noob with no directions

[gcan 0]

I purchased a cabin with a CCTV system that I can only view at the DVR. I had both the alarm and the cable tech's look at the system when they came out but neither knew how to make it so I can view either wirelessly at the cabin or prefered over the internet from my primary house. So I'm trying to educate myself.....any help would be greatly appreciated

My system is a Speco DVR-4TN/160

I have Charter cable supplied internet

I've been told I need a static IP so I signed up for a Dynamic DNS hostname through DYN.com

 

my problem is the previous guys tried so much the settings on my DVR are a mess - can anybody help me understand what the following means or is pointing to

1. DHCP ON

2. IP 192.168.0.7

3. Netmask 255.255.255.0

4. Gateway 192.168.0.1

5. DNS 24.159.64.23

 

none of these match the router or the open router port??

 

 

thanks in advance for the help

[groovyman 0]

I'll answer some of your questions.

 

1. DHCP ON

Every device connected to a network needs an address, called an IP address. This can either be manually typed into the device or assigned automatically. When assigned automatically via DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), the device (in this case, the dvr) sends a request out on the network saying "I need an address". The router is the device that hands out those addresses - might be your cable modem or a router connected to the modem. In any case, when the request is received by the router it sends an address to the device that requested it.

 

2. IP 192.168.0.7

3. Netmask 255.255.255.0

4. Gateway 192.168.0.1

5. DNS 24.159.64.23

This is additional information the router sent to the dvr when the dvr requested an IP address. It helps the DVR communicate over the network and Internet.

 

If you connect to the dvr from a computer on the same network you would use 192.168.0.7 in your web browser (such as Internet Explorer), or the dvr viewing software that came on a CD with the DVR (if you have the CD) or you can download the software from the manufacturer website.

 

The Netmask, Gateway & DNS provides information about the network, router and how to communicate via the Internet. Don't worry about the Netmask - to explain it will take too much time and is not really relevent here. The Gateway is actually the internal IP address of either the Cable modem or Router (if one is connected to the Cable modem). DNS is short for Domain Name Server which translates domains like cctvforum.com to an IP address so information can be routed properly.

[gcan 0]

thank you for the response

 

While working on this over the weekend I tried the IP 192.168.0.7 on my lap top and while it did get me to a black screen listing camera, after dropping all security on my lap top ( microsoft security kept saying could not open from a unknown source), I never did actually see anything from the camera's> I thought I was getting close. I do not have a CD for the unit....I did print a copy of the manual which has gottne me to this point.

 

So your saying the other numbers are assigned and I don't need to change them?

 

To access over the internet would I set up the DYN account to look at 192.168.0.7? or the router IP?

[groovyman 0]

So your saying the other numbers are assigned and I don't need to change them?

Correct. But, what I do advise is to take all that information and manually type it in on the DVR. What's important is that the IP address assigned to the DVR doesn't change. I would use an IP address such as 192.168.0.200 instead of .7 though - something out of the typical DHCP range of the router.

 

To access over the internet would I set up the DYN account to look at 192.168.0.7? or the router IP?

You would set up the DYN account to look at the IP address assigned to the cable modem by the cable company. Go to a website such as ipchicken.com or whatismyip.com to see this IP address. Actually, when you setup the DYN account it will ask you if you want to use that current IP address, which is something you'll want to do.

 

Then, in the router, you'll need to configure port forwarding to the address assigned to the DVR. Let's say it's 192.168.0.200. You'll want to forward the ports specified by the manufacturer so you can communicate with the DVR via the Internet. Most will use port 80, and for any other port you'll need to read the manual or look at the settings on the dvr.

 

Now, the IP address assigned to the cable modem may change over time. Could be daily, weekly, monthly - whatever. So it's a good idea to setup the dynamic dns service in the dvr itself (if available) or download the dynamic dns client updater from dyn.com and install it on a computer that is on very often. Many routers also have the dynamic dns feature built in that can be configured.

[gcan 0]

I just tried and can't access anyting from my primary home, so it will be 2 weeks before I can go back to the cabin and will try it again......this really shouldn't be this damn difficult....hope everything stays secure.

 

thanks for the advise

[gcan 0]

I reset it as directed ending in .200 and reset the modem as well....still nothing

 

I get a black screen and a prompt to install activeX whihc my computer will not do since it doesn't recognize the sender.

 

also what is the DDNS setup I've tried setting it to yes and no....no differe

 

under LAN setup it has a tab for router setting and the second option is current router but it will not let me change it...it's showing D-link which I assume was what the previous owners had

[gcan 0]

My Speco DVR is connected by a cat5 cable to my Charter internet modem. I unplugged it and plugged in my lap top and nothing. Should the picture on the monitor attached to the DVR show when I plug it into the lap top?

[epcjay 0]

First off, lets get it working internally first. Forget the DYN stuff + ports required on your router.

 

It seems like a plugin is trying to install on your computer, but it won't install. Try adding you newly changed DVR's IP address into the "Local Intranet" group. Instructions below:

 

1. Click "Tools" in the top menu bar, or the "Tools" button on the Explorer Bar, and then select "Internet Options."

2. Select the "Security" tab.

3. Select the "Local Intranet" icon near the top of the window, and then click the adjacent "Sites" button.

4.Click the "Advanced" button.

5.Type the URL of the site you want to add in the "Add this website to the zone" field, and then click the adjacent "Add" button. Repeat this step to place additional websites within the Intranet Zone. (this is where you type your DVR's websites)

6. Click "Close," "OK" and "OK" on the next three screens, respectively, to close the open dialog boxes and confirm your changes

7. Clear all cache and cookies and history of your internet explorer.

8. Close IE and reopen, and try again. Does the activeX start to run?