How to access SRICAM IPCAM via the Internet

[MarkZA]

Good Day. I recently purchased and setup a SRICAM IPCAM. To date I have been able to access the camera via my smartphone using the supplied smart phone application. I can also access the camera using the supplied desktop software while on the same network. What I cannot seem to manage to do is access the camera via a browser over the internet (ie not connected to same LAN). IN other words I cannot access my camera which is at home from my laptop at work over the internet. Can someone assist me please

I have setup my own personal port for the camera and updated this on the camera itself as well as on my Netgear DGN2200 Firewall Rules and Services

I have even registered a free DNS to map to my changing external Router IP address although none of these settings seem required my the IPCAM software on my smart phone. So my question is how is my smartphone connecting to the camera over the internet and how can I get my browser on my laptop to do the same.

I have tried the ISPY PC software and done the wizard but it still doesnt seem to be able to access my camera

Thanks
Mark

 

[fenderman]

First, Ispy is a rippoff because they charge a hefty monthly fee...
To view your camera over the internet you need to port forward the ports the camera uses...or you can set up a vpn which is more secure.

 

[MarkZA]

The camera only uses one port which I have set on the camera and also done inbound and outbound forwarding for on my router. I have also setup up a DNS server to catfor my dynamic external IP address

 

[fenderman]

test it with the actual external ip address...just to be sure its not the dns service...if you are forwarding port 80 change it to a different port...check that the port is open with canyouseeme.org

 

[MarkZA]

Hi. So unfortunately these camera's only come with 3 pre-configured DNS services that you can use which aren't the greatest. The first one you have to pay for, the second one which I setup : http://9299.org/ initially worked and on port 80 I could access my router. However I am no longer able to do this even though the website shows my dns server as running http://mbeylis.9299.org/. I have also changed the port of my camera to another port (not 80) and like said set this up in the routers port forwarding

I will check to see if I can access the ports with canyouseeme.org and report back

I still wish I knew how the app on my smart phone is accessing the camera without any of this information

Mark

 

[fenderman]

You dont have to use their dynamic dns..you can use your own via your router..or pc app..check out no-ip...
First thing to check is to see if it works with the actual ip address..then you will know if its the service or not

 

[MarkZA]

Will do this. Just not sure the IP address at the moment as I am at work and it keeps changing. will do so this afternoon. The reason I say I think I have to use there's is there is a DDNS setting on the camera configuration with a drop down list in which you choose the DNS provider and supply your username and password for the DNS service

 

[fenderman]

Thats my point..you dont need to use their dynamic dns service..all the service does is route you to your current external ip address. any device on your network, be it a pc, router, another camera can update this info..just use no-ip for free..its not making a connection to the camera when you type in the address, i redirects you to your current external ip address..

 

[MarkZA]

Alright so as long as I have the port forwarding setup on my router correctly in that calls to my external IP and port are forwarded to camera local IP and port then all should work fine. Will try this. Thanks

 

[fenderman]

Yup...exactly

 

[MarkZA]

Still doesn't make sense to me though why the camera's web interface configuration contains a section for DDNS where you specify the account details you created for the supplied DNS. I mean the camera's configuration has nothing to do with router and it can't configure the router.

 

[fenderman]

It doesnt need to configure the router...any device in a network can determine its external ip address..the same way you do it when you type in what is my ip address in google...it doesnt matter what that device is...you external ip address will be the same regardless of what device you have that checks it....

 

[MarkZA]

Ok that makes sense. But I am still not sure why the IP Camera in its configuration has a section for the DDNS. I mean which ever DDNS host you choose from the list you have to visit there website and create an account which then associates your external IP with the static name. You then configure this information on the IP Camera. But if you don't setup port forwarding on your router no requests will get to the camera

 

[fenderman]

They are just giving you an additional option...usually a free service...

 

[TonyR]

fenderman is answering you, but I think it's not sinking in. Try this: As you know, your IP at home where the camera is (LAN) changes and you want to report that IP periodically or when it changes to a DDNS service. Then you can access your cam using a familiar, never-changing hostname from the remote location (WAN). That reporting of the IP can be accomplished FROM YOUR HOME by several ways: many routers, wireless routers and DSL modem/wireless routers can do it. They may have a drop-down for popular DDNS providers but also have a 'custom' section where you type in your DDNS, your hostname, username and password. The Netgear DGN2200 you mentioned would likely do a better job with DDNS and according to Netgear support, that is one of its features. I would use it before I'd use the camera's. OR if you have a PC or laptop at home that runs 24/7, with NO-IP.COM you can have a free taskbar app that runs in the background that logs in over your network and refreshes your account, telling them what your latest IP address is for your hostname. Other DDNS providers offer a similar free app. It sounds like you already have grasped the port forwarding issue and apparently have done so properly since your smartphone accesses your cam outside your home network. That being said, have you snooped into the smartphone's app to see how it is set up? I use the Blue Iris App on my iPhone (I have blue Irs 3 running on a PC at home) and you put in the hostname and port (for access from outside your home) and the local IP of the device and port (of the camera for access at home) and it determines automatically which to use. Either way (hostname or local IP) be sure to attach the port you've forwarded in your router with a colon like this : 'yourhostname.no-ip.com:99' or '192.1681.217:99'. Also, fenderman suggested very appropriately that you try your WAN (outside) IP from a remote location, bypassing your DDNS. Have someone at home on a device that gets onto the Internet on your network and have them access whatismyip.org, you call them from the remote location, ask them what that IP is and try that, putting the port number in (if not 80) with a colon (':' in front of it. Try other browsers (IE, Chrome, FireFox, Safari on iPhone, etc.). Good luck!