Hi,

I am trying to connect a network camera (Panasonic) to a mesh node. I have the LAN in NAT mode with an IP of 192.168.0.254, mask 255.255.255.0. The camera IP and port are static at 192.168.0.253, Port 81. Please look at the attached screen capture and let me know what I did wrong or right. Some of the documentation I've read on this site is old and/or conflicting. I set up port forwarding, from inside port 81 to any outside port 8100 (I also tried 80 to 80). Do i need to do a DHCP address reservation? (tried that also) I've tried everything...well at least I think I have!

Thanks,

Paul

Attachments
 Camera SetUp.jpg [228 KB]

Not sure if my post from around June 2013 was one of the "old and conflicting".  It included a link to the setup info pdf for my Wanscam units.  This was using the original HSMM-Mesh firmware, but when I upgraded to BH v1 the setup was the same.  If all you need is internal (over the Mesh) viewing, and your camera supplies it's own web page it's fairly easy.  You let the router assign the IP, give that IP a static lease and then assign a port number (I stayed away from port 80 and 8080 and used 300 for one camera and 301 for another) and forward that. 

Hi,

    Your link says "You use the config utility to find the camera and enter 172.27.01 gateway and 255.255.255.0 subnet, the camera gets an IP from the WRT54G......" What config utility? Where does the 172.27.01 gateway and 255.255.255.0 subnet get entered? 

I have two mesh routers talking to each other and I have my camera with a default IP of 192.168.0.253, port 80 plugged into one of the mesh routers. I can easily change the camera to DHCP and assign a new port number but I don't see where I get the 172.x.x.x IP from the mesh?

Please bear with me, I am not a network savvy person.

Thanks,

Paul

Hi,

   Are you using NAT or Direct mode? Are you using version 1.00 or the old software? My LAN IP

values are in the 10.x.x.x range not the 172.x.x.x range.

Thanks,

Paul

[WB6IWT 2014-01-04- 14:14:41]:
Your link says "You use the config utility to find the camera and enter 172.27.01 gateway and 255.255.255.0 subnet, the camera gets an IP from the WRT54G......" What config utility?

That pdf was created when I was using HSMM-Mesh, so the IPs the Mesh router (node) would DHCP were in the 172.x.x.x range rather than 10.x.x.x range BH firmware DHCPs now.  I don't have screenshots of the current setup (yet), but those would be 10.x.x.x IPs rather than 172.x.x.x.  The "Config Utility" referenced is the one provided by the manufacturer for my camera.  You should have something similar for your particular camera, where it is "discovered" and you either give it a static IP or set it to DHCP, and assign a port for its built-in webserver to use.  You will need your camera set to DHCP.  The port is up to you, 81 should be fine, I simply used 300 and 301 for my particular cameras.

I have two mesh routers talking to each other and I have my camera with a default IP of 192.168.0.253, port 80 plugged into one of the mesh routers. I can easily change the camera to DHCP and assign a new port number but I don't see where I get the 172.x.x.x IP from the mesh?

192.168.x.x is the "standard" DHCP range for most home network routers, but a BH router DHCPs in the 10.x.x.x range (again, the older HSMM-Mesh routers DHCP 172.x.x.x).  If you're using the new BH firmware, you camera needs a 10.x.x.x IP to "talk" on the Mesh network.  Do whatever you have to do to set your camera to DHCP so your Mesh router can issue your camera a 10.x.x.x IP in your router's DHCP range.

Once that's done, with both your computer and the camera plugged into your Mesh node, open a web browser on the computer, type the "localnode:8080" in the address field to get into your Node's page, and go to the "Port Forwarding, DHCP and Services" page.  What you see should be similar to my PDF's Page 7 except the IPs will be in the 10.x.x.x range rather than the 172.x.x.x.

Look at the "Current DHCP Leases" and you should see both the computer you're using and your camera listed with the 10.x.x.x IPs they've been assigned. Verify the MAC address on the camera's label or box is the same as what the "Current DHCP Leases" says (you want to be sure you're doing the next steps for the camera and not your computer!).

Assign the camera a DHCP reservation for the IP it's currently using (PDF step 1), DO NOT USE THE IP THE PDF SHOWS.  That's only an example and applies only to my setup.

Now set up Port Forwarding for your camera's 10.x.x.x settings (PDF step 2) using the port you assigned it with its interface when you set it to DHCP.

PDF step 3 creates the link to advertise your camera to other users on their "Mesh Status" page.

Let me know how it goes!

[WB6IWT 2014-01-04- 17:57:50]:

Are you using NAT or Direct mode?

Whatever the router defaults to when flashed with the firmware. 

Are you using version 1.00 or the old software?

The camera setup is the same for either version. 

(1.) Use whatever utility or means was provided with your camera to set the camera to DHCP, and assign it a port for its webserver to use

(2.) Connect a PC and the camera to your node and find out the IP your node gives the camera

(3.) Give that IP a DHCP reservation

(4.) Forward that IP using the port you assigned the camera

(5.) Advertise the service

ALMOST THERE!!! Everything looks great so far except your step 2 on page 7 shows "Port Forwarding" with a "WiFi" Interface, my only choice is "WAN".

My camera is in DHCP with a Port=81

The mesh discovered the camera and the mesh Reservation showed an assigned 10x.x.x Camera IP, (and it's MAC address) like you said it would.

 I filled in the "DHCP Address Reservation" with the new 10x.x.x IP, MAC ID and a Hostname.

I filled in the "Port Forwarding" with Type=Both, Hostname, Inside Port to 81 and Outside port to 300.

Everything looks like your page 7 except the "Port Forwarding", "Interface" says "WAN" and offers no choices.

Almost there, thanks for the help so far................

Looking at your screenshot and my page 7, both say WiFi in the "Interface".  I wonder what's up with the WAN you have now???

[WB6IWT 2014-01-05- 03:41:44]:

Use Port 81 in both inside and outside fields.  Might not matter, but makes life easier.

By "Hostname"do you mean the name you gave it in the DHCP reservation?

Open up a second browser window or tab in the PC you have connected to the node and put:

10.x.x.x:81

for the URL (where 10.x.x.x is the IP the Mesh node assigned the camera). You should get the camera's webpage.

GOT IT WORKING!!!

What you saw in my screenshot was my initial attempt to set up in "NAT" mode! You, and now me, used the default "Define" mode!

1) You do not need to fill in "Port Forwarding" in 1.0.0 !!!!!

2) The "Advertised Services" needs the Port you assigned in the cameras setup.

Like I said in my first Post, the changes between the old and new software are going to cause a lot of problems! ALL of the documents I have gleemed off of the website refer to the old software. This can be very frustrating to Hams without a network background and worse yet, greatly hurt the spread of mesh node.

Going forward, ALL old and new posted documents must refer to the software version in their titles!!!

Thank you so much for your patience and help!!!!