Problem logging in from Android with wifi off

[Jeff Basin]

Hi All,
I know in the past I've been able to log in to my cameras through the BI app with wifi off but now I can only log in when I'm on my phone and on my home wifi. What don't I have set up correctly? I have an Pace router/modem through AT&T and set it up to allow the BI server through my firewall. That might be two different things but throwing it out there in case it's relevant.

 

[TonyR]

Hi All,
I know in the past I've been able to log in to my cameras through the BI app with wifi off but now I can only log in when I'm on my phone and on my home wifi. What don't I have set up correctly? I have an Pace router/modem through AT&T and set it up to allow the BI server through my firewall. That might be two different things but throwing it out there in case it's relevant.

Sounds like your WAN IP has changed; is it static from AT&T or are you using DDNS?

For now, go to whatismyip.com, write that IP down and in the BI app put that in for the WAN entry, along with the port for your BI server.
Your LAN entry must be correct since you said you can access when on your home Wi-Fi; the port at the end of the LAN IP is what will go at the end of the WAN entry also:

Example:

aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd:port

 

[Jeff Basin]

I looked it up and it's the current IP address. In the router, setting under connection type it says "Direct IP (DHCP or Static)". I know you probably don't know how to configure my Pace model but are there typically settings within the router for the customer to change to static or DCHP or is that controlled through AT&T?

 

[TonyR]

I looked it up and it's the current IP address. In the router, setting under connection type it says "Direct IP (DHCP or Static)". I know you probably don't know how to configure my Pace model but are there typically settings within the router for the customer to change to static or DCHP or is that controlled through AT&T?

No, that's controlled by AT&T, nothing you can change, you just need to know in order to make an accommodation but it sounds like that's not the issue anyway; you stated the WAN IP was as you expected to find it and had not changed.

You stated that it did work at one time which frankly is no small miracle in that I've had to jump through hoops to access the BI server PC remotely, over the WAN in what may be a similar scenario. This was a Pace 5268AC modem/router and the particular flavor of DSL/ADSL was uVerse which is VDSL.

In it, one could not simply 'allow BI server through firewall' (they call it making a 'pinhole') in 'Settings/Firewall/Applications, Pinholes & DMZ' and following their own 'port forwarding' did not work, either. Leave it up to AT&T to make anything (like forwarding a port) into something more (like open heart surgery).

Before I go further, what model of Pace do you have and can you verify that you have VDSL? Logging into modem and looking at 'broadband' or 'status', etc. should shed some light; if you have phone or TV over your Internet, then you have uVerse / VDSL.

 

[Jeff Basin]

We had AT&T come in late last year to run new lines to our house but since our neighborhood doesn't have fiber yet, we're stuck at 25Mbps. Believe it or not, I work for Discovery Channel but cut cable a couple years ago so we only have internet with AT&T. Hope the attached images below are what you were asking for. Also, some time ago, I did create a pinhole for the BI server.

 

[TonyR]

We had AT&T come in late last year to run new lines to our house but since our neighborhood doesn't have fiber yet, we're stuck at 25Mbps. Believe it or not, I work for Discovery Channel but cut cable a couple years ago so we only have internet with AT&T. Hope the attached images below are what you were asking for. Also, some time ago, I did create a pinhole for the BI server.

Yep, it's uVerse.

1) Insure your Blue Iris server has a static LAN IP address.

2) The most expedient thing to do is to log into the modem, delete the application from the list you created before and delete the pinhole you created before then power-cycle the Pace.
When it's ready, log back in, check firewall status to insure the pinhole is gone and the application is no longer on the list.
If both are gone, re-do the application and the pinhole, power-cycle, log in to see that they are both there.
If both there, insure phone Wi-Fi is off, try coming in again on cell via WAN.

Sorry, but that's my best guess, plus I had to do that to my customer's Pace 5268AC in March of last year after running great with BI on his iPhone for 2 years.

if you need help with creating the application and the pinhole because it's been so long and is a PITA, holler back, I've got s couple of pages of the Pace manual highlighted regarding the 2 processes that should help.

 

[Jeff Basin]

Alright, you did it again. I was able to create a static LAN IP (currently wasn't static) and luckily remembered how to delete and add Blue Iris to the pinhole. I've put two digital donuts in your virtual account. You've been a tremendous help.

Question, is there anything to be concerned about by opening a port through my firewall? I have a VPN on my phone which is the only way I would access BI on my home PC but if I'm not accessing anything from my phone, can someone still get through? My modem does not have an onboard VPN and it looks like I'd have to pay for a VPN service unless I want very limited monthly bandwidth.

 

[fenderman]

Alright, you did it again. I was able to create a static LAN IP (currently wasn't static) and luckily remembered how to delete and add Blue Iris to the pinhole. I've put two digital donuts in your virtual account. You've been a tremendous help.

Question, is there anything to be concerned about by opening a port through my firewall? I have a VPN on my phone which is the only way I would access BI on my home PC but if I'm not accessing anything from my phone, can someone still get through? My modem does not have an onboard VPN and it looks like I'd have to pay for a VPN service unless I want very limited monthly bandwidth.

the paid vpn services will provide zero security you are confusing vpn's....see the vpn primer for noobs thread.

 

[TonyR]

Glad I could help!

I would not forward any other ports other than the 1 you have now to Blue Iris; insure uPNP is off in all cams and in your Pace router.

A VPN is the best way to increase security, and among the various solutions, the best and easiest is to run it on a router that has it built-in already (Asus and Netgear are 2 big players) and install VPN client on phone. OpenVPN probably gets the most kudos from users that have set it up on an Asus router and on a smartphone, so this forum should be able to help. But that will be the relatively easy part....the challenge will be getting that Pace into 'bridge mode' and letting the Asus do the routing and VPN; AT&T likes to make EVERYTHING like pulling teeth.