+. Cloud upload settings (what gets synced, retention days) are configured per-camera.

Integrations

Does TetherX connect to alarm panels?

Yes - Texecom, Hikvision AX Pro, and any panel with an IP communicator via SIA/Contact ID. See Supported Devices and Integrations.

Does TetherX integrate with Paxton?

Yes - full integration with Paxton Net2 for door events and user management. Paxton 10 does not have an API so integration is not possible. See Paxton Net2 Integration.

Can I send events to my existing VMS or alarm platform?

Yes - TetherX integrates with IMMIX, Sentinel, SureView, and others. See Control Room Software Integration.

How do I use the Audio Challenge feature?

See Audio Challenge (Push to Talk) for setup instructions and speaker options.

Still Have Questions?

Can't find what you're looking for? Try searching the knowledge base, leave a comment on any help page, or contact our support team.