CCTV help please

[bluenose1940]

I know that there are some really clever and tech-savvy members on here and, I am wondering if any of you can help me with a very frustrating problem that I have please.

I have a two camera CCTV set-up at my home.  I have a Hikvision NVR with the two cameras connected directly to it.  I can access the cameras either by the monitor that is connected to the NVR or, I can access the images via Hik-Connect throuhj the internet.  I can also view the images on my HTC Android phone as per the following details.

When I am at home and am connected to my own Wi-Fi, both iVMS4500 and Hik-Connect both work perfectly but, when I am away from home and am connected to any other Wi-Fi set-up or by using the data allowance from my phone provider, neither of them work and I just get various error messages such as 'Connection Failed' or 'The device is off-Line' Well I can certainly say that the device is definitely not 'Off-Line'
I have been up in Lincolnshire all week and was really disappointed when I couldn't make a connection.
Has anyone got any further thoughts on this please?
I have just gone into Internet Explorer on my pc and logged into Hik-Connect and it is working perfectly. I also have iVMS4200 on my pc and I can get into my system perfectly every time.

Has anyone got any further thoughts on this please?
 

[Farqui]

You need to setup your router/etc to make the devices available on the internet, then you'll be able to access them from anywhere.

 

It's not straight forward and depends on your hardware, your ISP, firewall, etc.

 

If not done correctly then opening up access poses a significant risk to your home network.

 

 

[bluenose1940]

Oh dear, that all sounds rather ominous Lee.

What do you recommend as being my next course of action then or, should I leave well alone?

Thank you for coming in on my query.

[Farqui]

You're welcome and i wish you luck.

Do you know any tech wizz's that might assist?

To be fair modern routers and local devices are getting easier to setup in this way. But I'd still recommend that someone knowledgeable helps/shows you.

[Herbie]

Just found this instructional booklet Geoff. Maybe you already have it but if not, it may help you:

hikconnect.pdf

[Cotswold Pete]

Sounds like your home router is not port forwarding. (which is good as by default port forwarding should be disabled)

I  think you need to set your router up to port forward UDP 1194 and TCP 1194 (from looking at other Web postings).  It then opens up a VPN to allow outside devices to tunnel through to the CCTV services on your LAN.

If this does not work then switch off the Port Forwarding and try and find out if some other UDP/TCP port is to be used.

Most routers should allow you to do this, but  some routers bury Port Forwarding options deep in their menu structure. (Firewall settings is most likely place to look).

[PCM]

37 minutes ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Sounds like your home router is not port forwarding. (which is good as by default port forwarding should be disabled)

I  think you need to set your router up to port forward UDP 1194 and TCP 1194 (from looking at other Web postings).  It then opens up a VPN to allow outside devices to tunnel through to the CCTV services on your LAN.

If this does not work then switch off the Port Forwarding and try and find out if some other UDP/TCP port is to be used.

Most routers should allow you to do this, but  some routers bury Port Forwarding options deep in their menu structure. (Firewall settings is most likely place to look).

Yes, 'port forwarding' popped into my head to...

 

[Herbie]

If you can see the cameras from within your home network but not when you're out and about you may need to set up a DDNS service, although I think that the hikconnect software may take care of that for you if I'm reading that hikconnect PDF file correctly.

Basically, most internet service providers will allocate a dynamic IP address to you unless you ask for, and pay extra for, a static address. This is sort of the equivalent of moving house every few days. When you're out and about and you want to view your cameras, say, on your HTC Android phone, the software on the phone needs to know where to look for the cameras, so immediately after setting up the system it will have the correct address. However, a few days later your ISP may change that address and your phone won't be able to find the cameras.

With a DDNS service you create an address (say for instance, herbiescctv.co.uk) that will always point at your CCTV cameras. Each time your ISP changes your IP address, the DDNS software automatically maps the new address to herbiescctv.co.uk so that the viewing software on your phone will always know where to find the cameras.

[bluenose1940]

Hiya Herbie,

Thank you for your help on this.  Yesterday I was sat in the car on the car park of the main hospital in Exeter and, I decided to see if Hik-Connect would work and sure enough it did.  I was watching the dustmen empty my bins and then got some images of my son dropping his dog off at my house.  All this pleased me no end I can tell you, especially after all of the hassle over the past week.

However, this joy was short lived I'm afraid.  I was at the hospital with my wife and so I had a number of opportunities to pop out to the car and try it again.  Yes you've guessed it, no matter how many times I tried it just wouldn't work again.  When I got home, I tried it again via my own wi-fi connection and all was fine again!

Don't it make you want to spit!!!!!!

[Cotswold Pete]

Geoff, 

What is your home router, from experience some routers seem to really mess up forwarding across the firewall, and can be random in whether they let you across to your LAN.

Also I use a Static IP at home (Plusnet just charged a one off fee), which means I do not have to rely on DDNS services (which are fine, but not always are reliable as one would like). Some ISPs will charge a rental for static IP, some a one fee, and some will not do it unless you use their business services (more £££)

The best (IMHO) lowish cost routers are the Draytek 2762 (it can even support VPN termination - so offers a little extra security to stop any old tom, ***** and harry snooping your CCTV).  Or if not bothered about VPN, the non e-bay you can get the previous verison (Draytek 2760) for a bargain.

If you have some high end gaming type router (like a TPLink Nighthawk), you should not be having any problems with random access.

[bluenose1940]

Hello Pete, good of you to input.  I am with Sky and all it says on the router is 'Sky' and so I do not know what make it is.  If I decided to change the router, would they be able to tell?

I suppose I could ask them if they could give me a static address, it ought to be free as I pay them enough each month.

It is possible of course that they changed the ip address whilst I was at the hospital but I would have thought it unlikely to be honest.

'VPN termination' - you're talking to an old wrinkley here and that's gone straight over the top of the old grey matter🤣🤣🤣

[Chris JJ]

I had an issue with my Swan system it was letting me see but always every 20 seconds e mailing me a clip from each camera. Then wouldn't work at all. Their actual app doesn't work well.

it should work if it's on your wifi network, try turning wifi off on your phone so your on data not wi fi, otherwise you will need to go from scratch with the instructions.

[PCM]

On 10/25/2019 at 10:41 AM, bluenose1940 said:

Hello Pete, good of you to input.  I am with Sky and all it says on the router is 'Sky' and so I do not know what make it is.  If I decided to change the router, would they be able to tell?

I suppose I could ask them if they could give me a static address, it ought to be free as I pay them enough each month.

It is possible of course that they changed the ip address whilst I was at the hospital but I would have thought it unlikely to be honest.

'VPN termination' - you're talking to an old wrinkley here and that's gone straight over the top of the old grey matter🤣🤣🤣

Did you fix your cctv issue eventually?

[bluenose1940]

On 6/30/2020 at 3:32 PM, PCM said:

Did you fix your cctv issue eventually?

No not really, I'm still 'trialling' 'erroring' at the moment.  I can get it all ok on my pc and on Hik-Connect when I am using the Wi-Fi at home. 

[PCM]

Just a general thought...

It has been suggested to me, and I can see the logic, that some DVRs/NVRs, don't like power cuts.

I have bought a small UPS ( Uninterruptible Power Supply(, from A....., for about £79. 

Just to be on the safe side, which will power the cameras as well... 

[PCM]

On 9/13/2019 at 5:30 PM, bluenose1940 said:

When I am at home and am connected to my own Wi-Fi, both iVMS4500 and Hik-Connect both work perfectly but, when I am away from home and am connected to any other Wi-Fi set-up or by using the data allowance from my phone provider, neither of them work and I just get various error messages such as 'Connection Failed' or 'The device is off-Line' Well I can certainly say that the device is definitely not 'Off-Line'
 

Did you find a solution at all? 

( I used this for our BT router ... seems to work well. )

 

[bluenose1940]

Hello Piers,  Yes I overcame the problem with the help of a chap on a CCTV Forum who guided me through setting up 'Port forwarding' and everything seems to be working a treat now.

[PCM]

1 minute ago, bluenose1940 said:

Hello Piers,  Yes I overcame the problem with the help of a chap on a CCTV Forum who guided me through setting up 'Port forwarding' and everything seems to be working a treat now.

Brilliant!

Your post inspired me to get mine working.

Win-win!

 

[PCM]

1 hour ago, PCM said:

Did you find a solution at all? 

( I used this for our BT router ... seems to work well. )

 

This: https://www.bt.com/help/broadband/learn-about-broadband/how-do-i-set-up-port-forwarding-on-my-bt-hub- 

[Cotswold Pete]

Great that you got things sorted.

I would add to anyone reading this using Virgin Broadband (especially if using DOCSIS cable routers), they can be a real monkey if not impossible to sort port forwarding on the routers. 

Not sure why, but we have had a number of customers who work from home and need port forwarding to have remote office phone extensions, and had fun and games with Virgin getting things to work.

[PCM]

Just installed a HikVision ColorVu 8MP camera.

Wow!

Amazing night pictures - in colour.

[Herbie]

1 hour ago, PCM said:

Just installed a HikVision ColorVu 8MP camera.

Wow!

Amazing night pictures - in colour.

They are indeed brilliant cameras; just a sad state of affairs that we need such things.