New install advice needed

Ok. I returned the Swann cams to my friend, but now I'm thinking I gave in too fast. I had the IP address figured out but it kept saying 404 error, no stream found. Should I have tried different ports? I can't find the port settings anywhere and everytime I ask Swann tech support I get the blank stare. Here's the cams I had: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8927069&csid=_61. Is there a step by step manual for Blue Iris? I thought I was pretty savvy but the settings are challenging to a newbie. Like in the camera tab where you specify the IP address, it also asks for the port and path. Path to what?
 
If you've given them back, I'd forget about it and start fresh with some hikvision bullets. You'll breeze through the setup on some new cameras w/ documentation, I'll bet.
 
Ok. I returned the Swann cams to my friend, but now I'm thinking I gave in too fast. I had the IP address figured out but it kept saying 404 error, no stream found. Should I have tried different ports? I can't find the port settings anywhere and everytime I ask Swann tech support I get the blank stare. Here's the cams I had: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8927069&csid=_61. Is there a step by step manual for Blue Iris? I thought I was pretty savvy but the settings are challenging to a newbie. Like in the camera tab where you specify the IP address, it also asks for the port and path. Path to what?
You can download fing on your phone and click on scan services and it will tell you the ports the device is transmitting over.
Blue iris has a help file in every window that has all the info.
The path is the video url to get the stream from the camera. You dont need to change the path if the camera is on the dropdown menu...you must have the correct path, either by selecting the proper camera from the drop down or selecting a generic rtsp or jpeg stream from the top of the list and enter the proper path yourself. If you dont have the proper path entered then everything else is a waste of time..you need to proper ip address, path and port..
 
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jschlank,
I've tried several cameras, and I think the best bang for you buck is Hikvision. You can buy them on Amazon for around $110, Hikvision DS-2CD2032 (make sure to buy from US, not ship from China). They've served me well, but sometimes you need a little patience. Blue Iris is an amazing program for the price and tech support has been phenomenal, here and by Ken. Don't get Trendnet, I regret buying the cameras. If you need Switches, they're pretty pricey but Trendnet and Netgear have been good so far. Anyway make sure you can log into the cameras directly and set them up before setting up in Blue Iris. Hikvision uses SADP to assign IP Add, Gateway, etc. Good luck!
 
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I doubt that you are going to be satisfied with that camera trying to get license plates at night. Identify Faces, maybe if they are up close.
 
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Okay. I ended up getting a Hikvision bullet cam and finally have an operational security system! Still a few kinks to work out, but once you get a camera working, Bi is an awesome tool. I'm still having remote connection issues. I have At&T uverse. I set a static IP for my video server and opened up a port on my router to it, made a hole in the Mcafee firewall for BI. I can get the BI app to function on my phone when I'm within range of my wireless router at home, but once I leave the house, it won't connect. I'm thinking it has something to do with the AT&T router and it's external IP address. Anyone out there have any experience/tips for getting the BI phone app to work in synch with AT&T Uverse? I had hopes of being able to connect just using my Verizon 4G. But it's looking like maybe only via WiFi. Is that true? I receive BI alerts but when I try to open the app to connect it says it can't connect to my server.
 
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Okay. I ended up getting a Hikvision bullet cam and finally have an operational security system! Still a few kinks to work out, but once you get a camera working, Bi is an awesome tool. I'm still having remote connection issues. I have At&T uverse. I set a static IP for my video server and opened up a port on my router to it, made a hole in the Mcafee firewall for BI. I can get the BI app to function on my phone when I'm within range of my wireless router at home, but once I leave the house, it won't connect. I'm thinking it has something to do with the AT&T router and it's external IP address. Anyone out there have any experience/tips for getting the BI phone app to work in synch with AT&T Uverse? I had hopes of being able to connect just using my Verizon 4G. But it's looking like maybe only via WiFi. Is that true? I receive BI alerts but when I try to open the app to connect it says it can't connect to my server.
What port have you opened for the BI webserver? If its 80 or a low port number change it to something like 8585...(make sure to change the settings in the blue iris webserver page as well as in your router)...then test the port with canyouseeme.org
 
I changed the port to 8585 on the router firewall and the global range to 8585-8586 and then changed the webserver settings in BI to match but still can't get app to connect. Also got negative response from canyouseeme.org. Any other ideas?
 
I changed the port to 8585 on the router firewall and the global range to 8585-8586 and then changed the webserver settings in BI to match but still can't get app to connect. Also got negative response from canyouseeme.org. Any other ideas?
To properly asses this, post screenshots of your routers port forward settings.
Post screenshots of your blue iris webserver page...make sure to redact the external ip address...leave the internal address intact..
 
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Let me know if I got your request right
 

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Your screenshot from the uverse router appears to only show a custom service definition for Blue Iris, and not a complete port forwarding rule. We do not see where you have (or have not) associated the ports with your Blue Iris PC's local IP address.
 
When the ports were set to 80-81, I was able to connect from my Android phone only when wifi was enabled. When I turned wifi off on my phone i got the unable to connect to server message. I can't get connection either way with ports set to 8585-8586. Just tried with Mcafee turned off and still nada.
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Make sure the user you are logging in is not limited to lan only. blue iris options>users
Confirm that "cam-pc" is the name of the pc with blue iris on there...
Try just forwarding 8585 without the range of 8585-8586
 
I tried using port 8500 and tested with canyouseeme.org. With Mcafee on it could not see my ip, but with Mcafee off it could. However, the BI app still won't connect with Mcafee on or off. If i return the port settings to 80, I can connect via local wifi but not with wifi off and using data stream. Also, the "cam-pc" is where Blue Iris is installed and I also gave it a static IP address.
 
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I tried using port 8500 and tested with canyouseeme.org. With Mcafee on it could not see my ip, but with Mcafee off it could. However, the BI app still won't connect with Mcafee on or off.
Are you properly entering the external ip address in the app?
 
Tried creating new user, made it admin, made it non-admin, checked and rechecked password...still nothing. Can't believe I'm so close and hitting a wall on something that should be among the easiest things to do.