Newbie - remote viewing question

[mossman65 0]

Hello Everyone and thanks for letting me join!

 

We have a couple electrical supply stores and have installed CCTV cams. We have three NightOwl DVRs. All of our locations are connected back to the main using a managed VPN.

 

Here is my problem. We have created public IPs for the other locations so that we can view the cameras via our mobile devices. This works fine. I can internally view my local cameras at the main location based on an internal IP using netviewer.

 

The problem is when i try using netviewer, or nightowl's software to view the remote locations i can't connect from my PC inside our network. I have tried the public and private IP's. multiple media and web ports but all i get back is a login failed prompt. I would think because we are all VPN'ed together that i would be able to see the other locations camera's or by using the public IPs.

 

Has anyone else had this issue, any suggestions?

 

Thanks for your time!!

 

Aaron

[Samir 0]

If you can't see them from even the public IPs, something is blocking your system on the network. Can you ping the public and private IPs?

[mossman65 0]

Good Morning and thank you for responding! Yes i can ping both the public and private IPs. For the cams i'm trying to get to at the other location i ran the network cable directly into the Fortinet Managed switch. I had our ISP set up a public IP. I was reading that i might need to change my PCs ip address so that when setting up the camera on my pc i can be on the same network. I'm going to see if that make a difference.

 

Thanks!

Aaron

[mossman65 0]

Just tried changing my machines IP and that didn't work either. I just keep getting login failed even though i'm using the same login as i do with my mobile devices.

[Samir 0]

If ping is working, then windows firewall is probably blocking the other ports. Shurt off windows firewall for testing purposes and see if you can see them with it off.

[mossman65 0]

Sorry its taken me so long to reply, busy as heck.

 

So i turned windows firewall off and we still can't connect from our PC. Could it be the netviewer software? We use it in our main location on our desktops to view the local cams with no problems. We use the night owl lite software on our phones to view both locations. They are work cams, i can give you the public IP if you want to see if your able to connect from outside our network. Its very confusing...

 

I will say we have the dvr plugged directly into our fortigate VPN/Firewall. So the internet comes onto the modem, then jumps into the fortigate. I have check with our ISP to make sure that ip is open to the public.

 

Thanks Again!

[Samir 0]

I re-read your problem and let me make sure I understand this correctly.

 

You can view the cameras using the internal/VPN IP address using computers.

 

You cannot view the cameras using the external IP address using computers.

 

You can view the cameras using the external IP address using the apps on your phones.

 

There could be two different things going on. One is that your phones may work because the proper ports are mapped by the apps somehow. And related to that is that the fortigates don't have port fowarding set up so that an incoming desktop request (that doesn't have a way of knowing the ports) will hit the camera(s).

 

I would suggest moving a camera into the fortigate's DMZ for testing, but I know the DMZ on higher end vpn routers like these can be too complicated to help sort out a possible issue.

[mossman65 0]

You can view the cameras using the internal/VPN IP address using computers. - I can only view the local camera's at my location via PC, i can't connect to the other locations camera's that are on our network via VPN.

 

You cannot view the cameras using the external IP address using computers. - Correct

 

You can view the cameras using the external IP address using the apps on your phones. - Correct

 

I would suggest moving a camera into the fortigate's DMZ for testing, but I know the DMZ on higher end vpn routers like these can be too complicated to help sort out a possible issue. -- Luckily, we have a managed VPN, so i'm going to send your suggestion that way and maybe they can get me set right. Thanks!!

[Samir 0]

You can view the cameras using the internal/VPN IP address using computers. - I can only view the local camera's at my location via PC, i can't connect to the other locations camera's that are on our network via VPN.

Ahh, this sheds some light on the issue. Seems like the computers can't connect to the cameras over the vpn too, which shouldn't be an issue. Can you ping the cameras on the other side from the viewing computer you want to use? If not, something is stopping the packets in the fortigate from going across the vpn link. This may also be the same thing stopping computers from viewing the cameras from external IPs.

[Don Stephens 0]

I don't suppose any SonicWALL devices are being used here...?

[Samir 0]

I don't suppose any SonicWALL devices are being used here...?

I'm sure somebody is. Those are a popular firewall as well.

[mossman65 0]

I can ping the public and private IP's from within our network from any machine. The only difference between the two locations networks is 1 octet in the IP. I don't believe there are any SonicWall devices.

 

In this order we have the Modem --> The FortiGate --> and a PoE switch for our VOIP phones. I have the DVR plugged into the FortiGate.

 

Still waiting to here back from my ISP on the port forwarding.

 

Thanks everyone!

[Samir 0]

I can ping the public and private IP's from within our network from any machine. The only difference between the two locations networks is 1 octet in the IP. I don't believe there are any SonicWall devices.

 

In this order we have the Modem --> The FortiGate --> and a PoE switch for our VOIP phones. I have the DVR plugged into the FortiGate.

 

Still waiting to here back from my ISP on the port forwarding.

 

Thanks everyone!

The IP subnets should be different between the VPN endpoints, so that's good.

 

But this also may be the issue if the software is somehow limited to only seeing cameras on the local subnet. I'm not familiar with the software, but are you able to specify an IP address to connect to?

[Don Stephens 0]

I don't suppose any SonicWALL devices are being used here...?

I'm sure somebody is. Those are a popular firewall as well.

 

...I meant in his system.

[mossman65 0]

Just out of curiosity, can you guys recommend a good not to pricey dvr? We have like 4 different brands and i'm just trouble shooting the one nightowl now and I'm thinking getting all the same brand might be simpler in the end... Essentially my boss would like about 100 cams set up between our four locations and all online for remote access

[Samir 0]

Just out of curiosity, can you guys recommend a good not to pricey dvr? We have like 4 different brands and i'm just trouble shooting the one nightowl now and I'm thinking getting all the same brand might be simpler in the end... Essentially my boss would like about 100 cams set up between our four locations and all online for remote access

I'm not too well versed on all the DVRs out there, but I know that most are limited to 16 cameras on a unit, so he's going to need to do something different to get 100 cameras at 4 locations.

 

Sounds like there's some money to throw at a good install, so I'd look for systems specifically designed for something like this.

[Don Stephens 0]

Hmm, I definitely don't agree with most being limited to 16 channels. Maybe I'm just looking at different manufacturers, but 32 channel recorders aren't exactly a rarity; in fact, I'd say they're ridiculously easy to find. Those same manufacturers also produce 64, 128, and 256 channel options depending on the system type.

 

The only thing I've seen that's limited to 16 channels are Hybrid and Tribrid DVRs and I'm guessing you're not in the market for one of those.

[Samir 0]

Hmm, I definitely don't agree with most being limited to 16 channels. Maybe I'm just looking at different manufacturers, but 32 channel recorders aren't exactly a rarity; in fact, I'd say they're ridiculously easy to find. Those same manufacturers also produce 64, 128, and 256 channel options depending on the system type.

 

The only thing I've seen that's limited to 16 channels are Hybrid and Tribrid DVRs and I'm guessing you're not in the market for one of those.

I learned something new. Everything I've ever seen was maxed out at 16 channels, but it's always been cheap stuff that I've seen.

[Don Stephens 0]

Hmm, I definitely don't agree with most being limited to 16 channels. Maybe I'm just looking at different manufacturers, but 32 channel recorders aren't exactly a rarity; in fact, I'd say they're ridiculously easy to find. Those same manufacturers also produce 64, 128, and 256 channel options depending on the system type.

 

The only thing I've seen that's limited to 16 channels are Hybrid and Tribrid DVRs and I'm guessing you're not in the market for one of those.

I learned something new. Everything I've ever seen was maxed out at 16 channels, but it's always been cheap stuff that I've seen.

 

Just different manufacturers. That's probably good for him to know though if he's seeking out a cheaper DVR.

[mossman65 0]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

What brands would you recommend for easy set up on a work network with many routers and VPN's?

 

Samir & Don, thanks for all you input, i have learned good things from both of you.

 

I still haven't head back from my ISP so i'm going to go to the location later today and see if i can use what I have learned to get these darn things working.

[Samir 0]

Just different manufacturers. That's probably good for him to know though if he's seeking out a cheaper DVR.

True. I definitely wouldn't recommend the cheap route for a setup like this though. I think the class of equipment you're talking about would be better suited for a setup like his.

[Don Stephens 0]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

 

What brands would you recommend for easy set up on a work network with many routers and VPN's?

 

Samir & Don, thanks for all you input, i have learned good things from both of you.

 

I still haven't head back from my ISP so i'm going to go to the location later today and see if i can use what I have learned to get these darn things working.

 

Look into Dahua and Hikvision DVRs. If you have any network/connectivity issues, it won't be as a result of the hardware you get from either of these guys. These two are just about the same in every way so flip a coin. One is not necessarily better than the other and people on this forum know every in and out of both of them, so finding help with either won't be an issue for you.