Hi, I just bought BI a couple of days ago. I paid the extra for the Android app and boy, is that hard work. I managed to view my cam while I was in wifi connected to the router, but as soon as i left the house, nothing. I'm thinking, I have several smart plugs and things that just work out the box in 5 min. I just cant see what Blue Iris software writers were thinking when they created one of the most expensive apps on play, yet one of the dumbest. Did anyone else struggle on this one?
New guy. Hi, I just bought BI a couple of days ago. I paid the extra for the Android app and boy, is that hard work.
- Thread starter mtrax
- Start date
fenderman
Staff member
- Mar 9, 2014
- 36,892
- 21,407
Blue iris software is developed by a single person. Your smart plug does not have to send high bandwidth video to your cell phone. The app is not dumb, it is you. You dont have a basic grasp on how remote viewing works.
What is happening is that your router is doing its job in protecting your network from outside attack. You need to allow access to your network in one of two ways. Port forwarding which is not very secure or setup a vpn, see wiki on securing your network.
If this is too much work for you and you want something easy I suggest you pay the lazy/stupid tax to nest or ring and use their subpar crappy cameras. Alternatively, you can purchase DW ipvms at about 70 dollar per camera. They offer easy remote viewing.
SouthernYankee
IPCT Contributor
Security is always hard work.
Set up OpenVPN on your network. This provides secure access to your network from the internet. This is the recommend way to access the BI PC.
Please read the IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the IP Cam Talk Wiki. (read on a real computer, not a phone). The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.
Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.
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There are two types of VPN, do not get them confused.
The type depends on where the traffic conversation (traffic) originates
1) origination: local home network, destination the internet.
This type of VPN purpose to hides your activity from the internet, it is outbound, it normally costs a monthly fee to use. Direction is from your home PC to the internet, going to your bank, google, porn sites,,,, this not what you want
2) Origination: the internet world wide web, destination: your home network
This VPN type is used to provide a secure connection onto your local network, in bound to you local home network, from your office computer, your cell phone in your car, tablet at the coffee shop.. This is what you want, it does not have a monthly fee and is normally completely free. OpenVPN is this type of VPN.
Set up OpenVPN on your network. This provides secure access to your network from the internet. This is the recommend way to access the BI PC.
Please read the IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the IP Cam Talk Wiki. (read on a real computer, not a phone). The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.
Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.
------------------------------------------
There are two types of VPN, do not get them confused.
The type depends on where the traffic conversation (traffic) originates
1) origination: local home network, destination the internet.
This type of VPN purpose to hides your activity from the internet, it is outbound, it normally costs a monthly fee to use. Direction is from your home PC to the internet, going to your bank, google, porn sites,,,, this not what you want
2) Origination: the internet world wide web, destination: your home network
This VPN type is used to provide a secure connection onto your local network, in bound to you local home network, from your office computer, your cell phone in your car, tablet at the coffee shop.. This is what you want, it does not have a monthly fee and is normally completely free. OpenVPN is this type of VPN.
Consider yourself lucky that you could not see your cameras when away from the house with your current understanding and setup. I would fully expect you to come home in 3-4 days and find worms, virus's, russian/chinese pop ups, and all that jazz if you could see cameras just by leaving your house without any VPN or security setup.
Blue Iris is considered (IMO) the best software for what it does with ONE guy (not a corporate IT team) doing it all.
Welcome to IP camtalk where many will help answer questions and give advice... but bring down the judgmental banter a tad.
Blue Iris is considered (IMO) the best software for what it does with ONE guy (not a corporate IT team) doing it all.
Welcome to IP camtalk where many will help answer questions and give advice... but bring down the judgmental banter a tad.
This is exactly what I am looking for thanks.
To get something up and running I have used port forward which consisted of several hours research and 3 minutes of action. many thanks
After researching a little I was aware BI was the one to go for. I did not realise it's a one man band. Respect to that "one man"
I concede, I am way out of my depth regarding this project, but I refute the suggestion I am dumb. I now understand why port forward or VPN tunnel is no auto set up of BI. Thank you for the heads up which got me to the next level. appreciated.
Noted. There was a lot of built up frustration over two areas of BI, the cellphone app being one. Apologies for that frustration spilling onto the forum.
Good, you are off to a better start.
Let's begin again. How can the community here help you out more? Lots of forum posts about setting up VPN stuff, Blue Iris tips & tricks, good/bad about Blue Iris Android App (I myself personally just use the UI3 as it shows me what I need it to).
Let's begin again. How can the community here help you out more? Lots of forum posts about setting up VPN stuff, Blue Iris tips & tricks, good/bad about Blue Iris Android App (I myself personally just use the UI3 as it shows me what I need it to).
This project started as an experiment which has taken a direction. I have one cam, ieGeek which quickly shown me what is possible with an ip cam networked. The BI was added and when this was set up with motion detection it quickly became a nature feed to observe the wildlife at night from my office at home, as well as security. The one feature that I plan to incorporate is "if alert, then bring on wifi triggered relay" for a multitude of possibilities. Also now that I have seen what can be achieved with a 1080p fixed point cam, the benefits of say 4 or 5, 4k cams and a dedicated BI pc is where this is intended to go.
Thank you for the offers of support Holbs, TL, SY and Fenderman. I'm sure I will need to draw on that for a little while yet.
Thank you for the offers of support Holbs, TL, SY and Fenderman. I'm sure I will need to draw on that for a little while yet.
mtrax, you can stay busy here learning for months by reading the many new posts and cruising all of the sub-forums in IPCT, without ever making a post of your own. You'll find that many, if not most, questions have already been asked, answered and hashed out. As already noted, the Cliff Notes and other tech (VPN for noobs), Southern Yankee's standard "welcome," Looney's various cam reviews and post responses, along with the multitude of advanced users here responding to newbs. Even though I joined just a while back, I lurked for months gleaning all I could, lest I post a question and incur the wrath of the heavy hitters for not doing my homework 
Sybertiger
Known around here
The BI mobile app for $10 is a decent app and not a wallet buster. However, you don't have to use the app to access your BI server. You can use a Chrome browser on your mobile phone and to access the UI3 user interface built into BI.
BTW, you can also access the BI server from near any device that has a browser (Chrome preferred) via UI3 on a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, HDTV, etc.
BTW, you can also access the BI server from near any device that has a browser (Chrome preferred) via UI3 on a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, HDTV, etc.