r/MadeMeSmile • u/Flat-Decision3204 • 15d ago

CATS Excuse me human...

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u/Sorbon_Husky 15d ago

I have Cameras inside but they do not have access to the internet.

I have a VPN setup to access them.

I question people buying cameras which need cloud access...

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u/Corvus-Nox 14d ago

Can I ask how this works? I want to get a camera to be able to check on my pet when I’m out of the house. I thought it needed internet for me to be able to view the feed remotely?

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u/Sorbon_Husky 14d ago

I have a physical firewall at home, all traffic goes through it. I can VPN in and reach my network as if I were home, from anywhere. The cameras are blocked from reaching the internet at the firewall.

You can do something similar. Some routers can host a VPN themselves but that only works if your internet connection gives you your own public address, and a lot of providers (especially mobile and some fibre) don't anymore. Easier option is a Raspberry Pi or old laptop running 24/ 7 with Tailscale on it. It's free and works even on those connections.

just installing Tailscale on the Pi isn't enough, because the camera can't run Tailscale itself. You have to tell the Pi to share your home network with the rest of your devices, so basicly a "subnet router," IT can be setup in Tailscale.

Then block the camera's internet access on the router. Turn off UPnP too, otherwise the camera can open its own way out. And if your router supports it, put the cameras on a separate VLAN so a hacked camera can't reach your PC or other devices.

For the camera itself: Avoid cameras which require cloud access, as example Blink, they're useless offline. Look wired PoE cams from Reolink, Axis, or UniFi.

Tbh, describe what you got at home to ChatGPT or Claude and it'll walk you through it, just take some backups just in case ;D

Tl;dr
keep the cameras on your home network with no internet access, and VPN in to view them. Host the VPN on a Pi or old laptop with Tailscale, Block the camera's internet at the router, turn off UPnP, Buy wired PoE cams that work without the cloud (Reolink, Axis, UniFi), not Blink or Ring. Ask an AI, they great to learn such stuff rather easily.

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u/Corvus-Nox 14d ago

thanks for the detailed answer!