New system advice, please.

[tyke]

Hi, I've just stumbled on this forum and assume it is mainly USA based. I am in the U.K.
I have very little knowledge of IP cameras, but would like to monitor my stables when I am at work.
Putting aside all the many issues of what equipment to use and I realise it is a very basic question, but......
If I want to access my IP camera on my smartphone when I am at work, I assume that my computer needs to be running at home. I know this is a very basic question, but the answer does not seem totally obvious to me.

Please be gentle with a complete novice. If anyone can give advice with what issues I am likely to encounter and how to overcome them I would be really grateful.

 

[SquareEyes]

A few questions first;

1. Do the stables have power?
2. Do the stables have network/internet access?
3. Will the camera's be exposed to the elements or indoors?
4. Are the stables lit at night?
5. Without compromising your personal security, would you be able to provide a Google Earth/Maps satellite view of said stables and the nearest point that has internet or network access?

This should assist the clever people here in assisting you. Luckily their are some highly valued members in your neck of the woods.


PS Welcome

 

[tyke]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Answer to all questions, except number 3, is yes, question 3 the camera will be outside.
All I really wanted to know, initially, is do I have to leave my computer on and running at home when I want to see images from my IP camera on my smartphone when I am at work?
I believe I can solve all the other likely issues with a combination of this forum, Google and YouTube, but any pointers to other suitable sites would be welcome.

 

[stoney7713]

Yes, No, it depends on how you set everything up.

You can view the cameras without a computer IF you port forward them, but that is a bit of a security issue. Or if the cameras support P2P which is app on your phone for viewing the cameras if the cameras support P2P. The cameras won't be recording unless they also support SD cards, unless...

You have a NVR, Network Video Recorder, or you record to your computer. (Yes they would need to be running 24x7) Some cameras will record to a NAS.



There are a lot of if/or/maybe there. It really depends on your needs and wants.

 

[tyke]

Hello again from the UK.
I would like to install a basic IP camera on the outside wall of my garage so that I can view my stables when I am not at home. I do not need to record anything or have audio capability. I just want to have the piece of mind of being able to have a quick check that all is well when I am not at work, ideally through my Windows phone.
I have a desktop PC running Windows 10 and connect to the internet through a Netgear router DGN2200v3. I have extended my network to my garage using powerline adapters. I have read about setting up a VPN which sounds reasonably straightforward to a beginner and could power a camera using POE if necessary. I appreciate that there may be security issues with port forwarding, but would a VPN overcome this?
Any thought about how to set up a simple, affordable system would be most appreciated.

 

[tyke]

Whoops!! Should have said "when I am at work".

 

[SyconsciousAu]

I appreciate that there may be security issues with port forwarding, but would a VPN overcome this?

Forwarding a port opens your camera to the internet for all to see. That in itself isn't a problem if your password is secure enough. 10 digits using upper case, lower case, numbers and special characters gives you more than 59 quintillion possible combinations, and most cameras cancel the account after a certain number of attempts. What can be a problem is that some cameras don't support HTTPS so your really secure password is sent in plain text. A man in the middle attack could grab this password out of the data stream. If you are connecting to your camera via your mobile data provider the risk of that is relatively low. If you connect by one of the many free wireless hotspots out there that risk goes up.

What VPN does is encrypt the entire connection from your mobile device back to your server. You equipment needs to support it. You can also use certificates so only devices with the correct certificate on board can connect to your network. If the camera does not support HTTPS it doesn't matter because even though your password is sent in plain text, it is sent up a secure connection. One of the best analogies I have heard is that the internet is like a clear plastic pipe. HTTP traffic is like English going up the pipe. You can see it and read it. HTTPS translates that English traffic into some rare ancient Chinese dialect. You can see it but it means nothing to you. VPN is a black pipe going up the middle of your clear pipe with your traffic going up that. No one can read any of it.

For your purposes, if you are worried about security, I would buy a camera that supports HTTPS, use a strong password, and just port forward that to the internet. Setting up a VPN to protect a single camera that views horses would be overkill.

 

[tyke]

Thanks to SyconsciousAu for excellent explanation.
I understand what you say about port forwarding. Is the password set up during the port forwarding process or when first connecting the camera to the router? As I said in my original post I am a complete novice in this area, although I have learnt a certain amount from YouTube videos!

The other obvious question is can you suggest a suitable camera that would support HTTPS and is available in the U.K.?

 

[SyconsciousAu]

Thanks to SyconsciousAu for excellent explanation.
I understand what you say about port forwarding. Is the password set up during the port forwarding process or when first connecting the camera to the router? As I said in my original post I am a complete novice in this area, although I have learnt a certain amount from YouTube videos!

The other obvious question is can you suggest a suitable camera that would support HTTPS and is available in the U.K.?

It is set up in the web interface of the camera. When you port forward a camera and log in remotely you will see the web interface login page. The firmware in most Dahua and Hikvision offering supports HTTPS from memory. Just check the specifications.

 

[tyke]

It is set up in the web interface of the camera. When you port forward a camera and log in remotely you will see the web interface login page. The firmware in most Dahua and Hikvision offering supports HTTPS from memory. Just check the specifications.

Thanks again, for your reply. Will look at Dahua and Hikvision.

 

[tyke]

Hello, again,
I have now bought and installed a Hikvision IP Camera, the model is DS-2CD2032F-I. I found installation and initial setup on my LAN straightforward and I am happy with the image produced by the camera. I would now be grateful for advice on how to access the camera remotely, taking note of earlier replies. The camera uses port 8000 by default, but is HTTPS capable, so should I change the port to something else, eg the https default port?? My ISP uses DDNS. Do I need to ask for a static IP address, or can I use a DDNS service--is this available through Hikvision?
Would be grateful for further guidance from anyone who has time to spare for a reply,

 

[fooey]

On the assumption that you have accepted the increased risk of exposing your camera to the internet, it really doesn't make any difference which port you set it to. People/scripts out there will end up scanning all the ports anyway.

As per sysconscious, just set a decent complex password and using https, and for your use case it's probably OK.

Your router seems pretty basic so probably doesn't have a DDNS client built in (but I may be wrong). Your model of Hikvision has a DDNS tab with providers but you will need to check yourself if these are free/paid.

Which provider are you with? Since the router is a ADSL one - that counts out Virgin Media cable which even though is dynamic IP, appears to remain pretty much static. Other ISPs seem to vary as to how frequently your assigned IP changes though usually it should remain as is until you power cycle your router.

An alternative to hikvision ddns client is one on your PC (then you can use any ddns provider), but I would also say that it would be a waste of electricity to keep this running all day just for that. If you use your computer on a frequent basis (nightly or every couple of days), the time your address would be out of sync may be acceptable?