Port forwarding

mark4470

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I'm getting ready to setup my new Asus rt-ac88u router. I'm going to open vpn do I still do port forwarding like normal for my Hikvision nvr?
 

smoothie

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No.

Think of the VPN like a secure way of forwarding all traffic to your internal private network. Without the correct username, password, pre-shared key, x.509 certificate, etc, the VPN will NOT allow traffic into your network. If you supply the correct security credentials then you are able to securely stretch your little private home network out across the internet to encompass your smart phone as if it were at home and not at Starbucks or the Mall etc. Another way to think of it is it would be like having a really long network cable with one end plugged into your home network and the other end spooled up in the trunk of your car, as you drive around it unspools and remains connected to your home network. When you want to access your home network you open the trunk of your car and plug that cable into your phone and you are connected to your home network, this is in essence what a VPN accomplishes.

The only thing exposed to the open internet is the VPN. It could be argued that the VPN has "open ports" to the internet, which is does in the sense that the traffic from the internet must be able to reach the VPN server part of the Asus rt-ac88u. But there are NO ports passing from the open internet to your internal network or its devices such as the Hikvision nvr.

The greatest hits of how it would work:
1. Be outside of your home network, either away from your place physically or not connected to the wifi etc
2. Launch the VPN app on your smart phone (once the VPN app is configured to find your specific VPN) and connect it
3. Launch the app you use to view your cameras, use the same IP address you would use while at home for example 192.168.1.155 or 10.0.0.7, etc
4.
5. Profit
 

mark4470

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I give up this is beyond me!!! Thanks for the help you guys have given me..
 

Del Boy

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The VPN feature on that router is pretty decent. The latest firmware as I understand is a bit of a hybrid between DD-WRT and Asus firmware (ok not quite but I can't explain it any better), they have non-Asus enthusiasts helping to develop it. Great idea IMO.
 

mark4470

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The VPN feature on that router is pretty decent. The latest firmware as I understand is a bit of a hybrid between DD-WRT and Asus firmware (ok not quite but I can't explain it any better), they have non-Asus enthusiasts helping to develop it. Great idea IMO.

I love the new Router, now if I can figure out the vpn thing.
 

PSPCommOp

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I really enjoy the boost the Asus provided. Nothing lags anymore and the VPN option is great, especially now that I'm on the IP Cam bandwagon.
 
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Mark, generally one would use VPN or Open the port mappings not both. The advantage of VPN is that it is very secure way to access ALL devices on your network, the disadvantage is one of convenience - you need to start a VPN on every device that wants access to the camera . The advantage of port mapping is it easily lets you access a single device. however the disadvantage is that you now have that device exposed on the internet and you are relying on it's security model to stop hackers hacking it. Is someone did hack it they potentially have access to your whole network.

So it is a choice, personally i port forward.
 

mark4470

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Thanks a bunch for the replies guys, I do appreciate it..
 
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