Credits

This library is inspired by and based on the reverse engineering work done by:

• neolink - Rust implementation of Baichuan protocol
• reolink_aio - Python async library for Reolink cameras

Features

• 🔌 Baichuan Native Protocol - Direct binary protocol for low-level camera control
• 🌐 CGI HTTP API - RESTful API for camera configuration and management
• 📺 RTSP Server - Stream camera feeds via standard RTSP protocol
• 📡 RFC 4571 Server - Low-latency TCP streaming for home automation integrations
• 🎤 Two-way Audio (Intercom) - Full duplex audio communication
• 📹 Video Clips & Recordings - Download and manage recorded footage
• 🔍 Device Discovery - Automatic camera detection via UDP broadcast
• 🎯 PTZ Control - Pan, Tilt, Zoom, and Preset management
• 🔔 Motion & AI Events - Real-time event notifications and subscriptions
• 📷 Multifocal Support - Composite streams for dual-lens cameras (TrackMix, Duo)

🖥️ Manager UI (Web Dashboard)

The library includes a complete web-based management interface for easy camera configuration and streaming control without writing code.

• 🎛️ Camera Management - Add, configure, and monitor multiple cameras
• 📹 Live Streaming - Preview streams via MJPEG, WebRTC, or RTSP
• 📊 Real-time Logs - Monitor camera events and system logs
• ⚙️ Settings - Configure RTSP proxy, ports, and auto-start options
• 📱 PWA Support - Install as a Progressive Web App on mobile devices
• 🌐 Responsive Design - Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile

External Requirements

To run the Manager UI outside Docker, you need:

Some features also rely on external binaries that must be available on the host when running outside Docker:

Install examples:

# macOS
brew install ffmpeg

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y ffmpeg

If you use the Docker image, FFmpeg is already included (see Docker Deployment below).

Quick Start (Development)

cd app
npm install
npm run dev

Production Build

cd app
npm run build
npm start

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

SSO (Authentik) via Trusted Proxy

See documentation/authentik-nginx.md for a step-by-step Authentik + NGINX setup and the required environment variables.

Docker Deployment (Recommended)

The easiest way to run the Manager UI is with Docker:

# Using pre-built image
docker pull ghcr.io/apocaliss92/nodelink-js-manager:latest

docker run -d \
  --name nodelink-manager \
  --network host \
  -v nodelink-data:/data \
  ghcr.io/apocaliss92/nodelink-js-manager:latest

Or with Docker Compose:

docker-compose up -d

WebRTC in Docker (bridge network)

If you run the container in bridge mode (i.e. with ports: mappings), WebRTC needs two things to work reliably:

1. A fixed UDP port range exposed from container → host.
2. ICE candidates that contain an address the browser can reach (usually your host LAN IP) — configured in Settings → WebRTC (ICE).

Otherwise WebRTC may get stuck and you may see warnings like:

Video data channel not open for session ...: connecting

Recommended example:

services:
  nodelink-manager:
    ports:
      - "3000:3000" # Web UI and API
      - "8554:8554" # RTSP proxy
      - "50000-50100:50000-50100/udp" # WebRTC / ICE UDP
    # Then configure Settings → WebRTC (ICE):
    # - ICE UDP port range: 50000-50100
    # - Additional host addresses: 192.168.1.123

Notes:

• The Additional host addresses setting should be an IP address that your browser can reach (typically the host machine IP on your LAN).
• If you use network_mode: host, you usually don’t need any of the above (no port mapping).

Environment Variables:

| Variable | Default | Description | | ----------- | ------- | ------------------------------------ | | PORT | 3000 | HTTP server port | | RTSP_PORT | 8554 | RTSP proxy port | | DATA_PATH | /data | Directory for settings.json and logs |

WebRTC / ICE (Docker bridge mode):

• Configure the UDP port mapping in Docker.
• Configure ICE options in Settings → WebRTC (ICE).

Dashboard authentication (optional):

| Variable | Default | Description | | ---------------- | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | AUTH_ENABLED | (unset) | Enable auth when set to 1/true (or disable with 0/false). If unset, auth auto-enables when ADMIN_PASSWORD is set. | | ADMIN_PASSWORD | (unset) | Sets the admin password. This credential works for both the web login form and HTTP Basic auth. |

Streaming Authentication (RTSP / MJPEG / HLS / WebRTC)

When authentication is enabled (see AUTH_ENABLED / ADMIN_PASSWORD), all streaming endpoints are protected.

Step-by-step

1. Login to the Manager UI (or use the API login) to obtain an auth token.
2. (Recommended) Generate a long-lived personal token from Settings → Personal token.
3. Use the correct auth mechanism depending on the streaming protocol:

• RTSP: Digest with username/password
• MJPEG/HLS: token in query string ?token=...
• WebRTC signaling + status endpoints: Authorization: Bearer ...
• WebSocket logs: ?token=... in the WS URL

There are two auth mechanisms depending on the protocol:

1. RTSP (RTSP proxy): Digest auth with username/password

• URL format: rtsp://<host>:<RTSP_PORT>/<camera>/<main|sub|ext>
• Credentials: the same Users list used by the dashboard.
• Digest realm: RTSP Proxy
• You can toggle whether auth is required via the Manager UI setting “Require auth for RTSP connections”.

Examples:

# ffmpeg (Digest)
ffmpeg -rtsp_transport tcp -i "rtsp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@HOST:8554/camera/main" -f null -

# VLC (it will prompt for credentials, or use URL user:pass)
vlc "rtsp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@HOST:8554/camera/main"

2. HTTP-based streaming (MJPEG / HLS): token in query string

Browsers cannot reliably attach custom headers (like Authorization) to media tags (<img>, <video>), so MJPEG/HLS streams must be accessed with the auth token in the URL query string:

• MJPEG: /api/mpeg/<camera>/<profile>?token=...
• HLS playlist: /api/hls/<camera>/<profile>/playlist.m3u8?token=... (and segment requests will inherit the query param)

Examples:

MJPEG:
  http://HOST:3000/api/mpeg/camera/main?token=YOUR_TOKEN

HLS:
  http://HOST:3000/api/hls/camera/main/playlist.m3u8?token=YOUR_TOKEN

Security note: query tokens may end up in logs/history. Treat them like passwords.

3. WebRTC control endpoints: Bearer token in Authorization header

WebRTC signaling uses JSON endpoints (create session, send ICE candidates, send answer) and supports standard Bearer auth:

# 1) Login to obtain a token
curl -sS -X POST http://HOST:3000/api/auth/login \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"username":"admin","password":"YOUR_PASSWORD"}'

# 2) Use the returned token for WebRTC signaling
curl -sS http://HOST:3000/api/webrtc/status \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

You can also generate a personal token via API (requires an existing valid token):

curl -sS -X POST http://HOST:3000/api/auth/personal-token \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{}'

4. WebSocket logs: token in query string

The browser WebSocket handshake cannot reliably attach custom headers, so use:

ws://HOST:3000/ws/logs?token=YOUR_TOKEN

If authentication is disabled, these endpoints work without credentials.

Tip: a personal token is ideal for integrations (Home Assistant, scripts, etc.) because it does not expire.

📖 Full Docker documentation →

📚 Full API Documentation

For detailed method-by-method documentation, see the documentation folder:

Baichuan Protocol API

| Section | Description | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | Overview | API overview and quick start | | Connection | Login, logout, ping, reboot, dedicated sessions | | Device Info | Device information, channels, capabilities | | Streaming | Live video streams, codec configuration | | Recordings | Search, download, replay recorded clips | | PTZ Control | Pan, tilt, zoom, presets | | Events | Motion, AI, doorbell event subscriptions | | Intercom | Two-way audio, talk sessions | | Snapshots | Capture images, thumbnails | | Detection | Motion, AI, PIR, autotracking settings | | Lights | Spotlight, floodlight, siren control | | Battery | Battery status, sleep/wake management | | OSD | On-screen display configuration | | Network | Network, WiFi, storage, system settings |

CGI HTTP API

| Section | Description | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | CGI API Reference | Complete HTTP/CGI API documentation |

Additional Features

| Section | Description | | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Streaming Servers | RTSP, RFC4571, HTTP streaming servers | | Network Discovery | Automatic camera discovery via UDP |

Installation

npm install @apocaliss92/nodelink-js

Quick Start

Baichuan Native API

The Baichuan API provides direct access to camera functions through the proprietary binary protocol:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000, // Baichuan port
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

await api.login();

// Get device info
const deviceInfo = await api.getDeviceInfo();
console.log("Camera:", deviceInfo.name, deviceInfo.model);

// Get stream info
const streamInfo = await api.getStreamInfoList();

// Subscribe to events
api.onMotionAlarm((event) => {
  console.log("Motion detected:", event);
});

await api.close();

📖 View full Baichuan API documentation →

CGI HTTP API

The CGI API provides HTTP-based access for configuration and management:

import { ReolinkCgiApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const cgi = new ReolinkCgiApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 80, // HTTP port
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

// Get device info
const info = await cgi.getDevInfo();

// Get recording files
const recordings = await cgi.searchRecordings({
  startTime: new Date("2024-01-01"),
  endTime: new Date("2024-01-02"),
  channel: 0,
});

// Get encoding settings
const enc = await cgi.getEnc(0);

📖 View full CGI API documentation →

Streaming

RTSP Server

Create a local RTSP server that restreams camera feeds:

import {
  BaichuanRtspServer,
  ReolinkBaichuanApi,
} from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

const rtspServer = new BaichuanRtspServer({
  api,
  profile: "main", // main, sub, or ext
  channel: 0,
  port: 8554,
  logger: console,
});

await rtspServer.start();
// Stream available at rtsp://localhost:8554/stream

RFC 4571 Server

Low-latency TCP streaming optimized for home automation systems like Scrypted:

import {
  createRfc4571TcpServer,
  ReolinkBaichuanApi,
} from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

const server = await createRfc4571TcpServer({
  api,
  profile: "main",
  channel: 0,
  host: "0.0.0.0",
  logger: console,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

// Connect your home automation system to the server

Two-Way Audio (Intercom)

Send and receive audio for intercom functionality:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

await api.login();

// Start talk session
await api.startTalk();

// Send audio data (raw PCM or G.711)
await api.sendTalkAudio(audioBuffer);

// Stop talk session
await api.stopTalk();

Video Clips & Recordings

Download and manage recorded video clips:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

await api.login();

// Search recordings by date
const recordings = await api.searchRecordings({
  channel: 0,
  startTime: new Date("2024-01-01"),
  endTime: new Date("2024-01-02"),
});

// Download a recording
const stream = await api.downloadRecording(recordings[0].filename);

// Pipe to file
import { createWriteStream } from "node:fs";
stream.pipe(createWriteStream("recording.mp4"));

Device Discovery

Automatically discover cameras on your network:

import { AutodiscoveryClient } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const discovery = new AutodiscoveryClient();

discovery.on("device", (device) => {
  console.log("Found camera:", device.ip, device.name, device.uid);
});

await discovery.startDiscovery();

// Stop after 10 seconds
setTimeout(() => {
  discovery.stopDiscovery();
}, 10000);

PTZ Control

Control Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

await api.login();

// Move camera
await api.ptzControl({ channel: 0, command: "Right", speed: 32 });
await api.ptzControl({ channel: 0, command: "Stop" });

// Go to preset
await api.ptzGotoPreset({ channel: 0, preset: 1 });

// Get current position
const position = await api.getPtzPosition(0);

// Zoom control
await api.setZoomFocus({ channel: 0, zoom: { pos: 100 } });

Events & Notifications

Subscribe to real-time camera events:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

await api.login();

// Subscribe to motion events
api.onMotionAlarm((event) => {
  console.log("Motion:", event.state, "at channel", event.channel);
});

// Subscribe to AI events (person, vehicle, pet, etc.)
api.onAiAlarm((event) => {
  console.log("AI detection:", event.type, event.state);
});

// Subscribe to doorbell events
api.onVisitor((event) => {
  console.log("Visitor detected");
});

NVR & Multi-Channel Support

Work with NVRs and their connected channels:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
});

await api.login();

// Get all channels info
const channels = await api.getChannelInfoAll();

// Stream from a specific channel
const rtspServer = new BaichuanRtspServer({
  api,
  profile: "main",
  channel: 2, // Channel index
  port: 8554,
  logger: console,
});

Configuration

Environment Variables

Create a .env file based on env.template:

CAMERA_HOST=192.168.1.100
CAMERA_PORT=9000
CAMERA_USERNAME=admin
CAMERA_PASSWORD=your-password

Logging

The library supports custom loggers:

import { ReolinkBaichuanApi, createLogger } from "@apocaliss92/nodelink-js";

const logger = createLogger({ level: "debug" });

const api = new ReolinkBaichuanApi({
  host: "192.168.1.100",
  port: 9000,
  username: "admin",
  password: "your-password",
  logger,
});

CLI Tools

RTSP Server

Run a standalone RTSP server:

npm run rtsp-server

Configure via environment variables:

• CAMERA_HOST - Camera IP address
• CAMERA_PORT - Baichuan port (default: 9000)
• CAMERA_USERNAME - Username
• CAMERA_PASSWORD - Password
• RTSP_PORT - RTSP server port (default: 8554)

Supported Devices

This library has been tested with:

• Reolink IP cameras (RLC series, E1 series, Argus series)
• Reolink NVRs (RLN series)
• Reolink Home Hub
• Reolink TrackMix and Duo (multifocal cameras)
• Reolink battery cameras (Argus, TrackMix WiFi Battery)

API Reference

📖 Full API documentation available in the documentation folder.

• Baichuan Protocol API - Binary protocol (port 9000)
• CGI HTTP API - HTTP REST API (port 80)
• Streaming Servers - RTSP, RFC4571, HTTP servers
• Network Discovery - UDP autodiscovery

Disclaimer

This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Reolink in any way.

"Reolink" is a trademark of Reolink Innovation Inc.

This is an independent, community-driven open-source project created for interoperability purposes — enabling users to integrate their own Reolink devices with third-party home automation systems and custom applications.

No proprietary code, firmware, or copyrighted materials from Reolink are included in this project. The protocol implementation is based on publicly available reverse engineering efforts from the community.