FTP/Email on IP Webcam - Ports Blocked?

[Bushman]

So I am thinking about getting a Stardot 5 MP for the wx station, and have been using a few DLink IP cams to play with as a test.  They too have builtin servers but it seems as though my ISP(s) block the SMTP and FTP ports!  Argh!  Does anyone know  if the Stardot server  can skip around this issue?

[d_l]

Your ISP is blocking port 25 (SMTP) and port 21 (FTP)?!?!  How do you upload anything to a website?

As far as I can see on the NetcamXL 3MP (the NetcamSC 5 MP is virtually identical in these commands), there is no built-in way to switch these upload ports. It may be possible to do so by editing a configuration file, or a shell script, or an Awk script, but most of those are beyond me.  Stardot warns that you can screw up your camera if you don't know what you are doing.

I have edited a configuration file to upload to multiple FTP servers, but that was based on a Stardot example file.  There was no option to change the port in that sample file.

Edit:  Stardot doesn't make this easy to find, but it is easy to switch to an alternate FTP port: http://www.stardot-tech.com/kb/index.php?View=entry&EntryID=131 The FAQ is only listed under the NetcamXL models and not the NetcamSC ones.  I wonder if a mail server port switch is as easy?

Before purchasing a NetcamSC, I would email Stardot tech support to verify that the FTP port switch would work on the NetcamSC and if a similar mail port switch was possible.

[Bushman]

The big Canuck IPS (Telus, Shaw) block 25 etc. from devices they do not sell.  Unless you get a business account at like twice the price.  So I can send email  from  my PC connected to a router they provide, but not from an internal webserver in a IP cam.  Crazy.

[beaudog]

Could you use something like this to by pass the ISP block.

The satellite internet users do it regularly.

http://www.proxeasy.com/webclient.aspx

[Bushman]

Anon proxy won't do actually.  I need to login to my accounts to either FTP or email.  I fear this is going nowhere.  Kinda useless to have a camera with internal email and FTP servers when you can't connect to them, eh?

[Moose Whisperer]

The big Canuck IPS (Telus, Shaw) block 25 etc. from devices they do not sell.  Unless you get a business account at like twice the price. 

What a bunch of Commies!

[mackbig]

So you cant get your dlink to ftp to the wundercams ftp?  As d_l said, how could they tell the difference between an ip cam uploading to a site, vs your fling/ftp/wl uploading data to your website?

I run a dlink, and a couple of trendnets with no issue on Rogers.  Havent use smtp for a while, but it worked a while back.  My security cctv dvr uses smtp fine on motion events.

Andrew

[Bushman]

I don't know how they know.  But they do.  So neither my Telus or Shaw (via Wimax) will allow the DLink cams to FTP or email out!  Frustrating to say the least.  And it makes me rethink my Stardot plan unless I can find a solution.  If I could get a loaner from the local Stardot dealer to try I would know for sure, but it does not look promising.  Heck, I even tried the SMTP relay services (and Gmail) to see if I could get past the barriers.  I suspect the issue is that the servers  in the cameras are simply not allowed on Telus or Shaw.  I know for instance you cannot run ANY server on Telus (FTP etc.) unless you get the $80/month business package.

[mackbig]

That is really weird. 

By using the ftp functions on a camera, you are not running a ftp server, you are using an ftp client to send files.  Its just an itsy bitsy "computer" on your network sending out files.

Running an ftp server means others are ftp'ing into you to get files. 

Andrew

[d_l]

Are you using any FTP client to upload wx data to you web site?  As Andrew said, this makes no sense that an FTP client in the camera would be blocked and an FTP client on your computer wouldn't.  None of these are servers.

[Bushman]

That is really weird. 

By using the ftp functions on a camera, you are not running a ftp server, you are using an ftp client to send files.  Its just an itsy bitsy "computer" on your network sending out files.

Running an ftp server means others are ftp'ing into you to get files. 

Andrew

Weird is putting it lightly.   And actually, Dlink and Stardot run FTP SERVERs, not clients.  They are in imbedded Linux in the box.  Not sure which distro in Dlink but Stardot uses cuLinux.

[Bushman]

Are you using any FTP client to upload wx data to you web site?  As Andrew said, this makes no sense that an FTP client in the camera would be blocked and an FTP client on your computer wouldn't.  None of these are servers.

Sure - I can FTP via Filezilla or raw MS FTP   from the PC and it is fine.  But  at one location I have ONLY a Dlink IP cam and it will NOT FTP up to the site where I can normally FTP to.

I totally agree that it makes no sense whatsoever, but Telus tech support (got a smart fellow on the line for a change) confirmed that is the case.  Need a business account to run a SERVER.

I think I will call Stardot

[Bushman]

Just talked to Stardot - they see no reason why it should not work.  I am confused. 

[d_l]

Are you sure that the DLink is using all the correct FTP settings (passive, ascii, binary, etc.) to connect to your site? IOW, could the problems be due to failure to connect rather than an ISP block?

[Bushman]

Could it be a PICNIC problem?  I suppose  - but three devices in three locations on two ISPs and multiple attempts including concurrent support from ISPs and Dlink... not likely.   

I just  Teamviewered into the remote PC at one location and executed MS FTP and connected fine - FROM THE PC.  I think it must have something to do with the FTP software inside the camera 

[mackbig]

While the camera specs say ftp server... it is just a client really.  Its semantics really.  We all know that the camera is trying to ftp files to your destination, not serve up files for someone...  I actually just logged into my dlink.  It says ftp server in several places, but in the context of it being what you are trying to connect to.

On the ftp server setup page.  What does it say when you to a test upload.   I am not sure what feedback message you get other than, image upload was successful.

Here's a thought. Could it be a dns issue?  Have you tried using a numeric IP for your destination?  Maybe your dns is not getting to the camera.

Andrew

[Bushman]

Tried numeric IP.  No luck.  I am starting to think this is a router/modem/firewall issue?

[gluepack]

Did you resolve this Bushman?

I found this thread when I was searching for resolution to my problem.

I don’t have a weather cam per se but do, as the op, FTP from an IP camera to wunderground.com. I started sending images around the middle of March after having previously used a regular webcam to do the same thing. I bought the IP camera (Repotec RP-WV330) because a) it was relatively cheap and b) because it saved having to have my system running all the time.

There have been no problems using it (apart from a period of 4-5 days in the middle of May when there seemed to be a spate of “partial” images being received at wunderground) but, suddenly, on June 4th (shortly after this thread started which, of course, could be completely coincidental), the FTP stopped working. There is no indication why the FTP fails as the IP camera software does not say. However, sending a test file from it, following a long period of trying, just results in the message “Can not connect to FTP server”.

I am able to get the camera to FTP to a Filezilla server on my system and then I use Fwink to pick up the image and FTP it to wunderground without any problem and using the same parameters as, originally, for the IP camera. However, this kind of defeats the object of having the IP camera as, obviously, I have to leave my system on.

I have emailed wunderground hoping they could look at the logs for the period when it suddenly stopped “connecting” but have had no response yet, in that regard.

I was struck by the fact the op was having the same/a similar problem around the same time as me, although it is not obvious whether or not in their case it ever worked.

I am starting to think this is a router/modem/firewall issue?

I would agree except for, in my case, in theory, nothing has changed. My setup is wireless IP camera to a TP-Link wireless router (used as a WAP) to a 3Com wired ethernet hub, to an AirGrid M5 antenna.

On another topic…
d-l said…

I have edited a configuration file to upload to multiple FTP servers,

Ever since I got the camera I have been trying, without success, to find out how to get shared access to the camera software and, hopefully, do just that (or is your config file not at the camera?). Surely, if I can “view source” when I am looking at the still image/video pages and the system maintenance pages in a browser then I must have access to the storage on the webcam and should be able to directly access the file(s) containing the images, if not the html files, etc. as well, somehow. Can I not map the camera as a network drive using the IP address?

[Bushman]

No resolution (pun intended!  ) yet.  I even checked with some network gurus I know and they all point to something int he router - maybe a firewall issue.  Or a wireless issue.  But it makes NO SENSE AT ALL that I can take ANY other wireless device (like a phone) and give it the parms and it can talk through my networks.  One thing I have yet to try is using a hardwired connection to the camera to rule out some wireless issue.  Dlink has been useless as have my ISPs.  Frustrating to say the least because the whole idea behind these things is, as you say, to not have a PC turned on.

I should try that FTP to Filezilla server at the one site where the PC is 7/24. Frankly, I so frustrated with this I am tempted to buy another camera at best Buy and pay their geeks to  install it.  Then close what they do for the three other cams at the other sites. 

As for your last question, if you see the pic/file source wyou should be able to to a GET (use WGET - the Windows version) to retrieve the file.  http://www.gnu.org/software/wget/

[gluepack]

Thanks, that was quick.

Yes, I should try the camera wired before I give up. I don't understand why it just stopped. I have looked at my system activity (at least, file activity) on that day and there was nothing happening all afternoon but the FTP (according to wunderground recorded images) suddenly ceased mid-afternoon. I thought that perhaps the camera software had given up for some reason but FTP'ing to my local system was fine which makes it sound as if the problem is with wunderground. However, as a previous poster pointed out, they can't differentiate between FTP'ers (can they?). I have had short periods over the last couple of months when wunderground's server was apparently not receiving files but I just assumed it was down and, as I mentioned, there was a spate of partial images.

It is a pity that the camera software is not more functional (e.g. as I suggested, I want to FTP to multiple locations but can't and there are silly things like the test FTP ignores the file name specified for the regular FTP, why?). Still, it was cheap, i.e. the cheapest IP camera available. Oh, and then, when I bought it I discovered that, in theory, it was only for taking images indoors and shouldn't point outdoors due to problems with the sun, although I do have it shaded. Another thing is that, having specified image.jpg for the file name, I discovered when FTP'ing to my own system that a file was being generated called image.jpg.jpg but this apparently hadn't caused any problem with wunderground.

Thanks for the reference to wget. I have managed to link to the camera using it but that is as far as I have got, so it is probably just a matter of reading the documentation and it is 1.20 in the morning here.

[gluepack]

I think that I am going mad.

Late evening on 19th, wunderground stopped receiving files from the webcam via filezilla and fwink on my desktop system.

I am pretty sure that it was a server error but have had no response to the ticket. However, all but three of the Bulgarian webcams were not updated over night.

It then started receiving files. However, upon noticing that my capture of the image from wunderground in my website had not been updated throughout the day, I have now checked and the IP camera is now no longer transmitting to the filezilla server on my system.

So, back around June 4th it (the camera) stopped transmitting to wunderground and now (having set up filezilla and started ftp'ing the image to my system for relay to wunderground) it has stopped transmitting to my system.

Apart from the fact that there is a two week gap between the failure of two essentially similar operations, could this be some deterioration in the camera itself?

Modified to add... Duh! It seems that somehow my system IP address has for some reason (after many, many months) changed from 192.168.1.166 to 192.168.1.167. No wonder the FTP from the IP camera wouldn't work.

Arrgh!! a couple of hours later (and, admittedly, a couple of reboots) and the IP address has gone back to 192.168.1.166.

[gluepack]

mackbig said...

Have you tried using a numeric IP for your destination?

and Bushman said..

Tried numeric IP.  No luck....

I overlooked this entirely. Sorry.

The weather here is so hot that my graphics card is not cooling enough and, after a while usage is heavily reduced. I was determined to resolve this problem of not being able to FTP to wunderground directly from the camera, so I can switch my system off, and used 38.102.137.106 instead of webcam.wunderground.com and it worked. So, clearly, there is a DNS issue with the camera as Fwink'ing from my system using webcam.wunderground.com works fine. Why it suddenly stopped working is another mystery.

Anyway, touch wood, for now all is resolved.

[Bushman]

Yeah, maybe I should try FTP to WU.  Numerically of course.

[Bushman]

UPDATE:  I recently upgraded to Java 7U9 and it all works!  I can only assume there was some sort of interaction between the Java required to  create the instructions for the DLink camera and the cameras themselves.  Everything is all working fine now.  Go figure.