Connecting another camera from outside the Blue Iris Blue Iris LAN

[RLefler4]

Hello,

I don't know if this is possible with Blue Iris limitations or not. I know I can do it in some ip camera apps available for my phone. But I'd like to keep it all in Blue Iris if possible.

My setup

At home I have Blue Iris running on a local computer, always on with multiple cameras running. I would like to add another camera for viewing on the local computer as well as on the Blue Iris app for my Iphone from a location several states away. I don't really want to keep a computer running all the time at the remote location with Blue Iris software. It really wouldn't be beneficial for my uses. I do have a DNS service (DYNDNS) that I can use. Right now I don't use it with the Blue Iris Software. But I do use it with several IP camera apps on the phone. But I like Blue Iris much better and would like to do that is possible.

Is this some that I can do? If so what would the settings be?

Thanks for any help provided.

 

[Robert M]

As long as you setup port forwarding/NAT to your remote camera you can do it.

I've done this for 2 locations away from my Blue Iris. 1 is my office about 5 miles away and the other is a vacation home 6 hours away. For the remote cameras you need to setup NAT/Port Forwarding on the routers so blue iris can hit them. DynDNS is perfect as well since you'll reference those cameras with that name. Setup is just like local LAN except for the connection URL you'll use the DynDNS name and port you setup for forwarding. If your router has the capability I would restrict the source of that connection to your home blue iris public IP.

This is all assuming that your remote Cameras are compatible with Blue Iris.

 

[fenderman]

Be aware the simply Port forwarding the cameras creates a security risk... Setup a vpn

 

[RLefler4]

I also have a VPN (IPVANISH) Service. However I don't leave it running all the time. I only turn it on when I need it. It's just set up for W indows. Can I set it up for a single device (like my camera)?

Also if using forwarding DNS, what is the security risk? Is it to the camera or whole network?

 

[Robert M]

I also have a VPN (IPVANISH) Service. However I don't leave it running all the time. I only turn it on when I need it. It's just set up for W indows. Can I set it up for a single device (like my camera)?

Also if using forwarding DNS, what is the security risk? Is it to the camera or whole network?

DynDNS and Port Forwarding are different.

DynDNS is just a way to dynamically know what your public IP address is (no real risk)
Port Forwarding (if you can't restrict source IP) will open up your camera to the internet. This has some risk depending how much you trust the manufacturer to not have vulnerabilities in their code and how much you "secure" it. It's possible the camera has a mechanism to restrict connections from source IP if your router does not. If not obvious you also should not be using any default username/passwords if possible.

You also, as much as possible, should ensure you can use https to communicate to camera especially if sending authentication credentials.

As far as your VPN service (I haven't use IPVANISH) I'm not sure if you can use it with your camera. Does your router support it? Does your camera support it?

Using VPNs is a more complex networking question not specific to IP Camera setup.

 

[fenderman]

I also have a VPN (IPVANISH) Service. However I don't leave it running all the time. I only turn it on when I need it. It's just set up for W indows. Can I set it up for a single device (like my camera)?

Also if using forwarding DNS, what is the security risk? Is it to the camera or whole network?

You are confusing two types of VPN...The entire network is at risk....

 

[RLefler4]

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to the whole VPN thing. I don't believe my router (Linksys AC5400) has advance settings for VPN support. The camera I'm using is a Foscam R2 1080P.

I'm not sure how to setup HTTPS. Is it done in the Blue Iris settings?

 

[Robert M]

Thanks for the reply. I'm new to the whole VPN thing. I don't believe my router (Linksys AC5400) has advance settings for VPN support. The camera I'm using is a Foscam R2 1080P.

I'm not sure how to setup HTTPS. Is it done in the Blue Iris settings?

https is setup in the Foscam Interface. It's typically setup by default -- can you access your camera using https://local.ip.of.camera ? If so, HTTPS is enabled already.

Be sure you understand the risk as noted above if you are going to setup the port forwarding. If you don't understand the security implications of what you're going to do and/or how to mitigate that risk with the technology you have available I suggest not doing it.

To answer your original question - yes you can do what you want AND if you don't know how to do it you can expose your whole network on the target side. Neither of these are Blue Iris specific though. From a blue iris standpoint a remote camera is the same as local in terms of how you set it up.

ETA: You need to understand what your camera and router have available to help you mitigate risk and then decide if you still want to do it. Here are some different ways to accomplish what you want. If you don't understand the security implications of them then I would not do it at all.
1) Site to site VPN
2) Port Forward on default target port
3) Port Forward on "lesser known" target port
4) Port Forward on router-no source restrict IP, restrict IP on camera
5) Port Forward on default target port Restrict Source IP
6) Port Forward on "lesser known" target port and Restrict Source IP

 

[looney2ns]

Search here for VPN for Noobs

 

[Robert M]

VPN Primer for Noobs for reference

 

[hmjgriffon]

Tldr this guy is not a computer person, if the cams are not really expensive just forward the ports, you'll need devices that can do point to point VPN and crap otherwise which you most likely do not have and you'll be going down a big rabbit hole, unless you know someone who is willing to set it all up for you, I'd be billing someone 100+ an hour if it was me though

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

[RLefler4]

Thanks for all the replays. Now I'm really confused. If I set up the OpenVPN that my router will allow would that suffice? Also if I use that how do I set up the cameras and access them remotely?

 

[fenderman]

Thanks for all the replays. Now I'm really confused. If I set up the OpenVPN that my router will allow would that suffice? Also if I use that how do I set up the cameras and access them remotely?

read the vpn primer...once you setup vpn and connect to it via your phone..you will be on you local network