Blue Iris

I installed Blue Iris v5, and I set up the OpenVPN server on my brand new router.

Now how do I set it up so that I can access Blue Iris remotely, while using the VPN? Looking around the BI Settings I saw Web Server tab:

Enable HTTP server on port: do I put here the service port number that I set for the OpenVPN server (UDP)?

then I also see the Internal address and the External address. Do I need to do anything with these?

Also, do I need to set any windows firewall rules for BI if I'll be using the VPN? I saw 2 'inbound' rules were setup by BI during installation but I temporarily disabled them as I'm not sure they should be active.

I haven't run the "remote access" wizard yet.

After setting up the OpenVPN server on your router you need to export the settings (.ovpn) and import that to your OpenVPN app on your phone. Then make sure you can connect to the VPN tunnel from outside of your network (you can simply turn off WiFi on your phone to test over celular), you'll need to connect via the OpenVPN app anytime you want to access your BI server remotely. Then in the BI app you just change both the LAN and WAN IPs to the local IP of your BI server. Once you have that working you can disable any port forwarding you may have put in place for BI prior to setting up the OpenVPN server. The only downside other than having to connect via the OpenVPN app before accessing the BI app is you won't be able to use the geofencing options this way (although if you have SmartThings or Hubitat there are apps that you can use to integrate those to your BI server to use the Hubitat or SmartThings modes to control the BI profiles.

Hi Calibear,

I also run OpenVpn on my router (Asus RT-AC86U running Merlin firmware) for BI5. It really is as simple as making BI think your phone is on your home network when you are away. So, to try to unravel this:

1. Does your phone (I'm assuming the "remote device" is a mobile phone) work with BI5 when you are on your home wifi (LAN) ?
2. Have you exported the OVPN file from the router, and got it onto your phone ?
3. Have you started OpenVpn on the phone with it using the OVPN file ?

At this stage, if you turn wifi off so you are using cellular data (i.e. pretend that you have left the house), and then start the android BI client, it should just start and show your cameras.

Please let us know if any of that makes sense !

Hello, I’m new to BI and I was wondering if you use VPN to view cameras will you still be able to get notifications?

When you set up a VPN and connect your device (laptop, phone or whatever) that just means that your device acts as if it were physically on your home network instead of the internet.

It really has nothing to do with BI.

You and your device would operate just as if you were home.

danwilk wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 3:03 pm Hello, I’m new to BI and I was wondering if you use VPN to view cameras will you still be able to get notifications?

Yes, notifications will still work fine without an open port, the only function that won't work correctly without an open port is the built-in Geo fencing ability but you can work around this limitation if you have a Hubitat or SmartThings hub that you use Geo fencing on by using either the BI Control for Hubitat https://community.hubitat.com/t/release ... ntrol/5454 or BI Fusion 3.0 for SmartThings https://community.smartthings.com/t/rel ... ing/103032

Hi, I have this exactly setup on my Orbi router using OpenVPN on my iOS device, but I have trouble connecting when I am on cellular only. The only way I can connect in to BI when remote using OpenVPN is when I am on WiFi. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Hi Folks
Sorry for reopening this thread. Maybe somone can help.
I am having trouble connecting to BI with the vpn
I have an asus RT-88AXU router and have Nordvpn and openvpn configured on it
I can connect via openvpn to the router via my phone.
I can see "connected" in the vpn section of the router.
I try starting openvpn on my phone and starting BI app
What ip should I have in the settings of the BI app?
Do I put in the local IP in Openvpn app?
Do I put in the :port number 1194?
The other problem is that openvpn app will not stay connected for long.
TIA
Charlie

Just to add that I do have a DDNS set up on the router.
I can connect to BI through this remotely using a port the usual way.
Works with Wifi off on phone.
Charlie

Charliehorse, did you ever find a solution to this?

I also have RT-88AXU and cannot connect to Blue Iris via openvpn. I can connect to my router on openvpn but connecting to blue iris via 192.186.1.x:81 makes me authenticate with a username and password. My blue iris usernames (any and all i have added to test) do not work.

Just started Blue Iris. It is amazing.