This article and the links provided will act as a step by step pictorial guide
on how to setup the PC-Witness so that you may view it via the Internet. For
the sake of this article, it is assumed that you are using a broadband “always
on�? connection (like DSL, Cable, Satellite, T1, etc.). If you do not have
a broadband connection and wish to remotely view your cameras via telephone line,
then please see our article on “Dial-up Networking.�? Before we get
started, please note that you should be reading this article from the computer
which is hosting the PC-Witness software and has the cameras attached to it.
The PC-Witness software should be running and your cameras should be viewable
from within the PC-Witness software.
Step One - Let’s ensure that the
streaming video server has been properly installed. Please click the link found
just below.
It will open a new browser window. If you see your cameras, then it means that
the PC-Witness software is properly installed and that the streaming server
engine is working perfectly. REMEMBER - this test will only work if you are
reading this article from the actual PC-Witness computer.
Click here to test Streaming Server
If you clicked on the link and saw your cameras, you are now ready to proceed
to step two. If you clicked the link but did not see your cameras, please
make sure that the PC-Witness software is running, that your cameras are
viewable from within the PC-Witness software, and that you are currently
on the computer which your cameras are physically attached to. If you still
cannot see your cameras when clicking the link, then Apache server may not
be properly installed or activated. In this case, please refer to the owner’s
manual or contact tech support for assistance.
Step Two – For you to
be able to view your cameras via the Internet, we will have to set up your
router and firewall. Presently, your firewall is set up to block traffic
from the outside (Internet) from getting into your internal network. This
is a good thing, as your firewall will help protect your network from unwanted
intruders. What we are going to do is create a small pinhole in your firewall
by opening a port to the computer hosting the PC-Witness. This pinhole will
allow you to view your cameras remotely via the Internet. As there are many
different makes and models of routers/ firewalls, you will need to select
from the list found below your particular model. Be sure to pick the correct
model number to ensure that you get the proper instructions. Once you have
followed the instructions on how to set up your router, then please move
to step three.
IMPORTANT: PC-Witness USB and USB+ only require port 80 to be routed. However,
the PC-Witness Pro versions 1.2 - 2.0 requires port 80, 18082, and 18083 to be routed. PC Witness Pro using the NV DVR software (starting OCT 2006) requires port 80, 5550, and (optionally) 9999 to be routed.
Click
here to view set up information for your router / firewall
Step Three – Great!
You are almost done. By now, you have properly set up your firewall and your
router should now allow you to view your cameras via the Internet. The last
big question is whether your Internet Service Provider (ISP) has assigned
you a dynamic IP address or a Static IP address. An IP address is to computers
as your street address is to your house. If you have a static IP address,
you need not continue with this article as you should now be ready to view
your cameras remotely by simply typing in your Internet IP address into a
browser. If you have a dynamic IP address, then this means that your IP address
is subject to periodic change. How often it may change depends on your ISP.
If may be hours, days, weeks, or months before you are automatically assigned
a new IP address. To remotely access your cameras, you simply need to know
what your current Internet IP address is.
At the bottom of this page, we have some links for those of you who have Dynamic
IP addresses. These programs range from being free to very inexpensive, will
automatically notify you
when you’re dynamic IP address changes and will allow you to remotely
access your cameras. Some will even allow you to assign a registered
domain name to a dynamic IP address.
A note about dynamic vs. static IP addresses. Many buyers
ask us which is better… a static or a dynamic IP address? Please note
that an Internet connection is not faster because it is static vs. dynamic.
You will not necessarily get a faster frame rate or higher quality picture
with one over the other. A static IP address may simply be a little more
convenient for you, since your Internet IP address will never change. However,
weighing in the fact that static IP address typically cost so much more than
Internet service offering a dynamic IP address… and taking into account
that there are free software programs available to automatically keep track
of any dynamic IP changes… we typically recommend that you get whichever
best fits your budget. But if you really want to know… most of our
end users opt with dynamic IP addresses over static IP addresses for common
video surveillance applications.
Dynamic DNS Providers:
www.dynu.com/basic.asp
www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/
www.changeip.com/freedomains.asp
IP Tracking:
www.fmip.org
Tracking & remote control of PC
www.gotomypc.com
