Access cameras on phone remotely using non-BI app

[S0619212]

I was finally able to successfully set up OpenVPN on ASUS router and I am able to access through browser using BI url when i am outside of network. I understand BI app just works over OpenVPN, I am curious to know if there are any free version of apps that I can use to remotely view my cameras, I would like to get notifications also for alerts and stuff. Is BI app the only way to remotely view using VPN? I really like tinycam, but since the camera IP's are not exposed outside of n/w i cannot use it.

 

[Mike A.]

I don't use TinyCam anymore but I'd think that you'd connect in the same way as you would when on your local net. Once connected via VPN your phone effectively works as if you are inside your network. Your cam doesn't need to be exposed outside.

So, for example, if a cam is on 192.168.1.10, then you'd set up whatever app to access the cam on that address (vs some remote IP : port). (That assumes that you're not going through some cloud- or P2P-type service to access the cam which I don't think TinyCam does.)

One catch to that in some cases will be if you've blocked Internet access to/by the cam in your router/firewall.

 

[S0619212]

I don't use TinyCam anymore but I'd think that you'd connect in the same way as you would when on your local net. Once connected via VPN your phone effectively works as if you are inside your network. Your cam doesn't need to be exposed outside.

So, for example, if a cam is on 192.168.1.10, then you'd set up whatever app to access the cam on that address (vs some remote IPort). (That assumes that you're not going through some cloud- or P2P-type service to access the cam which I don't think TinyCam does.)

One catch to that in some cases will be if you've blocked Internet access to/by the cam in your router/firewall.

Right, the way I have it set up is none of the camera's can be directly accessed , only the bi server can be accessed.

 

[Mike A.]

Is there something that the BI app doesn't do that you want? It does not require a VPN but you already have that set up now anyway and that's the better way to go.

In any case, looking quickly it appears that TinyCam does support some sort of connection to BI:

Using BI's cam server -- what is channel number ?

How do I use the cam number on Tinycam to select a specific camera or camera group? the channel numbering in Tinycam seems random in terms of which BI cam it shows on Tinycam. Sometimes it shows multi cams in a split screen on Tinycam when I select one of the higher numbers for channel...

ipcamtalk.com

Generally, any app will work in the way that I described above - you'll be a client on your local network when connected via VPN. Not strictly true, there are some differences, but effectively so in most all cases. When using the VPN, you don't truly have a local address. You have an external address which is routed internally over to your local network. The router/firewall evaluates that as an outside address, so the rule blocking access applies. There's a way to pass the TUN (VPN) interface through but it's fairly complicated and requires command line changes to the Asus config.

The problem in connecting to the cams isn't the VPN (or lack thereof). It's that you have access to them blocked. You could turn that off and they would work VPN or not. Better to block/segregate them though.

 

[S0619212]

Is there something that the BI app doesn't do that you want? It does not require a VPN but you already have that set up now anyway and that's the better way to go.

In any case, looking quickly it appears that TinyCam does support some sort of connection to BI:

Using BI's cam server -- what is channel number ?

How do I use the cam number on Tinycam to select a specific camera or camera group? the channel numbering in Tinycam seems random in terms of which BI cam it shows on Tinycam. Sometimes it shows multi cams in a split screen on Tinycam when I select one of the higher numbers for channel...

ipcamtalk.com

Generally, any app will work in the way that I described above - you'll be a client on your local network when connected via VPN. Not strictly true, there are some differences, but effectively so in most all cases. When using the VPN, you don't truly have a local address. You have an external address which is routed internally over to your local network. The router/firewall evaluates that as an outside address, so the rule blocking access applies. There's a way to pass the TUN (VPN) interface through but it's fairly complicated and requires command line changes to the Asus config.

The problem in connecting to the cams isn't the VPN (or lack thereof). It's that you have access to them blocked. You could turn that off and they would work VPN or not. Better to block/segregate them though.

Ahh...I just thought Tinycam just won't work with BI. After your message I went back and looked in the app and I see BI in there, I was able to add them and also be able to view outside of the network on OpenVPN.

THANKS .