Blue Iris Web Server not found on port 81?

B

bfollowell

Young grasshopper
Dec 11, 2015
81
22
Evansville, IN
I've had occasional issues with not being able to hit the BI web server from the mobile app. Typically, this is only from outside my home, but I'm fine if I'm connected to one of my home wi-fi networks. Now it has stopped working again and I can't the server from anywhere inside or outside of my home. In the past I would pull up Blue Iris settings, go to the web server tab, and run through Remote access Wizard again and this would fix whatever had changed or whatever issues I was having. Now, this doesn't help and I don't see anything wrong. When I get to the fourth screen, Web Server, it shows it listening at port 81 and gives me an error 12002 and acts as if the web server isn't reachable. I have ports 80:81 forwarded to my web server address and I've confirmed all internal and external ip addresses are correct. I can't see that anything has changed, but my web server just isn't working anymore and I'm not sure what I may be missing.

Any ideas?

Thanks.


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sebastiantombs said:
Secure Network

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

Many camera networks are unsecure, even those installed by professionals. This guide gives basic instruction in how to secure a camera network from the most common types of attacks. Perhaps the most important rule of securing a computer network is to not forward ports to unsecure services...
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VPN Primer

VPN Primer for Noobs

The internet is a force of nature; no video surveillance system made was designed to be exposed to those forces.. NEVER FORWARD PORTS to your NVR or Cameras, doing such things not only exposes you to severe security problems, but everyone else on the internet too.. Hackers dont want your video...
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Click to expand...

OK, I see that, and I gather that you're promoting running my server through a VPN. That's all fine and well, and a very good suggestion, but I don't see anything in there that is going to help me with my current situation, which is that I can't see BI from the mobile app. While I don't mean to seem unappreciative for your excellent advice, I fail to see how it is going to help me when I can't even hit the server. If I can't hit it the same that I have for the past year, I fail to see how anything in these links is going to help.

That being said, I've only just started the primer, and I'll continue reading through and maybe I'll find something, but so far, I'm still batting zero and neither of these links was helpful.

Once, I get back up and running, I definitely plan to follow your advice.

Thanks anyway.
 
Have you run the "remote access wizard" in the BI console to determine if your BI server is currently visible using port forwarding and if the server is visible to the internet? Also keep in mind that you internet LAN address, assigned by your ISP, can change since they use DHCP and it can change each time that it is renewed by your ISP, IE when the lease time expires. The BI wizard is using port forwarding which is a security risk and not recommended for that specific reason.

Using a VPN is much more secure but this is not the same as a VPN that you pay for to hide your web surfing. Those are "outbound" VPNs while an "inbound" VPN is required to access the BI server remotely and securely. In fact a VPN will allow access to your LAN just as if you are actually on your local LAN even when you're coming in through a cellular or WiFi connection from ""outside".
 
The the step that it fails on is the next thing we need to know.

After going through the wizard, and it has been a while, I see the step that's failing. Can you access UI3 on the local LAN? Is the BI machine using DHCP on your local LAN? If so, try assigning a fixed IP address for it rather than using DHCP to remove a variable. Then try the wizard again.
 
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Thanks guys, and @sebastiantombs, your advice isn't falling on deaf ears. I just want to get things back as they were and working before I try changing things. I don't think it's ever a good idea to jump in and start making a bunch of changes unless you're coming from a known good state, which I'm not currently at. Once I get there, then I'll look into setting up a VPN like you advise. And yes, as @looney2ns mentioned, almost every single question you asked in your last post was answered in my first post. It makes me wonder if you read it at all before dropping your advice bomb and leaving. ;) Seriously though, I do appreciate your advice.

Hey @looney2ns, glad to hear from you again neighbor!

So to answer @looney2ns question, no, it looks like port 81 isn't open. Actually, when I checked ports in cmd line I get No ports are currently open on all network interfaces. So, something has definitely changed recently. I'm assuming it is due to some recent Windows update or something to do with me changing Internet Security packages.

I looked a little deeper and it was switching from Norton 360 to Avast that was the problem. I've corrected it and now I'm back in business. Now on to looking into VPNs and locking my system down. Thanks to both of you!
 
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Shut down Windows updates is another little trick.
 
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Having the same issue with a new install of BI on Windows 10. On the BI machine the web server will not launch on port 81.

Added port 81 as an inbound rule in the Windows firewall. Still no go on the BI machine. What did work was to change the port to 80 in the BI server. Now the login screen displays and the web service GUI works.

On another desktop connected to the same LAN when 127.0.0.1 is pinged there is a connection. However, when using the address in the browser it will not connect to the BI web server GUI. Tried adding an inbound rule for port 80 and no go.

Suggestions on accessing the BI web server GUI on the other networked computer?

The BI system is very basic. A hand full of cameras to a 24 port POE switch that is connected to the BI NIC. (single NIC setup) The POE switch is connected to the LAN side of the router.
 
Alaska Country said:
Having the same issue with a new install of BI on Windows 10. On the BI machine the web server will not launch on port 81.
Click to expand...
Before you changed the port in the BI server from 81 to 80, were you using this URL to open BI's web server?
Code: 
http://BI-Server-IP:81
 
"As the web server is automatically installed and running, it should in most cases become
immediately available if you open a browser on the PC and use the address:
." Page 99 Manual version 5.

However, when the port is added the URL will not function.

Gave your suggestion a try on both the BI machine and the other desktop networked comput on the same LAN. No go for or .
 
Alaska Country said:
"As the web server is automatically installed and running, it should in most cases become
immediately available if you open a browser on the PC and use the address:
." Page 99 Manual version 5.

However, when the port is added the URL will not function.

Gave your suggestion a try on both the BI machine and the other desktop networked comput on the same LAN. No go for or .
Click to expand...
You need the actual LAN IP address used on your BI PC. The localhost IP (127.0.0.1) works only when on the PC itself.

While on the BI PC, open a CMD line window and type ipconfig. It should show you the IP address of the BI PC. Use that in place of the 127.0.0.1 local address.

The localhost IP address (127.0.0.1) says "talk to the PC I'm currently on". So that would work but only while on the BI PC, not when on any other PC in your network.
 
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Yes, understand that 127.0.0.1 is a host loopback address. That is why it would ping from both the BI machine and the other desktop and not from machine to machine as it is internal to one machine and only one machine.

Changed out the info in the network adapter (IPv4) as the cameras came from a Dahua NVR in the 10.1.1.XX range. They are now at 192.168.55.xx with access via IE 11 on the BI computer.

However, still not viable on the other desktop connected to the same LAN.

Will add a second NIC card this evening and return those settings back to "Obtain IP and DNS server address automatically on the existing NIC card. (IPv4) That should regain access to the internet.

On the new card will use the same information that is listed in the image for the IPv4 settings. Used the following IP address 192.168.55.10 and 255.255.255.0 with DNS server listed, etc. Plus under advanced IP 192.169.55.10 and 192.168.1.50 with subnet mask at 255.255.255.0. (i.e. following the direction as posted on this site for dual NIC card setup)

Any suggestions on accessing BI on the other desktop computer connected to the same LAN? i.e. The LAN-IP is 192.168.1.1 (Asus router)

The goal is to isolate the internet from the BI machine, but yet let other LAN connected computers access BI for viewing, etc. Can setup VPN if needed for better isolation as the Asus router (VPN Server) supports that function. However, will add that function once connections are established between BI and the desktop machine.

BI Ethernet Settings.PNG
 
Alaska Country said:
Yes, understand that 127.0.0.1 is a host loopback address. That is why it would ping from both the BI machine and the other desktop and not from machine to machine as it is internal to one machine and only one machine.

Changed out the info in the network adapter (IPv4) as the cameras came from a Dahua NVR in the 10.1.1.XX range. They are now at 192.168.55.xx with access via IE 11 on the BI computer.

However, still not viable on the other desktop connected to the same LAN.

Will add a second NIC card this evening and return those settings back to "Obtain IP and DNS server address automatically on the existing NIC card. (IPv4) That should regain access to the internet.

On the new card will use the same information that is listed in the image for the IPv4 settings. Used the following IP address 192.168.55.10 and 255.255.255.0 with DNS server listed, etc. Plus under advanced IP 192.169.55.10 and 192.168.1.50 with subnet mask at 255.255.255.0. (i.e. following the direction as posted on this site for dual NIC card setup)

Any suggestions on accessing BI on the other desktop computer connected to the same LAN? i.e. The LAN-IP is 192.168.1.1 (Asus router)

The goal is to isolate the internet from the BI machine, but yet let other LAN connected computers access BI for viewing, etc. Can setup VPN if needed for better isolation as the Asus router (VPN Server) supports that function. However, will add that function once connections are established between BI and the desktop machine.

View attachment 131306
Click to expand...
Don't use the address of the cameras. You need the IP address of your BI PC which appears to be 192.168.1.50. Try that out and see if you see the UI3 page being served up. First try from the BI PC to verify it works. Then try another PC on the LAN with that same address. Both should work. If not, check the Windows firewall in case it is blocking traffic. Can you ping the BI PC from the rest of the network?

Finally, if that works, you should go to the router and set the BI PC so that it is a static address so it doesn't get a different IP address each time it reboots.
 
At this point the BI computer can not access the internet. It will not connect as the network adapter IP addresses have been altered in the BI computer to allow access to the Dahua cameras on 192.168.55.xx. If switched back to auto configure (IPv4) , the net comes back but then the cameras can not be accessed.

And yes, it is the cameras that I am interested in isolating from the net. However, isolating the entire BI computer and cameras does not seem to be a bad idea. As the only time net access is needed would be for BI updates. Since it would not be on the net there would be no need to have Microsoft updates as it would be an isolated and closed system.

However, two other computers connected to the LAN should have BI access. These other two computer are used for net access.
 
From a technical viewpoint, you can add your "private" camera LAN address to the other two computers. That assumes the BI machine and those two computers are connected to the same router or switch. Unfortunately, that also means you can't access BI from outside when out and about.

The simplest thing to do is a second NIC in the BI machine and use the other NIC for your regular LAN address scheme. You can also disable WIndows updates pretty easily so that's not an issue at all.
 
So push notifications or emails if the cameras are triggered are of no value to you?
 
I think you are overthinking and over complicating it and going to create a mess.

It appears that your internet is on IP address 192.168.1.XXX

Your cameras are on 192.168.55.XXX

Any other devices on your LAN would need to be on the same IP address subnet. So if your BI computer is on 192.168.1.XXX and the other devices that have internet are on that subnet, you can then access them because they are on the same subnet and unless you block in the router the BI computer, it will have internet access being on the same subnet as your internet.

If your BI computer and cameras are all on 192.168.55.XXX and you do not have another NIC, then the only way other devices will be able to talk to the cameras or the BI computer is if they are on the same 192.168.55XXX subnet, but then none of them will have internet access.

As @sebastiantombs mentions, having two NICs in the BI computer is the answer. All the cameras on 192.168.55.xxx and internet on 192.168.1.xxx and then your other devices on the LAN can access BI and the cameras cannot talk to the internet.
 
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+1^^.

Network Topology 2NICs.JPG
 
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