Setting up Network Properly

swather450

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I have been reading a lot of the threads on setting up a Power BI/POE system and am stuck at setting up the LAN security and DDNS server so I can access my cameras off my home network. My incoming network is via an ISP, into a cable modem that goes into my Asus RT-AC68P router. I am unable to set up my DDNS server and thus use a VPN because I don't know the static IP address assigned to me by my ISP. What is the best way around this to access my cameras, while securing myself, my home network, and my cameras? Thanks.
 

SouthernYankee

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Finding the IP address is what the DDNS does for you when you are remote from home.
Your current IP address is displayed on the home page of the asus router.
Or from home on a wired PC or mac in google search enter "what is my ip address"

Setting up a openVPN on an asus router chould take you between 15 and 90 minutes. It is very simple.

 

swather450

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The IP address that shows on the home page of my router is different than what shows up on the "what is my IP address" site. Any reason as to why?

Is there a way around needing a static IP address in order to get a DDNS server set up so I can use Asus OpenVPN to view my cameras?
 

Hammerhead786

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You would only need to use a DDNS service if you don't have a static ip address. If you are showing a 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x or 172.16.x.x through 172.31.x.x address on the homepage of your router, then that is not a public ip address.
 

SouthernYankee

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You miss understand the need for a static IP address. A static IP address is an address that never changes. It is your IP address. A static IP address is not required to get OpenVPN to work. A static IP address does not require a DDNS. Because you know what the IP address is and it never changes. A static modem MAY be required depending on your internet provider.

Most of us have dynamic IP address, these are IP address that are assigned to connect to your network by your internet provider. This address can change. Normally they change very infrequently, daily, monthly, after a reboot or a power failure. The purpose of a DDNS a dynamic directory name server is to keep track of the address by use of a name. Lets say that your DDNS name on your Asus router is XYZ1234.Asuscomm.com. The router send your current IP address and name to asuscomm, so when you access XYZ1234.Asuscomm.com it returns the current IP address. If the ip address changes then router send the new ip address to asuscomm. So any time you access XYZ1234.Asuscomm.comyu get the IP address.

There are problems with this service depending on who and how your internet provider assigns IP addresses. Some internet provider constantly change the IP address, the only place I have seen this is on cell network that is using a hotspot.

Some intern providers block inbound traffic connection.

1)What type of internet connection do you have, (cell, coax, dsl (wired phone), satellite, fiber,radio beam.......)
2) who is your internet provider ?
3) what are the first 2 numbers of the IP address on the asus router home screen ie 76.31.xxx.xxx
4) what is the first 2 numbers of the IP address on Google "what is my ip address"
5) What is the make and model number of you modem.
6) is your modem only a modem or is it a modem/router ?
 

swather450

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Thank you for your reply. The IP address on my asus router page is 172.27.x.x and when I do "what is my ip address" I get 66.207.x.x

To answer your questions
1- I have high-speed cable internet, soon to be fiber
2 - My ISP is my local cable company
3 - 172.27.x.x
4 - 66.207.x.x
5 - Cable modem - Motorola SURFBoard Model SB6141 - Will soon get a new box from my ISP once they complete the fiber install, which may happen next week or next month or next year. I know the fiber has finally been run to the corner of my property so not sure how long to get it into my home
6 - From the cable modem I run into an Asus RT-AC68P router

Where I am struggling, when I go to WAN->DDNS on my router setup page and enable DDNS I try to enter a Host Name and I am getting the following error

"Router.asus.com says Invalid IP Address"

After clicking OK, I go back to the DDNS page where I am asked to enter a Host Name.

The server I am using is Asus.com

Where do I go from here?
 

Hammerhead786

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The ip address that you need to be using is the 66.x.x.x one as that is your external ip. You also should use a unique hostname i.e. something other than router.asuscomm.com. The Asus DNS provides hostnames with asuscomm.com domain if I am not mistaken.
 

swather450

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How do I "use" the 66.x.x.x IP address when registering for a ddns host name. That is what I am not figuring out? I am unable to do anything from the Asus Router DDNS page.
 

Hammerhead786

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How do I "use" the 66.x.x.x IP address when registering for a ddns host name. That is what I am not figuring out? I am unable to do anything from the Asus Router DDNS page.
Apologies it's been a while since I set all this up so I'm probably getting confused between this and setting up OpenVPN. Have you tried setting the domain name to something unique and then trying to look up the domain name? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that your Asus router is getting it's ip address from your cable modem. I don't have a cable modem, I use Fios so I've configured my router with that. Apologies again for causing confusion.
 

swather450

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I have tried setting the domain name to several unique things, but I am still seeing the error, so I am not sure how to "get through" the cable modem.
 

area651

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I have tried setting the domain name to several unique things, but I am still seeing the error, so I am not sure how to "get through" the cable modem.
who is your provider? The reason I ask is that I called AT&T and had them completely open up the modem/router combo crap thing that they use. They werent really happy about it but I told them I would handle all firewall myself. If you get unopen feedback from "canyouseeme.org" when checking your port, then you might need to get your provider to open it.
 

swather450

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My provider is my local city, so "Town ABC" Power and Water. They provide water, cable, and internet and outside of century link wireless, are the only provider in this area.

I just went down and relooked at how I have everything hooked up and realized that I have an OOMA VoIP box in between my cable modem and my Asus router. I may try and take this out of the loop and see what happens. If this fixes the issue, then I need to figure out how to get this accomplished through my VoIP box.
 

swather450

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The ooma VoIP box was the issue. I now have a DDNS server registered. I will try and figure out how to get my ooma box routed back into my system at a later date I guess.
 

swather450

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Sorry, one other question on the OpenVPN setup. Is it wise to change the default server port from 1194 to something else and if something else, is there a range to use?
 

SouthernYankee

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Making progress.
The 172.27 ip address is an internal IP address. The 66.207 ip address is your real external ip address. The

I know nothing about ooma.

The two ip address lookup should be the same IP
1) IP address on the asus router home screen
2) IP address on Google "what is my ip address"

Your external ip address should start with 66. for your area of Iowa
 

Mike A.

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Sorry, one other question on the OpenVPN setup. Is it wise to change the default server port from 1194 to something else and if something else, is there a range to use?
Some benefit to changing the default port in that some wide-scale exploit specifically targeting that port won't find it. Which there have been a few times for OpenVPN. Get things set up and working otherwise first. You can change it easily later.
 

Jessie.slimer

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who is your provider? The reason I ask is that I called AT&T and had them completely open up the modem/router combo crap thing that they use. They werent really happy about it but I told them I would handle all firewall myself. If you get unopen feedback from "canyouseeme.org" when checking your port, then you might need to get your provider to open it.
Interesting. What did you have to say to AT&T to have them open it for you, and what modem/router was it? I would like to do this also.
 
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