Need Crash Course in IP Addresses/Port Forwarding - HELP!!!

[Sir Veillance 0]

Hello all!

 

I'm the new guy that decided to setup an IP surveillance system in my home to replace the aging Logitech Wi-Life system that I currently have in place.

 

A little background: I'm okay with computers and am not afraid to get involved with these types of projects. I've done some Cat 5 cabling, serial cabling, phone cabling, etc. When it comes to networking, though, I guess I was absent that day.

 

I've had my wife's car broken into a couple of times and our mailbox knocked down half a dozen times over the past few years, so I decided to pick up a Wi-Life system in order to help identify the perpetrators. Since installing this system, I was able to nab two of the people that knocked over our mailbox and was able to see the vandal that ransacked my wife's car.

 

After not being able to clearly identify the freeloading asshat that vandalized my wife's car, I decided to upgrade our home's surveillance system.

 

For now, I'd like to start with a couple of cameras to replace the ones I currently have in place, but, in the near future, I'd like to add a couple of cameras at a time until I reach a total of eight cameras covering the front, sides and rear of our home's property.

 

After much reading on this site and others, I decided to start purchasing the items necessary for this installation.

 

Here's what I have picked up, so far:

 

1 - Hikvision 2332 turret

1 - Hikvision 2032 bullet

1 - HP Procurve Switch (Managed 8-port POE w/gigabit uplink)

1 - 1000' spool Cat 5e ethernet cable

50 - RJ-45 Cat 5 connectors

 

I already have an i7 PC hooked to U-Verse's Arris NVG589 4-port modem/router. I'm using this PC for the Wi-Life system, so I'd like to do the same for this system, as well. I also have the crimper, cutter, and Cat 5 tester from my previous installations.

 

After receiving the Hikvision cameras, I ran SADP and assigned each camera its own IP address. I'm using 192.168.1.201 for camera one and 192.168.1.202 for camera 2. The modem/router is 192.168.1.254, so I used that as the gateway address. For port forwarding of the cameras, I assigned 8201 for camera one and 8202 for camera 2.

 

I assigned 192.168.1.200 to the HP Procurve switch, which gave it a static IP address, not an assignable one.

 

Here's how everything is hooked up:

 

Starting from the end, the two cameras are hooked up via ethernet cables to the HP Procurve switch (ports 1 and 2, but that supposedly doesn't matter).

The HP Procurve switch is hooked up to the U-Verse modem/router via an ethernet cable from the uplink port (port 9) to one of the four ports on the modem/router.

The i7 PC (192.168.1.65) is hooked up to the modem/router via an ethernet cable from the LAN card to one of the four ports on the modem/router.

 

I entered the Firewall section of the U-Verse modem/router and found (after a lot of reading) that there are two sub-sections in here that I should be modifying. One is "NAT/Gaming" and the other is "IP Passthrough".

 

I have tried every conceivable combination in these two sub-sections and I always get one of two results:

 

One result is that I can "see" the cameras through a browser by typing in each of their individual IP addresses. I can also open up SADP and see them there. The problem is, then I can't access the NVR software via my external IP address. Using the open port check tool, port 80 is closed.

 

The other result is that if I change things in this Firewall section, I'll then be able to access the NVR software via my external IP address, port 80 is open, but then I can't access my cameras with a browser or through SADP.

 

I have loaded Milestone's XProtect Essential and the Hikvision NVR that came with the cameras. Neither one of these software packages have been able to access the cameras via their respective clients, either locally or via the internet.

 

I've been at this for a few days now and have finally hit the wall of frustration.

 

What do you all think I'm doing wrong and is there a website that I can go to or a post that you can point me to which would explain an A-to-Z of what it is that I need to do in order to get this surveillance system up and running? I know that it's probably something basic that I'm missing, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance for your time and efforts!

 

Have a good evening,

 

Vic

[abdelm01 0]

I did not see where you said how the NVR is hooked up on the switch or modem and are the cameras imported into the NVR. What kind of NVR do you have. Also post snapshots of the gaming section in the modem where you forwarded your ports. Also on the U-Verse you have to Forward all 4Ports. I just got done hooking up an 8CH NVR HikVision and they had a U-Verse Router/Modem which i hate for some odd reason. Also Don't connect the Sewitch by UPLINK, a lot of routers don't get past it to the other ports, so put it in one of the 8 ports, just for testing purposes. You can PM if needed to get it resolved quicker if you would like and i will send it my email address through PM if you would like.

[Sir Veillance 0]

I did not see where you said how the NVR is hooked up on the switch or modem and are the cameras imported into the NVR. What kind of NVR do you have. Also post snapshots of the gaming section in the modem where you forwarded your ports. Also on the U-Verse you have to Forward all 4Ports. I just got done hooking up an 8CH NVR HikVision and they had a U-Verse Router/Modem which i hate for some odd reason. Also Don't connect the Sewitch by UPLINK, a lot of routers don't get past it to the other ports, so put it in one of the 8 ports, just for testing purposes. You can PM if needed to get it resolved quicker if you would like and i will send it my email address through PM if you would like.

 

abdelm01,

 

I'm using my i7 PC (192.168.1.65) as the NVR. It is hooked up to the modem/router via an ethernet cable from the LAN card on the back of the tower to one of the four ports on the U-Verse modem/router. I'm assuming that since all of the software resides on the PC and it's hooked to the router, that I don't have to set anything else up there. That's my assumption, but you know what they say about assuming things.

 

Below is a screenshot of the NAT/Gaming section of the Firewall area within U-Verse's Arris NVG589 modem/router, as requested.

 

Scenario #1: When I have the NAT/Gaming section setup like you see below and turn "IP Passthrough" to "OFF", I can access my cameras via a browser with no problem using their individually assigned IP addresses (192.168.1.201 and 192.168.1.202), but then I can't type in my external IP address to access the Milestone client software residing on my PC.

 

Scenario #2: When I have the NAT/Gaming section setup like you see below and turn "IP Passthrough" to "Passthrough" and point it at my PC's IP address (192.168.1.65), then I can no longer access my cameras via a browser using their individually assigned IP addresses (192.168.1.201 and 192.168.1.202), but then I can access the Milestone client software residing on my PC by typing in my external IP address in a browser.

 

Any additional information that you can share with me would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thank you for your time and efforts,

 

Vic

[abdelm01 0]

Try this first, Turn off IP Passthrough, Then go into the NAT/GAMING, and also add your RTSP for each camera, i recommend starting them at 2000+ because a lot of ISP block lower ports and also add your Server Ports and HTTPS. Try this for one of the cameras and see if that works. Also make sure you are entering these settings directly on the camera through the web browser.

[Sir Veillance 0]

Try this first, Turn off IP Passthrough, Then go into the NAT/GAMING, and also add your RTSP for each camera, i recommend starting them at 2000+ because a lot of ISP block lower ports and also add your Server Ports and HTTPS. Try this for one of the cameras and see if that works. Also make sure you are entering these settings directly on the camera through the web browser.

 

Okay, I changed the ports from the 8000's to the 2000's for the switch and the two cameras, as you've suggested (see screenshot below).

 

When you say to add the server port and HTTPS, what exactly do you mean?

 

Examples:

 

I have "HTTPS" in the native "Service" drop-down list as a choice. When I select "HTTPS", then I have to select something in the "Needed by Device" drop-down list below it. What IP address do I choose? Please keep in mind that if I choose the IP address for my PC here, I won't be able to use that IP address again because it will tell me that there's an error. Also, please note that the "Global Port Range" for "HTTPS" is natively 443-443 and this is already listed as a default in the NAT/Gaming section, as you can see from the uploaded image.

 

For the server port, do I create another custom service like I did with the switch and the cameras? If so, what port should I designate? Also, I imagine that the IP address that I'm supposed to select will be the 192.168.1.65 used by my PC, correct?

 

Finally, after these changes, I can still access both cameras from my browser using their assigned IP addresses (192.168.1.201 and 192.168.1.202), but not with their IP addresses and their individual port numbers attached (i.e. 192.168.1.201:2201 or 192.168.1.202:2202).

 

Please let me know.

 

Thank you,

 

Vic

[abdelm01 0]

I sent you a PM, check your new messages

[Sir Veillance 0]

I sent you a PM, check your new messages

 

Yes, I received it. I appreciate your offer, but I'm not going to bother you via your personal e-mail. It's already enough of an imposition through the forum. Again, thank you for your help.