Setup guide · Tested
Connect your TP-Link Tapo camera to storage you own.
Tapo cameras stream locally once you create a Camera Account in the Tapo app. Use that account in Unicam, not your TP‑Link login.
The password is the Camera Account password. Not your Wi‑Fi password and not your TP‑Link ID. That is the most common reason a camera refuses to connect.
- 1
Install the Unicam hub
- Install Unicam on a Mac or Windows PC, or run the hub on a Raspberry Pi, NAS or Docker host on the same network as the camera.
- 2
Make sure streaming is on
- Creating a Camera Account in the Tapo app is what switches streaming on. There is no separate RTSP switch.
- 3
Find the Camera Account password
- Open the Tapo app and tap your camera
- Go to Settings → Advanced → Camera Account
- Create a username and password just for Unicam and enter both in Unicam
- 4
Add it in Unicam
- Open Add camera. Unicam scans your network and lists the cameras it finds
- Pick “TP-Link Tapo”
- Enter the username and password
- Unicam tests the login before saving, and tells you exactly what went wrong if it fails
- 5
Choose where footage goes
- Sign in to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive, or add a NAS, S3, B2, R2 or Wasabi destination
- Pick a record mode: Events (motion only), Smart 24/7 or Continuous
- Every clip is encrypted on the hub before upload
Stream links
You rarely need these: Unicam builds them from the brand tile or asks the camera over ONVIF. They help if you use “RTSP / other URL” or another app.
- Main stream (recording)
- Sub-stream (grid & motion)
Special characters in a password (like @ or #) must be URL-encoded in a link. Unicam does this for you when you use a brand tile.
Good to know
- The most common mistake is typing the TP‑Link ID password. Tapo rejects it on purpose: the Camera Account is a separate local login.
- Unicam records the full-quality stream1 and uses stream2 for the camera grid and motion detection, so the hub stays light.
If it doesn’t connect
Unicam names the problem instead of “connection failed”. What each message means:
- “The camera refused that username or password”
- Check you used the Camera Account password from Tapo, not your Wi‑Fi password or app login. Unicam shows how many tries are left before the camera locks itself.
- “Streaming to other apps is switched off”
- The camera answered but refused video. Go back to step 2 and switch streaming on.
- “Nothing answered at that address”
- The camera’s IP address may have changed, or it’s on a different network or VLAN from the hub. Run the scan again or check your router’s device list.
- “Not on the usual stream link for this brand”
- Your model uses a different path. Pick “Any ONVIF camera” so the camera tells Unicam its links, or paste a custom link.
Related guides
- TP-Link VIGITP-Link VIGI business cameras support ONVIF, so Unicam can ask the camera for its stream links. Sign in with the device password.Read guide →
- ImouImou cameras are Dahua inside. The username is always admin and the password is the Safety Code printed on the camera’s sticker.Read guide →
- ReolinkReolink cameras work once RTSP is switched on in the Reolink app. Sign in with the camera’s own password.Read guide →
Record your TP-Link Tapo cameras to your own cloud.
No Tapo Care needed, and no SD card to lose. Every invite starts with a 3-day free trial of Pro.