Need help picking out Equipment for remote Location- Needs to boot back up easily

[CaliGirl]

You're using an iPhone, right? Go to Settings/General/VPN/Add VPN Configuration. Select PPTP for Type, Enter your info, and you can connect. You don't need an app. It's built-in.

Great suggestion. I had no idea it was there.

 

[BLKMGK]

Regarding the VPN, always consider the threat. This is simply being used to cloak traffic and provide an entry portal to view video, it's not banking info. PPTP is generally considered to be insecure but in this case who really are you worried about seeing the traffic? The crypto demands on the router will be low and allow for decent throughput with a low resource cpu, unless someone sniffs the initial exchange and has a real desire to get into a network DVR use the low resource crypto and be happy. PPTP is way easier to setup on an iDevice too!

 

[Ford]

Be aware PPTP support is being dropped with iOS 10 (dropping tomorrow) and macOS (Sept 20). https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT206844

So the lightest resource consuming VPN for apple users is probably L2TP/IPSec going forward. Some (especially Ubiquiti ) routers use slightly non-standard implementations of L2TP/IPSec that iOS devices and Macs do not play well with.

CaliGirl is right on the money deploying all the gear in her home (i.e. Lab) before getting on site. The most reliable setup (without spending some huge $$$ on enterprise-grade gear or becoming a IT guru) is probably a Time Capsule and a Mac Mini running OS X server. It would require a proper UPS and the Mac Mini set up to reboot on an orderly power down, but this is fairly strait forward.

 

[BLKMGK]

Ouch, well that figures! I recently moved to IPSec and while a little more complicated it wasn't too bad but I've setup other VPN and have good control over my firewall (PfSense) with an AES accelerator in the CPU - still not working quite right though (sigh). I agree setting it up at home and practicing and tweaking is the way to go however. Once it's smoothed out and working document your settings, backup any keys, just make sure that if you need to you can fix it back if something blows up - experience speaking! It sounds like you're pretty close at least, depending upon the ASUS router you have you might also find 3rd party firmware that *might* make things easier but certainly try the stock stuff first!

 

[nayr]

I am using L2TP/IPSec off an Ubiquiti EdgeRouter and all my Mac's and iOS Devices work just fine with.. dunno what your issue was @Ford, but its running Vyatta under the hood and its all an open source implementation.. except perhaps for the crypto acceleration in the kernel.

 

[Q™]

Is there joy yet CaliGirl?

 

[CaliGirl]

Is there joy yet CaliGirl?

Unfortunately our trip got pushed back till later in the month. So more time to test I guess. But everything appears operational and VPN is working.

Still confused about Dahuas interface on the tv and adding cameras. And also on smart pss. Seems like you have to add the cameras each time you open it.

iPhone app crashes constantly. But works out with the ptz camera. Must be a data rate problem or something. But def need a work around to the iPhone app. I know everyone makes fun of foscam but the foscam cameras works amazing with the iPhone app and controlling them is so easy.

 

[mando209]

u using this one? i used that one on iphone4 and it never crashed on mine.iphone4 is slow as hell too.i'm waiting for the samsung galaxy tab s2 to go on sale i like the hik mobile app better than dahua mobile app.on the dahua idmss it has no setting to auto start the cam each time u open it.i looked everywhere in the app settings and cant find nothing.best app is tinycam but u dont seem to have android phone

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/idmss-lite/id517936193?mt=8

 

[CaliGirl]

u using this one? i used that one on iphone4 and it never crashed on mine.iphone4 is slow as hell too.i'm waiting for the samsung galaxy tab s2 to go on sale i like the hik mobile app better than dahua mobile app.on the dahua idmss it has no setting to auto start the cam each time u open it.i looked everywhere in the app settings and cant find nothing.best app is tinycam but u dont seem to have android phone

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/idmss-lite/id517936193?mt=8

Yes, using that exact same one. Crashes on 3 out of 4 cameras when I stream them. That is why I figured it is a bit rate problem or a settings issue.

I was maling a youtube video to show you. But then I tried matching all the camera bit rate settings across the board. That solved the issue. One camera was different and anytime it tried to load that stream on the main page it would crash. So, if anyone runs into that trouble, try matching camera settings across the board to a default setting.

 

[CaliGirl]

Is there a consumer type all in one wifi router/vpn that does these ios10 compatible VPN standards in the photo?


As others have stated iOS dropped pptp. And my Asus router only does openvpn(good for desktop) and pptp (outdated and not secure).
Would like to be able to log into my VPN from the Iphone7.


Thanks

 

[Ford]

I am using L2TP/IPSec off an Ubiquiti EdgeRouter and all my Mac's and iOS Devices work just fine with.. dunno what your issue was @Ford, but its running Vyatta under the hood and its all an open source implementation.. except perhaps for the crypto acceleration in the kernel.

If you go to ubnt's forums on the edgemax routers there is post after post after post of folks having L2TP/IPSec issues. It worked ok up until firmware V1.8 but they have some fundamental problems with the L2TP/IPsec implementation and even ubnt doesn't have a handle on the cause. Too bad because 1.8 fixed other shortcomings the early firmware suffered from.

Of course PPTP works with the most recent versions of the edgemax routers lol.

Now the developers for the EdgeMaxes are talking about trying OpenVPN. I shutter at the thought.

Like their IPCams and NVRs, their routers never really have worked as designed and the problems are all related to their firmware/software.

ubnt costs a fraction of the cost of other enterprise grade gear, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

[pschmehl]

@CaliGirl, I recently discovered you can buy enterprise edge appliances for peanuts on eBay. Fortinet VPN Firewalls, for example. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fortinet-FG-60C-FortiGate-60C-Multi-Threat-Security-VPN-Appliance-/371731567150?hash=item568ced922e:g:p9YAAOSwXeJXfXi3 I haven't really investigated it, but I assume these are yesterday's enterprise appliances and have been replaced by something bigger/better/faster, but for your use, they would be massive overkill for peanuts. Might be worth considering.

I also discovered there is a free VPN server that runs on Macs and appears to be relatively easy to setup and configure. https://www.softether.org/ If you have a Mac you could set that up on that would sit out at the lake house, that might be worth considering. You don't seem to have much trouble dealing with technical stuff, so I thought I'd suggest those.

 

[CaliGirl]

@CaliGirl, I recently discovered you can buy enterprise edge appliances for peanuts on eBay. Fortinet VPN Firewalls, for example. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fortinet-FG-60C-FortiGate-60C-Multi-Threat-Security-VPN-Appliance-/371731567150?hash=item568ced922e:g:p9YAAOSwXeJXfXi3 I haven't really investigated it, but I assume these are yesterday's enterprise appliances and have been replaced by something bigger/better/faster, but for your use, they would be massive overkill for peanuts. Might be worth considering.

I also discovered there is a free VPN server that runs on Macs and appears to be relatively easy to setup and configure. https://www.softether.org/ If you have a Mac you could set that up on that would sit out at the lake house, that might be worth considering. You don't seem to have much trouble dealing with technical stuff, so I thought I'd suggest those.

I researched these for the last few days. Certainly an option and not bad prices for used equipment. Luckily I discovered http://www.noip.com and their turtorial walked me through remote NVR connection via DDNS perfectly (this is the for the IPhone connection). I was at a real road black getting the IPhone App to connect remotely until their tutorial showed me what to enter and what ports to open on the router. It was the best DIY guide I have come across in this entire setup. It literally worked the first time.

The softether VPN on macs would be another good option for people. But, not possible for me. I don't have a spare computer to leave at the remote site. I already bought the $320 Dahua NVR box to be the brain.

Here is a schematic of what has worked finally. I have a 120v wifi switch shall I ever need to power cycle the NVR or the PTZ camera:

 

[Q™]

Got to hand it to you CaliGirl...you get an A+ for tenacity

...leading us to that ol' "it's not the size of the dog in the fight..." aphorism.

 

[CaliGirl]

Thanks! Can't say I didn't want to give up a few times. Much for you network gurus!!! It isn't easy. Thanks for everyone's help. Could not have done it with out your suggestions.

Total power consumption to run the 5 cameras, NVR, wifi, cable modem, etc. = 75 watts 24/7 not bad at all. $8.10 a month or $97.20 a year.

 

[pschmehl]

Absolutely excellent. Great work.

 

[car_wash_guy]

I researched these for the last few days. Certainly an option and not bad prices for used equipment. Luckily I discovered http://www.noip.com and their turtorial walked me through remote NVR connection via DDNS perfectly (this is the for the IPhone connection). I was at a real road black getting the IPhone App to connect remotely until their tutorial showed me what to enter and what ports to open on the router. It was the best DIY guide I have come across in this entire setup. It literally worked the first time.

The softether VPN on macs would be another good option for people. But, not possible for me. I don't have a spare computer to leave at the remote site. I already bought the $320 Dahua NVR box to be the brain.

Here is a schematic of what has worked finally. I have a 120v wifi switch shall I ever need to power cycle the NVR or the PTZ camera:

Do you have the link to said tutorial? Great thread!

 

[alastairstevenson]

Maybe this : http://www.noip.com/support/knowledgebase/getting-started-with-no-ip-com/

 

[CaliGirl]

Maybe this : http://www.noip.com/support/knowledgebase/getting-started-with-no-ip-com/

Yes, this link was very helpful. But, the real magic is how the no-ip website prompts you with questions and test your port connections in real time as you are going through their steps. It made all the difference and help for someone like me. This is under the DYNAMIC DNS link of their site. I opted for the paid version $25 a year and you get multiple DDNS names. They have a free version too but you need to confirm that you are using it every 30 days or they drop you.

 

[CaliGirl]

If I am not mistaken, there was talk that running a VPN on the 1 CPU Asus RT N66W and full streaming would over tax it and run out of processing power.

This is how hard it is working streaming 3 cameras 500kbps each to the iPhone through AT&T LTE + 4 cameras through Open VPN to the macbook on Smart PSS. The router looks like it is barely having to breathe? The NVR network page is sending and receiving 24 mb/s.