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Westell Modem Port Forwading


Chat TranscriptWestell router / modem DVR viewer and port forwarding is the topic for the following support email transcript. The following customer was inquiring as to how to setup Internet remote viewing for his surveillance cameras using our JP series surveillance DVRs.




Support Transcript

Customer:
I have a Westell modem /router (DSL) it has a static IP address. I am able to use the remote viewer when I'm connected to the Westell modem/router locally or wireless in the building but I am not sure what to do to get the remote viewer to work over the internet from remote locations. I checked the surveillance viewer setup link you sent and I don't see how to do this.  Please let me know if I need to supply you with more information and thanks for the help.

Technical Support:
The instructions provided cover exact steps using the routers that we have documented, which are LinkSys and D-Link.  The same instructions can be used for other routers, but some steps may be slightly different because each router's user interface is different and some manufacturers use different terminology for things like port forwarding.  We are trying to document port forwarding and other setup for more routers, but I am sure you can understand that there is no way for us to have instructions for the hundreds that exist in the market.

In order to access your security cameras from home using the DVR viewer software, your router must support port forwarding.  So, first step is to find out if your Westell modem supports this capability.  You can find this out by:
  1. Calling your Internet service provider that supplied you with that modem / router
  2. Referring to the router manual
  3. Researching online by searching for "westell <model #> port forwarding" or "westell <model #> manual" on Google.  Replace <model #> with the actual model number of your router when you do your Google search.
Another excellent resource to research port forwarding setup instructions for any router is the router / port forwarding section of the portforward.com website.  Ther have hundreds of routers listed on that page with setup instructions.

If your Westell router DOES support port forwarding, you need to setup port 50000 to forward to your DVR in order for the DVR viewer to work remotely.  You can follow these instructions.  They will be the same conceptually for any router, but routers user interface and some terminology will likely be different.

Remote Viewer Port Forwarding Setup

If your Westell router DOES NOT support port forwarding, find out how to enable bridge mode on the modem.  Bridge mode turns the router functionality of the Westell device
off and basically makes it only work as a modem.  You will need to purchase a router that does support port forwarding.  This will cost about $40 - $70 depending on the brand and model you choose. We recommend the D-Link DIR-615 or the D-Link DI-624 because we are very familiar with the setup of those routers and have setup instructions online to follow.

Click here for a port forwarding diagram of what the setup will look like if you need to put a D-Link or other
router with port forwarding capability behind your Westell model. There is also a more detailed explanation of port forwarding on that page.

I hope this help to explain further.  Please let us know if you need further assistance.

Sincerely.
-CCTV Camera Pros Technical Support