Setting Up Internet Access with the Swann DVR4Net PCI Card The Swann DVR4Net card s best feature is probably the ability to access your cameras over the internet. Whilst the manual covers the basics of setup, there are some additional steps that should be taken to get your camera up and running. Test on your own network first Before you even consider internet access, verify that you can access them through Internet Explorer on your own machine first. If you don t have a second machine on your network, you can do this on the same machine where the card is installed. Simply open Internet Explorer and type in the IP address of the machine with the card. If you re not sure what the IP address is, on the machine with card, click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections, double click Local Area Connection and click Support. The IP Address is displayed. You will be prompted to download an Active x Control, ensure you observe any Yellow bar install prompts and complete the installation. This is described in the manual. Congratulations! You should now see your cameras and are ready to set up internet access. Tip: Ensure that Download Unsigned Activex Controls in Internet Explorer is set to Prompt (Tools>Internet Options>Security>Local Intranet>Custom Level Internet configuration Warning can be very frustrating if you are new to networking! This will take a few minutes for a
networking technician or several days for a networking beginner. Ensure you have access to a hot cup of tea to calm the nerves before proceeding. Persevere and it will be worth it in the end Accessing over the internet is the tricky bit. Don t proceed if you cannot view your cameras on the same network as described above. Do not expect internet access to work out of the box it won t and can t you firstly need to choose whether you will use a Fixed IP or Dynamic IP read on 1) Using a fixed IP address Contact your ISP (Internet company) and ask for a fixed IP address. In addition to this you will receive other information such as Subnet mask and Default gateway. To enter this in Windows, click Start, Control Panel, Network Connections. RIGHT click your network connection, click properties, scroll down the list of protocols and highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties. Enter the information provided by your ISP including any DNS server information. Click Ok twice and restart your PC. Be aware that some ISP s do not offer a Fixed IP facility (AOL for example do not offer this facility) 2) Using a dynamic IP address If you re not able to use a Fixed IP, all is not lost. Your Internet/Broadband router will auto-assign you a local IP address and you can then use a 3 rd party DNS facility to access your cameras. Note this option may require more frequent monitoring by yourself. Visit www.dyndns.com and register for their free Dynamic DNS facility. You will end up with a free Hostname (or Web Address) e.g. mycamera.hobby-site.com which you type in to access your cameras. Setup remote surveillance. Ensure your DVR software is set up as per section 7.1 (Remote Surveillance). Usually the default ports suggested in the book are fine on a home system. 3) Configure your firewall You will need to configure your firewall to allow access to the ports you specified in your DVR software. Software firewall settings might typically be accessed through the settings or preferences in your firewall application. A router typically has a web-based administration menu in which you can setup access for the ports. One common method is to use port forwarding, sometimes it s called Virtual Server. Please see your router manual or www.portforward.com for more details.
4) Test connectivity Try a simple ping test to see if you can talk to your host pc with the PCI card. On the remote surveillance machine, click start, run and type cmd and press Enter. Type ping x.x.x.x where x.x.x.x is your IP address eg 192.168.0.10 If successful you will see 4 replies: If you see Request Timed Out this indicates the remote machine cannot talk to the host 5) Follow section 7.1.2 Remote Surveillance client-end setup and install the activex client. Usually you type in the IP Address on the browser to access it. Before you do this ensure you follow the tip below to allow easy installation. Tip: Ensure that Download Unsigned Activex Controls in Internet Explorer is set to Prompt (Tools>Internet Options>Security>Internet>Custom Level
The client should install as per the manual and you will see an interface very similar to the main interface, the main difference is that the remote screen will say Webcam in the top right corner, whereas the host pc has DVR. Now repeat the above setting for Tools>Internet Options>Security>Local Intranet You should now be able to access your cameras using either your Fixed IP or by your DNS name e.g. 192.168.0.1 or mycamera.hobby-site.com Your remote screen will look something like this: 6) If you are still struggling
These suggestions are NOT recommended and are only provided to help you set up and test your system. Making these changes will expose your system to webbased attacks which could result in your system being compromised. If either of these suggestions resolves your issue, you will need to check your firewall configuration as this is the most likely reason for not being able to ping or access your host pc. 1) Switch off Windows Firewall (It should not affect the software, but you might as well do this for testing) 2) Switch off your local firewall e.g. Zonealarm, McAffee or Norton etc. Usually you right click the icon next to the clock in the bottom right corner of your screen and there will be a disable option. 3) Try switching off your router firewall and security features. 4) Try putting your IP address into your DMZ (Demilitarised Zone). Most home routers have a DMZ facility which allows you enter a single IP address and bypass all your firewall and security features. Updated Feb 07. AA