Secondary router causing some complications

[aviondubzz]

I use a secondary (netgear) router for wifi. It took me a while to get my Wyze cams to work on my nvr software because I did not realize my pc had to be on the same network as the wyze cams. My PC is hardwired with ethernet. I can only view the wyze cam feeds if I connect my computer using wifi. Is there anyway around this? My new computer doesn't utilize wifi and plus, I would rather use ethernet.

 

[alastairstevenson]

I can only view the wyze cam feeds if I connect my computer using wifi.

I'm guessing a bit here as you've provided no network info -

Have you configured the netgear router that you are using as a WiFi access point to use an IP address in the same range as your normal wired connections?
Have you disabled DHCP on the netgear router?

Provide some configuration and network details for better suggestions.

 

[aviondubzz]

I am not entirely sure. I used the automated setup a couple of years ago when I got the router. The camera ip's that are connected to that network are not in the same range as the ones on my local network.

I'm guessing a bit here as you've provided no network info -

Have you configured the netgear router that you are using as a WiFi access point to use an IP address in the same range as your normal wired connections?

I'm guessing a bit here as you've provided no network info -

Have you configured the netgear router that you are using as a WiFi access point to use an IP address in the same range as your normal wired connections?
Have you disabled DHCP on the netgear router?

Provide some configuration and network details for better suggestions.

 

[alastairstevenson]

The camera ip's that are connected to that network are not in the same range as the ones on my local network.

That suggests the netgear router as WiFi access point is set up to create a separate network, hence the need to use WiFi on the PC to access them.
You just need to re-configure the router to be on the same network as the wired devices, and shutdown DHCP on it.

 

[aviondubzz]

Hmm ok I will check the netgear website to see if they have instructions to do that. I am assuming any wifi devices will need to be reconnected?

That suggests the netgear router as WiFi access point is set up to create a separate network, hence the need to use WiFi on the PC to access them.
You just need to re-configure the router to be on the same network as the wired devices, and shutdown DHCP on it.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Hmm ok I will check the netgear website to see if they have instructions to do that.

Just access the netgear router admin web GUI, the network configuration will be pretty obvious.
Give it an unused address on the wired network, outside of the DHCP range.
And disable DHCP.

 

[aviondubzz]

Ok sounds pretty straightforward. Will all of my wifi connected devices have to be reconnected? Will they be assigned new IP's? Thanks

Just access the netgear router admin web GUI, the network configuration will be pretty obvious.
Give it an unused address on the wired network, outside of the DHCP range.
And disable DHCP.

 

[newfoundlandplucky]

You would be reconfiguring your "secondary" router to be a wireless AP. It won't be playing the role of router any longer. The original router will then assign new addresses via DHCP to the Wyze cams.

I'd like to offer an alternative.

I have a similar setup to yours except that instead of turning the "secondary" router into an AP I instead put a second ethernet card into a PC that is connected to both networks. Access to this interface is limited to a dedicated secure copy of Windows running in a virtual machine. Not a perfect strategy but OK I guess. This is an alternative to having a single network.

BTW, I've decoded and analyzed traffic from my IP cameras. They play interesting tricks on the home backbone network connected to the internet (this includes spoofing the internet gateway). No way should they be directly connected to a single backbone. I don't think they were acting with bad intent but instead were trying to overcome the limitations of IP networking to make configuration easier. Still, there are horror stories. IP is not a secure protocol … even with VLANs.

 

[samplenhold]

You need to sketch out your network and display it here for anyone to really be able to help you. Describing your network in words a can only be done in an incomplete fashion. We will never really know what you mean. See the network diagram below that isolates the IP cams from the internet and the home LAN but allows cam access from two separate PCs.

 

[aviondubzz]

ok not as neat as yours but to the best of my ability this is how it goes

You need to sketch out your network and display it here for anyone to really be able to help you. Describing your network in words a can only be done in an incomplete fashion. We will never really know what you mean. See the network diagram below that isolates the IP cams from the internet and the home LAN but allows cam access from two separate PCs.

View attachment 72183

 

[samplenhold]

ok not as neat as yours but to the best of my ability this is how it goes

ok good start. But w/o IP addresses the questions you are asking cannot be answered.

I take it that the Wyze cams are WIFI connecting through the Netgear Router? What are their IP addresses and what are the IP addresses of the BI pc and other cams?

 

[aviondubzz]

Sorry, the local devices connect through ethernet all start 192.168.1.XXX The wyze cams are such like 10.0.0.XXX

ok good start. But w/o IP addresses the questions you are asking cannot be answered.

I take it that the Wyze cams are WIFI connecting through the Netgear Router? What are their IP addresses and what are the IP addresses of the BI pc and other cams?

 

[samplenhold]

Your best bet is to use static IP addresses and change the Wyze cams to 192.168.1.xxx

But realize that as you have things set up now, the cams are not isolated from the internet nor your LAN. See the following:

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

Many camera networks are unsecure, even those installed by professionals. This guide gives basic instruction in how to secure a camera network from the most common types of attacks. Perhaps the most important rule of securing a computer network is to not forward ports to unsecure services...

ipcamtalk.com

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[aviondubzz]

Ok I am trying to figure out how to change the IP's on the cameras

Your best bet is to use static IP addresses and change the Wyze cams to 192.168.1.xxx

But realize that as you have things set up now, the cams are not isolated from the internet nor your LAN. See the following:

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

Many camera networks are unsecure, even those installed by professionals. This guide gives basic instruction in how to secure a camera network from the most common types of attacks. Perhaps the most important rule of securing a computer network is to not forward ports to unsecure services...

ipcamtalk.com

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[aviondubzz]

What is the difference in terms of functionality/internet performance between using the netgear router as a router vs an access point?

 

[samplenhold]

Routers route traffic between networks. Placing a router downstream from another router that does not do any 'routing' of traffic is a waste of resources. One thing I have seen here is that having cam traffic go through a router can be an issue from the standpoint of traffic volume and troubleshooting issues. Cams constantly send data 24/7 and most non-commercial routers can't handle that volume. When you start having issues that you need to troubleshoot, that second router complicates the process. It is just another unnecessary box that has connections, power requirements, temperature issues, and other issues that make tracking down problems even more complicated.

Now if the router is also an access point and you can put it into access point only operation, thereby disabling the router itself, then that could work for you. But if you are going to have lots of WIFI cam traffic using that access point along with other home IoT WIFI stuff, it will probably overwhelm that unit. Most folks here would recommend NOT to use WIFI cams as they are inherently unreliable. I have a few that I use inside to monitor my dog when I am not home and they are constantly going off line.

 

[aviondubzz]

Ok so maybe I will just change the config over to an access point. I only have a couple of wyze wifi cams for similar uses as yourself. Im just dreading the unexpected side effects like having to reconnect my damn ring camera, doorbell etc.

Routers route traffic between networks. Placing a router downstream from another router that does not do any 'routing' of traffic is a waste of resources. One thing I have seen here is that having cam traffic go through a router can be an issue from the standpoint of traffic volume and troubleshooting issues. Cams constantly send data 24/7 and most non-commercial routers can't handle that volume. When you start having issues that you need to troubleshoot, that second router complicates the process. It is just another unnecessary box that has connections, power requirements, temperature issues, and other issues that make tracking down problems even more complicated.

Now if the router is also an access point and you can put it into access point only operation, thereby disabling the router itself, then that could work for you. But if you are going to have lots of WIFI cam traffic using that access point along with other home IoT WIFI stuff, it will probably overwhelm that unit. Most folks here would recommend NOT to use WIFI cams as they are inherently unreliable. I have a few that I use inside to monitor my dog when I am not home and they are constantly going off line.

 

[samplenhold]

So I read back through this thread and correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like you have Wyze cams, a doorbell cam, and a Ring cam. No other cams? Your diagram shows a BI PC. So you are running Blue Iris to record all of the cams?

It might be easier to put a second NIC card in your PC, plug it into the Netgear router and give that NIC card an IP address as 10.0.0.xxx as this would give you access to both networks from the same PC just as my diagram posted above.

 

[aviondubzz]

Those are just the wifi cams. The rest are POE, 3 PTZ and about 7 Fixed cams

So I read back through this thread and correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like you have Wyze cams, a doorbell cam, and a Ring cam. No other cams? Your diagram shows a BI PC. So you are running Blue Iris to record all of the cams?

It might be easier to put a second NIC card in your PC, plug it into the Netgear router and give that NIC card an IP address as 10.0.0.xxx as this would give you access to both networks from the same PC just as my diagram posted above.

 

[aviondubzz]

Im working on setting up a VPN on my netgear router now. This will only utilize the vpn on devices connected directly to the netgear router I am assuming. Does this mean I also have to use a vpn on my ISP provided router? Maybe I should just connect all ethernet devices directly to my netgear router, even though that would mean rewiring a lot since its on the other end of my home. Unless I run them all to a switch and then one cable to the netgear router.

Your best bet is to use static IP addresses and change the Wyze cams to 192.168.1.xxx

But realize that as you have things set up now, the cams are not isolated from the internet nor your LAN. See the following:

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

Many camera networks are unsecure, even those installed by professionals. This guide gives basic instruction in how to secure a camera network from the most common types of attacks. Perhaps the most important rule of securing a computer network is to not forward ports to unsecure services...

ipcamtalk.com

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...

ipcamtalk.com