How to remote access into camera

[SmarthomeIP]

Hi guys,
Maybe I am asking the old school question, but that's life hey
I have 3 Dahua cameras (one is PTZ) and also the Blue iris, just purchase 10 mins ago, seems the cameras are all working in BI, PTZ too
We are behind the firewall managed by someone else (so you know have to go through submit paperwork and things to have port opened and things like that)
To give the boss access to the camera, including PTZ option, I think we will use the gDMSS on the phone, what is the best way of doing this?
The reason I ask is I am not sure that I should open 3 ports for 3 cameras or open the access to Blue iris computer, if the second option then how to make the phone app show up the camera and do the PTZ
The real target here is she open her phone then check the cameras, PTZ the main one when there is an alert
Please help as I am new to this area
Thank you very much for your help

 

[Mr_D]

Since it sounds like getting a VPN up would be difficult, check out ngrok.com which I found on Blue Iris's web site. It works but isn't free.

 

[SmarthomeIP]

Hi MrD, I thought that by opening the port we can access to the camera without paying, not really sure what does this ngrok do

 

[Mr_D]

Hi MrD, I thought that by opening the port we can access to the camera without paying, not really sure what does this ngrok do

Opening ports through your router opens access to anyone on the Internet which is dangerous. Whatever you forward the port to will come under constant attack. Ngrok has a small program that runs on your PC and connects to their cloud platform. As a user, you get an address like http://SmarthomeIP.ngrok.com that you can point your mobile app to and it makes contact with the program running on your PC which proxys BI's web server. I am testing the free version which randomizes the url every time you launch it and it works very nicely. Since no VPN is required, the connection to BI sets up more quickly and it's one less thing to explain and support if you have non-tech savvy users. I still have VPN access to my LAN, but for BI, ngrok is damn convenient.

 

[fenderman]

I afraid the boss wants to do it the other way as the router and firewall are managed by upper level, we don't need to worry about the attack, that's their problem, also to tell her we have to pay every month is hard to accept at this stage, I think I have to opt in for the opening port method

No its your problem. You dont know what you are doing. You are risking the security of the network. Get someone to help you.