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IT dudes - question about port forwarding


AJI
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Looking to set up an ip webcam to monitor the outside of my house, using an old smart phone.

 

I've downloaded the ip webcam app on the phone that can feed continuous video/sound (with the screen off) to the home router via wifi connection; I can access the video/audio from a web browser on any home networked computer.

(Which I have done already to see if the set up works, and it does).

 

I now just need to be able to access that video stream from a web browser at work (or even my newer smart phone when not connected to the home network)..... I think I need to set up some 'port forwarding' is that right?

 

Not sure how to go about it or if it is considered 'secure', but any info would be of great use.

 

Cheers.

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fairly straightforward to setup - will be on your broadband router settings.

 

effectively you will access your public IP address at a specific port and that will point to your camera video stream that sits behind your home router.

 

regarding security - does your CCTV camera not come with any specific software that at the very least provides user access level?

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The cctv camera is basically my old smart phone, I just thought its better doing something rather than sitting useless in my desk drawer at home.

The app I downloaded is called "ip webcam" ....

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pas.webcam&hl=en_GB

 

I plan to sit the phone in some sort of cradle near to a plug socket to keep it charged and point it out of the window to monitor the car and the approach to the house door.

 

 

So, by port forwarding am I opening up my entire router and home network for any joe public to access if they know the router's IP address?

Or am I able to open a certain port that only gives access to the cctv feed?

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Port forwarding will forward the user to the camera's IP address when they use your public IP address with a specific port.

 

One potential gotcha is if you don't have a static public IP address at home. Something like DynDNS can get around that, or some ISPs allow you to have a static IP address for a small fee.

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So, by port forwarding am I opening up my entire router and home network for any joe public to access if they know the router's IP address?

Or am I able to open a certain port that only gives access to the cctv feed?

 

Basically your router would be instructed to send "all traffic for port x to this device in my internal network". That device then must have the proper security on that service.

 

For example, if your IP cam software uses web service (port 80 / 443) then you'd best hope their web service has no vulnerabilities otherwise a hacker could gain access to the phone and therefore the internal network. The routers firewall may also inspect that traffic for known security patterns, but that's fairly advanced routers only.

If your router is clever you can setup a DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) which lets you port forward to that device on a separate network to the rest of your internal stuff.

 

Look up port forwarding in your router manual.

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