DahuaDoor Binding

This binding integrates Dahua VTO Villastation door controllers with openHAB, enabling doorbell notifications, camera snapshots, and remote door control.

Supported Things

Thing Type	Thing ID	Description
VTO2202	vto2202	Dahua VTO2202 outdoor station with single button
VTO3211	vto3211	Dahua VTO3211 outdoor station with dual buttons

Note: support of VTO3211 is experimental and has not been tested yet.

Discovery

Dahua door stations are automatically discovered on the local network using the DHIP UDP multicast discovery protocol. The discovered thing is pre-configured with the device's IP address as hostname. username and password must be set manually after accepting the thing in the inbox.

Note: Auto-discovery relies on UDP multicast (239.255.255.251:37810) and therefore only works when openHAB and the Dahua devices are on the same subnet. Devices in a different subnet or VLAN will not be found automatically and must be added manually.

Thing Configuration

VTO2202/VTO3211 Device

VTO2202 is a single-button outdoor station; VTO3211 is a dual-button outdoor station.

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
hostname	text	Yes		Hostname or IP address of the device (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
username	text	Yes		Username to access the device
password	text	Yes		Password to access the device
snapshotPath	text	Yes		Linux path where image files are stored (e.g., /var/lib/openhab/door-images)
snapshotMode	text	No	api	api (snapshot.cgi over HTTP/HTTPS, depending on useHttps) or dhip (DHIP download; recommended)
maxImages	integer	No	20	Maximum number of timestamped snapshots to keep (0 disables cleanup). For VTO3211 this applies per button.
maxEvents	integer	No	20	Maximum number of DHIP event groups to keep per directory (0 disables cleanup). Applies to hangup, unlock, recordings, and video messages; recording groups remove .dav/.jpg/.idx together.
hangupSnapshotPath	text	No	/var/lib/openhab/door-images/hangup	Directory for hangup-triggered snapshots (DHIP only)
unlockSnapshotPath	text	No	/var/lib/openhab/door-images/unlock	Directory for unlock snapshots (DHIP only)
recordingPath	text	No	/var/lib/openhab/door-images/recording	Directory for auto-recording files (DAV, JPG, IDX; DHIP only)
videoMessagePath	text	No	/var/lib/openhab/door-images/video-message	Directory for video message files (DHIP only)
enableHangupSnapshotDownload	boolean	No	false	Download snapshots when calls end (DHIP only)
enableDoorRecordingDownload	boolean	No	true	Download automatic recording files (DHIP only)
enableUnlockSnapshotDownload	boolean	No	true	Download snapshots when door is unlocked (DHIP only)
enableVideoMessageDownload	boolean	No	true	Download video message files (DHIP only)
useHttps	boolean	No	false	Use HTTPS (port 443) for snapshot and door-open requests. Enable if the device has HTTPS turned on in its network settings. When disabled, plain HTTP (port 80) is used.
enableWebRTC	boolean	No	false	Enables local go2rtc sidecar management and publishes a webrtc-url channel.
go2rtcPath	text	No		Absolute path to the go2rtc binary (required when enableWebRTC=true).
go2rtcApiPort	integer	No	1984	HTTP API port used by go2rtc for SDP exchange.
webRtcPort	integer	No	8555	Port used by go2rtc for WebRTC media transport.
stunServer	text	No	stun.l.google.com:19302 (opens new window)	STUN server in host:port format used by go2rtc.
rtspChannel	integer	No	1	RTSP channel index on the Dahua device.
rtspSubtype	integer	No	0	RTSP stream subtype (0 main stream, 1 sub stream).
enableSip	boolean	No	false	Enables local SIP client registration for call/doorbell signaling.
sipExtension	text	No		Comma-separated list of SIP extensions, e.g. 9901#2,9901#3. A single value is also allowed. Each extension is used as its own SIP username and can handle one parallel SIP/WebRTC session.
sipPassword	text	No		SIP password; if empty, the binding falls back to password.
localSipPort	integer	No	5060	Local UDP SIP listening port.
sipRealm	text	No	VDP	SIP authentication realm (default for Dahua VTO devices).

Snapshot retrieval, Storage and Naming

When snapshotMode=dhip is enabled (recommended), the binding downloads event-triggered files directly from the VTO device over the DHIP connection. Snapshots taken during doorbell presses, unlock events, and auto-recordings are stored with a consistent timestamp-based naming scheme. This requires an installed SD card and enabled Events in the VTO web configuration menu (Local Settings/Events). Enable only the items you need: Auto Capture (Unlock), Auto Capture (Calling), Upload Video Messages, Auto Recording (Call). When these are ON, the VTO stores images or videos on its SD card so the binding can retrieve them later. Use the enableXYZDownload options to choose which files you want to download. There is no way to delete files on the SD card other than formatting it, and the VTO appears to overwrite files when the card is full. If you do not want to use an SD card, do not want to enable Events, or only need a single live snapshot per button press, use snapshotMode=api. This retrieves the snapshot directly via HTTP without local storage. The trade-off is a slight delay because the VTO is busy setting up RTSP/SIP calls when the call button is pressed, and only the live snapshot is available (no recordings, unlock, or video-message files).

Storage Locations

Files are organized by category and type:

File Type	Default Path	Description
Latest snapshot	{snapshotPath}/Doorbell.jpg	Always overwritten with the most recent snapshot for quick view
Doorbell/button snapshots	{snapshotPath}/	Snapshots captured when doorbell button is pressed
Hangup snapshots	{hangupSnapshotPath}/	Snapshots after call hangup (when enabled)
Unlock snapshots	{unlockSnapshotPath}/	Snapshots when door is unlocked (when enabled)
Auto-recordings (video)	{recordingPath}/	DAV video files of automatic recordings
Recording thumbnails	{recordingPath}/	JPG snapshot from the recording
Recording index files	{recordingPath}/	IDX metadata files for recordings
Video messages	{videoMessagePath}/	Video message files (when enabled)

File formats

• .dav files are Dahua video files and can be played with ffplay, for example: ffplay file.dav -autoexit

• .idx files contain additional frame information (not used by the binding).

File Naming Scheme

All downloaded event-triggered files use a consistent timestamp-based naming scheme derived from the VTO device's local time:

Doorbell[_-1/_-2]_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.<extension>
Doorbell_hangup_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.<extension>
Doorbell_unlock_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.<extension>
Doorbell_rec_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.<extension>
Doorbell_msg_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.<extension>

Snapshot persistence

The binding stores snapshots in snapshotPath and reloads the latest snapshot on startup to restore the door-image channels. For VTO2202, the latest file is Doorbell.jpg and timestamped files are named Doorbell_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.jpg. For VTO3211, the latest files are Doorbell-1.jpg and Doorbell-2.jpg, with timestamped files named Doorbell-1_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.jpg and Doorbell-2_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-mm-ss.jpg (applies to both snapshotMode=api and snapshotMode=dhip). Timestamped files are capped by maxImages (0 disables cleanup). DHIP downloads in the hangup, unlock, recording, and video message directories are capped by maxEvents (0 disables cleanup). Recording cleanup removes matching .dav/.jpg/.idx together. Ring snapshots stored in snapshotPath are also counted by maxImages.

Notes

SIP configuration: To enable SIP call signaling, set enableSip=true and configure at least one value in sipExtension. If your VTO requires a dedicated SIP password, set sipPassword; otherwise the binding uses password. localSipPort and sipRealm usually work with their defaults (5060 and VDP).

Windows: Windows paths are not currently supported.

HTTPS: To use HTTPS for snapshot retrieval and door-open commands, set useHttps=true and enable HTTPS on the device. Dahua devices typically use a self-signed certificate, which must be imported into the Java truststore of the machine running openHAB. If you have exported the device certificate as ca.crt, import it with:

keytool -importcert -alias dahua-door -file ca.crt \
    -keystore "$JAVA_HOME/lib/security/cacerts" -storepass changeit

Examples

• Doorbell_2026-05-17_21-04-25.jpg — snapshot from a doorbell press
• Doorbell_hangup_2026-05-17_21-04-25.jpg — snapshot after call hangup
• Doorbell_unlock_2026-05-17_21-04-25.jpg — snapshot after door unlock
• Doorbell_msg_2026-05-17_21-04-25.dav — video message file
• Doorbell_rec_2026-05-17_21-04-25.dav — automatic recording video
• Doorbell_rec_2026-05-17_21-04-25.idx — recording metadata index
• Doorbell_rec_2026-05-17_21-04-14.jpg — thumbnail from the recording

Channels

VTO2202 Channels (Single Button)

Channel ID	Type	Read/Write	Description
bell-button	Trigger	Read	Triggers when doorbell button is pressed (event: PRESSED)
door-image	Image	Read	Camera snapshot taken when doorbell is pressed
open-door-1	Switch	Write	Command to open door relay 1
open-door-2	Switch	Write	Command to open door relay 2
webrtc-url	String	Read	Proxy path for browser SDP offer/answer exchange via openHAB
sip-registered	Switch	Read	ON when SIP registration is successful
sip-call-state	String	Read	SIP call state (IDLE, RINGING, ANSWERING, ACTIVE, TERMINATING, HUNGUP)

VTO3211 Channels (Dual Button)

Channel ID	Type	Read/Write	Description
bell-button-1	Trigger	Read	Triggers when button 1 is pressed (event: PRESSED)
bell-button-2	Trigger	Read	Triggers when button 2 is pressed (event: PRESSED)
door-image-1	Image	Read	Camera snapshot when button 1 is pressed
door-image-2	Image	Read	Camera snapshot when button 2 is pressed
open-door-1	Switch	Write	Command to open door relay 1
open-door-2	Switch	Write	Command to open door relay 2
webrtc-url	String	Read	Proxy path for browser SDP offer/answer exchange via openHAB
sip-registered	Switch	Read	ON when SIP registration is successful
sip-call-state	String	Read	SIP call state (IDLE, RINGING, ANSWERING, ACTIVE, TERMINATING, HUNGUP)

Examples (w/o Intercom)

VTO2202 Example (Single Button)

Thing Configuration

When discovered automatically, the thing ID is based on the device serial number when available (e.g., abc1234xyz56789), and otherwise falls back to the device MAC address and then the hostname. For manual configuration, any unique ID can be used.

Thing dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor "Front Door Station" @ "Entrance" [
    hostname="192.168.1.100",
    username="admin",
    password="password123",
    snapshotPath="/var/lib/openhab/door-images",
    maxImages=20,
    useHttps=false
]

Item Configuration

Switch OpenFrontDoor "Open Front Door" <door> { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:open-door-1" }
Image FrontDoorImage "Front Door Camera" <camera> { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:door-image" }

Rule Configuration

Send smartphone notification with camera image when doorbell is pressed (requires openHAB Cloud Connector):

rule "Doorbell Notification"
when
    Channel "dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:bell-button" triggered PRESSED
then
    sendBroadcastNotification("Visitor at the door", "door", 
        "entrance", "Entrance", "door-notifications", null, 
        "item:FrontDoorImage", 
        "Open Door=command:OpenFrontDoor:ON", null)
end

VTO3211 Example (Dual Button)

Thing Configuration

Thing dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance "Entrance Station" @ "Entrance" [
    hostname="192.168.1.101",
    username="admin",
    password="password123",
    snapshotPath="/var/lib/openhab/door-images",
    maxImages=20,
    useHttps=false
]

Item Configuration

Switch OpenApartment1 "Open Apartment 1" <door> { channel="dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance:open-door-1" }
Switch OpenApartment2 "Open Apartment 2" <door> { channel="dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance:open-door-2" }
Image Apartment1Image "Apartment 1 Camera" <camera> { channel="dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance:door-image-1" }
Image Apartment2Image "Apartment 2 Camera" <camera> { channel="dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance:door-image-2" }

Rule Configuration

Send notifications for both buttons:

rule "Apartment 1 Doorbell"
when
  Channel "dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance:bell-button-1" triggered PRESSED
then
  sendBroadcastNotification("Visitor at Apartment 1", "door", 
    "entrance", "Entrance", "door-notifications", null, 
    "item:Apartment1Image", 
    "Open Door=command:OpenApartment1:ON", null)
end

rule "Apartment 2 Doorbell"
when
  Channel "dahuadoor:vto3211:entrance:bell-button-2" triggered PRESSED
then
  sendBroadcastNotification("Visitor at Apartment 2", "door", 
    "entrance", "Entrance", "door-notifications", null, 
    "item:Apartment2Image", 
    "Open Door=command:OpenApartment2:ON", null)
end

Intercom operation using customized widget in Main UI

Intercom operation is implemented with WebRTC via the go2rtc binary. It converts the Dahua RTP audio/video stream into browser-compatible WebRTC. The audio stream is transcoded using ffmpeg. Hence both tools are needed. When enableWebRTC=true, the binding starts go2rtc (and the ffmpeg backchannel pipeline) during thing initialization. Furthermore, when enableSip=true the binding registers itself at the VTO similar to a VTH device. Create one or more SIP terminals in the VTO menu (type public) for the number of parallel connections you expect (for example 9901#2, 9901#3, 9901#4), then list those accounts in sipExtension as a comma-separated list. Use the matching sipPassword (single password for all accounts). You can try Dahua's default password for initial testing, but do not use it in production. Consult your VTO manual for setup details. Note that you need to run openHAB behind an HTTPS reverse proxy; otherwise browsers will refuse WebRTC connections. See the openHAB reverse proxy guide (opens new window).

Intercom notes

When enableWebRTC=true and enableSip=true with at least one sipExtension, the binding adjusts the VTO audio setting to G.711A / 8 kHz after each successful SIP registration. The device resets this on reboot, so the binding applies it again. WebRTC starts when the thing initializes and keeps its ports in use while the thing is online.

Tool installation

Download and install the matching go2rtc binary for your operating system:

• https://github.com/AlexxIT/go2rtc (opens new window)
• https://github.com/AlexxIT/go2rtc/releases (opens new window)

Common binaries in releases are typically named like:

• Linux x86_64: go2rtc_linux_amd64
• Linux ARM64: go2rtc_linux_arm64 (e.g. openHABian distro)
• Windows x86_64: go2rtc_windows_amd64.exe
• macOS Apple Silicon: go2rtc_darwin_arm64

ffmpeg can be installed manually or via your openHABian setup tooling, depending on your setup. For Debian/openHABian you can use sudo apt install ffmpeg.

Quick prerequisites check:

go2rtc -version
ffmpeg -version

Configuration and Examples

Intercom operation provides these channels:

• webrtc-url: base path for browser SDP exchange, for example /dahuadoor/webrtc/session?thing=<thing_uid>
• sip-call-state: call state used by the widget logic
• sip-registered: SIP registration state used by the widget logic

SIP parameters used in the example below:

• enableSip=true and at least one value in sipExtension are required to register the local SIP clients.
• sipPassword is optional; when empty, the binding uses password from the thing.
• localSipPort=5060 and sipRealm="VDP" are the typical defaults for Dahua VTO setups.

Example of a working configuration:

Things

Thing dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor "Front Door Station" @ "Entrance" [
  hostname="192.168.1.100",
  username="admin",
  password="password123",
  snapshotPath="/var/lib/openhab/door-images",
  maxImages=20,
  enableWebRTC=true,
  go2rtcPath="/usr/local/bin/go2rtc",
  go2rtcApiPort=1984,
  webRtcPort=8555,
  stunServer="stun.l.google.com:19302",
  enableSip=true,
  sipExtension="9901#2,9901#3",
  sipPassword="123456",
  localSipPort=5060,
  sipRealm="VDP"
]

Items

String DahuaDoor_WebRTC_URL "WebRTC URL" { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:webrtc-url" }
String DahuaDoor_SIP_CallState "SIP Call State" { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:sip-call-state" }
Switch DahuaDoor_SIP_Registered "SIP Registered" { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:sip-registered" }
Switch DahuaDoor_Doorbell "Doorbell Session"
Switch DoorOpener "Open Door" { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:open-door-1" }
Switch DoorOpener_GarageTrigger "Open Door 2" { channel="dahuadoor:vto2202:frontdoor:open-door-2" }

Widget

The DahuaDoor Intercom widget for MainUI is available in the Marketplace:

DahuaDoor Intercom Widget (opens new window)

Caught a mistake or want to contribute to the documentation? Edit this page on GitHub (opens new window)