Need help with setting up a network camera
 

I'm trying to setup the Panasonic BL-C1A that I got so my gf can check on the dogs from work, but I'm hitting roadblocks left and right. :vash:

I see the camera's user screen when I go to the IP address on my LAN (I just learned all these terms today), but when I'm on the internet off the network it keeps saying "failed to open page" or "cannot find server".

I tried setting up an account with viewnetcam.com, but according to them in order to use their software I need to update the firmware to 1.55 or higher. When I go to update the firmware though, it only goes up to 1.40. So I'm guessing that means I cant use their service, even though its printed right on the fucking box.

So I signed up with DynDNS.com for my own DDNS, but I'm still running into problems. I'm fucking with it right now, but I honestly have no idea what I'm doing lol. Anything I'm missing that is obvious to someone that knows this stuff?

If you come build me a bomb shelter, I will get your cameras working.

Deal! Well....with a little cash money on your end. :laugh:

I went into advanced settings on the router and I'm trying to make the IP address public. Them I tried fooling around with assigning a fixed IP address and trying that, but still not working. I also went into the firewall settings, but it looks like I might be able to really fuck something up in there. lol

Why do they have to make this shit so hard to understand!!!

You're gonna have to 'punch a hole' through the firewall and bounce whatever port (prolly 80) over to the camera.

Ok. I'm in the firewall settings on the router. Its giving me a list of "applications" that I can add to the hosted applications box. To get access to the camera, what do I choose? I know the answer is not Baldur's gate or Rainbow six, but is it something like DNS server or Web server?

I just called ATT and to ask them and the guy told me there would be a charge for the tech support. :vash: I told him that if I'm a paying member and I call in with a question and they chrage me, I'll fucking cancel the service and switch to someone different. I basically told him to eat a dick and have a nice day. lol

So now hopefully I can get some FREE tech support from you geeks.....I mean guys. ;) I just don't want to go clicking on shit thats going to fuck things up.

NEVER suggest that Vash punch anything. He is trying to break the habit;)

The web server one ought to work.

This is crazy!! I dont understand how this isnt working.

I created a DDNS using dyndns.com. I gave it the info it needed to host the IP. Then I put all that info into the 2wire modem and the Panasonic camera. I also opened port 80 on the firewall. I did everything I can think of and its still not working. Now its not even working on the LAN! So I'm assuming I fucked something up. :laugh:

I have to get out of here now so I cant fuck with it anymore today. Hopefully I can get it setup by the weekend, but I suppose I dont need to rush it today. Seeing that I already did something I probably shouldnt have. So I went ahead and tried to "undo" everything I did, but the camera still isnt working on the LAN. Somehow the hostname was changed from the IP number to the dyndns.com address.

They make it hard so that you pay guys like me big bucks to get it working.

What type of router do you have? Can you give me a link to what camera setup and the software it uses?

Basically what you need to do is go into your routers settings and find you WAN IP address. This is what you will use to connect to you home network from outside of your house. Then you need to find out what the IP address of the computer you have the software installed on is. For that you go to Start-> run -> cmd and then type in "ipconfig". Somewhere under the routers setting you will have to find the port forwarding section. You then put the internal computers IP in there with what port the software uses. If you are doing a web based viewing it will most likely be port 80. Once you enter all that and save it, you should be able to load the website or whatever from outside the network.

I just caught this before I was about to shut down the computer.

The router is a AT&T supplied 2wire. The camera came with software, but I wasnt able to install it on the MAC. So I went into my 2wire and found it's IP address and got into it that way.

I'm pretty sure I know what the IP address of the computer is. Same way I found the camera IP.

Is there a way I could fuck this up and give public access to the camera? Not that it matters much, its pointed at the dog cage rather than the bed. :laugh: I just don't want to give an open invite on the network to have someone thats smarter than me come in and fuck around with things.

Yes, in fact thats the nature of the beast... if the camera has some kinda authentication scheme turn it on, otherwise google could find it (yes that happens). I have a network camera, but its rarely on so I don't worry about it. If you can't get to the camera over the lan then you've probably goobered its settings somehow, there's often a 'reset' button on them that'll reset to defaults, you have to get that fixed first. When you've got it working, take the internal ip address (should be something like 192.168.???.???) and set your router to forward port 80 to it (the web server setting should work, just make sure you use the internal address) At this point, you should be able to go off your network, go to your WAN IP w/ a web browser and see the same exact interface you see when you go to the http://192.168.???.?? from your local network. Dyn DNS just sets up a hostname that points to your WAN ip so that you don't have to remember the numbers.
I dunno if that'll help much, as it seems like you have it mostly figured out, but theres really nothing more to it. Its possible there is some kinda setting in the camera that keeps it from accepting forwarded requests, but I dunno.

Ok that seems simple enough. If the DynDNS thing just serves that purpose, then I'll skip it. Its easy enough to type the number. Shit, I already have all of them memorized from typing it so many times! lol

So I'll start by resetting the camera itself to start from square one again. Then I'll do what you and shuiend have suggested and keep my fingers crossed.

I just want to make sure I set it up properly so I don't have to worry about it becoming a public accessed camera. Nor do I want to give access to the network so someone could come in and fubar things up for us. I have no idea what lets people in and what exactly they see, but I'd like to not find out. lol

Thanks a ton guys!! I'll let you know how I make out.

Well I gave it another stab last night and its still not connecting outside of the LAN. I feel like I'm so close that its just got to be something small that's fucked up, but then again this is like Japanese to me so I figured it wouldn't be easy. :giggle:

Here's some info I jotted down while I was working on it-

I reset the network camera and just like you guys said I was able to start from scratch again no problem.

Then I found both the computer's IP and the router's IP. I'm not sure which one is considered the WAN IP, but I tried both.

I deleted the DynDNS account I created and planned on just using the IP address itself.

The camera setup is asking me if I want to make a "static IP" or a something else, I think it was DNS or DDNS. I wasn't sure what was what but I chose static IP.

Port 80 is the one the camera already had in the setup screen so I left it.

When it was asking for things like the subnet mask or gateway, I wasn't sure what to put so I just entered the same ones the router was showing.

This is the info it was asking me in the router's firewall settings;

Protocol: TCP or UDP - I chose TCP
Port (or range): I chose From:80 To:80
Protocol timeout: Side of the screen said for TCP default is 86400 so I used that
Map to host port: Side of the screen said 80 for default so again I used that

There was also something called UPnP but I wasn't sure what that was so I left it alone.

Hopefully you guys can help me make sense of this stuff so I can get the camera working. :bigtu: I really appreciate the help!

Anyone?

I'm at my parents now working on setting up the projector and 10ft screen for them, then I was going to try and get working on the camera before my gf gets back tonight.

If its hands on, I can do anything. If its having to know something you learned in a classroom, I'm fucking lost.

Post up a screenshot of your router firewall settings. Are you using the 2Wire modem as a bridge or is it also your main router (Is your computer and camera connected to anything else before the 2Wire?

First of all, does your ISP give you a static IP? You probably want to use another port other than 80.

You can probably also get some help from this. I just selected a random 2Wire modem.

http://portforward.com/english/route...c_BL-C230A.htm

Random question, can you view the camera from other computers on the network?

Probably a yes.

I'm doing all of this off her MAC, so I don't know if they can even capture screenshots, but I can write down all the info once I get back home.

We are using the 2wire as the main router. The DSL cable runs directly into the back of the 2wire, and the MAC and camera are hooked up to it with ethernet cables.

I'm not sure if ATT gives us a static IP. How exactly can I find out?

Thanks for the link. I didnt get a chance to check it yet but I will later tonight.

So far I have only tried viewing the camera through the MAC and both our iPhones. When we are on wifi through the LAN, all 3 can view the camera.

Command - SHIFT - 3

If you can see it on the network you are doing ok. This way we at least know they are working.

So you need to get the ip address of the MAC that the camera is hooked to. It is the one you put in the web browser to see the cameras. After that you need to go into the router and find where it has port forwarding. I am not sure what it will be under on your specific router. Once there there should be a "add" button of some sort. Click that and put in the IP address and I am willing to bet it is port 80. Then click save. Next you need to goto the status page out the router and look to see where it saw WAN IP. Copy that IP address and put it into a web browser to see if the cameras come up. Also do you have to login to see the cameras on the network?