Add a device

GC Surge supports four ways to add a device, depending on your device type, network setup, and how many devices you are adding at once. Choose the method that matches your situation.

Add demo site with devices

If you want to explore GC Surge before connecting any camera hardware, use the Add demo site with devices option. It creates a pre-configured demo site with sample devices and simulated alarms so you can walk through the full workflow — Alarm Center, ZenMode, and alarm processing — without any physical equipment.

To create a demo site:

1. Open Configuration from the left sidebar.
2. Click Add sites & devices (top right).
3. Click Add demo site with devices.
4. A confirmation banner appears and the demo site with its pre-configured devices is added to your site list.

The demo site behaves like a real site — it appears in Alarm Center, generates alarms you can process in ZenMode, and contributes to your KPI metrics. Delete it from Configuration when you no longer need it.

1. Guided Setup RECOMMENDEDYellow

Guided Setup asks a short set of questions and routes you to the correct configuration automatically. Use this for first-time onboarding or when you are unsure which mode applies.

1. Open Configuration from the left sidebar.
2. Click Add sites & devices (top right) → Guided setup.
3. Select what you want to do:Add a site and device: enter a site name, then select your device type — A brand from our list, My device can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP), or Use GC Edge — works with any device. Follow the on-screen steps. GC Surge configures the device and confirms when alarms are flowing.Add a device to an existing site: select an existing site, then select your device type — A brand from our list, My device can send alarms (API, FTP or SMTP), or Use GC Edge — works with any device. Follow the on-screen steps. GC Surge configures the device and confirms when alarms are flowing.Add multiple sites and devices: opens the bulk import tool — fill in the spreadsheet template and upload it to create all sites and devices at once.

For the full step-by-step per network mode (Public IP, Private/VPN, Edge), see Setting Up Sites.

2. Add sites manually

Fill in the device’s connection details directly — no guided questions. One device at a time.

1. Open Configuration → click Add sites & devices → Add sites manually.
2. Enter the Site name (type a new name to create a site, or pick an existing one).
3. Fill in device details: Device name, Device IP or hostname, Device brand, HTTP/S port, Use case (auto-detected based on device IP, port, and brand), HTTPS (Secure) toggle, Username, Password. To use GC Edge, enable the GC Edge device toggle — this removes the brand requirement.
4. If the IP is private (e.g. 192.168.x.x), GC Surge detects it automatically and shows the WHO INSTALLS THE LOCAL AGENT? section. Choose I am on-site or Delegate installation.
5. Fill in Contact info: if the local agent section appeared (private network device) or the GC Edge device toggle is enabled, Contact person and Contact email are required — they receive the site key and installation steps. Contact phone is optional.
6. Click Add site & device.

For field-by-field details and GC Edge toggle instructions, see Setting Up Sites.

3. Import from spreadsheet

Add many devices at once using an Excel template. GC Surge previews the data locally before uploading to the server.

1. Open Configuration → click Add sites & devices → Import from spreadsheet.
2. If you need a template, click Download file. Fill in your devices (site name, device name, IP address, HTTP port, RTSP port, username, password, device brand, and contact info) and save the file.
3. Click Upload site sheet and select your completed file (.xlsx or .xls).
4. GC Surge loads the data into the IMPORTED SITES preview table — verify the rows are correct.
5. Under SEND OPTIONS, enable the Auto-send site key to owners after import toggle to automatically deliver each site’s key to the assigned contact.
6. Click Add Site. GC Surge processes the import and redirects to the IMPORT STATUS tab.

For the full column reference and bulk Private/VPN configuration, see Bulk Spreadsheet Import.

4. Universal device support

Use this when your device is not on the supported brand list but can push alarms on its own via REST API, Email (SMTP), or FTP. You pick the method your device supports and copy the generated credentials into it.

1. Open Configuration → click Add sites & devices → Universal device support.
2. Enter a Device name, select an existing site or type a new name to create one, and choose the alarm method your device supports: REST API, Email (SMTP), or FTP.
3. Click Add Device.
4. GC Surge generates the connection credentials. Copy each value exactly into your device’s alarm-forwarding settings.
5. Optionally, click + ADD FORWARD ALARM to add recipients in the Forward Alarms step.
6. Click Done.

For credentials per method and manual fallback steps, see Adding Devices - Universal Camera Support.

Verify the device is working

After adding a device by any method, confirm the following before marking it operational:

1. In Configuration, confirm the device appears under the correct site and the device count has incremented.
2. In Video Search, confirm events from the new device 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 Configured.