Can't connect to SS server from an external network

dakrause
dakrause
in SecuritySpy

I just recently upgraded my 13 cameras and the SS software (v6.2) at the same time, so I don't know if the problem that I am about to describe is caused by one or the other. Prior to the upgrade, I was able to access the SS server and view all cameras in real time using the iPadOS browser from my local network and from an external network (via cellular data). I have my router firewall programmed to forward all external traffic on ports 8000 and 8001 to the correct local host. Since the upgrade everything works great on the local network, but most of the time the iPadOS browser is unable to connect to the SS server from an external network. On rare occasions (1 in 10 attempts) it does connect from the external network and displays the latest reference images. This makes me believe that my router programming is still working. Still, on these rare occasions when it connects, it mostly doesn't update the reference images... they all have red tags. One time, I noticed that one camera (of 13) changed to green for a couple of seconds and then returned to red. This points to a bandwidth issue, but it seems unlikely. Any thoughts?

Comments

  • Ben
    Ben

    Generally, remote access issues are caused by incorrect port forwarding, though it is weird in this case that you are seeing brief connections; it should be the case that either it works or it doesn't. The first thing to try is a reboot of the router - since this was working previously, this often gets things working again. If not, then email us and include screenshots of the router port forwarding setup along with a debug file (SecuritySpy menu > Debug > Create Debug File On Desktop) and we will look into this further for you.

  • dakrause
    dakrause

    Thanks Ben. One of my guiding principles has always been "When in doubt, reboot". Somehow, I neglected to do that when debugging this problem. Thanks for reminding me. I updated the firmware on my router and rebooted. Everything is working well now.

    The external frame rate does vary with the quality of the cellular connection as expected. I do have one question though. When running the SS app on a remote Mac as a client, the frame rate is displayed as a single number for each camera. I assume that the single number is the received/displayed frame rate. On the server host, however, the SS app displays two frame rates (xx/yy). What is the meaning of the two frame rates?

    Thanks again for your help.

    David

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