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📷 TAPO C120 Camera Setup Guide

This guide walks you through setting up your TAPO C120 camera for use with BirdWatchAI. The TAPO C120 is an excellent choice for bird monitoring with its 2K resolution, indoor/outdoor capability, and native RTSP support.

📌 Supported TAPO Models This guide applies to all TAPO cameras with RTSP support including: C100, C110, C120, C200, C210, C310, C320WS, C500, C510W, and C520WS.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

TAPO C120 camera connected to your home WiFi network
TAPO app installed on your smartphone (iOS or Android)
Camera registered and working in the TAPO app
Computer running BirdWatchAI on the same network as the camera

Step 1: Create a Camera Account (Required)

⚠️ Important You MUST create a Camera Account in the TAPO app before you can use RTSP streaming. This is a separate account from your TAPO login credentials.

Instructions:

Open the TAPO app on your smartphone
Tap on your C120 camera to open the Live View
Tap the ⚙️ gear icon in the top-right corner
Tap "Advanced Settings"
Tap "Camera Account"
Read the security notice and tap "Understand and Agree to Use"
Create a username (6-32 characters)
Create a password (6-32 characters)
Tap "Save"

🔐 Security Tips

Use a different password than your TAPO account password
Write down your Camera Account username and password - you'll need these for BirdWatchAI
RTSP streaming should only be used on trusted local networks

Step 2: Find Your Camera's IP Address

Option A: Using the TAPO App (Easiest)

Open the TAPO app
Tap your camera to open Live View
Tap the ⚙️ gear icon
Scroll down and tap "Device Info"
Look for "IP Address" (e.g., 192.168.1.105)

Option B: Using Your Router

Log into your router's admin page (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1)
Look for "Connected Devices", "DHCP Clients", or "Client List"
Find your camera by name (usually "TAPO_C120_XXXX")
Note the IP address

💡 Tip Consider setting a static IP for your camera in your router settings. This prevents the IP from changing and breaking your BirdWatchAI connection.

Step 3: RTSP URL Format

The RTSP URL for TAPO cameras follows this format:

rtsp://<username>:<password>@<camera_ip>:554/stream1

Stream Options

Stream Path	Quality	Resolution	Use Case
`/stream1`	High Quality	2K (2304×1296)	Best for bird identification
`/stream2`	Low Quality	640×360	Lower bandwidth, faster preview

Example URLs

High Quality:  rtsp://birdcam:MyPassword123@192.168.1.105/stream1
Low Quality:   rtsp://birdcam:MyPassword123@192.168.1.105/stream2

Step 4: Configure BirdWatchAI

Using the Setup Wizard (Recommended)

On first launch, BirdWatchAI shows a setup wizard that guides you through camera configuration.

Select "TP-Link Tapo" as your camera type
Enter your camera's IP Address
Enter the RTSP Username (Camera Account username)
Enter the RTSP Password (Camera Account password)
Click "Build URL"
Click "Test Connection"
If successful, click "Next" to continue setup

Troubleshooting

❌ "Connection refused" or "Connection timed out"

Check: Have you created a Camera Account in the TAPO app?
Check: Is the camera IP address correct?
Check: Is your computer on the same network as the camera?
Try: Ping the camera: ping 192.168.1.105

❌ "Authentication failed" or "401 Unauthorized"

Check: Username and password are case-sensitive
Check: Use the Camera Account credentials (not your TAPO login)
Try: Delete and recreate the Camera Account in TAPO app

❌ "Choppy video" or "Lag"

Try: Use /stream2 (lower resolution) for smoother playback
Check: WiFi signal strength at camera location
Try: Move camera closer to your WiFi router

Quick Reference

Setting	Value
RTSP Port	554
High Quality Stream	/stream1
Low Quality Stream	/stream2
URL Format	rtsp://user:pass@ip/stream1
Username Length	6-32 characters
Password Length	6-32 characters