Networking Guide For Our Security Camera Systems

QR Code based P2P Connections

With a QR Code based P2P connection, the NVR determines which method is being used to connect to the coordinating website and then allowing this to do a peer-to-peer connection using UPNP port mapping or NAT traversal. The coordinating website helps map which way the two devices (the viewer and the NVR) can effectively communicate, but the video itself is moving from NVR/camera to user directly without going through a server at all.

There are many websites that facilitate this type of connection, and we can set one up for you, if you want us to. These services are convenient and a big improvement over permanently opening ports on your network (after all it does close them after use and attempt to only allow that particular connection to that particular user), but at the end of the day, you are still sending either unencrypted or self-signed text, video, screenshots, and other data over an insecure connection and man-in-the-middle attacks or endpoint IP / ARP / DNS user spoofs are still possible.

Open Ports: Not Recommended

Opening Ports on your Router

Please Note: Satellite or Cellular data packages may not allow you to open ports or may not work even if they do because they often lack an addressable IP.

We do not recommend opening ports on your router.

VPN

We recommend, at minimum using a VPN (virtual private network) as the means by which you view your cameras remotely.

A VPN makes your internet connection more secure and offers both privacy and anonymity online. Organizations, governments, and businesses of all sizes use VPNs to secure remote connections to the local network for protection against malicious actors, malware, and other cyberthreats.

Survail

IT Departments love Survail. Gone are the days of updating software, worrying about opening ports, and exposing your networks to cyber security risk. Survail keeps your cameras off your main network and communicates securely with our cloud.

Cyber Security Built In

Survail uses cyber security best practice such as white listed ips, banking-level encryption, HTTPS, VLANS, VPN, and unidirectional cloud-based data transfers (does not allow ingress into the network). With Survail you log into our server, rather than the device on your local network, reducing cyber security risk to the local area network significantly.

Blocked Incoming Connections

Survail blocks incoming connections on the device level, so there's no way to connect to the device at all. Instead of connecting to the device, like a NVR, you instead login to the survail website. Survail is a cloud-based VMS that works in the browser you already have, so there's no software to install, maintain, or support. Survail uses Cognito from Amazon to make sure you are you, when you log in, which means that we support supports identity and access management standards, such as OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and OpenID Connect.

Integrated VPN

Survail includes its own VPN as part of the service.

The firmware/software is made in the USA and has no influence from hostile foreign governments.