This topic

Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:39:02 GMT

Purchased and set up a Wi-Fi security camera placed in my Motorhome, it all works fine when l am at home and can connect to camera with no issues, when trying to connect remotely when l am out and about it will not connect?
Contacted the App support team who suggested checking app is allowing usage when using mobile data, it is set up ok.

They also suggest turning off firewall setting in the router.

This is the problem, l have a BT 4g home router BT help page tells me to log into router, then into security, then into firewall switch and turn it off.

But when l do this there is no firewall switch showing, so l can’t do this.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:50:05 GMT

@KenB888

As far as I am aware, the BT 4G router does not support port forwarding, which is need to allow remote access to your camera.

I also believe that it uses CGNAT, which means that you do not have your own public IP address.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 12:12:34 GMT

Hi Keith

Thanks for your reply.

So just to confirm what your saying is, no matter what wifi camera l have it will not work with remote access using this router.

If this is correct looks like l have wasted my money.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 12:39:52 GMT

Wi-Fi cameras usually connect to the Internet using either by opening a port on the router, or by using P2P which connects it to a remote server which links the camera with a camera app. That is the most common method as it does not require any changes to router settings, but I think it still requires a public IP address.

Which camera do you have, and does it rely on an app, to establish the link?

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 13:34:36 GMT

If your camera has the ability to send e-mail alerts when there is activity, and include the captured video as an attachment, then that would work.

Some upload to a Cloud service, and that would work, but there is usually an ongoing subscription cost.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:52:22 GMT

Camera is a Cinnado D1 Amazon purchase, had good reviews, yes it uses an app called Wansview.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:55:51 GMT

Camera does let me know when there is movement in area l have set up in app, plus it stores image onto sd card, just can’t connect remotely.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:20:12 GMT

I'd be inclined to return the no-name camera to Amazon & replace it with something more mainstream. I have both Amazon Blink & TP-Link cameras connected to a TP-Link 4G router at an unoccupied property & both work fine. So you might need a better camera AND a full 4G router.

Being told to turn off your router's firewall should be reason enough to return the camera.

Edit: My setup uses a GiffGaff (O2) SIM.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:14:10 GMT

That is almost certainly a PTP (Peer To Peer) camera, as nearly all of those are.

Unfortunately you will not be able to connect to the camera or the contents of the SD card, as your router does not have its own public IP address, so that the PTP remote server will only return the "shared" public IP address, and not the IP address of your home network.

If they offer a Cloud service, then that would normally upload any video content that contains movement.

CGNAT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier-grade_NAT is used by many mobile broadband providers as its cheap to implement.

I have a proper 4G router on the Three mobile PAYG network, which I use as a backup, and a faster connection than my BT ADSL. This has a fully routable IP address and allows port forwarding, provided I use the correct APN.

I do not think that BT have an alternative APN which is routable, with an alternative device. As they use the EE network, there may be an alternative APN, but that would still mean buying a proper router, and I am not sure if BT allow you to do that.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:29:11 GMT

Thanks for your reply.

Had the camera a while now so can’t return it, but it was cheap will put this all down to an old boy learning by his mistakes.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:32:29 GMT

Thanks Keith

Looks like upgrades all round.

Isolated rural only broadband is 4g so better equipment will improve things all round.

Camera was cheap so lesson learnt.

Thanks for your time.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:38:57 GMT

A TP-Link C110 would be worth a try. It doesn't pan/tilt but I can't see that being necessary in a small space. A bit easier to hide as well. Mine is set up to sound an alarm upon detecting movement, which hopefully would see anyone breaking in scarper. They do charge a subscription fee for cloud storage but I get by with just a SD card.

Give it a go with your existing setup, it might work unless @Keith_Beddoe knows otherwise?

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:53:25 GMT

@Anonymous

Direct access to any camera contents connected to the router, is not going to be possible, but SD card contents uploaded to Cloud, should be fine.

I have a number of cheap IeGeek IP cameras which work fine, but they rely on the Blue Iris software running on my main PC, which is on all of the time anyway, as it handles multiple tasks which run 24/7

These support the ONVIF protocol, which makes them compatible with most video software.

They also have PTP support, but I have that disabled on all except a couple of important ones, to allow access if the PC loses connectivity.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:57:20 GMT

@KenB888

If you are not contracted to the BT 4G, then its worth looking at Three coverage in your locality.

This is the router I use https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/3g-4g-router/tl-mr6400/

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 13:12:01 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

I'm not sure that direct access is required as all viewing is done via the Tapo app.

@KenB888

TP-Link's equivalent of what you have (Tapo C210) is £21.86 on Amazon just now. I'm not allowed to link but search for B08ZNTM1X1.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 14:30:15 GMT

@Anonymous

The app need to access the camera via the Internet if its not on the local network.

It does this by looking for the unique device ID which is a long alphanumeric string which is transmitted over the Internet to the P2P server.

The P2P server then tries to identify the public IP address of the camera, on the Internet, and allows the connection between the app and the camera. Its similar to what a DDNS service would do.

Because the 4G router does not have an unique public IP address, only a shared IP address, the link between the app and the camera cannot be established.

All the P2P server will see, is the IP address of the gateway router which a group of 4G devices would connect to, it cannot identify an individual 4G device.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 14:30:43 GMT

@Keith_Beddoe

Is that something peculiar to the BT MiFi device? Seems plenty here are using a variety of cameras with a variety of MiFi devices in @KenB888 exact scenario.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:20:25 GMT

A proper 4G router with a SIM card which allows you to alter the APN to one which delivers a routable IP address, would work.

For example, Three Mobile has two APNs, three.co.uk which is CGNAT, and 3internet which gives a public IP address and is routable over the Internet.

Many basic MiFi units, usually without Ethernet ports, do not allow alternative APNs. I am sure the BT one is just a basic one, with no configuration options.

I cannot add any more to this thread, than I have already said. Perhaps someone else can explain it more clearly?

By all means change the camera, but the result will be the same.

The P2P server only provides a link between two public IP addresses, it does not actually pass any traffic through it, as that would consume vast bandwidth, and present a security risk.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:50:49 GMT

What @KenB888 is trying to view is the contents of the SD card, which is not possible for the reason I have explained.

Live viewing is possible because the app looks for the unique camera ID on the Internet, and then checks it to see if the stored user name and password are the same. It can then receive that video stream and display it on the app, and record it in the smartphone storage.

That is most likely what other users are doing.

There are issues with users not changing the default user name and password, therefore allowing anyone to access the video stream.

Re: Remote access to Wi-Fi security camera

KenB888 — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 16:52:56 GMT

Hi All

Never thought this post would cause so many discussions.

To clarify what l am trying to do is live viewing through my app when l am out and about, yes my camera does store data onto an SD card but that’s only so l have recordings if needed.

I visited family at the weekend and logged into the app to check all was ok in the Motorhome but it sits there saying establishing a secure channel, but it never does hence l can not view anything when away from home, as soon as l get home my phone connects to my router and all is ok.

My router is not one of the mini Wi-Fi units it is the BT home hub.

So unless l have misunderstood my BT router does not allow port forwarding so that’s why l can’t see live streams when using mobile data, TP Link router upgrade would sort this issue?