Setting up CCcam and OScam on Windows: step-by-step guide 2026

CCcam and OScam are two software servers for working with conditional access to satellite television. They allow you to connect a smart card to a computer and distribute access to receivers in a local network or over the internet. In this article, we will cover the complete setup of both servers on Windows 10 and Windows 11, discuss typical errors, and provide working examples of configuration files.

What are CCcam and OScam: key differences

CCcam is a proprietary protocol and server that appeared in the early 2000s. It supports cascading: one server can receive access from another and pass it on. The protocol is widely used, and most satellite receivers support it "out of the box" — you just need to specify the server address, username, and password.

OScam (Open Source Cam) is an open multi-protocol server that supports CCcam, Newcamd, Camd3, Gbox, and other protocols simultaneously. It is actively developed by the community, works more reliably with modern cards, and allows fine-tuning of access rights for each client individually. For serious home infrastructure, OScam is preferable.

When to choose CCcam

• You need a quick setup without deep configuration study
• All receivers in the network only support CCcam client
• A simple scheme is used: one server — several clients

When to choose OScam

• You need support for multiple protocols simultaneously
• Logging, statistics, and flexible rights management are required
• Working with Viaccess, Irdeto, Conax, BISS cards is planned

System requirements and preparation of Windows

Both servers are not resource-intensive. For stable operation, any PC with Windows 10 version 1909 and above or Windows 11 is sufficient. 512 MB of RAM is enough, but in practice, the server takes no more than 30–50 MB of RAM.

Necessary components

• Visual C++ Redistributable 2015–2022 — without it, CCcam.exe will not start, giving the error "VCRUNTIME140.dll not found"
• Smart card reader driver — for readers based on SCM or Gemalto chips, the standard Windows driver is usually used; for Chinese readers (0x076B:0x3021), a separate package is needed
• Exclusion in Windows Defender — the antivirus often falsely blocks CCcam.exe; add the server folder to exclusions before starting

Configuring the Windows firewall

Before starting the server, open the necessary ports. CCcam listens on port by default12000, OScam — port11000 (Newcamd) and9000 (web interface). PowerShell commands with administrator rights:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="CCcam" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=12000

Installing and configuring CCcam on Windows

There is no official "installation" for CCcam — it is a single executable file. Download the current CCcam 2.3.x build for Windows (the executable file CCcam.exe) and create a configuration file next to itCCcam.cfg.

Structure of CCcam.cfg: complete example

# Server settings

ParameterSHARE LIMITlimits the depth of the cascade: value10allows access to be shared through 10 servers. For a home network,1.

Running CCcam as a Windows service

To have the server start automatically at system startup, register it as a service using NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager):

nssm install CCcamServer "C:\CCcam\CCcam.exe"

After this, the server will appear in the list of Windows services (services.msc) and will start automatically without requiring a login.

Installing and configuring OScam on Windows

OScam requires several configuration files stored in one folder. The minimum set:oscam.conf,oscam.user andoscam.server.

The oscam.conf file — main parameters

[global]

Section[webif] includes the web interface — open a browser and go tohttp://127.0.0.1:9000 to see the status of cards and connected clients in real time. The parameterhttpallowed restricts access to the web interface only from the local network.

The oscam.server file — connecting the reader

[reader]

Protocolpcsc uses the standard Windows Smart Card service. The parametercaid sets the conditional access system identifier:0500 — Viaccess,0604 — Irdeto,0B00 — Conax,1800 — Nagravision.

File oscam.user — creating users

[account]

Parameterau = 1 enables card auto-update for this user.maxconn limits the number of simultaneous connections — it is recommended to set it according to the number of tuners on the client's receiver.

Connecting clients to the server

Configuring the Dreambox/Enigma2 receiver

On receivers with Enigma2, the file/etc/CCcam.cfg contains lines for connecting to the server:

C: 192.168.1.100 12000 client1 secretpass

Here192.168.1.100 — the IP address of the computer with the server. To connect via Newcamd to OScam, the file/etc/newcamd.conf:

CWS = 192.168.1.100 11000 client1 secretpass 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Configuring VLC and software players

Software players on Windows connect via the OSCam-client plugin or through mgcamd. For Kodi with the Tvheadend plugin, specify the OScam address in the TVH server settings as a CW source via the newcamd protocol.

Diagnosing typical problems

Error "Card not found" or "Card not ready"

If the OScam logs showcard not found, check the following:

• The Windows Smart Card service (SCardSvr) is running:sc query SCardSvr
• The reader is recognized by the system: it appears in the device manager under "Smart Card Readers" without warnings
• The card is inserted the right way — some readers are sensitive to orientation
• The parametermhz in oscam.server corresponds to the card's frequency; try values357,600,368

Clients connect, but there is no descrambling

If the receiver shows a connection to the server, but channels do not open:

• Check the CAID and SID match in the configuration — an error in one character blocks the entire package
• In the OScam web interface (http://127.0.0.1:9000) open the "Services" tab and make sure the necessary channels are not in the blocked list
• Make sure the card is not blocked by the provider due to simultaneous connections from different devices

High latency (> 500 ms)

Normal latency on a local network is 20–80 ms. If values are higher:

• Reduceclienttimeout in oscam.conf to3000
• Enable caching: add a section[cache] with the parametertimeout = 300
• Check CPU load — antivirus may be scanning traffic and adding delays

Autostart OScam via Windows Task Manager

An alternative way to autostart without NSSM is the Windows Task Scheduler. Create a task with the trigger "At system startup," action — startoscam.exe -c C:\OScam\config with the parameter "Run with highest privileges." This is especially convenient if NSSM is not available in a corporate environment with installation restrictions on services.

Server security

If the server is accessible from the internet, be sure to change the default ports and use long passwords. In oscam.user add the parameterallowedtimeframe = 00:00-23:59 with the desired time window to restrict client access by time of day. For additional protection, move the OScam web interface behind a VPN — do not expose port 9000 directly to the outside.

Regularly check logs for unknown connections. In OScam, the log file contains lines likeuser client1 from 192.168.1.50 logged in — any unfamiliar IP address should raise suspicion.

Updating CCcam and OScam in 2026

OScam is actively developing: new revisions are released several times a month. Keep an eye on the project's svn repository and update the binary every 1–2 months — new versions fix compatibility issues with updated cards and add support for new protocols. CCcam has hardly been updated since 2013; version 2.3.2 remains relevant for Windows in 2026.

Before updating OScam, make a backup of the folderconfig — the structure of configuration files sometimes changes between major revisions, and the old file may not be read by the new version without modifications.