samjade

Hi Everyone, It's time to start looking into replacing our old Panasonic WJ-HD316s. I've got four buildings with two 16-channel Panasonics per building, and I'm looking to replace them. I have all analog cameras, but I'm certainly willing to start using IP in the future. Money is an issue though, so the existing analog fleet is here to stay for the time being. I've been quoted Pelco DX series as a suitable replacement. I'd like to know your thoughts. Are there competitors I might consider? Any good or bad things I should know about the DX series? Also, a technical question I can't seem to figure from the documentation: Currently, I'm able to do PTZ control and playback from the console with the Panasonic solution, but it looks like the DX series only supports the KBD300A, which only does control (not playback.) If that's the case, is playback only available through the web interface? Thanks in advance. -SJ

Wow, I didn't even know something like this existed. Many thanks to both of you for the info! Do you happen to know if the Avigilon solution has a webserver feature for web-based live view and playback? I see that the software looks pretty robust, but one of the things I've always liked about the Panasonics is that I don't have any client setup to do other than a web shortcut. The other sticking point is that I have firewall rules to allow my local police departments in so they can use the web interface as well. It's a lot more difficult to require that they have software installed to make it happen. Again, thanks so much for the info. EDIT: Nevermind, I just found the info I was looking for in this PDF.

This is what I was trying to debunk in my last post. There is no server. There is no security risk. The target client connects TO a secure server. The source (requesting) client connects to that same server. That server is a logmein server; a "middleman". When you use logmein from one machine 1 to remote control machine 2, you are not making a direct connection to machine 2. You're connecting to a logmein server to which machine 2 is already securely connected. Logmein does the handshaking for you, and you're in. The connections look like this: Source -> Logmein <- Target Not this: Source -> Target or Source -> Logmein -> Target Programs like VNC that require explicit port forwards are less secure than this connection method. The middleman approach adopted by Logmein does not require port forwards. As I mentioned before, if there was a server, there would have to be forwards. There are no forward requirements because there is no server hosting open ports on the target machine.

FYI: Logmein does NOT use port 80. The output from a netstat query for any Logmein connections shows port 80 is not listening (I was going to post it but I can't post URLs and the server doesn't like the addresses in the output). The only listening port is the default connection port, which is 2002 on this machine. There is also an active secure connection to a logmein server (which is how the app works to begin with). An internal nmap fingerprint port scan of my machine (running logmein) doesn't even show port 80 open for anything. I do not have any firewall software running, and I have not changed any of the default logmein settings. Rory, I can appreciate your paranoia about having a web server running on a machine, but you're mistaken about how logmein works. It seems like you've made a leap of faith that since you use a browser to connect to a target machine, the machine must be listening on 80. The fact is that the reason logmein is so popular is that it does not require any special forwarding. The client maintains a secure connection to a logmein server. If the client side app were as straightforward and insecure as you imply, inbound connections would be dropped by firewalls that do not have the port explicitly forwarded and the program simply would not work on any secure network or routed home network. I'm certainly not trying to persaude you here. I prefer to use proper ACLs to secure outside connections to my servers, in fact. As a network admin I just don't see a need to dissuade others from using the product citing inaccurate information about how it works. Your opinions about web-based applications aside, using a secure connection to remotely access a machine with logmein is perfectly safe.

Logmein doesn't listen on port 80. You can blackhole 80 all you want and logmein will work fine. I have port 80 forwarded to my webserver, which is a completely different machine. I checked my config and it's listening on 2002 right now. I'm not sure if that's static or randomly assigned, but it sure isn't common and it's >1024. The concept is not that it turns your machine into a webserver at all. It establishes a session to the logmein server from your machine. That's how it hooks you back to the client when you log in through the web UI. Logmein is SSL, dual password protected (account and machine), and even has a lockout policy. It's not insecure. Rory, what does it being web based have to do with anything anyway?

Brilliant! Thanks so much MSM, that was exactly it. I couldn't find that table that allows you to edit those settings. Seems like I should have stumbled across it now, but it sure was elusive before.. It's recording now. I don't appear to be able to go back to before the setting was changed back, but that's not a real big deal at this point. Thanks again, I appreciate the help! SamJade

Hi Everyone, I just found this forum and it looks like it has a great deal of information. I have a question about one of my HD316As: For some reason, one of the cameras will not do any playback. When I go to last, go to date, or try to just hit play on Camera 2, it brings up the 'please wait' black screen and then just goes back to live. Every other camera is working fine. The ONLY difference I can see in the config is in Maintenance > REC Rate Status, which shows 1ips in the column EVT:PRE for camera 2. Every other [working] camera says OFF in that column. I can't figure out how to change this value, and furthermore, I have no idea if it's even related. Does anybody have any insight to offer? Thanks, SamJade

Hi There, I found this forum while searching the web about a problem with one of my DVRs. I'm a network engineer for a high school district, and I also manage the security systems. We're using Panasonic HD316As in each of our schools. I look forward to being here, it looks like quite an assembly of brains! Thanks, SamJade