Cannot connect to cameras (server) via Blue Iris App

[Lizzy Leff]

Hi, after I tried unsuccessfully to add another Foscam ip camera, I looked at my Blue Iris (full version) app and found that I can no longer log on and see my cameras. It says "unable to connect to server." Could I have messed something up when trying to add another camera? When I edit the app's settings to what the Blue Iris program says are my settings, I still get the same error message. I am running the newest versions of the program and app. It was working perfectly a couple days ago. Help!

Lizzy

 

[fenderman]

adding a new camera has no effect on the app...have you checked that the ip address and credentials are accurate?

 

[Lizzy Leff]

I've triple-checked my ip address. How do I check credentials? Thank you for your help.

 

[paarlberg]

Check your logs in BI. (Blue Iris Status, then Connections) If you are making the connection to BI, it will show, then you can see if it is an authentication error. Can you connect on the local network, but not remote?

 

[Lizzy Leff]

There is nothing listed in Connections. I can see the cameras on my PC, but not the app.

 

[Lizzy Leff]

Got it! Thanks anyway!

 

[fenderman]

Got it! Thanks anyway!

what was the issue?

 

[Lizzy Leff]

I didn't have all the numbers exactly right on the app. It had changed when I was trying to add the new camera. Now I have to figure out how to add another camera without messing anything up.

 

[fenderman]

Interesting...the numbers or ip address should never change on its own...its got nothing to do with adding cams or not...make sure the pc has a static ip address assigned....
for the remote view make sure your are using a dynamic dns service...
was it your local address that changed?

 

[Lizzy Leff]

It stopped working again! I do have a static ip address. I do not know about the dynamic one. How do I make sure that it is? The address changed to having a :88 at the end.

 

[fenderman]

First are you logging in remotely or locally over your wifi..

 

[Lizzy Leff]

I have wi-fi turned off, so I guess remotely?

 

[fenderman]

yes if you are using your phones cellular network then it would be a remote login...go to google and type in "what is my ip" that is your "External ipaddress"...
if you go to the webserver tab you will see this same address in the external ip slot...this number is dynamic-it changes (unless you pay your service provider a fee)..this change often occurs after a modem reboot...the solution to the problem is using a dynamic dns service like no-ip.com or dyndns.com..the service checks to see of your ip address has changed (most routers support dyndns and no-ip, you enter the account info in your router) you can also use an updater app running on your blue iris pc...you will set up a host name...for example lizziyscams34.zapto.no-ip.com then in your blue iris app, in the external ip address slot you will enter lizziyscams34.zapto.no-ip.com:88 (assuming you webserver is on port 88) now your service will redirect the app to the true ip address regardless of how many times it changes...
no-ip.com has a free service and http://freedns.afraid.org/ is recommended by @nayr who is a network guru...so i would check that out as well

 

[Lizzy Leff]

Thank you so much for all your help. I'll try what you said tomorrow.

 

[Lizzy Leff]

I created host names with the links you provided. Are you saying to replace the external ip address numbers with the names I created? (Lizzy65.ddns.net.) I also created http://PirateSurv.404.mn. It won't let me change the external ip address in Blue Iris. I don't see where to put these names in my router either. I just don't understand why the LAN ip address & external address listed in Blue Iris, which are the same on my phone, don't work. This is driving me crazy.

 

[fenderman]

You are misunderstanding....First for the lan address to work on your mobile device you need to be on the same network as your blue iris machine = connected wifi on your phone not via cellular...Before even trying to use host names you must make sure it works with the numerical external ip address...Blue iris will not and cannot let you change the external ip address as that number is assgined by your internet provider...Once you get it working by typing the external ip address in the external address box on the mobile app then you can work on getting the host names set up...
To start..what port is your blue iris webserver on...do not use port 80...change it to something like port 8585...also dont post the full host name or external ip's here. Delete them from your post its a security risk...for example just by going to your lizz.....dns.net addess i was able to pull up a login screen for a cam or some router etc...it seems you are forwarding port 80? did you set that up?
Now, have you set up port forwarding? You need to forward port 8585 (or whatever you set your webserver to)...you will need to do this in your router settings and enter you blue iris pc local ip address there (it will be the same as the lan ip address displayed in the webserver page)...remeber that you net to set a local static ip also called dhcp reservation for your pc running blue iris so for exaple it will always be 192.168.1.33 or something ...

 

[Lizzy Leff]

I went back to Blue Iris and found that it went back to admin. When I changed it back to my name, the mobile app started working again. CRAZY!!

 

[fenderman]

back to admin? I am not sure what you are referring to....do you mean windows user?
Regardless when you enter the ip address you need to add the port number at the end xys.dyndns.org:8585 so you add :8585 where 8585 is the port number...
You really need to get a better understanding of what you are doing and forwarding because you may be opening security risks unnecessarily..

 

[fenderman]

Make sure you disable any forwarding of port 80..there is some device on that port that is exposed...it is not secure..

 

[Lizzy Leff]

I deleted it. Tomorrow I'll check the remaining ports. Inside the Blue Iris program, there is a box for User name and password. It said "admin" instead of my name and password. Were you able to get into my port when 80 was open? Thanks again for your help.