Network or IP cameras are quickly gaining popularity among consumers, due to their constantly improving quality, features and lower prices. Such an HD class device, which cost more than $ 200 in 2012, could be bought for up to $ 60 already in 2016. The traditional typical users of network cameras are enterprises that have professionals for their installation and maintenance.
Many consumers, at the same time, choose independent settings for their devices. In this article, they are invited to learn different ways to configure an IP camera.
There are literally thousands of models of network cameras used. It is not possible to find a set of instructions suitable for each of them. Therefore, the example below uses the popular model (M1034-W) from the creator of these devices, Axis. For most other IP cameras, the settings are identical or very similar.
Network configuration
Network cameras are different from web and analog surveillance cameras. Webcams are connected to computers using USB cables. Analog CCTV cameras connect to servers with coaxial cables. IP cameras, in turn, are connected to the network to access them in the same way as computers to networks.
Each such device is a computer with a processor and memory. With their help, you can process images from CCD (charge-coupled) or CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensors, send them to clients (for example, applications) and post them to a web server.
IP cameras: setting up with a LAN connection
LAN is often the consumer’s home network. To connect to it, insert the Ethernet cable (Cat.ca Cat 5) into the appropriate socket on the network camera, then connect the other end to the router (aka gateway or access point). If your device does not have Wi-Fi, this may be the only step necessary for network configuration.
Find the IP address of the network camera. There are several ways to do this.
To search, use the utility program from the manufacturer. Verify that Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to ensure that the network camera receives the appropriate IP address from the router.
Program selection
If there is no special application for your model, you may need a public utility, the choice of which depends on the type and model of your device. For example, for AXIS devices you need AXIS IP Utility. The following programs for setting up an IP camera are also widely distributed:
- IPCSearch is a universal program.
- Onvifer - for use on Android devices.
- IP CENTCOM is a new utility designed for use on Windows 8.1 / 10.
- Another version of IP CENTCOM is for Windows Phone.
Use the configuration page of your router to find the assigned IP address of the camera. You can disconnect and then connect the Ethernet cable to find out which device name is displayed in the list, to determine its IP address.
Set up wifi
Setting up an IP camera through a router is as follows. Use a browser to visit the device’s web interface with its IP address and port (for example, http://192.168.0.20:81). Please note that if the camera uses the default HTTP port of 80, you do not need to specify its number in the web address. Some devices use a different value for HTTP (for example, 81).
Correct the IP address (i.e. make it static). Since it is assigned dynamic, it may change after a power cycle of the network camera or router. Many routers try to use the same IP address for the device by default, but you should not rely on this. There are two ways to achieve this:
- Configure the IP camera to switch the dynamically assigned IP address to static. To do this, you can use the utility program listed above.
- Start using Wi-Fi. Disconnect the Ethernet cable, move the camera to the desired location. Find the new IP again. Some IP cameras have a setting such that they receive new IP addresses for Wi-Fi, different from those used for wired connections. You may need to find out the new ip for configuration.
How to access cameras through a wide area network (WAN)?
If you are not familiar with the camera and its configuration, it is extremely important to make sure that it works on your local network. This is because WAN access will never work unless a LAN connection is available. If the camera works on your local network, it will be very easy for you to diagnose any problems with access to the global one.
Many applications have automated the process of setting up IP cameras to a large extent, and this usually takes less than 1 minute before using video.
The first step is to select the type of device to configure. Almost all new modern network cameras are compatible with ONVIF technology. Please note that most of these devices can also use a common RTSP or MJPEG stream.
When you determine the type of your device, enter a few required parameters (for example, username, password). Setting up an IP camera (D-Link, for example) will usually be completed in seconds.
Most users want to access their network cameras outside the local network (for example, home). You can do this via cellular, Wi-Fi hotspot, workplace network, etc.
Setting up an IP camera over the Internet
The specific steps are highly dependent on your camera and router. Each network camera has an IP address (for example, 192.168.0.100) on the local network. Unprofessional users can represent it as the street name and house number, and the local network as the name of the city.
Each computing device in your LAN can find a network camera by its IP address, just as every person in the city can find a house by the name of the street. An IP camera can use more than one port (default is HTTP 80), each of which offers a unique service. For example, one port works for the web interface, the second for RTSP. Non-specialists can imagine them as doors of a house. You get different services by entering various doors.
Addresses and Ports
The IP address of the network camera is a private address. The most common range is 192.168.0.0-192.168.255.255, then 10.0.0.0-10.255.255.255. Private IPs are good for a local network. Each LAN can have a device with a similar ip.
Understanding this, you can understand how to access the IP camera outside the local network. Each LAN is located behind a router (or gateway) with its own IP address. This IP is publicly available, and not private (unlike a network camera), although it has the same format. Due to this characteristic, access to the router can be obtained on the Internet anywhere in the world. How to tell him that you want to connect to a specific network camera located on the local network?
What should be done?
The solution to this is port forwarding. The only way to access a computing device on the network is through its IP address and ports. If there is only one network camera in the local network, you can configure the router to send data to it. As a result, the device will work exactly the same as on the LAN, except for using a public IP address.
But this will not work if multiple network cameras are connected at the same time. To configure more than one device, you need to allocate different ports for different devices. In other words, you will get access to each network camera with the exact same IP address - the public IP of the router, but with different ports. Using the analogy with the city, you will send / request packages to different houses using different doors.
Most cameras allow you to change the ports used . Port 80 is typically used for HTTP and ONVIF, while RTSP is used for 554. Although this is not theoretically necessary, it is best to change these values to match external forwarding ports. For example, if 8080 was sent to the camera’s HTTP port, it would be better to change this camera value to 8080.