Why Is The IVMS-4500 App Not Working On Mobile Data?
Many people report that they can only view their cameras while at home connected to WiFi but not when they are away from home connected to their mobile data.
Why is the ivms-4500 not working on mobile data? The most common reason is that your router is not set up for port forwarding. Port forwarding has to be set up in your router’s settings to view your cameras on the app while away from home.
Let’s take a minute to understand what a router, ports, and port forwarding is and how you can get your cameras working correctly.
What is a router and what does it do?
A router is a device that is either purchased by you or provided by your internet service provider.
Your router is the gateway to the Internet for your home or business, and it performs several tasks, including:
- Providing a safe connection between you and the internet, this is called a Firewall.
- Providing a wifi connection throughout your home
- Routing data between all of your devices
- Assigning IP addresses to all of your devices including computers, cell phones, and security cameras.
When your cell phone is connected to your home’s WiFi, it is connected to your Local Area Network (LAN). The LAN is the network within your home.
When you surf the web and visit a website, you connect to a website on a Wide Area Network (WAN), the network outside of your home.
When you leave your house, your cell phone automatically connects to your mobile service provider, Verizon, AT&T, etc., which is part of the Wide Area Network or WAN.
Your router has special software called a Firewall that prevents devices located on the Wide Area Network (aka, Internet) from accessing devices in your home’s Local Area Network.
You cannot view your security cameras when using your mobile data connection unless your router is set up for port forwarding.
What is an IP address?
Your router assigns an IP address to every device on your Local Area Network. This is called a local IP address. An example of an IP address is 192.168.1.25
Your router uses the IP address assigned to every device to route information from one device to another.
When your cell phone wants to access your security cameras, it does so by connecting to your security camera’s IP address through the router.
What is port forwarding?
Think of a port as a door into your Local Area Network from the outside world. If a port is closed, you can not get into your Local Area Network, and you can not view your security cameras from the mobile app.
Port forwarding opens a door into your Local Area Network and allows your cell phone, which is on the Wide Area Network, to connect to your security cameras.
Lets start troubleshooting and find a fix to your problem
Reasons why your ivms-4500 app is not working
- Port forwarding was never setup in your router’s settings
- The router was replaced and port forwarding needs to be setup
- The router was reset and the port forwarding settings were erased
Let’s confirm the ip address and port assignment of your DVR or NVR?
You first have to get into your DVR or NVR’s settings and find out its IP address and what port is being used.
- Using the mouse video monitor connected to your DVR, go into your DVR’s settings buy right clicking on the screen and going into the main menu.
- From the Main Menu go to the Network > Basic Settings> TCP/IP tab and find the IP address.
- Make a note of the IP or IPv4 address assigned to your DVR.
- The DHCP box should not be checked.
The pictures below show the web browser interface, the menu screen on your DVR will look different, but the process is the same.
5. Go to the Port Tab, either in the basic settings or advanced settings tab and confirm the server port is set to 8000. If a different port is assigned, take a note of the port being used.
Confirm if port forwarding is setup in your router’s settings
You can do this from either your computer or cell phone, but you have to be connected to your home’s WiFi.
- goto www.canyouseeme.org
- From there you will see your router’s puplic IP address, and under the ip addres it will say “port to check”
- Enter 8000 or what ever port is assigned as the server port in your DVR and click on the check port button
- If the port is open then it will say “pass: I could see your service on port 8000”
- If the port is not open then it will say “Error: I could not see your service on port 8000”
The port check test is most likely going to fail. If so, go to the next step to set up port forwarding in your router.
Ask your ISP to set up port forwarding in your router
Setting up port forwarding in your router can be a little complicated if you’ve never done it before.
If your router was provided to you by your internet service provider (your cable or phone company), then the good news is that they can perform the port forwarding for you.
You will need to provide them with the IP address of the DVR and the port assigned in your DVR.
- Call your internet service provider and tell them you want to forward a port in your router for your security cameras and ask them if they can do it for you.
- They will ask you for the IP address and the port you want to forward.
- Give them the IP address of your DVR and the port number.
- After they add the port forwarding rules to your router, go back to www.canyouseeme.org and check to see if the port was opened.
- Once the port forwarding is complete turn off the WiFi on your cell phone and try to view your cameras on the ivms-4500 app using your mobile data.
Setting up port forwarding by yourself
This guide is general to port forwarding as all routers will be different.
Open up the web browser on your computer and type in your router’s gateway address (Example:192.168.1.1)
- Login to your router by entering your router’s login user name and password.
- Note: your routers login information is usually printed on the bottom of the router. I have provided the default user names and passwords for the most popular routers below.
- Next locate the port forwarding setting, typically found under the Advanced and then Port Forwarding or Firewall, or Virtual Server.
- On the Port Forwarding page, enter the name of the device that you want to forward (Example: Cameras)
- Enter the port you want to forward and select TCP/UDP under the Protocal.
- Next enter the IP address of the DVR.
- Click apply or save
User name and password for the popular routers
Device Username Password
D-Link admin (leave blank)
Netgear admin password
Linksys admin admin
Asus admin admin
DrayTek admin admin
ZyXel admin 1234
TP-Link admin admin
TRENDnet admin admin
Belkin admin (leave blank)
After setting up port forwarding, go back to www.canyouseeme.org and confirm that the ports are open.
You should now be able to view your cameras live using your mobile data.
