Cams in different networks

[Zmjm15]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if it is possible to have zoneminder pick up cams in completely different networks to the one the server is set up in.

So say i have a server set up in my house and i want to monitor the camera at my friends's house, they have a static ip and has setup port forwarding on the their router for, say port 99, would i be able to add that as a cam in my zm?

As at the moment it does not seem to pick it up, and i have tried the IP in the Remote Host Name and /videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=Passwordd!?! in the Remote Host Path using port 99.

This is a wanscam and i can access the cam on its own interface if i browse to the IP on port 99, and works on an internal ZM instance.

Should this work or is it not something zm can do ?

Many thanks


Edit;
Okay so i have now found the "remote zm" preset and at least now it is giving me a red screen with the timestamp as before it gave me nothing, but i still dont have a picture. Im guessing im along the right lines if it is possible?

[mikb]

Hi guys,
So say i have a server set up in my house and i want to monitor the camera at my friends's house, they have a static ip and has setup port forwarding on the their router for, say port 99, would i be able to add that as a cam in my zm?

Okay so i have now found the "remote zm" preset and at least now it is giving me a red screen with the timestamp as before it gave me nothing, but i still dont have a picture. Im guessing im along the right lines if it is possible?

If you (at your house, with Zoneminder) are trying to connect to your friend's camera, on your friend's network, directly, I don't think you need "Remote ZM" option. It's just an IP camera to you. So treat it like an IP camera, it doesn't matter that it's on another network, as long as packets are getting routed to and from it.

"Remote ZM" would be for a camera at your friend's house, connected to your friend's Zoneminder install, which you are trying to look at through their Zoneminder

It sounds like you might have a more basic networking/routing/firewall problem to sort out first.

Can you access the friend's camera, without/outside of zoneminder, from your machine by going to [friend's public IP address]:99?

(It's not entirely clear from your post when you say "it works" whether you mean that same model of camera at YOUR end)

[Zmjm15]

Thanks for replying,

Okay so i've not been entirely truthful, i was trying to explain it so it sounded simpler but the zm server is in fact on the same network as the ip cam. I am trying to connect it up externally using the external IP instead of the local and didn't think there would of been an issue if it was on the same network but maybe it's some kind of loopback issue? I have disabled the router's firewall.

I can browse to the cam at the external IP 95.26.*.*:99 and this then prompts me for the username & pass which is fine.


Also, i am having trouble finding the camera's source path, a few people have said to use chrome inspect object and search for source path but i cannot seem to find any.


Any input is appreciated.

Many thanks

[felixr]

The web interface uses port 80 (if it's not configured otherwise). The video stream uses another port (554 for RSTP for example). If you are forwarding port 80 through external port 99, you are always going to have the web interface when accessing external_IP:99. You have to forward the video stream port to, say port 100, and then you will be able to access the video stream on externalIP:100.

[Zmjm15]

Thanks for replying,

I have set the Cam to use port 99 in the Wanscam's own webserver interface. Are you saying that i should change the NAT on the router to forward internal port 99 to external port 100, then set zm to use port 100?

I dont have access to test right now i will tomorrow but if i am right with what i am thinking, does this only apply to this situation as its looping back or would it need to be set up like that on any network?

Many thanks

[felixr]

You have set the cam to use port 99 for what? In many cameras you can set a port for the web interface apart from the standard port 80 and also a port for the video stream. Wanscam has many camera models, be more specific about the particular camera you are dealing with.

[Zmjm15]

It says HTTP port: 99

To be fair there isn't really a model specified its just a "Wanscam Wireless IP camera"

Although looking through the specs i cannot see RTSP as a supported protocol?

On the cam's config it just says;

Device Firmware Version 67.2.2.184
Device Embeded Web UI Version 9.0.4.72

Cheers

[felixr]

It says HTTP port: 99

Http port is the web interface port. It is changed from the standard 80 to 99.
I suggest you first try to connect the camera to zoneminder locally and check if it works.

[Zmjm15]

It does work locally

It's a foscam clone and is said to set it up with the same settings which says to use the "remote" option.
This works fine with port 99 internally and externally but when changing the ip address to the external 92.26.*.* it does not like it.

Many thanks

[felixr]

Forget about th public IP until you don't succeed to connect the camera locally. First try to locally connect it to zoneminder or vlc and if that is ok, then you may consider port forwarding. Seeing the video stream in the web interface (usually by means of a script or plugin that manages the video side communication) is not the same thing as getting it in zoneminder. There are cameras that you can wiew in the web interface but you simply can not connect them to zoneminder.

[Zmjm15]

What should i use instead of "Remote"?

Should i use ffmpeg ?

[felixr]

Yes, use Ffmpeg. If you are running Windows try "iSpy", it's a free software, to connect to the camera. It has a scan facility that can help you find the connection parameters.

[Zmjm15]

Ok so i have managed to get it working in VLC from inside the local network using the URL;

http(internal)://192.168.1.5:99/videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=admin

And this works,

but when i try the external IP http(external)://92.25.*.*:99/videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=admin

it doesnt pick it up

do i have to use another URL as this one is already in use?

Also tried port 554 but nothing.

Any ideas ? much appreiciated

[PacoLM]

Ok so i have managed to get it working in VLC from inside the local network using the URL;

http(internal)://192.168.1.5:99/videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=admin

And this works,

but when i try the external IP http(external)://92.25.*.*:99/videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=admin

it doesnt pick it up

do i have to use another URL as this one is already in use?

Also tried port 554 but nothing.

Any ideas ? much appreiciated

Are you trying to reach the external IP address from a computer that is working in your intranet? I believe is not possible to do that. Try with a device such a smartphone with a data plan (not connected to your wifi).

Hope it helps,

PacoLM

[felixr]

Ok so i have managed to get it working in VLC from inside the local network using the URL;

http(internal)://192.168.1.5:99/videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=admin

And this works,

but when i try the external IP http(external)://92.25.*.*:99/videostream.cgi?user=admin&pwd=admin

it doesnt pick it up

do i have to use another URL as this one is already in use?

Also tried port 554 but nothing.

Any ideas ? much appreiciated

Ok, so you are getting the image through the http port which was changed to 99 on the camera.
Now if you want to access the camera or any other network device from the private (internal) network by the public IP this very network is routed through, there is an essential condition: you have to be able to define subinterfaces on the network device you want to access (the camera in your case). Personally I don't think that the camera has this facility.
On a Linux server it is done easy:
#ifconfig eth0:0 <public IP> netmask <public netmask>

For example if you issue the command:
#ifconfig eth0:0 201.1.1.5 netmask 255.255.255.0 and then check your network setup:
#ifconfig, you will get:

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 12:34:56:78:9a:bc
inet addr:192.168.1.2 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
...

eth0:0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 12:34:56:78:9a:bc
inet addr:201.1.1.5 Bcast:201.1.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1

So now eth0 interface has both a private and a public address.

Now if you want to access this server (192.168.1.2) through the public address (201.1.1.5), on the computer from where you want to do this you have to add a static route to the public address:
Linux: # ip route add 201.1.1.5/32 via 192.168.1.2 dev eth0
Windows(command prompt): route add 201.1.1.5 mask 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.2 metric 2

Note that the added route has the netmask /32 (255.255.255.255), meaning you are adding a route to a single host and not to a network.
If you now type: http://201.1.1.5 you will be routed to the server 192.168.1.2

No settings are required to the public router in ths scenario.