Subscriber Discussion

What's The Easiest Way To Get Remote Access To A Camera Connected To A POE NVR?

U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 27, 2016
IPVMU Certified

You know the kind where the cameras are on their own DHCP subnet seperate from the viewing LAN. The firewall is already punched to give access to the NVR. Everything works fine, but...

you need to set some parameter that is not configurable thru the NVR on a particular camera.

You have a non-technical end-user who is capable of plugging and unplugging cat 5, and typing a command or two if directed, but not much more.

How would you get access to a camera without going on site?

(1)
Avatar
John Bazyk
Feb 27, 2016
Command Corporation • IPVMU Certified

What manufacture are you using?

Hikvision allows you to access cameras remotely if firewall configuration is done, however I don't recommend this.

The other option is to have them plug a laptop into the back of the unit and you remote to their laptop using team viewer through the laptops wifi. You can than configure the IP address to communicate on the POE subnet and configure cameras that way.

(1)
U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 27, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Hikvision allows you to access cameras remotely if firewall configuration is done...

I'm using Dahua, they often have the same features, I'll look for it.

So Hik lets you configure the NVR as a router between the subnets? As a NAT firewall? I wouldn't leave it like that, but if it's just a checkbox then I could have the user (My Dad) enable it just temporarily.

The laptop option is doable, just a little more work on the other side, which I'm trying to avoid.

Thanks.

Avatar
Billy Guthrie
Feb 27, 2016

You can either use a jump box (Low end embedded device with Linux installed at the location and setup a remote ssh tunnel) or just access the environment via VPN. Our commercial video surveillance solutions always contain a Mikrotik router; it has a VPN solution that you can setup for remote access. Utilizing a Miktrotik device at the edge increases security and remote access to the installed environment.


Hope this helps.

Aloha!

U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 27, 2016
IPVMU Certified

You can either use a jump box (Low end embedded device with Linux installed at the location and setup a remote ssh tunnel) or just access the environment via VPN.

Billy, are you saying there's a way to get to the camera network directly without adding any hardware? I'm trying to avoid making the trip, and I'm hoping that I won't need to get to the cameras directly too often.

Avatar
Billy Guthrie
Feb 27, 2016

Billy, are you saying there's a way to get to the camera network directly without adding any hardware?

No, what I described should already be implemented. You have a view options; one, connect a laptop directly to the IP camera via the RJ45 Ethernet and remote into the laptop via wifi utilizing teamviewer or logmein, etc. Two; if there is a switch on the same network LAN as the IP cameras and DVR, you could just plug the laptop on that network and remote in via teamviewer.

U
Undisclosed #2
Feb 27, 2016

"you need to set some parameter that is not configurable thru the NVR on a particular camera"

Can you provide more info, please?

U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 27, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Dahua PTZ Integrated IR settings, in this case. Although I see some options for PTZ thru the NVR, I don't see these.

As for non-Dahuan cameras, almost anything outside of frame rate and resolution.

Another thing might be to check the local log file of the camera.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Feb 28, 2016

For internal PTZ menus, use the client software and ENTER MENU should work. Arrow commands move you around.

MI
Matt Ion
Feb 28, 2016

I ran into this with a HIK NVR-and-camera setup this past week - client connected to the NVR doesn't give access to the WDR settings (among others) on the cameras connected to its built-in PoE switch. Worked around it by plugging my laptop into one of the camera ports and giving it an IP in the proper subnet.

The weird thing I found is that the WiFi shuts off on my laptop when I have a link on the LAN port. That may just be something specific to my laptop or its setup, but that aside, the suggestions to use a laptop and remote into it via WiFi should work.

If a separate laptop isn't available, you could try the following - the only action required on Dad's part should be the addition of a network cable:

  1. Remote into his computer and find its IP info (Start -> Run -> CMD -> ipconfig /all - adjust accordingly for whatever version of Windows he's on). Note the IP, Default Gateway/Default Route, and DNS Server (will probably be the same as the gateway).
  2. Check the camera settings for the IP range the cameras are using (on the HIK, it was 192.168.254.xxx)
  3. Go into the Network Adapter settings on his computer (I just do Start -> Run -> ncpa.cpl)
  4. In the Properties for TCP/IP, disable DHCP by selecting "Use the following IP address", and enter the info you got from ipconfig - this will allow you to maintain your connection while switching to manual IP configuration.
  5. Click the Advanced button, and in the IP Addresses section, click Add, then add an entry for an available IP in the cameras' range. For example, on the Hik system, the NVR's IP was 192.168.254.1, and cameras ran from 192.168.254.2 thru 17 (on a 16-channel system). In this case, I'd just use .66 to keep it easy. This allows the system to ALSO communicate with the cameras.
  6. Click OK - OK - OK to back out. You should still have your remote connection. MAKE SURE DAD WAS WATCHING THE ABOVE STEPS - IF YOU LOSE CONNECTION, YOU'LL NEED HIM SET IT BACK TO AUTOMATIC.
  7. Now have Dad connect a cable between one of the ports on his internet router, and one of the camera ports on the NVR. Note: I saved this step until now so the computer wouldn't grab a new IP from the NVR's own DHCP server - that would cause you to lose the remote connection.
  8. From here, you should be able to access the cameras directly from the computer.
  9. Once you're done, have Dad unplug the cable so the NVR's DHCP server won't affect anything else on the network. You can then undo all these changes.... OR just leave it as-is so you have future access to tweak the cameras (just have him reconnect it).
(1)
(3)
U
Undisclosed #1
Feb 28, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Thanks! It's easier than it sounds, I've multi-homed my interface before, but thanks for writing it out clearly.

One question, in this scenario might the cameras pick-up homeLAN IPs, especially when I'm mucking around and changing configs and restarting them?

He has one of those USB/Ethernet dongles around, so a similar idea would be to plug that into his computer and then to the POE switch and let it acquire an IP, etc...

MI
Matt Ion
Feb 28, 2016

One question, in this scenario might the cameras pick-up homeLAN IPs, especially when I'm mucking around and changing configs and restarting them?

Not sure. I wouldn't think so, but you could also assign the cameras their IPs statically, that would take care of that.

I think that would be preferable to the USB ethernet adapter, as far as reducing what Dad would have to do on his end.

New discussion

Ask questions and get answers to your physical security questions from IPVM team members and fellow subscribers.

Newest discussions