Which ports to forward for dahua ptz?

[TonyR]

> So you come to this forum with a networking how-to question but instead leave the forum with networking security advice.
Interesting.....

Sorry but that's not true. I wasn't asking a general networking question (how to forward ports or whatever), I was asking a question about the Dahua camera's networking specifically (which ports it needs forwarded).

I love the Dahua cameras, but documentation is definitely not one of their strengths.

I stand corrected. Let me rephrase...

You ask an IP Camera forum which ports on an IP Cam you should forward and insist that every IPCamTalk forum member here that warns you about the risks incurred by port forwarding is wrong and that ".....the stated risk on this forum is *way* overblown" and the "...risk and consequences in this case are minimal".

You've convinced me. You've changed my mind. From now on, you won't find a more avid proponent of port-forwarding......look out, world!

 

[wrybread]

> You've convinced me. You've changed my mind. From now on, you won't find a more avid proponent of port-forwarding......

I'm not trying to convince you of anything. Just explaining my reasoning to people who bring it up.

 

[Euly]

The camera will list it's ports under the Network section of the web interface. You should be able to forward whatever port you want externally as long as the camera is listening on the appropriate internal port. You might also try the UPnP function on the camera to automatically map the ports. A lot of people on this forum come across as abrasive and unwelcoming when they are just concerned about risky behavior. You should also be thinking about your liability, especially if the connection info is listed somewhere publicly - increasing your network footprint.

 

[wrybread]

All systems are go! It's working beautifully from outside the network (over the internet) with surprisingly little lag. I'd say it's under 1 second lag when using TinyCam Pro for Android, which makes PTZ fully usable. When inside the network it's about a half a second, so it's a minimal increase.

Here's one of the local fishermen taking the camera for a spin:


Don't let the wheelchair fool you, he's the best fisherman for a hundred miles. He was the main inspiration for the camera since in the mornings he needs to see if the bar is breaking so he knows whether he can go fishing (he's a commercial fisherman), but it'll be useful for the whole community. Especially us surfers, who take over when that bar starts breaking.

Incidentally the ocean is just 100 feet from where he's sitting in this video but it's on the other side of a sand dune so it might as well be a quarter mile away at the closest easy viewpoint. And props to TinyCam Pro for making such an intuitive interface, Tim is a flip phone guy and as untechy as they come and he can use the app just fine.

> The camera will list it's ports under the Network section of the web interface.

Found that. Does anyone know what it uses ports 37777 and 37778 for? It lists them as the "UDP port" and the "TCP port", but not what their purpose is. I'll do some tests with them disabled when I get a chance.

> A lot of people on this forum come across as abrasive and unwelcoming when they are just concerned about risky behavior.

Ha all good, I read enough of this forum when researching cameras to expect it. And I'm well aware that putting a keyboard in front of some people turns them instantly "abrasive".

 

[bp2008]

Port 80 is all you need for HTTP API access (PTZ commands) and 554 for RTSP (video). Other ports can be for other services like SSH or telnet, and I think these cameras often have a proprietary protocol for communication with some 1st-party software.