Can Express work with security camera DVR?

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Level 1

5 points

Can Express work with security camera DVR?

I bought a security camera DVR kit that allows remote internet viewing. I cannot figure out how to set it up with my Airport Express. Can this be done or do I have to get the Airport Extreme?

My home internet is a wireless internet service with a poe adapter connected directly to my 2nd Gen. Airport Express. No routers or switches in my network, just the Airport Express. I connected the DVR to the express with an ethernet cable. I have no idea what settings I should change or use. I've been reading on internet and apple discussions about port forwarding, but I don't see any way to do that with the express. So far, nothing I tried works. any advice would be welcome

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.4), Windows 8.1 unfortunately installed

Posted on Aug 2, 2015 2:48 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

LaPastenague

Level 9

67,202 points

Aug 2, 2015 3:05 PM in response to wyofisher

My home internet is a wireless internet service

You cannot remote into a system that does not provide a public IP to a router.

If you really have no router then sorry.. no remote access.

But you can test this.. on a computer open terminal and type

traceroute 8.8.8.8

The output will show the addresses in the chain. If you have multiple private IP addresses sorry it will not work.

traceroute 8.8.8.8

traceroute to 8.8.8.8 (8.8.8.8), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets

1 gargoyle (192.168.2.254) 0.919 ms 0.746 ms 0.574 ms This is the main network router.

2 adsl03.mel01.eftel.com (203.123.68.34) 24.971 ms 25.205 ms 25.088 ms This is the first public addressable IP in the chain.

3 tge0-0-0-302.core0.mel.dft.com.au (203.123.68.25) 24.406 ms 24.899 ms 24.442 ms

4 203.123.69.134 (203.123.69.134) 25.851 ms 26.049 ms 25.763 ms

5 be1-v551.bsr02.masceqx.nsw.m2core.net.au (122.148.4.178) 42.516 ms 41.294 ms

157.2.148.122.network.m2core.net.au (122.148.2.157) 39.830 ms

6 google-gw.bsr02.masceqx.nsw.m2core.net.au (122.148.2.154) 39.639 ms

be1-v551.bsr02.masceqx.nsw.m2core.net.au (122.148.4.178) 40.428 ms

google-gw.bsr02.masceqx.nsw.m2core.net.au (122.148.2.154) 38.905 ms

7 google-gw.bsr02.masceqx.nsw.m2core.net.au (122.148.2.154) 40.087 ms 40.482 ms

216.239.40.223 (216.239.40.223) 39.498 ms

8 216.239.40.223 (216.239.40.223) 40.425 ms

216.239.41.77 (216.239.41.77) 40.277 ms

216.239.41.97 (216.239.41.97) 38.571 ms

9 216.239.41.97 (216.239.41.97) 39.795 ms

google-public-dns-a.google.com (8.8.8.8) 38.697 ms

216.239.41.13 (216.239.41.13) 39.866 ms

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Answer 2

Aug 2, 2015 3:12 PM in response to wyofisher

Security cameras and DVRs provided by different manufacturers are....as you would expect....different. So, there is no one set way to configure products to work with any given router like the AirPort Express.

The router settings are the same between an AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme, so your camera(s) and DVR will either work with either AirPort model, or not work with either model.

In order to help, we would need to know exactly what requirements your security products manufacturer needs from a wireless router. A link to a setup guide or installation guide for your products is essential before we might even be able to say whether or not what you want to do is even possible with an AirPort router.

In that regard, we should note that most routers use a feature known as Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) which will automatically open the ports that are needed to allow given devices to work correctly. Unfortunately, Apple does not support UPnP, so that may likely be one big issue right there. Whether or not it is even possible to manually configure the settings that you will need is another.

Please provide links to the setup guide or installation manual for your security products along with anything else that you can think of that might help us.

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Answer 3

wyofisher Author

Level 1

5 points

Aug 2, 2015 6:24 PM in response to Bob Timmons

I don't know what requirements the dvr has. The quick setup guide is english, by the chinese. The manual they provided is on a 3" cd that I cannot insert into my iMac. The downloadable manual on their website (Sanncegroup H.264) downloads as some .rar format that my computer does not recognize and cannot open. My online research has pointed to port mapping to make these work, but I only see instructions on how to do that with the airport extreme and I cannot find those commands in the express. I better do some research to see if the .rar format has some kind of file translator somewhere. I'll have to check back on that one.

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Answer 4

Aug 2, 2015 6:50 PM in response to wyofisher

I don't know what requirements the dvr has

Then, I'm sorry, but we won't be able to offer assistance on the DVR.

The quick setup guide is english, by the chinese. The manual they provided is on a 3" cd that I cannot insert into my iMac. The downloadable manual on their website (Sanncegroup H.264) downloads as some .rar format that my computer does not recognize and cannot open.

Please consider returning the products for a refund. It is unlikely that they will ever work correctly with your network.

My online research has pointed to port mapping to make these work, but I only see instructions on how to do that with the airport extreme and I cannot find those commands in the express

The same application......AirPort Utility......is used to configure the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule. Looking at an AirPort Extreme here and an AirPort Express, AirPort Utility displays exactly the same Port Mapping settings for each AirPort. I am unable to duplicate the situation that you are describing.

My prediction would be that if you try an AirPort Extreme......that you will see the same incompatibility that you are seeing with the AirPort Express. Please do not consider trying an AirPort Extreme unless you have a no questions asked money back guarantee if the product does not work for you.

A guess would be that the AirPorts require a certain type of "modem" to work correctly with Port Mapping and you have a non-standard type of connection. Stated another way.....as LaPastenague mentions above......You cannot remote into a system that does not provide a public IP to a router.

You will need to work with LaPastenague to see if it might be possible to allow your Internet connection to allow remote access, required by the DVR and camera.

I better do some research to see if the .rar format has some kind of file translator somewhere. I'll have to check back on that one.

Please consider returning the products for a refund. It is unlikely that they will ever work correctly with your network.

Once you have returned the products, please consider a reputable security camera company like Foscam and ask their support folks whether your not your particular type of Internet connection would be compatible with their products. The link to reach Foscam is just below.

http://foscam.us/

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Answer 5

wyofisher Author

Level 1

5 points

Aug 2, 2015 6:58 PM in response to wyofisher

I did find peazip.org, a free download for the windows side to translate the .rar format. I'm afraid you guys are correct that the remote access feature won't work. I'll read through the manual and poke around a little more, if I find the "ah-ha!" checkbox that makes it all work, I'll come back and publish the how-to for others. thanks for the help

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Answer 6

wyofisher Author

Level 1

5 points

Aug 4, 2015 9:38 PM in response to wyofisher

I tried to write this on my iPad, but for some reason the forum page does not respond to iPads when I hit the reply button... but that's another thread isn't it?

Got it to work. I got a hold of my ISP and they gave me my IP address to use, along with all the numbers I would need for port forwarding. I changed my Airport Express (2nd gen) from Bridge mode to DHCP/NAT mode. I tried DHCP only mode, but no go. After airport raised a stink about conflicting IP address and entering a new range for me to use, and ignoring the double NAT warning, the security camera DVR (Sannce group brand) automatically connected and their app worked. I didn't need to go through the port forwarding procedures. I didn't expect it to work, but thought I would give it a try anyway. Now if I can get the DVR to record all 4 channels....

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