Can't access my cam from WAN ?

[Spookiepower]

I have a HIKvision cam which works just fine when I access it on the LAN side. I have full access, and can change any settings, and all works just fine. But I can't get access to my camera from the wan side. I have tried my self to setup the portfarwarding in my router with out luck. I called my internet provider, who also did setup a portforward, but it did not help too.

I'm 100% sure I have used the right portnumber, IP on wan side, username and password, and setup the portforward right (done by my internet provider)

Is there some settings in the camera, that can ban access from the wan side, that I might have missed ? Else, I don't know what to try next.

- Kim -

 

[alastairstevenson]

I'm 100% sure I have used the right portnumber, IP on wan side, username and password, and setup the portforward right (done by my internet provider)

The port required would depend on what (unspecified) presumably mobile app that you are using to view the camera with.
Have you customised any of the ports on the camera away from their default values?
What ports have you configured in your port forward?
80 or 445 or 8000 or a combination?
What were the results of checking the port forward configuration with something like canyouseeme.org?

 

[nayr]

stop now, put on a life vest and abandon ship.. Setup a VPN Server on your router, and use the native VPN clients on your phones/tablets/laptops.

security cameras should be banned from the internet, so if your having trouble take the hint.. DO NOT FORWARD PORTS TO IPCAMERAS.

 

[Martyj]

I have just recently turned off port forwarding and setup a VPN server on my router. To be honest it was actually easier than port forwarding.
Depending on the router, there are step by step instructions on the web.
My router even had a handy feature to export the config settings direct to my google drive and also a link to download an app on my phone to connect to the VPN, then import config settings and you're away.

I've shown the wife and installed the VPN app on her phone so she can now remote into the cams quite easy.

What would be super cool if Blue Iris could build the VPN function into their handy phone app, so no need to open two apps to get in safely!

 

[Spookiepower]

The port required would depend on what (unspecified) presumably mobile app that you are using to view the camera with.
Have you customised any of the ports on the camera away from their default values?
What ports have you configured in your port forward?
80 or 445 or 8000 or a combination?
What were the results of checking the port forward configuration with something like canyouseeme.org?

I did change the port away from default and back again to 8000, but it did not help.

I use the iVMS-4500 HD app on my Android. It works fine on LAN, but not on WAN.

Using canyouseeme.org says that the port I use is closed.

- Kim -

 

[Spookiepower]

stop now, put on a life vest and abandon ship.. Setup a VPN Server on your router, and use the native VPN clients on your phones/tablets/laptops.

security cameras should be banned from the internet, so if your having trouble take the hint.. DO NOT FORWARD PORTS TO IPCAMERAS.

I never thought about using a VPN - actually I have never setup an VPN before, but it sounds like something I should try. Can I still use the iVMS-4500 HD app on my phone, or does I need another app, if I change to a VPN ?

- Kim -

 

[nayr]

nothing changes, you just enable the VPN from anywhere in the world and its like your back home on your WiFi.. (as far as access to devices go, not throughput obviously)

Instead of exposing your cameras for the entire world to connect to, with a VPN your client device creates a secure tunnel back to your home network.. the only thing the internet knows is your running a VPN Server, thats much less susceptible to attack.

 

[Spookiepower]

nothing changes, you just enable the VPN from anywhere in the world and its like your back home on your WiFi.. (as far as access to devices go, not throughput obviously)

Instead of exposing your cameras for the entire world to connect to, with a VPN your client device creates a secure tunnel back to your home network.. the only thing the internet knows is your running a VPN Server, thats much less susceptible to attack.

Thanks

This might be a stupid question, but setting up an VPN, is it only done in my router, or is it a service I have to buy somewhere ?

- Kim -

 

[nayr]

not a stupid question at all, people get confused over this ALL the time.. a paid VPN service hides your location on the internet for privacy reasons.. this is not what your using it for.

your using the vpn for remote access to your home network, so either your Router (preferably) or some device on your network (PC-NVR perhaps) has to run the VPN Server, and then you setup a Client on your phone/tablet/laptop... when the two are connected it uses unbreakable crypto to bridge you back to the home network.. when the link is up everything on your home network is avilable, fileservers, printers, network cameras, remote desktops, etc will be accessible just like you were at home. (on a slower connection).

First place to start off is to login to your router and start looking for any VPN Settings, if it does your in luck... determine what specific type of VPN It uses and then use google to help you get it configured right.. if not then I think the easiest to setup for people is either IPSec (Widely Supported built in clients) or OpenVPN, check em out.

 

[Spookiepower]

Thanks

I'll take a look at my router

- Kim -

 

[Jack B Nimble]

not a stupid question at all, people get confused over this ALL the time.. a paid VPN service hides your location on the internet for privacy reasons.. this is not what your using it for.

your using the vpn for remote access to your home network, so either your Router (preferably) or some device on your network (PC-NVR perhaps) has to run the VPN Server, and then you setup a Client on your phone/tablet/laptop... when the two are connected it uses unbreakable crypto to bridge you back to the home network.. when the link is up everything on your home network is avilable, fileservers, printers, network cameras, remote desktops, etc will be accessible just like you were at home. (on a slower connection).

First place to start off is to login to your router and start looking for any VPN Settings, if it does your in luck... determine what specific type of VPN It uses and then use google to help you get it configured right.. if not then I think the easiest to setup for people is either IPSec (Widely Supported built in clients) or OpenVPN, check em out.

How much data you think I might need if I opted for a VPN ? very generalized but I would just access cameras few times day ?

 

[steve457]

Thanks to nayr's comments on this thread, I just set up a VPN and stopped port forwarding my NVR. I actually was concerned about security before as I read that most NVRs are not that secure, so this thread just gave me a kick in the butt to actually do something about it. Fortunately, I was already running DD-WRT on my router which has support for OpenVPN. After about an hour I had my VPN up and running.

How much data you think I might need if I opted for a VPN ? very generalized but I would just access cameras few times day ?

I'm not sure I understand the question regarding how much data you need, as a VPN is about securing your network. It doesn't matter if you access your cameras once a day or 100 times a day as you want them to be secure regardless.

 

[Jack B Nimble]

I went to a VPN source you had mentioned and they have difervent levels of fees. As I recall first level 500 mb free then up to $40 a year unlimited. I assumed that was how much data you run through the tunnel ? Not familiar at all with VPN.

 

[steve457]

I went to a VPN source you had mentioned and they have difervent levels of fees. As I recall first level 500 mb free then up to $40 a year unlimited. I assumed that was how much data you run through the tunnel ? Not familiar at all with VPN.

See Nayr's post #9 above. You are not looking for a paid VPN service to hide your location, but instead setting up your own VPN so you do not need to port forward on your router. Nayr, highlighted the first steps pretty clearly below. Have your followed those yet? What type of router do you have, etc?

First place to start off is to login to your router and start looking for any VPN Settings, if it does your in luck... determine what specific type of VPN It uses and then use google to help you get it configured right.. if not then I think the easiest to setup for people is either IPSec (Widely Supported built in clients) or OpenVPN, check em out.

 

[Spookiepower]

I have just recently turned off port forwarding and setup a VPN server on my router. To be honest it was actually easier than port forwarding.
Depending on the router, there are step by step instructions on the web.
My router even had a handy feature to export the config settings direct to my google drive and also a link to download an app on my phone to connect to the VPN, then import config settings and you're away.

I've shown the wife and installed the VPN app on her phone so she can now remote into the cams quite easy.

What would be super cool if Blue Iris could build the VPN function into their handy phone app, so no need to open two apps to get in safely!

What is the name of the router you are using ?