IP Network Cameras are designed to work in a Local Area Network (LAN) and
over the Internet. Within a LAN, IP Network Cameras allow for motoring local to
the computer network to which the cameras are attached to. With additional
configuration of your computer network you have the ability to allow for your IP
Network Camera to be monitored not only locally but remotely as well using the
Internet. For advice on how to configure your network to allow for your camera
to work over the Internet please follow this guide.
Configuration - Local Access
Before you are able to configure your camera to work over the Internet we
suggest configuring the camera for local access first. Please refer to the
technical documentation that came with your camera for proper instructions on
initial configuration of your camera. Once the camera has been configured for
local access you are then ready to start configuration for remote access to the
camera over the Internet.
Configuration - Remote Access
Before you proceed to configure your local network to allow your camera to be
monitored from a remote location, we suggest that you contact your network
administrator to ensure you have the proper authority to configure remote access
to the camera. Once you have consulted with your network administrator you may
proceed to configure remote access to the camera.
In order to configure your camera to work over the Internet you will need to
configure what is called Port Forwarding. Port Forwarding allows for you to
access the camera from a remote location by forwarding the network ports used by
the camera onto the Internet. These ports are usually forwarded by accessing
your network's router and configuring the router to forward the ports used by
the camera. For details as to what ports will be required for forwarding for
your IP Network Camera, please consult the manufacturer of your camera. For
additional information beyond this guide regarding Port Forwarding, please visit
www.portforward.com where you will be able to find step by step guides on Port
Forwarding specific to different models of routers.
Step 1 - Obtain IP Address Information
In order to access your network's router for configuration of port forwarding
you will require the IP Address of the router to which the camera is connected
to. You can obtain this IP Address information by consulting with the network
administrator of your network or by opening up a Command Prompt within Windows
and entering in the "ipconfig /all" command. To open a command prompt window you
will need to click on the Window's Start button and then proceed to click on
Run. Now you will enter in "cmd" and click on "Ok" to proceed.
Once you have displayed the IP Configuration for your computer using the
"ipconfig /all" command, you will then be able to record the IP Address for your
router. You will need this IP Address in order to access your router for
configuring Port Forwarding. Your network router's IP Address will be displayed
as the Default Gateway.
Step 2 - Accessing your Network's Router
Now that you have obtained the IP Address for your network's router you will
then need to proceed to access your router by typing in the router's IP Address
in a web browser.
Step 3 - Configuring Port Forwarding on your Router
Now that you have access to the network router you will then need to proceed
to browse to the configuration section on the router where port forwarding is to
take place. Please consult with the manufacturer of your router for details as
to where this section is. You may also review the website
NetworkCameraReviews.com where you will find detailed forum posts on port
forwarding with various routers.
The Private IP Address for the camera (local IP Address of camera) has been
entered in as well as a unique name that will be associated with this particular
port that is to be forwarded. In this example port 80 will be forwarded for the
camera. Please consult with the manufacturer of your camera for details on what
port(s) will be forwarded. Some IP Network Cameras require more then one port to
be forwarded in order for you to obtain all the features the camera has to
offer. You will also be presented with an option to select a Protocol to be to
be used. Common options found are UDP, TCP or Both. Your router may have
additional options. In most cases you will need to select the protocol option
"Both". This will associate both UDP and TCP protocols to the port(s) being
forwarded. In this example we with click on the Apply button once all required
information has been entered.
After the settings have been saved within the router's configuration you
should be able to see this information displayed in a list. There may be other
entries in this list already by default.
Step 4 - Accessing your IP Network Camera over the Internet
Now that you have configured port forwarding on your network's router to
allow the camera to be accessed over the Internet, you are now ready to attempt
to access the camera. We suggest attempting to access the camera from a remote
location and not within the local network for confirmation that port forwarding
was configured properly. At a remote location you will need to type in the
Public IP Address that is provided by you Internet Service Provider (ISP) in
order for you to be able to access your camera. Please contact your ISP if you
are not sure what your Public IP Address is. You will not be able to access the
camera by it's Private IP Address (Example: 192.168.0.100) because the camera's
Private IP Address cannot be seen on the Internet and can only be seen within
the local network to which the camera is attached to.
In most applications port 80 will be forwarded and because of this no port
information will be required in the Address Bar when attempting to access the
camera. However, there are cases where an IP Network Camera will not use port
80. These cases are usually related to security concerns with using port 80. We
suggest contacting your network administrator or the manufacturer of you router
to inquire upon the possible security concerns with forwarding port 80. If port
80 is not the port being used you will be required to enter in the full IP
Address followed by a colon and the port number used.
