Setting Up Sites

• Genie URL: https://gcsurge-docs.nxgen.cloud/gcsurge/docs/setup-deployment/setting-up-sites

New to adding cameras? Start with for a side-by-side comparison of all four methods and quick-start steps. This page covers the full details for each one.

Before your team can start processing alarms in GC Surge, your cameras need to be connected. This page follows the Sites & devices screen exactly — every section below matches what you see in the UI, in the same order.

The Sites & Devices Screen

Open Configuration from the left sidebar. The screen has two tabs:

• ADDED SITES & DEVICES — your main view. Shows all sites and cameras, their connection status, site keys, and actions.
• IMPORT STATUS — tracks the progress of any spreadsheet import in progress. Shows row-by-row results and any validation errors.

At the top of the screen, four summary cards at the top show a live count of your sites, devices, deployment modes, and site statuses. For a full breakdown of each metric, see Configuration.

Click Add sites & cameras (top right) to open the dropdown and choose one of four ways to add sites or cameras.

Before You Start

Have the following ready for each site:

• Camera brand, IP address, protocol, port, username, and password.
• A site name — review Site Naming Conventions below before you start. Names cannot be changed easily after activation.
• For Private/VPN or Edge sites: under WHO WILL INSTALL THE LOCAL AGENT? select I’m at the site if you are physically present (no contact info needed), or Delegate installation to send the site key and steps to someone on-site.

1. Guided Setup YellowRECOMMENDED

We pick your fastest path — answers a short set of questions about your camera type and network, then routes you to the correct setup automatically. Use this for first-time onboarding or when you are unsure which mode applies.

Which Mode Will Guided Setup Choose?

Mode 1 — Public IP

For cameras with a publicly reachable IP. GC Surge connects directly and configures alarm forwarding automatically — no on-site work required.

1. Click Add sites & cameras → Guided setup.
2. Guided setup opens with What would you like to do? — three options:Add a new site — Set up a new location with its first camera. Enter a name in the What should we call this site? field and click Continue.Add a camera to an existing site — Pick one of your existing sites and add a camera to it.Add multiple new sites and cameras — Several sites or many cameras at once using flash bulk import.To add a single site or camera, select Add a new site or Add a camera to an existing site.
3. What camera do you want to add? — three options appear:A brand from our list — We set the camera up for you — no manual steps needed. Supported brands: Axis, Dahua, HikVision, NxWitness. (Hanwha and SpykeBox cameras — select NxWitness.)My camera can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP) — Not on the list, but it can push alarms — we give you a few details to copy into the camera’s settings.Use GC Edge — works with any camera — GC Edge runs on site and reads the video stream. Ideal when the camera only streams video.For this path, select A brand from our list.
4. Select Yes — public IPs or port forwarding.
5. Fill in: Camera IP, Camera brand, HTTP/S port, HTTPS (secure) toggle, Username, Password.
6. Click Add Site.

GC Surge automatically pushes SMTP alarm forwarding credentials to the camera (SMTP server: smtp.zeptomail.eu, port 587, TLS). A confirmation shows Surge is connecting to your device — alarms will start flowing shortly.

Mode 2 — Private/VPN

For cameras on a private network. GC Surge uses a local agent to discover cameras and configure alarm forwarding from inside the network. After setup, field activation is completed on-site using the Local Agent — by you if you are at the site, or by your delegate.

1. Open Configuration from the left sidebar. Click Add sites & cameras → Guided setup.
2. Guided setup opens with What would you like to do? — three options:Add a new site — Set up a new location with its first camera. Enter a name in the What should we call this site? field and click Continue.Add a camera to an existing site — Pick one of your existing sites and add a camera to it.Add multiple new sites and cameras — Several sites or many cameras at once using flash bulk import.To add a single site or camera, select Add a new site or Add a camera to an existing site.
3. What camera do you want to add? — three options appear:A brand from our list — We set the camera up for you — no manual steps needed. Supported brands: Axis, Dahua, HikVision, NxWitness. (Hanwha and SpykeBox cameras — select NxWitness.)My camera can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP) — Not on the list, but it can push alarms — we give you a few details to copy into the camera’s settings.Use GC Edge — works with any camera — GC Edge runs on site and reads the video stream. Ideal when the camera only streams video.For this path, select A brand from our list.
4. Select No — private network only.
5. Fill in camera details: Camera IP, Camera brand, HTTP/S port, HTTPS toggle, Username, Password.

1. Under WHO WILL INSTALL THE LOCAL AGENT?, choose one option — the rest of the flow differs by choice:

Option A — I’m at the site (you install the Local Agent yourself):

Click Add Site. GC Surge checks the port, marks the site as Private/VPN, and creates it. The setup screen that follows has three sections:

1. Install the local agent to connect this site — the Local Agent Not Connected panel shows two sub-steps:1 · DOWNLOAD THE LOCAL AGENT — click Windows Installer or MacOS Installer. Install and run it on a PC on the same network as the cameras.2 · AFTER THE AGENT IS RUNNING — click Retry Connection.
2. Configure SMTP on the camera — if automatic setup did not complete, this section shows the SMTP credentials to enter manually in the camera’s alarm or email settings. Each value has a copy button:SITE — your site nameDEVICE ID — unique identifier for this cameraHOST — smtp.zeptomail.euPORT — 587USERNAME — generated per devicePASSWORD — generated per deviceENCRYPTION — tlsTO EMAIL — generated per device (ingest-…@events.dev.nxgen.io)FROM EMAIL — alerts@nxgen.ioBelow the credentials, three action buttons are available: Apply via local agent, Manual Configuration, and Refresh status. The current status badge shows Pending — waiting for on-site setup.
3. Site Key — your site key (GCSK-XXXX-XXXX format) is shown with a QR code. The SETUP PROGRESS tracker shows:Site key activated in SurgeClick Refresh status to confirm the device is connected.Status badges show the current state (e.g. Pending — waiting for on-site setup). Click Refresh status to update.

At the bottom of the screen: Go to Alarm center to monitor incoming alarms, or Add another to set up the next site.

Option B — Delegate installation (someone on-site installs it for you):

• Enter the delegate’s details: Contact person, Contact email, country code, and Contact phone.
• Click Add Site. The site is created and the setup screen shows three sections:Local Agent mobile app download — App Store and Google Play download links are shown. The delegate uses these to install the Local Agent on their phone. A QR code lets them scan directly from the screen.Configure SMTP on the camera — shows the SMTP credentials to enter manually if auto-config did not complete: SITE, DEVICE ID, HOST (smtp.zeptomail.eu), PORT (587), USERNAME, PASSWORD, ENCRYPTION (tls), TO EMAIL, FROM EMAIL (alerts@nxgen.io). Buttons: Manual Configuration and Refresh status.Site Key — the GCSK key and QR code are shown. SETUP PROGRESS tracks four steps:Site key activated in SurgeInstructions sent to [contact email]Waiting for on-site contact to finish setupRefresh status when they’re doneButtons: Refresh status and Resend instructions (to re-send to the delegate if needed).
• At the bottom: Go to Alarm center or Add another site.

Field activation is required to start receiving alarms — see Local Agent — Field Activation.

Mode 3 — Edge

For cameras that only stream video (RTSP) and cannot send alarms on their own. GC Edge software runs on a PC at the site, connects to the RTSP stream, and triggers alarms from it. NOVA99x runs locally inside GC Edge on the site machine.

1. Click Add sites & cameras → Guided setup.
2. Guided setup opens with What would you like to do? — three options:Add a new site — Set up a new location with its first camera. Enter a name in the What should we call this site? field and click Continue.Add a camera to an existing site — Pick one of your existing sites and add a camera to it.Add multiple new sites and cameras — Several sites or many cameras at once using flash bulk import.To add a single site or camera, select Add a new site or Add a camera to an existing site.
3. What camera do you want to add? — three options appear:A brand from our list — We set the camera up for you — no manual steps needed. Supported brands: Axis, Dahua, HikVision, NxWitness. (Hanwha and SpykeBox cameras — select NxWitness.)My camera can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP) — Not on the list, but it can push alarms — we give you a few details to copy into the camera’s settings.Use GC Edge — works with any camera — GC Edge runs on site and reads the video stream. Ideal when the camera only streams video.For this path, select Use GC Edge — works with any camera.
4. Fill in: Camera IP (local network), HTTP/S port, RTSP port (default: 554), HTTPS toggle, Username, Password. Camera brand is set to GC Edge automatically.
5. Under WHO WILL INSTALL GC EDGE?, choose one option — the rest of the flow differs by choice:

Option A — I’m at the site (you install GC Edge yourself):

Click Add Site. The site is created and the result screen appears with two sections:

• Connect this camera through GC Edge — your camera only streams video; GC Edge running on site reads the stream and creates the alarms for you. The Install GC Edge panel offers two download options:CUDA (GPU) — Download on Windows installer. Choose this if the site PC has an NVIDIA GPU.CPU — Download on Windows installer. Choose this otherwise.Three steps guide the installation:Download and install GC Edge on the site network.The site key below is activated automatically — enter it in the GC Edge software.GC Edge connects to the camera stream and triggers alarms into Surge.
• Site Key — the site key (GCSK-XXXX-XXXX format) and a QR code are shown. SETUP PROGRESS tracks two steps:Site key activated in SurgeClick Refresh status to confirm the device is connected.Status badges: Pending — waiting for on-site setup and Activated — retry in X:XX. A Trouble getting an alarm? Get support link is also shown.

At the bottom: Go to Alarm center or Add another site.

Option B — Delegate installation (someone on-site installs GC Edge for you):

• Enter the delegate’s details: Contact person, Contact email, country code, and Contact phone.
• Click Add Site. The site is created and a confirmation screen appears:Instructions sent — the site key and mobile app setup guide were emailed to the on-site contact. The delegate’s name and email are shown on screen.GC Surge notifies you: “We’ve sent the site key and setup instructions to [contact name] — they’re at the site and will finish the setup from inside its network. You can track its status in the management console.”At the bottom: Go to Alarm center or Add another site.

Field activation is required to start receiving alarms — see Local Agent — Field Activation.

2. Add sites manually

Add a new site or cameras to an existing one — fill in the connection details directly. No wizard, no guided questions. One camera at a time.

To add multiple sites at once, use Import from spreadsheet below.

Step 1 — Site Info

Step 2 — Camera Info

Fields change depending on whether the GC Edge camera toggle is ON or OFF.

Default — Public IP

Private/VPN Site (auto-detected)

No toggle or selection needed. When you enter a private or locally unreachable IP address (e.g. 192.168.x.x), GC Surge detects it automatically:

• The Use case field changes to Private/VPN Site with the note “Auto-detected from IP accessibility check.”
• A note appears below the port field: “Port unreachable — site will connect via Private/VPN.”
• The WHO WILL INSTALL THE LOCAL AGENT? section and Local Agent Not Connected panel appear automatically — see Step 3 below for options and steps.

GC Edge camera (toggle ON)

Enable when GC Edge runs on a device at the site. No public IP or supported brand required.

Camera brand locks to GCEdge and Use case locks to Edge Deployment automatically.

Step 3 — Who Will Install the Local Agent? (Private/VPN and GC Edge)

I'm at the site

Delegate installation

Step 4 — Contact Info (Public IP only)

All optional: Contact person, Contact email, Contact phone (select country code first).

Click Add Site

• Public IP: GC Surge connects to the camera immediately.
• Private/VPN — I’m at the site: Click Add Site. The site is created and the setup screen shows the Local Agent download steps and manual SMTP credentials if automatic configuration did not complete.
• Private/VPN — Delegate: Site created. GC Surge sends the site key and installation steps to the contact via WhatsApp or email. The delegate completes the Local Agent setup on-site.
• GC Edge — I'm at the site: Site created. Install GC Edge on a local device. Site key shown directly.
• GC Edge — Delegate: Site created. GC Surge sends site key and steps via WhatsApp or email.

3. Import from spreadsheet

Add multiple sites and cameras in one upload — use the Excel template to add many sites at once. GC Surge validates the sheet before any site is created.

1. Click Add sites & cameras → Import from spreadsheet.
2. Click Download Current As Template to get the correct column layout.
3. Fill in your sites (site name, camera IP, brand, port, credentials, contact).
4. Upload the completed sheet (.xlsx or .xls).
5. Optional: enable Auto-send site key to owners after import — delivers each site's key to the assigned contact via WhatsApp or email automatically. Leave off if you want to review the import first.
6. GC Surge validates the sheet and shows exactly what needs fixing before proceeding.

For bulk imports with private sites, a Bulk device configuration section appears after upload and applies settings to all private devices at once. See Bulk Spreadsheet Import for the full field reference.

4. Universal camera support

Works with REST API, SMTP, or FTP-enabled cameras — use when your camera will push alarms to GC Surge on its own. You pick the method the camera supports and copy the generated credentials into it.

See Adding Devices — Universal Camera Support for the full step-by-step procedure.

The Added Sites Table

The table below the cards shows all your sites. Use Search sites or the All statuses filter to find specific sites.

Click any site row to see its cameras in the Devices panel on the right.

Site Statuses

If a site shows Error

Common causes: invalid credentials, blocked or incorrect port, unsupported firmware, or camera behind access controls the cloud cannot traverse. Fix the specific issue in the site detail view and click Retry.

Manual configuration (fallback)

If a camera stays in Error after Retry, configure it by hand: take the SMTP/FTP details GC Surge generated, enter them in the camera's own alarm-forwarding settings through its web interface, then confirm in GC Surge. The device is marked Manually configured and sends alarms the same as any other device.

Validate Before Going Live

After adding a camera, confirm these before marking it operational:

1. In Configuration, confirm the camera appears under the correct site and device count has incremented.
2. In Video Search, confirm events from the new camera are appearing. This verifies the full alarm pipeline.
3. In the Home Dashboard, confirm KPI metrics reflect activity from the new site.
4. Do not mark the device as operational until the site status shows Active.

Site Naming Conventions

Site names appear across Video Search, Analytics, subscription filters, and Configuration. Consistent naming makes large deployments manageable.

• Use a consistent format mapping to your business structure: City-BuildingType-Number (e.g. Amman-Retail-01, Dubai-Warehouse-07).
• Site names cannot be changed easily after activation. Choose carefully before submission.
• Avoid special characters, spaces within identifiers, or inconsistent capitalisation — these cause issues in bulk imports and confuse search results.
• For bulk imports, run a small test batch of 5–10 rows first. Divide large imports into batches of 50–100 sites per upload.

Best Practices

• Plan site names before you start — they are permanent once a site is activated.
• Use Import from spreadsheet for large deployments — scales better than adding one at a time, and errors are caught before any site is submitted.
• Add a site contact for Private/VPN and Edge sites if someone else will handle on-site activation.
• Use Genie on each setup page — it adapts guidance to the site type you are working with.
• Check the Sites dashboard regularly after activation. Any status change from Active without a known cause needs immediate investigation.