What exactly are "Active Requests" ?

[Sparkey]

I hate to ask this as I suspect the answer is simple and is out there somewhere but I'll be damned if I can find it. Google returns absolutely nothing but unrelated gibberish.

I'd like to know where these active requests are coming from.

Thank you

 

[mikeynags]

A little context would help @Sparkey


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[Sparkey]

Under Status --> Connections --> Active Requests.

Earlier this morning it was showing 18 active requests. I have 11 cameras. I've never seen more than 3 active requests previously.

Just need to know if "Active Requests" includes both internal (LAN) and external (from the internet) requests.

Thanks

 

[mikeynags]

It’s more of a running counter. Are you exposing BI to the internet via port forwarding on your router? If so, internet scanners may be picking up your BI machine in their scans and that would show up as an active request. Has nothing to do with the total number of cameras that you have.


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[bp2008]

Active requests is the number of network connections that are currently open between remote clients and the Blue Iris web server.

One UI3 instance or mobile app will typically create 1 active request steadily as they pull down a video stream, and frequently create a number of other short-lived requests as they ask for metadata and status information, so the counter in Blue Iris status may spike up occasionally.

For it to be 18, that likely indicates you were being scanned by a botnet trying to find vulnerabilities to exploit. It is common for bots to be programmed very simply, where they don't even try to identify what kind of server they are talking to before trying to exploit vulnerabilities. They just send all the malicious payloads they know about, and see if any of them elicit the particular response they were looking for.

 

[Sparkey]

Thanks. The server is exposed to the Internet via port forwarding. Need to change this. I've been trying to figure Stunnel out but haven't had any luck. It all looks like giberish to me. Are there Blue Iris specific instructions out there anywhere?

 

[mikeynags]

I'm not a Stunnel user but try this video out

 

[looney2ns]

Thanks. The server is exposed to the Internet via port forwarding. Need to change this. I've been trying to figure Stunnel out but haven't had any luck. It all looks like giberish to me. Are there Blue Iris specific instructions out there anywhere?

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) | IP Cam Talk
There is also www.zerotier.com

 

[Sparkey]

Thanks

 

[bp2008]

stunnel will not make Blue Iris any more secure against this type of scanning. Not even a little bit.

 

[Sparkey]

Yea, I decided I need to use a VPN

 

[1fxman]

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) | IP Cam Talk
There is also www.zerotier.com

Do you use this service? And how hard is it to setup? Thanks and Merry Christmas!

 

[wittaj]

This is a VPN to bring you back into your home network when you are away, so the only time it is being used is when you are away and want to access the cams.

This is not a paid VPN service that hides your IP address for illegal video streaming and porn downloads LOL.

You will need a DDNS as your WAN IP address is subject to change at anytime by your ISP (although most do not change often) or you are paying for a static IP address. You can create this in your router.

OpenVPN is simple, but we make it way more difficult than it needs to be lol.

I was there too once with OpenVPN...tried to do all this research to find directions and got to the point I said screw it and just enabled it and kinda of followed what it was asking and it worked.

Just go to OpenVPN and enable it and see what it says - probably asks you to create a user/PW, DDNS name, encryption method, and create certificate. Then email that certificate to you and save the certificate on your mobile device. Then install the OpenVPN app and select the certificate and then connect and you are on your home network.

It really is simpler than our minds make it out to be.

OpenVPN on a Asus router

Sept 2021 Turned off comments because of ads July 2021 Bought a new Asus router, an RT-AX86U. Loaded it right away with Merlin firmware, s...

randyshomeprojects.blogspot.com

 

[1fxman]

This is a VPN to bring you back into your home network when you are away, so the only time it is being used is when you are away and want to access the cams.

This is not a paid VPN service that hides your IP address for illegal video streaming and porn downloads LOL.

You will need a DDNS as your WAN IP address is subject to change at anytime by your ISP (although most do not change often) or you are paying for a static IP address. You can create this in your router.

OpenVPN is simple, but we make it way more difficult than it needs to be lol.

I was there too once with OpenVPN...tried to do all this research to find directions and got to the point I said screw it and just enabled it and kinda of followed what it was asking and it worked.

Just go to OpenVPN and enable it and see what it says - probably asks you to create a user/PW, DDNS name, encryption method, and create certificate. Then email that certificate to you and save the certificate on your mobile device. Then install the OpenVPN app and select the certificate and then connect and you are on your home network.

It really is simpler than our minds make it out to be.

OpenVPN on a Asus router

Sept 2021 Turned off comments because of ads July 2021 Bought a new Asus router, an RT-AX86U. Loaded it right away with Merlin firmware, s...

randyshomeprojects.blogspot.com

I run may Blue Iris computer in a location where I don’t live. I and a few friends of mine depend on the app for alerts and views. So, if I can figure out how to do this I would also need to tell them how to set it up. Also, I‘m trying to figure out how to do 2 way audio on my PTZ. I bought an Asus router probably 3 years ago to try and attempt to set VPN up on BI computer. But ended up using it at my house.

 

[1fxman]

This is a VPN to bring you back into your home network when you are away, so the only time it is being used is when you are away and want to access the cams.

This is not a paid VPN service that hides your IP address for illegal video streaming and porn downloads LOL.

You will need a DDNS as your WAN IP address is subject to change at anytime by your ISP (although most do not change often) or you are paying for a static IP address. You can create this in your router.

OpenVPN is simple, but we make it way more difficult than it needs to be lol.

I was there too once with OpenVPN...tried to do all this research to find directions and got to the point I said screw it and just enabled it and kinda of followed what it was asking and it worked.

Just go to OpenVPN and enable it and see what it says - probably asks you to create a user/PW, DDNS name, encryption method, and create certificate. Then email that certificate to you and save the certificate on your mobile device. Then install the OpenVPN app and select the certificate and then connect and you are on your home network.

It really is simpler than our minds make it out to be.

OpenVPN on a Asus router

Sept 2021 Turned off comments because of ads July 2021 Bought a new Asus router, an RT-AX86U. Loaded it right away with Merlin firmware, s...

randyshomeprojects.blogspot.com

Okay. I printed out the info. I’ll give it another try. I think my daughter ordred ExpressVPN on my credit card. It has up to 5 users. she’s the only one using it that I know of though.

 

[sebastiantombs]

Express VPN is an outbound VPN designed to hide your porn surfing and such. You need an inbound service like OpenVPN or Zerotier.

 

[wittaj]

As I said, if you are paying for the VPN, you got the wrong one. Those hide you IP and you will NEVER see your cameras then.

You need a VPN that puts you back onto your home IP address, not hides it.

 

[wittaj]

I run may Blue Iris computer in a location where I don’t live. I and a few friends of mine depend on the app for alerts and views. So, if I can figure out how to do this I would also need to tell them how to set it up. Also, I‘m trying to figure out how to do 2 way audio on my PTZ. I bought an Asus router probably 3 years ago to try and attempt to set VPN up on BI computer. But ended up using it at my house.

You can still get alerts without VPN.

The VPN with an ASIS router is within the router itself. There is absolutely nothing you need to do with the BI computer to make it ready for OpenVPN.

That is the mistake too many make is trying to do it on the computer. Follow the instructions I provided.

What model PTZ is it - most cameras with two-way talk do not put the audio on the ONVIF, so you have to figure out the settings in BI to make it work. If we know the camera model, maybe someone already has figured it out.

 

[1fxman]

You can still get alerts without VPN.

The VPN with an ASIS router is within the router itself. There is absolutely nothing you need to do with the BI computer to make it ready for OpenVPN.

That is the mistake too many make is trying to do it on the computer. Follow the instructions I provided.

What model PTZ is it - most cameras with two-way talk do not put the audio on the ONVIF, so you have to figure out the settings in BI to make it work. If we know the camera model, maybe someone already has figured it out.

I have the DH-SD8A820WA-HNF. I’v been trying to find time to learn more about it but have been a bit busy. So I bought this outdoor pre ampted horn speaker from A1 security. Not out bad of a price. I thought I’d get some 2 way audio going on the PTZ so I can speak to folks that show up at the gate or come on to the property. Ant as simple as I thought. At least for me. Thanks