How do I add an IP camera or encoder to my stream?
IP cameras, hardware encoders and second capture boxes usually speak standard protocols like RTSP, RTMP or SRT on your local network. Getting one onto your stream normally means either running OBS on the same LAN or — worse — port-forwarding the camera to the open internet. There is a cleaner way.
The problem with LAN sources
A camera on 192.168.x.x is only reachable from your own network. To use it from a cloud service you would normally have to forward a port through your router, which exposes the camera (and often weak default credentials) to anyone on the internet — a genuinely bad idea for a device with a lens.
Bridge it with a local agent instead
A small agent running on a computer on the same network pulls the camera or encoder locally and forwards it up to a channel over a secure, authenticated connection. Your camera stays on your LAN, nothing is exposed publicly, and credentials never reach the browser.
Because it speaks the common protocols, the same approach works for IP cameras, NDI-to-RTSP bridges and hardware encoders alike — and you can run several at once, one per channel.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to port-forward my IP camera?
No. A local agent pulls the camera on your network and forwards it over an encrypted connection, so you never expose the camera to the internet.
What camera protocols are supported?
Standard RTSP, RTMP, SRT and WHEP sources work — covering most IP cameras and hardware encoders.
Can I add more than one camera?
Yes. You can bridge multiple LAN sources at once, with one active source per channel.