Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet

ejl · 07-11-2008, 02:53 AM

There is probably a simple answer to my problem but as a novice in this area it eludes me.

I have added an IP camera to my home network by connecting it to a spare port on my Xyzel Prestige 600 router. The little box that sits between the camera and the router displays the IP address allocated to it and I can access that address through Internet Explorer on my networked Windows XP desktop. I can see the image and operate pan and tilt controls for the camera. So far so good.

However, the user documentation says I can access the camera remotely through the public internet. I obtained a public IP address from DynDNS.org, installing the related software on my desktop and putting the address into the camera setup. When I try to access the camera using this address from the public internet I get as far as the router home page but it tells me the object I am trying to access is protected. I have trawled through every option I can find on the router set up pages, trying out a few ideas in vain, and read the user manual but I can't find out just how to make the IP camera accessible (without of course opening up my entire home network to public view).

Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

NeilF · 07-11-2008, 04:48 AM

I dont know what make of camera you have, but some of them have the web server intigrated into the camera itsself which you first have to activate by directly accessing the cameras on board software

ejl · 07-11-2008, 06:26 AM

Yes indeed, the camera does have a web server which I believe I have activated correctly through the supplied camera software. The camera is an ICAM Pan/Tilt IP camera with Built-in Web Server.

ejl · 07-11-2008, 07:30 AM

Correction - not an ICAM but just billed as Twin port USB IP Video Web Server with Pan/Tilt IP Camera

johnwill · 07-11-2008, 11:24 AM

If you're getting to the router's home page from the WAN connection (Internet side), you have remote administration enabled on the router. Disable that, it's a giant security hole, and it also probably blocking your access to the camera.

ejl · 07-12-2008, 06:57 AM

I tried blocking the remote management options and found I could get no connection at all. If I enable the Web sub option on the Remote Management menu I get into the router and the web configurator page appears with the usual request for my password (just as if I was accessing it from my LAN). I can see that this is a big security risk but even so I can't get past the web configurator to access the IP address of the camera just as I can from any PC on my home network. There must be some other router settings that I need to alter?

NeilF · 07-12-2008, 01:15 PM

Can you post the model nr of your cam and the make of your router.
Having done a little research on this look here it may help you set up your router correctly http://www.portforward.com/english/r...0/WebcamXP.htm

ejl · 07-12-2008, 11:48 PM

Thanks for your offer of help. The camera does not appear to have a manufacturer or model number but details are available on:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twin-IP-Vide...5930953&sr=8-7

The router is a Xyzel Prestige 660HW-61. The solution probably lies in port forwarding configuration and I will read the link you sent me. The camera user manual contains a section on port forwarding with detailed instructions for several manufacturers' routers - but unfortunately not the Xyzel. I may be able to figure it out but any help/advice you can give would be welcomed.

NeilF · 07-13-2008, 02:35 AM

the link i gave you should help you solve your problem

Raylo · 07-13-2008, 07:52 AM

First and foremost you need to set up the port forwarding as Neil indicated. But remote access also depends on the remote end computer/network you are trying to use to access your network cam. If you are trying to view your cam from a corporate environment they may have blocked access to the ports on that end that you need. For instance our work net blocks any and all ports except 80 for http. So I can see my cams from just about any computer anywhere except from where I work. Apparently there are some workarounds like pakaging the video stream into a Flash format or something else that gets through on port 80 alone but I haven't had time to figure this out.

johnwill · 07-14-2008, 05:34 PM

There should be no reason that remote administration has to be active on the router.

ejl · 07-17-2008, 04:24 AM

Many thanks for your advice. I have at last mastered port forwarding and can access my IP camera from a remote laptop with a cellphone broadband internet connection - after realising that I needed to forward two ports, one for the camera homepage and one for the streaming video. What I am now trying to sort out is how I can get the camera to deposit regular updated jpeg files on my desktop (or an external internet site) so that I can view them on my network media extender - something about FTP server?

07-11-2008, 02:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
ejl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: Vista Home Premium	Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet There is probably a simple answer to my problem but as a novice in this area it eludes me. I have added an IP camera to my home network by connecting it to a spare port on my Xyzel Prestige 600 router. The little box that sits between the camera and the router displays the IP address allocated to it and I can access that address through Internet Explorer on my networked Windows XP desktop. I can see the image and operate pan and tilt controls for the camera. So far so good. However, the user documentation says I can access the camera remotely through the public internet. I obtained a public IP address from DynDNS.org, installing the related software on my desktop and putting the address into the camera setup. When I try to access the camera using this address from the public internet I get as far as the router home page but it tells me the object I am trying to access is protected. I have trawled through every option I can find on the router set up pages, trying out a few ideas in vain, and read the user manual but I can't find out just how to make the IP camera accessible (without of course opening up my entire home network to public view). Can anyone please point me in the right direction?

07-11-2008, 04:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
NeilF Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 179 OS: win xp, vista, linux	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet I dont know what make of camera you have, but some of them have the web server intigrated into the camera itsself which you first have to activate by directly accessing the cameras on board software

07-11-2008, 06:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
ejl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet Yes indeed, the camera does have a web server which I believe I have activated correctly through the supplied camera software. The camera is an ICAM Pan/Tilt IP camera with Built-in Web Server.

07-11-2008, 07:30 AM	#4 (permalink)
ejl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet Correction - not an ICAM but just billed as Twin port USB IP Video Web Server with Pan/Tilt IP Camera

07-11-2008, 11:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 31,468 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet If you're getting to the router's home page from the WAN connection (Internet side), you have remote administration enabled on the router. Disable that, it's a giant security hole, and it also probably blocking your access to the camera. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-12-2008, 06:57 AM	#6 (permalink)
ejl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet I tried blocking the remote management options and found I could get no connection at all. If I enable the Web sub option on the Remote Management menu I get into the router and the web configurator page appears with the usual request for my password (just as if I was accessing it from my LAN). I can see that this is a big security risk but even so I can't get past the web configurator to access the IP address of the camera just as I can from any PC on my home network. There must be some other router settings that I need to alter?

07-12-2008, 01:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
NeilF Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 179 OS: win xp, vista, linux	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet Can you post the model nr of your cam and the make of your router. Having done a little research on this look here it may help you set up your router correctly http://www.portforward.com/english/r...0/WebcamXP.htm Last edited by NeilF : 07-12-2008 at 01:32 PM.

07-12-2008, 11:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
ejl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet Thanks for your offer of help. The camera does not appear to have a manufacturer or model number but details are available on: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Twin-IP-Vide...5930953&sr=8-7 The router is a Xyzel Prestige 660HW-61. The solution probably lies in port forwarding configuration and I will read the link you sent me. The camera user manual contains a section on port forwarding with detailed instructions for several manufacturers' routers - but unfortunately not the Xyzel. I may be able to figure it out but any help/advice you can give would be welcomed.

07-13-2008, 02:35 AM	#9 (permalink)
NeilF Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 179 OS: win xp, vista, linux	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet the link i gave you should help you solve your problem

07-13-2008, 07:52 AM	#10 (permalink)
Raylo Registered User Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Maryland, USA Posts: 292 OS: XP Desktop, Vista HP Notebook, XP Notebook	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet First and foremost you need to set up the port forwarding as Neil indicated. But remote access also depends on the remote end computer/network you are trying to use to access your network cam. If you are trying to view your cam from a corporate environment they may have blocked access to the ports on that end that you need. For instance our work net blocks any and all ports except 80 for http. So I can see my cams from just about any computer anywhere except from where I work. Apparently there are some workarounds like pakaging the video stream into a Flash format or something else that gets through on port 80 alone but I haven't had time to figure this out.

07-14-2008, 05:34 PM	#11 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 31,468 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet There should be no reason that remote administration has to be active on the router. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

07-17-2008, 04:24 AM	#12 (permalink)
ejl Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 6 OS: Vista Home Premium	Re: Accessing Ip Camera From The Internet Many thanks for your advice. I have at last mastered port forwarding and can access my IP camera from a remote laptop with a cellphone broadband internet connection - after realising that I needed to forward two ports, one for the camera homepage and one for the streaming video. What I am now trying to sort out is how I can get the camera to deposit regular updated jpeg files on my desktop (or an external internet site) so that I can view them on my network media extender - something about FTP server?