Why can't I access IP camera from different computer (on same LAN)?

R

RubberDucky

Young grasshopper
Jan 8, 2020
30
9
Canada
Hi,

Complete newbie here...I am trying to setup my IP camera (Dahua HFW1831E). I've read until my head will explode and know just enough to be dangerous. The networking aspect is killing me.

I have a dedicated Windows 10 PC connected to my LAN via WIFI (10.0.0.X). I attached a POE switch to my PC's unused Ethernet port and my camera to the POE switch. Using ConfigTools, I've initialized the camera and changed it's IP address to be within the LAN subnet addresses (10.0.0.190), I also changed the PC's Ethernet card so it's IP address is in the same subnet (10.0.0.191) and can access the camera from this PC perfectly fine (using Web Browser).

However when I go to another PC on the same LAN (10.0.0.106) or my mobile phone (10.0.0.53), they cannot access the camera.

Why doesn't this work? Anyone brave enough to figure out what I don't understand and help me get it sorted out please? Thanks a lot.
 
Welcome to the forum. You've only provided half the information. What is the subnet mask and default gateway of each device?
 
Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. Does it really matter though since all the IP addresses have the first 24 bits the same? Regardless, that's what I used.

The default gateway for the wifi is the router at 10.0.0.1. That's the only one I knew so put it everywhere it was asked! Is there a gateway elsewhere? Maybe on the dedicated PC linking the Ethernet and WIFI together? I'm unclear on how that part works, if so then how/where would I find it/them?
 
Draw a picture of your network...
For what you said your PC has two address on the same network. Your camera is not on the network but connected to a dictated switch connected (hardwired) to the PC. A PC is not a router. Traffic will not flow through the PC to the camera. The only device that can see the camera is the PC.
 
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RubberDucky said:
Subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. Does it really matter though since all the IP addresses have the first 24 bits the same? Regardless, that's what I used.

The default gateway for the wifi is the router at 10.0.0.1. That's the only one I knew so put it everywhere it was asked! Is there a gateway elsewhere? Maybe on the dedicated PC linking the Ethernet and WIFI together? I'm unclear on how that part works, if so then how/where would I find it/them?
Click to expand...

It always helps to give complete information as no one other than you knows how your network is set up. You would need to add a route to your camera on your Windows pc specifying the interface to use. Take a look at the route add command in Windows. You would also need to add a route pointing to the Windows pc to the router.
 
Last edited:
Like SouthernYankee mentioned
Cameras-----------switch-------------router(wired) then PC, wired preferred but WIFI should work.
 
It sounds like he’s only got the cams and PC connected via the POE switch hence why he can access the cam from the PC. The PC also is connected via WIFI to his main lan.

He is then expecting to be able to connect to the cam from either his main lan or by manually setting other devices to the same subnet as the cam network but this obviously won’t work.
 
OK, thanks everyone. Yes, since I had put everything on the same subnet I was expecting Windows to handle the routing between the WIFI LAN and the local Ethernet card/poe switch. Moving the POE switch to the cable modem/router box solves the problem, now all my LAN devices can talk to the cameras.

As a side note, I had to unplug one of my hardwired computers in order to plug in the POE switch (the cable modem/router box only has two Ethernet ports and I was using them both). Reconnecting my computer to one of the 8 POE ports killed my internet speed on that computer, I got 67 Mbps (although the ports rated at 100 Mbps). Luckily this switch (Mokerlink 8 port) has dual 1Gbps uplink ports so connecting the computer to the second uplink port returned Internet speed to normal (360 Mbps).
 
RubberDucky said:
OK, thanks everyone. Yes, since I had put everything on the same subnet I was expecting Windows to handle the routing between the WIFI LAN and the local Ethernet card/poe switch. Moving the POE switch to the cable modem/router box solves the problem, now all my LAN devices can talk to the cameras.
Click to expand...

Following up on this...it turns out Windows can do this after all. Quite easily actually.

I just needed to tell Windows to link my Ethernet adapter to the WIFI adapter. That was a simple as highlighting both adapters, right clicking and selecting the option to join them.
 
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You do realize that your IP cameras are now able to reach through your main LAN to the outside world with that "join" right? You basically put everything on the same LAN.
Camera <---> POE switch <----> Ethernet port <--computer link--> Wifi <----> LAN -------> badness.

Unless you have something else upstream that is specifically blocking the camera IPS from reaching out to the internet, camera phoning home is now wide open.
 
Yes, no different than in post #9 when the poe is connected to the router directly. Neither is secure without something upstream blocking the cameras.
 
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