Jessie.slimer
BIT Beta Team
Unless you have the hardware to set up a VPN server (router that supports it or always on computer/raspberry pi/etc), vpn won't be an option.
Need help to install my camera
- Thread starter mmip
- Start date
Let's say my router supports vpn. Then I need to buy VPN? Then what? I just want to know all the options before I choose. If you can give me some guide or video would be great.
If you have an Asus router it has OpenVPN on it natively and nothing to purchase. Whoever makes your router either log into it or do a search and see if VPN is native to it.
But you need to make sure you are getting a VPN that puts you back onto your home network and doesn't hide your VPN.
Most people that get VPN to hide their IP for illegal video streaming and porn LOL. That is not the VPN you need.
But you need to make sure you are getting a VPN that puts you back onto your home network and doesn't hide your VPN.
Most people that get VPN to hide their IP for illegal video streaming and porn LOL. That is not the VPN you need.
My router name is tp-link wr740n. I don't think it supports OpenVpn. Of my router doesn't have it then what?
Do what @Jessie.slimer suggested or get a router that supports OpenVPN like an Asus router or do the raspberry Pi thing. Might be some other type of way in that router as well.
Is this Raspberry Pi thing service like Zerotier? The easiest way ( but not the safest ) as some of you said is to port forward. What may happen? Right now I'm using gDMSS it uses p2p so it's also insecure right? But some people say they use this app and they never had a problem.
@mmip, buy a raspberry Pi 4B and install OpenVPN or WireGuard on it by following this site: pivpn.io . You will also need a DDNS service. Otherwise, do as @Jessie.slimer has advised and install ZeroTier. I have ZeroTier also running at home which allows me to connect and view my cameras from a remote location when my VPN traffic has been blocked by a network. I found this when I was overseas late 2019 when the hotel's network did not allow a connection via my laptop's OpenVPN client. So I activated my ZeroTier client on my laptop and was able to connect back to my home.
Thanks for your response. If I install ZeroTier what's the features I will be able to see? Is it the same as when I open the default IP camera settings? Is it completely free? I just need to access the camera from 3-5 different networks ( wifi, mobile network ).
@mmip, I have an Intel i7 NUC that is always on. It runs my unifi controller software, FTP server and a syslog server. This PC is a client of my ZeroTier network and is always connected to it and receives a ZeroTier IP address. This machine has a local IP of 192.168.1.13, but it’s ZeroTier IP address is something like 172.x.y.z. When you set up your ZeroTier network, make it private and you must authorise devices to connect to your network. ZeroTier is free for up to 50 clients (if I recall correctly)
When I am at work, my laptop VPN client is blocked by the corporate network, so I connect my laptop to my ZeroTier network, this is a secure connection. I then run VNC on the laptop and connect to the ZeroTier IP address of my PC at home over the secure ZeroTier network. I am now remotely connected to the PC. I then open Internet Explorer on the remote PC and enter the IP address of a camera and I have access to its GUI. This is the only time I use ZeroTier -when my OpenVPN client is blocked by a corporate network such as at work or when I am overseas and the hotel's network prevents VPN traffic going out. I have used ZeroTier when I was in western Cambodia to view my cameras back at home in Australia. It works quite well.
When I am on cellular, I just activate OpenVPN on my phone and connect remotely to my always on PC To view my cameras. This means you have to have the OpenVPN App on your phone and the OpenVPN profile certificate needs to be copied onto the phone as well. This is covered in this site pivpn.io. When I connect to the VPN via my phone, I can access my cameras using the DMSS app which allows me to see my camera live feeds.
When you add devices to your ZeroTier network, they all get a unique IP address for that network. I have two RaspberryPi, that are also clients to my ZerToier network. This means I can connnect directly to them from my laptop when the laptop is connected to ZeroTier. I have a NAS that is also a ZeroTier client and connected as well. There are instructions on ZeroTier website for setting up your network.
if you get a Raspberry Pi, you can also put PiHole on it and use it a LAN wide ad blocker (in combination with browser ad blockers). I have two Raspberry Pi running PiHole on each as my two DNS servers. One of them runs the OpenVPN server, the other one runs the WireGuard VPN server.
When I am at work, my laptop VPN client is blocked by the corporate network, so I connect my laptop to my ZeroTier network, this is a secure connection. I then run VNC on the laptop and connect to the ZeroTier IP address of my PC at home over the secure ZeroTier network. I am now remotely connected to the PC. I then open Internet Explorer on the remote PC and enter the IP address of a camera and I have access to its GUI. This is the only time I use ZeroTier -when my OpenVPN client is blocked by a corporate network such as at work or when I am overseas and the hotel's network prevents VPN traffic going out. I have used ZeroTier when I was in western Cambodia to view my cameras back at home in Australia. It works quite well.
When I am on cellular, I just activate OpenVPN on my phone and connect remotely to my always on PC To view my cameras. This means you have to have the OpenVPN App on your phone and the OpenVPN profile certificate needs to be copied onto the phone as well. This is covered in this site pivpn.io. When I connect to the VPN via my phone, I can access my cameras using the DMSS app which allows me to see my camera live feeds.
When you add devices to your ZeroTier network, they all get a unique IP address for that network. I have two RaspberryPi, that are also clients to my ZerToier network. This means I can connnect directly to them from my laptop when the laptop is connected to ZeroTier. I have a NAS that is also a ZeroTier client and connected as well. There are instructions on ZeroTier website for setting up your network.
if you get a Raspberry Pi, you can also put PiHole on it and use it a LAN wide ad blocker (in combination with browser ad blockers). I have two Raspberry Pi running PiHole on each as my two DNS servers. One of them runs the OpenVPN server, the other one runs the WireGuard VPN server.
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Thanks for the long post! Appreciate it. How ZeroTier is more secure than opening router port? I'm sorry if I'm asking too much but I want to know the difference.
Opening a router port or P2P is like blasting a hole through your house door - anyone can come and go as they please regardless of any security software or firewall on your router. Opening a port bypasses any security/firewall on the router and depends on the device you are porting to for security and ironically these cameras lack in that department.
VPN is putting your computer back onto your home network in an encrypted method and your router firewall in intact.
I do not know anything about ZeroTier, but it seems to bounce thru their server so someone could question if it is as secure since it is potentially allowing someone into the VPN like a paid service that is intended to mask the IP, but we can let the experts decide that.
VPN is putting your computer back onto your home network in an encrypted method and your router firewall in intact.
I do not know anything about ZeroTier, but it seems to bounce thru their server so someone could question if it is as secure since it is potentially allowing someone into the VPN like a paid service that is intended to mask the IP, but we can let the experts decide that.
So you recommend me a VPN? What kind of VPN? I believe it's not a VPN which is changing my IP address. Please give me more opinions about ZeroTier please or some other ways to access my cam trought different network.
Jessie.slimer
BIT Beta Team
Your ideal solution would be setting up a VPN service as everyone has said. This is most secure. If you are unable to do that for whatever reason, your next secure solution is zerotier. You are creating an encrypted tunnel between your devices and zerotier devices. As @wittaj has said, you are relying on their servers not being compromised. From the research I have done, they seem like a reputable company, but this option will never be as secure as setting up and running your own vpn service where you have complete control over all of the equipment.
The last option, and by far the least secure, is opening ports. This should be avoided if at all possible, especially seeing as you have at least one much more secure option on the table.
The last option, and by far the least secure, is opening ports. This should be avoided if at all possible, especially seeing as you have at least one much more secure option on the table.
So you recommend me a VPN? What kind of VPN? I believe it's not a VPN that will change my IP address. Please give me more opinions about ZeroTier please or some other ways to access my cam trought different networks. Also how can I check if my PC has some port forwarding ( open ports ).
I recommended OpenVPN. Someone else recommended ZeroTier.
Since you can see your cams on your mobile device away from home tells you that P2P is on in the camera.
Now it is up to you to decide your level of comfort and security.
Since you can see your cams on your mobile device away from home tells you that P2P is on in the camera.
Now it is up to you to decide your level of comfort and security.
I just checked OpenVpn and I saw there's a free plan. It says - Your first two VPN connections are free. What that means? I know what VPN means and how to use it but it's different right now because I don't know exactly how this works with my current situation.
I don't think my router supports that at least I can't see it. My router is WR740N.
Jessie.slimer
BIT Beta Team
No, it does not. Unless you are willing to run openvpn on a pi or an always on computer, or buy a new router with VPN capabilities built in, the vpn option will not work for you.
Jessie.slimer
BIT Beta Team
It takes about 20 minutes to get zerotier up and running, with absolutely no cost to you. Why not try it? If you don't like it, delete it go for something else. Nothing lost.