Having a home security system is a good choice for people who want to add many layers of protection in their places as possible.
As we live in a small world thanks to the internet, it’s necessary to connect your security camera to the internet and set it up to work remotely to maximize the benefits of having a surveillance system on your house.
Unfortunately, not all homeowners know how to configure the security cameras or set up the network setting like camera IP, Mac address, or the port number of the security camera.
If you’re one of them or still a beginner in surveillance systems and IP cameras then this post is for you.
In this article, we will walk you through how to find security camera port number in three steps.
Let’s get started!
Why Do You Need a Port Number For Your Security Camera System?
A port number is used to uniquely identify a network or device with a specific number.
The default port number that most security cameras use is 80 for the HTTP ports. Some ISPs (Internet services providers) block this port due to many reasons mentioned below.
So, When you are setting up your security camera system for remote access or viewing, it is important to change the HTTP port number to a new one, and assign a unique port number to each camera so that they can be tracked and monitored.
Not only that, you need a port number for your security camera system for the following reasons :
1. To improve security:
Nowadays, hackers have become smarter than before, so most of them know that security cameras are configured to use port 80. As a result, they try to hack your surveillance system through this port.
By using a new port number, you can help to keep your camera system more secure.
Plus, The system becomes more difficult to hack because the hackers don’t know which port number you’re using from the range of 1 to 65536.
Note that there are many ways used to protect security cameras from hacking besides changing camera port numbers.
2. Improve performance:
Finding the Port number can help to improve the overall performance of your camera system.
This is because it helps to reduce the amount of time needed to connect to and control your camera system.
For example, if you want to access one of your cameras remotely, you need to access the DVR or NVR first, then decide which one of your home cameras you want to watch.
On the other hand, with knowing the correct network port of your camera, you can type the DVR IP on the web browser followed by the port number and watch the camera’s live view immediately.
3. To make sure the system is compatible with other systems:
Aside from watching and viewing security cameras remotely. Knowing the ports of your camera helps you to check the compatibility between your security camera system and other systems by using a port number.
So, if you have another security camera system, you will not need to reconfigure it when you add your new camera system.
4. For troubleshooting purposes:
Sometimes network issues happen in your system and make it stop broadcasting any of the recorded videos.
Figuring out the main reason for the issue takes more time, but by knowing the port number of your camera the process becomes easier.
So, If you are having problems with your camera system, you can use a port number to help you troubleshoot the problem.
That’s why it is important to keep your port number updated.
5. Making sure the system is running properly:
In case you have multiple cameras connected to the same system, then it is important to make sure that they are all running properly.
Since it might risk the whole system’s performance if one camera is not functioning properly.
But using every camera port number you will know are the cameras work normally or if there is a problem.
What port does a security camera use?
A security camera typically uses a standard Ethernet port but with different port numbers that decide which program will be used to receive the information.
For example, the HTTP protocol use port is 80, the FTP server port is 21, the email port is 25, and the HTTPS communications use a TCP port with the number 443.
These ports are used in CCTV and PoE IP cameras to allow the camera to connect to a network and transmit data.
On the other hand, If you are using a wireless security camera, it will use a WiFi connection.
Furthermore, some security cameras come with a built-in storage device, such as a microSD card, which allows you to store recorded footage directly on the camera.
Now
How To Find Security Camera Port Number or Change it?
Finding a security camera port number is an easy process that anyone can do, the simplicity of the task depends on which device you are using to control and view your cameras.
Below are the 3 best ways used to find security camera port number in short and easy steps.
Method 1: Find Security Camera Port Number From Mobile App
Mobile phones are one of the most widespread devices around the world.
As a result, security camera manufacturers tend to make mobile applications for users to enable them to control and adjust the camera settings from their smartphones in a few seconds.
Here are the steps
Step 1: Open the app and go to “Settings:
Open the app, then you will need to find the icon on your phone, after that tap on it.
Once you have opened the app, look for the tab that says “Settings.”
Step 2: Find the “Network” setting:
After you have found the “Settings” tab, scroll down until you find an option that says “Network.”
From this menu, find the “Port” option, after that the port number will be located next to this setting.
Step 3: Enter the port number into your web browser:
After you have found the port number, decide whether you want to change or keep it with the default number.
Then to view your camera online, you will need to enter it into your web browser.
To do this, type in the IP of the DVR followed by / then the port number into the URL bar and hit “Enter”.
For example, if you have a video recorder device with a static IP 192.168.1.108 and the camera port number is 99.
To view your cam, type in the URL section of your browser with the next form 192.168.1.108/99 then press on” enter” button.
Method 2: Find the Port Number of the security Camera Via PC viewing Software
The support from security camera manufacturers does not stop at the stage of the mobile app.
Some of the top brands provide PC viewing software for their clients to install the program on their computers or laptops and see their surveillance system from anywhere online.
In case you have a PC viewing software and want to find security camera port number then follow the next steps.
Step 1: Launch the PC viewing software that came with your security camera system on your computer:
Firstly, you need to find the IP address of your security camera.
To get the Internet Protocol (IP) of your security camera, go to the Settings” from this menu choose”Network” and click on it, after that, a new page will open containing IP, Mac address, and other network settings.
For example, if you are using view software provided by Reolink, then you can find the IP address by going to Reolink Client-> Device Settings -> Network -> Information, as shown below.
For more about how to view or find network settings about Reolink, watch the next video
Source: Reolink
Step 2: Find the Port Number:
After you’ve found the IP address of your camera, the next step is to find the port number.
The port number is usually displayed next to the IP address or at the bottom of the Network Page under the “Advanced” option.
In our example, the port number is 34567.
Step 3: Enter the Port Number:
The last step is to enter the port number into your web browser.
In our example, we would enter 192.168.1.108:34567 into our web browser.
After you hit enter, you should see the login page for your security camera.
Method 3: Check the Network Router to get Security Camera Port Number
Everything related to the internet and network passes from the home wifi router.
From this device, you can know important information such as open port numbers, IPs, Mac addresses, and Set Port Forwarding rules of your home devices.
For our issue, we’re gonna use the home router to know the security camera port number.
Now, let’s jump to the steps
Step 1: Enter the Router’s IP address into the web browser’s URL field:
First, you’ll need to know your router’s IP address and login information such as Username & Password.
Sometimes router providers print the Router IP and access details on a label on the back of the device.
For example, if you’re using a Netgear router, the default IP address is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 & Username will be “admin” or “user“.
Step 2: Enter the Router’s Username and Password:
Get the router IP from the back of your router, go to the web browser, write the IP, and press enter.
When the router’s configuration page loads, enter the username and password.
The default username and password are usually admin for both, some brands tend to change them for security purposes so make sure to see and check the login details.
Step 3: Navigate to the Port Forwarding Section:
Once you open the router main page there are a lot of options for adjusting your home router settings, there’s a section for wifi signal called WLAN, and there’s a section for wired connections called LAN and more.
One of these options is the “Advanced setting” option. In this section, you can set Port forward rules, Set up the NAT for your router.
For our tasks, Look for a section called “Port Forwarding,” “Advance Network Settings,” “Remote Control,” or something similar.
Step 4: Find the Security Camera Port Number:
The port number you’re looking for is probably 80. This is the port that’s used for HTTP traffic, which is what most webcams use.
Consider changing it and setting a new number for it to avoid the potential threats that we mentioned above.
Final Verdict:
A port number helps the network router know where to direct the incoming traffic from your security camera.
You wouldn’t be able to view footage remotely without it since the camera wouldn’t be able to communicate with the router.
There are several ways to find your security camera’s port number, as you can see.
The easiest way is to check the documentation that came with your camera.
You can also check the router’s configuration page or the PC viewing software if you can’t find it there.
Security cameras typically use port number 80, but it’s always a good idea to double-check.
In this article, we have not only discussed three different methods to find security camera port number, but we have also gone over what a port number is and why it’s important.
