[Update 8 Nov 2022: although the below solution still works, ngrok have put up their prices significantly since this post was written. We now have a new post that describes some alternative solutions, many of them free, so we recommend you refer to this one instead: Remote Access Without Port Forwarding.]

In order to connect to any server over the Internet (such as SecuritySpy’s built-in web server for remote access to your CCTV system), the server must be exposed to the Internet via a public IP address.

Most standard home and commercial Internet connections (Fibre, ADSL, Cable) provide a public Internet address, which makes setting up remote access to SecuritySpy fairly straightforward, as described in the Remote Access section of the SecuritySpy Installation Manual.

However, Mobile/Cellular Internet connections (i.e. those that use a 3G, 4G or 5G modem to connect wirelessly over the cellular network) are becoming increasingly common, as their speed and reliability increase and costs decrease. Unfortunately, most mobile Internet connections do not provide a true public IP address, but rather provide a private address within the Internet provider’s network (this is called Carrier-Grade NAT). Therefore it is not possible to set up remote access in the same way. Typically, this is the case with Satellite-based Internet connections as well.

Some mobile Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can provide a true public IP address for an extra fee, but not all do.

The solution to this problem is to use a service called ngrok, which allows you to set up a secure tunnel to your server in order to provide access to it from the Internet. Here’s how it works: Continue reading →