Watch the webinar to learn what’s available with different XProtect variants, the most popular paid extensions, deployment options and some licensing basics. We've also written out the answers to the many questions that were submitted by attendees. The answers are organized into the categories of core functionality, camera support, third-party integrations, extensions, deployment, cyber security, licensing and certification.
How can I configure XProtect to make the recording continuous instead of motion or event based?
Under "Rules” in the Management Client, you can tell cameras to record 24/7. We do not recommend disabling the default “Record on Motion” rule; it won’t interfere with the continuous recording rule that you set up. If you keep the motion rule on, it allows XProtect to add motion flags to the video. This means that you can use smart search where you go to find evidence based on motion.
Is there a PowerShell tutorial for XProtect?
Yes, check this out: https://www.milestonepstools.com/
Ideas for setting up a smart view of cameras in XProtect with, say, nine cameras based on when motion was most recently detected?
Displaying video feeds based on motion detection is a key use case for the Smart Wall. The Smart Wall view is visible from the Smart Client. That being said, if you are trying to do that on variants that don't support the Smart Wall (Express+ and Professional+) or perhaps if you have Expert but didn't purchase Smart Wall, then the only way to accomplish a motion-based view in a static Smart Client view would be to use the Matrix feature, which is a bit more complicated to set up and not as versatile.
Which XProtect variants include Smart Wall and Video Push?
XProtect Corporate includes the Smart Wall at no additional cost. The Smart Wall is also available with XProtect Expert as a paid extension. Video Push is available with all XProtect variants. While it doesn’t cost extra to access the feature, each smart phone that’s connected via Video Push counts as one device license, so it’s a good idea to think about how many could be streaming video to XProtect at once.
The good news is that Video Push uses licenses dynamically. You might have 30 people who patrol on a regular basis, and they all need access to Video Push. However, this won’t “cost” 30 licenses. Video Push only uses device licenses while it’s active, meaning that 30 people could have access to it but only five people are ever streaming at any specific time, so the functionality only takes up five licenses.
Is it possible to have XProtect follow a specific person?
This isn’t built into XProtect. However, if your cameras support these kinds of analytics, you can use all XProtect variants to search across camera feeds for a particular individual based on a set of characteristics. For example, you can search for all men wearing blue moving in a certain direction; this is supported by several camera manufacturers.
If you want to go beyond edge analytics, you can integrate XProtect with Milestone’s video analytics software, BriefCam, to run Appearance Similarity. That’s possible forensically, and you can also use a new BriefCam feature called Fast Track to follow someone in (near) real time and track their movements.
What XProtect client can be used with a desktop that’s not high-end?
The Web Client is lighter on a low-end PC because it can use the browser’s hardware-accelerated decoding and sometimes shifts work to the server. The Smart Client always decodes locally on the computer it's installed on, which puts more load on the CPU. That said, performance depends on things like whether hardware acceleration is enabled in the browser, the codec used and how many streams are shown. If only basic viewing and playback are needed, the Web Client is usually better for weaker machines, while the Smart Client is best when you need the full feature set. You can find the full list of system requirements here.
Is there any loss of service between Web Client and Smart Client?
No, they operate independently.
Are Smart Maps available with XProtect Professional+?
Yes; they are included with the latest version of XProtect Professional+. You can check out the full breakdown of features on our XProtect variant comparison page.
How do you set up web viewing? Is that only available to certain level of XProtect?
Access to the XProtect Web Client is available with every XProtect variant. It's also possible to have active HTML pages in views showing alongside camera feeds (with every XProtect variant).
When are you looking to add mapping features to the XProtect Web Client?
It’s on the roadmap! Smart Maps are currently available in both the XProtect Smart Client and Mobile Client and will be available in the Web Client in 2026.
When using Video Push, can I see the position of the smartphone on the map?
Maps in XProtect reflect cameras with static locations, which doesn’t quite fit the scenario of someone moving around while on patrol. You could still add it in to mark the general patrol area. To see the live position however, GPS metadata would need to be sent from the smart phone and tracked via a server, and then finally that information being relayed back to the XProtect Smart Client. While this isn’t a set-up we’ve heard of, our team would be happy to work with you to find out if it’s possible.
Any potential to release XProtect Smart Client for MacOS?
No. Instead, we’re focusing on adding functionalities to the Web Clients which works on both Windows and MacOS.
What video analytics are available in XProtect?
Besides motion detection, XProtect doesn’t have any built-in analytics. It’s an open-platform, device agnostic product that lets you choose whether you want to use camera-side analytics, analytics from a technology partner, a paid XProtect extension or integration with Milestone’s BriefCam analytics software. Our primary focus is on supporting edge analytics and partner solutions, but we’re also working on having some more analytics available out-of-the-box.
What will make Search run faster?
There's no simple answer; there could be several things going on. Search should run very fast, and our support team will be happy to help. Please either have your reseller/system integrator submit a case your behalf or, if you're a Care Premium customer, you also have the option of reaching out directly.
Is there much of a difference between XProtect 2024 R1 to 2025 R1?
Yes, but the exact differences vary depending on the XProtect variant (with some features being variant-specific) and whether you’re using any XProtect extensions (which work with all variants). For example, XProtect LPR got a significant upgrade in 2025 R1. You can use our version comparison tool to look up different versions of the same variant.
What’s the maximum number of cameras/devices that a single XProtect deployment can support under the XProtect Corporate variant?
XProtect can handle very, very large projects. We have customers with more than 100,000 cameras; some with 2,000 LPR cameras. Federated architecture is one way to tie these big, complex systems together in one central interface. If you find yourself in a project that looks too big, please let us know, and we’ll be happy for the challenge of making it work.
Hardware requirements are dependent on the cameras. We’re looking at what bytes are coming in and what bytes are going out. A local Milestone solution engineer is available to run some numbers and help you right-size your system to those hardware requirements; which can vary greatly.
What's the process for replacing or adding a new camera?
It’s important to work with device groups for cameras in XProtect’s Management Client. Let’s say you want to swap out one of the cameras installed in your parking lot, and those cameras are already set up to start recording on motion between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. If you add the new camera to the group titled “Parking lot cameras”, it will automatically inherit the rule. This is much more efficient than going into the rule and removing or adding specific camera names one-by-one. To add or remove a camera in the Management Client, right-click on the desired Recording Server, create or click on the relevant device group and start adding (or removing) cameras.
How do you connect body-worn cameras to XProtect?
There are a couple of ways depending on the camera. Your Axis camera is going to have a dock that transfers video over to XProtect at the end of an officer’s shift. Other devices like an IONODES body camera can have a Wi-Fi or cellular connection for sending live video to XProtect. It’s also possible to set up the device to automatically offload video once it’s back on the organization’s Wi-Fi network. We support all the major manufacturers.
Is it possible to import cameras from other systems like Cisco/Meraki or Verkada?
Both Cisco Meraki and Verkada are closed proprietary systems that won’t integrate directly with XProtect.
Do you have the equivalent of the Axis Optimizer for other camera brands?
We mentioned Axis Optimizer in the webinar as it’s free to all XProtect customers who use Axis devices. For other camera brands, you may need to install individual plugins or use different integration methods. You can use our technology partner finder to search for solutions according to the camera brand you’re interested in.
Where is the camera optimizer installed?
AXIS Optimizer needs to be installed on machines running the XProtect Management Client and/or the XProtect Smart Client.
Does XProtect utilize ONVIF profile M metadata fully from any camera manufacturer to do the search by clothing color?
Yes; XProtect has integrated with Profile M's framework for metadata communication, including support for the specific metadata classifications for objects like people and vehicles, which can include attributes like clothing color.
Have you done anything with bus cameras?
Yes. For example, Canyons School District in Utah has a fleet of 175 school buses where they use a combination of XProtect, network cameras from Axis and Sintron Technologies’ mobile server/recorder.
Can you tell us more about the kinds of partner solutions that XProtect works with?
We have a technology partner finder on our website, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start as there are so many possibilities. If you reach out to your Milestone contact (if you don’t have one yet, please send us a message) and tell us about your needs, we’ll be happy to recommend a solution based on robust partnerships with camera providers, access control technologies and all kinds of analytics technologies.
Could we add Hikvision’s LPR camera to XProtect?
Yes, XProtect generally supports Hikvision cameras including those with license plate capabilities. You can search for a specific camera model in our supported devices list.
We noticed the option to rotate Axis cameras from Management Client. Can you give some suggestions about this?
This can have multiple practical benefits, including correcting the physical mounting orientation. The best way to manage camera settings, including image orientation, is to use device groups. In each group, you can bulk-configure all the settings that are common to the devices in said group.
How open are you to integrating XProtect with 3rd party Incident Management & reporting systems like Omnigo iTrak for Incident reporting, Face Recognition, LPR and Access Control Management?
We are an open-platform solution, and any potential technology partners are welcome to apply to our Technology Partner Program.
What third-party systems work with XProtect Access?
You can filter search results in our technology partner finder based on access control. We work with all of the major brands. This article explains the different types of integrations, along with examples from certain providers.
Does XProtect work with UniFi access control?
No. While XProtect has an open-platform approach, UniFi is a closed system.
I'd really like to move XProtect to object storage. I know there is a plugin, but this feels like a sketchy solution. Advice?
XProtect is built as an open platform and supports integration through the standardized Milestone Integration Platform (MIP). Many trusted technology partners use MIP to develop robust plugins for external video storage, including object storage solutions. Whether such a setup is “sketchy” depends primarily on the external storage provider and the quality of the plugin; not on XProtect itself.
Suitability depends on several factors, such as:
- Accessibility and retrieval speed of stored footage
- Scalability and ease of storage expansion
- Whether the solution is on-premises, in the cloud or hybrid
- Security and compliance requirements
You can find verified Milestone technology partners here.
Does XProtect work with Halo sensors?
Yes. Everything that Halo sensors can detect can be synced with XProtect. That includes detecting all kinds of chemicals (vapes, THC, sulfur dioxide, medical gases—you name it), audio sensing that listens for keywords like "help" or "emergency", gunshot detection and aggression detection. Any of these events can create alarms that go off in XProtect. A security operator sees the alarm in XProtect and gets the context of 1) the sensor's location on a map and 2) the video footage from nearby cameras.
Does XProtect LPR work in every state in the U.S.? What countries are supported?
XProtect LPR works in over 200 countries and all 50 states.
Does Milestone currently offer a POS solution for XProtect Expert?
Yes, XProtect Transact is an extension that syncs video data with your point of sale (POS) or any other transaction source. Ensure that goods are scanned correctly and protect against fraud with real-time and playback analysis of all transactions. All XProtect extensions work with every variant, including Expert.
Can XProtect LPR integrate with an Axis door controller?
Yes, you can create rules so that the Axis door controller responds to license plate data.
Do plugins have to be installed alongside Smart Client or just on the Management Server?
For third-party integrations, it depends on the API used from the Milestone Integration Platform (MIP).
For Milestone’s own XProtect extensions, it can also vary. Taking XProtect LPR as an example, you would need to install the:
• LPR Plugin for the Event Server - Generates recognition events based on license plate match lists
• LPR Plugin for the Management Client/Application - Configuration of the XProtect LPR system
• LPR Plugin for the XProtect Smart Client - Operational presentation layer
How can you gain access to XProtect via the Mobile Client or Web Client if you have a closed network?
If you have a closed network that can take a VPN connection, then you can set up a VPN tunnel for remote Web Client and Mobile Client access. However, if your closed network is air gapped from the internet, you won’t be able to get a VPN connection.
XProtect does work in a fully air-gapped on-prem environment, so it doesn’t require the internet to function. You can always build an internal network and use the Web and Mobile clients internally. This is quite common in schools where student resource officers have access to the video, and they need to be able to use the Mobile Client as they’re moving around during the day.
Can we use a virtual server to run the management side and separate the recording servers?
Yes. It’s becoming particularly popular to run parts of XProtect in cloud-based virtualized systems as it offers a lot of flexibility to organizations that are growing and want the flexibility. We explain this hybrid option, among others, in this article (in the section called “Cloud-managed VMS”).
Does XProtect support secure user login using multi-factor authentication?
Yes. Every XProtect variant supports Active Directory and external identity providers (OIDC) support for user authentication and authorization.
We have contractors that are not allowed on our Active Directory, would they be able to use the web client to view cameras?
Yes, XProtect contractors can use the web client to view cameras by creating non-Active Directory users in the XProtect Management Client and assigning them the necessary roles with access to the cameras and the Web Client, rather than relying on Windows user accounts.
Can you share more details about the cyber security baked into XProtect?
We have a dedicated security response team and use independent third-party penetration testing to make sure we’re addressing any vulnerabilities. We also routinely release hotfixes and patches to update anything that comes up. It’s an ever-shifting landscape of staying one step ahead of the bad guys. We’re known for our due diligence.
Paying for XProtect Care is part of cyber resilience as it ensures that you’re always running a secure version of the product. Hotfixes are available without Care, but only for General Availability versions, meaning that hotfixes won’t be available after a few years. Staying up to date also means having access to the latest features like single sign on and media database encryption (available with XProtect Expert and Corporate).
We have a series of articles that highlight different cyber security steps for organizations with varying levels of risk and compliance:
What is needed to add cameras to an existing system?
It’s no problem to add camera/device licenses to an existing system. Customers request additional licenses from their reseller/system integrators. The reseller then coordinates with the distributor who places the order via the Store in the Milestone Partner Portal. If you have any questions before buying additional licenses, our order management team is happy to help.
Do I need AI licenses if my camera supports AI?
No; you’ll pay for standard device licenses based on the total number of cameras. But there won’t be additional “AI licenses” as XProtect supports edge analytics at no additional cost. You can check if the specific camera is supported here.
If we currently have XProtect Professional+, what is the upgrade path to move to Expert?
If you are a Care Plus customer, you get 100% of the original price you paid for Professional+ deducted from the cost of Expert. In other words, you only pay the difference in price rather than paying full price for Expert.
How do you reach Milestone’s technical support team? What are the hours of operation?
XProtect customers with Care Premium can contact us 24/7 by logging into the support community. Any partner can also reach us through the community. You need to log in to see the support phone numbers, the chat option and previous cases that have been logged.
If we have both Care Plus and Care Premium, does Milestone assist with upgrading XProtect?
Care Premium gives XProtect customers access to direct 24/7 technical support from Milestone’s team. Assistance with upgrading XProtect is a (separate) paid professional service.
How does the Care work through a VAR?
Regardless of your Care package, the Milestone value-added reseller (VAR) acts as the customer’s primary point of contact, handling initial support requests and escalating them to Milestone if needed. However, this depends entirely on the customer’s service level agreement with the VAR. If you have Care Plus, they can help facilitate questions about XProtect maintenance and access to the latest features. If you are a Care Premium customer, not only do you have 24/7 direct support to Milestone; your VAR inherits the same support conditions for when they reach out on your behalf.
To be clear, with Care Premium, can we access Milestone Technical Support when needed?
Yes, that’s correct. Care Premium gives you direct access to our team, whereas you’d otherwise have to go through your reseller/system integrator to get support.
What is the "full trade-in on product upgrades" for server upgrades?
The trade-in program with Care has to do with the XProtect software, including components such as the Recording Server, Management Server, etc. However, it doesn’t apply to server-like appliances such as Husky.
How is XRM accessed?
XProtect Remote Manager (XRM) is available with Care Plus. Customers with access can log in here.
Who can I reach out to about getting certified as an integrator?
Here’s how you can apply to be an integrator.
Which one of your classes is recommended to learn how to take advantage of the features, configurations, APIs your product offers?
You should start with Milestone Technical Configuration Level 1 and then progress to Milestone Technical Configuration Level 2. Level 1 covers the basics of installing and configuring XProtect, while Level 2 delves into advanced features, automation, and handling complex scenarios, which prepares you for integration roles and the Milestone Certified Integration Engineer (MCIE) assessment. You can find class schedules here.
