Have you ever found yourself in need of installing an IP camera in your home or room? This type of equipment is essential, either for security, to make sure everything is fine, or in cases where you want to keep both your workers and your customers under guard. They can store the video if desired or maintain live surveillance without storing the files to save space.
The great advantage of these cameras is that they can be seen from a distance from the place where they are installed, just by carrying out a series of configurations that we will explain step by step later. This process may or may not be complicated, since its ease depends on the user’s experience in the means used to carry it out.
However, this will be a tutorial that, although it may seem difficult, with patience and following the procedures in detail, it will be possible to carry out the necessary configurations to be able to remotely observe the IP cameras.
What are IP cameras and what are they for and how many types are there?
They are devices that function as a security equipment. created for be able to view a video over the internet or a local network. They are commonly referred to as “Security cameras”. In order to create a network of IP viewers only we must have a Swicth or router and interconnecting them with each other, as if it were a group of computers that share the same network.
There are two typesthose who have a ethernet connection, which uses an Rj45 port to be able to connect with other devices and wireless with WiFi connectionwhich have an antenna built into themselves for linking through a Wi-Fi network. The latter are not recommended due to different factors.
Among them we can name, Wi-Fi signal can be blocked by using a jammer, a device that can block signals. Another negative factor is that Wi-Fi connections can be intercepted and even hacked.
But these cameras can have a practical use, for example: Outdoors where a wired connection is impractical or inconvenient, and a Wi-Fi router and power supply are needed to create a wireless surveillance network.
Steps to correctly connect and configure a Wi-Fi IP surveillance camera
It is always difficult the first time, so it is necessary to be very patient and follow the instructions to the letter in order to connect and configure this peripheral correctly. These same ones will work as a security method and as a watchman, that is why it is necessary to carry out a correct work for it.
Decide on a correct location
The first and most fundamental thing is to choose a correct location for the camera, in order to Avoid blind spots when conducting surveillance. As well as know the maximum rotation or the radius of visual coverage. To know how many may be necessary to install in a sector and save costs without reducing control of the area.
Connect by cable or Wi-Fi
The decision to connect the cameras via Wi-Fi or by network cable is very important. Since this can influence the costs, as well as the same security of the network. Therefore, depending on the location of the IP cameras, we will recommend you to vary the technology by which you are going to make the connection.
For example, if you will place it in an important place like a back door, vault or hall, you will need to establish a wired connection, because this connection significantly reduces the danger of unwanted users entering the network that controls them.
In case you are going to put it on the outside of your store, or as a show to your customers who are recorded, It is preferable that you make a connection via Wi-Fi, to reduce the inconvenience that cables can generate both visually, in spaces or with respect to the cost of money that it can cause.
Identifies the IP address of the camera
When you buy one of them, they logically come with a default IP address, You can get this in the manual for example: 192.68.x.xx. But, in case you cannot locate it, you should look for it in the product box (the most common).
You can also use an app on your smartphone called “Fing”, You can scan all the devices that are connected to a network and in this way you will be able to find the IP. The tool is available for iOS and Android.
To detect the IP of the camera by computer you can use the following programs:
- IPCamera.exe for Windows
- For Mac: EquipmentSearchTool.pkg
The program will display the address temporarily assigned by the router and by clicking on it, the router will be able to open the browser to display the configuration screen.
In case it does not happen, you just have to put the IP in your browser, you can use any, but preferably use Internet explore 32 bits. Remember that the first time you are going to configure the camera whether it is Wi-Fi or analog, It must be connected directly to the router or, failing that, to the PC through the cable.
Configure IP camera via browser or computer
Once you have entered the IP address, it will ask you to identify yourself as a user, you must define a password. Usually the first time you only have to determine a generic identification, which you can find on the label it comes with or in the manual. If this is not the case, in most cases the user is “admin” and you should not put anything in the password, that is, you should leave the space blank.
Sometimes after logging in, the camera will ask for a new username and password to be created for security purposes, remember to keep them in a safe place for future occasions.
As we said before, these have an IP address that is automatically assigned by the router, this is called (DHCP function); It should be noted that it can change every time it has been restarted.
For this reason it is necessary to create a fixed location and also a port number. To do this you must do the following:
- Download the program “IP Camera Tool” and install it on your computer either Windows or MAC.
- Now with the right click you will select the IP of the camera and you will choose the option of “Network configuration”.
Enter the following information in the corresponding boxes:
- “Obtain IP from DHCP server”: Uncheck this box.
- Under “IP Address”: You are going to put an IP address of the same type as that of your router, you just have to change the last number on the right (example: if you had written down 192.168.1.1, enter for example 192.168.1.201).
- If your router is set to 192.168.0.1 It will allow you to place IP address ranges between 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.255.
- If instead it is installed in 192.168.1.1 you must use addresses between 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.255.
- subnet mask: This will normally be 255.255.255.0.
- Gateway: You will put the IP address of your router.
- DNS Server: Enter 8.8.8.8.
- Http port: Enter a port number that you are not using; if you don’t know them, enter 1201. There are routers and browsers that have restrictions for some, so we recommend using 1200 or higher.
- user: If you haven’t changed the username, enter admin.
- Password: If you did not change the password, leave this field empty.
Finally, create a new password and username to reinforce the security of your surveillance network.
How to view an IP camera from the internet?
In cases where you want to have access to the surveillance network of your IP cameras, you can enter from the Internet without the need to enter through the LAN network that allows communication. This in case you are out of the workplace, the city or for other reasons.
By simply placing the IP address of the camera in your browser you will be able to view the video information that is entering at the moment, as well as make configurations if necessary. For this reason, this type of equipment has a great advantage over this closed-loop hardware that was previously used.
Configure an IP camera to view videos remotely
There are different ways to configure them and that they allow their owners to view images remotely, regardless of whether or not it is connected from the LAN or WLAN network where they are connected.
The steps you must follow for a correct configuration are the following:
- Go into your router’s settings, as we have previously explained.
- create a port for the camera on the router.
- open the port this.
This process can be done in two ways.
Automatic: You must activate the option “UPnP (Universal Plug & Play)” from your router. In some cases you must also enter the menu “Setting” of the surveillance camera and activate the option.
Manually: You are going to add a new port forwarding and you will enter the IP and the port that has been assigned to the camera. This port forwarding option can have different names: NAT, SUA/NAT, Virtual map, Virtual server, etc.. If you have several boxes that indicate input / output or internal / external port, you must indicate in all of these, the same port assigned to the surveillance peripheral.
If you have the option to choose the protocol TCP or UDPyou can place TCP and even All. Service port and Internal Port, since they must be the same. IP Address here you have to put the local IP address of the camera for which you are creating the port.
*Note: Remember that for each of them you must create a port.
Now you must proceed to configure the network with a DDNS server:
- You can access it in the configuration options or from the functions CD, there you will look for the option “Net”, later “DDNS” and enable the option “Enable DDNS”. You will have two options use a “DDNS” of factory or external.
- In the factory option, you can use the DDNS server that the IP camera company you purchased who can provide the service to you for free or paid.
- In case of using a DDNS external to that of the company, you must enter the data of your DDNS server in the corresponding fields and then save the configuration.
hHow to access my IP cameras from the Internet to have better control?
Once you have configured the access route to your IP cameras, either by using your public, dynamic or static IP, (you can ask your service provider to use a Static IP), or by a DDNS server, you only have to place it to enter if you use an IP, for example: 84.56.123.67:91, where 91 is the entry port and the digits before it are their IP.
If you still use dns server, you must put the link port, you can know this by locating in the configuration screen of your camera in the option of “Status” > “Device Status” > “DDNS Status”.
All that remains is to enter the IP or DDNS server of the equipment you want to enter in your browser, place your username and password and in this way you can have access to it. This will be the way you can remotely access each of your cameras, For this reason, write down and save your user identification and the access route to each of them very well.
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