3g /4g Wi-Fi router for lambing camera

[5312]

I am hoping to set up a camera in the lambing shed on an away farm.

When I search for 3g router I find some small ones that create a WiFi hot-spot and some bigger ones that look like a normal router with a sim card slot.

Anyone know which I would need to run a pan and tilt camera?

 

[upnortheast]

There are issues getting an IP camera to work over the mobile networks. Due to the way they handle IP addresses.
There are ways round it but I`m not clued up on it.
Sure someone will be along shortly with a full explaination

 

[Philip Watkins]

@Pheasant Surprise knows a bit about 4G routers.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

There are issues getting an IP camera to work over the mobile networks. Due to the way they handle IP addresses.
There are ways round it but I`m not clued up on it.
Sure someone will be along shortly with a full explaination

That's correct. Most consumer mobile broadband networks operate a "network within a network", also called carrier grade NAT (CGNAT) which basically means that your public IP address isn't reachable from elsewhere on the internet. There are a couple of reasons network operators do this, including preserving scare IP addresses and providing an additional layer of security.

You can of course purchase fixed/public IP addressable IP 4G service contracts from specialist providers - but they are aimed at the commercial market (machine-to-machine operators) and for a one off or two off are quite a bit more expensive than a PAYG type 4G SIM which you can get pretty cheaply.

So to get around this and other network limitations, most "cloud" based devices that you can buy for your home or office typically create their own virtual private tunnel (VPN) to the outside world, so that they can be reached form the elsewhere. Companies like Nest or Hive home thermostats, Ring doorbells etc. This is the way you can access these items even if they are connected from behind a 4G mobile broadband home internet connection.

To remotely access your camera(s) over the internet you basically need to employ the same technique. The old fashioned method of opening ports on your home router/firewall and then forwarding those ports to your IP cameras will not work on a 4G connection in the UK.

For IP cameras what I do is use a Synology network storage box. This runs their own camera recording and remote access software. They have an app available for iPhone and Android called DS cam. This allows access to live view of several cameras as well as any recordings that you have setup. It works quite well.

 

[5312]

Would this work? It seems to suggest that it would.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252846832749

 

[Cluny]

I have a PTZ camera in calving shed working through a 4g router with a 20gig data SIM card which means I can watch my cows anywhere I have a 4or3g signal works really well save me a massive amount of time

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

I have a PTZ camera in calving shed working through a 4g router with a 20gig data SIM card which means I can watch my cows anywhere I have a 4or3g signal works really well save me a massive amount of time

Is your PTZ cam router SIM card and your phone SIM card running from the same mobile carrier?

 

[Cluny]

No Tesco data sim in router and o2 in phone it also gives me about 18 g wifi download which is a lot better than .4 we get on the landline

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Tesco mobile uses the o2 network too, so actually it’s much the same as both the router and phone being on o2.

That is a “lucky” thing as otherwise it would not work, without as I said earlier, a VPN in place, so access to your camera from elsewhere on the “open” internet, for example from another mobile network, WiFi hotspot, wired home broadband, etc would not generally work.

The reason I suspect it works in your situation is that because your phone and router are in effectively the same mobile (private) network - they are directly communicating on a network that is not open, they don’t actually talk via the internet. I suspect your router has an “external” private IP address of something like 10.x.x.x or 172.x.x.x on the Tesco/o2 network, which your phone could access.

Unless of course the PTZ camera is doing its own ‘tunnel’ thing, without a VPN or something similar in place if (for example) you took your phone abroad, away from the UK o2 network, then you would no longer be able to access the camera as you can now.

 

[Cluny]

You are bamboozilling me with science ! I had Chris Cotten from Farmers Eye set it up for me and he knows exactly what works it's a brilliant system can keep a watching brief on my cows just about any where as long as there is signal

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

You are bamboozilling me with science ! I had Chris Cotten from Farmers Eye set it up for me and he knows exactly what works it's a brilliant system can keep a watching brief on my cows just about any where as long as there is signal

Aha. OK you forgot to mention that bit. I suspect there is a bit more to it then. Similar to the systems the sleepy's company install. They typically use a VPN contained within their control box etc to make remote viewing work via a 4G connection.

 

[5312]

I have a PTZ camera in calving shed working through a 4g router with a 20gig data SIM card which means I can watch my cows anywhere I have a 4or3g signal works really well save me a massive amount of time

How much did it cost(roughly) to get set up and running with your system?

 

[Cluny]

How much did it cost(roughly) to get set up and running with your system?

Roughly the price of 2 spring born calves sold at the beginning of Nov plus vat plus £20 /month for 20 gig sim from Tesco and my phone has 12 gig on my phone contract, you have to bare in mind this is also my internet access which gives about 18 gig download speed as well. Can watch a cow calving from the other farm while working there and only need to come home if there is a problem it also stops me intervening too early especially with heifers. An eye on the shed at all times absolute no brainer would have had one earlier but didn't have 4g till this time last year

 

[Nigley]

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5548464

recently bought one of these to use in byre for calving cameras seems to work

 

[5312]

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5548464

recently bought one of these to use in byre for calving cameras seems to work

This is exactly what I was hoping to do. Did you connect it to just a WiFi camera? Or did you have to set it up as mentioned above?

 

[Nigley]

This is exactly what I was hoping to do. Did you connect it to just a WiFi camera? Or did you have to set it up as mentioned above?

I just bought 3 cheap cameras from amazon and set them up to the mobile wifi and works off the app on phone

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Right-oh this is my recipe for a cheap(ish) way to (a) record up to two IP network cameras and (b) access those cameras using a 4G broadband connection to connect them to the internet.

1. Purchase a Synology DS115j (their most basic 1 drive bay model) - about £77 +VAT. See eBuyer link for example here

2. Purchase a WD Red 3.5TB NAS-ready hard drive to go in the Synology - about £77+VAT. See eBuyer link for example here

3. Download the Surveillance Station app (free) on the Synology box. You have a licence to connect 2 cameras for free

4. Physically connect the cameras and Synolgy box to your 4G router. Connect up your cameras to the SS app (settings).

5. Register for a QuickConnect account from Synology - free to use and no subs. This gets around the limitation with 4G connected services and cameras and enables you to access the Synology box and critically the cameras from anywhere in the world you have internet access.

6. Download the DS Cam app for your phone (free). Login using your Synology account back to your DS box

7. Enjoy accessing your 4G connected cameras from anywhere

Of course you can buy a larger more sophisticated Synology NAS box, with more drives etc. You can also add additional IP camera licenses for Surveillance Station if the two freebies is not enough

Total one off cost: £154.30 +VAT
Total ongoing cost from Synology: zero

Required:
- 4G router (a Huawei Huawei B593s-22 can be had outright for about £100 or get a free basic 4G bundled router with a data contract)
- IP cameras (your choice)

 

[5312]

Unfortunately, before the above reply was posted I ordered one of these
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IP-SIM-W...305274?hash=item4b0c06957a:g:bw4AAOSwZKBZGXHO
It is working very well so far, started lambing last week and it has already saved me quite a few unnecessary trips up to the other farm.
It was extremely easy to set up and will be moved to the lambing shed on the main farm when needed.
It could be upgraded to a PTZ for an extra £190 I think.

 

[bkg]

Right-oh this is my recipe for a cheap(ish) way to (a) record up to two IP network cameras and (b) access those cameras using a 4G broadband connection to connect them to the internet.

1. Purchase a Synology DS115j (their most basic 1 drive bay model) - about £77 +VAT. See eBuyer link for example here

2. Purchase a WD Red 3.5TB NAS-ready hard drive to go in the Synology - about £77+VAT. See eBuyer link for example here

3. Download the Surveillance Station app (free) on the Synology box. You have a licence to connect 2 cameras for free

4. Physically connect the cameras and Synolgy box to your 4G router. Connect up your cameras to the SS app (settings).

5. Register for a QuickConnect account from Synology - free to use and no subs. This gets around the limitation with 4G connected services and cameras and enables you to access the Synology box and critically the cameras from anywhere in the world you have internet access.

6. Download the DS Cam app for your phone (free). Login using your Synology account back to your DS box

7. Enjoy accessing your 4G connected cameras from anywhere

Of course you can buy a larger more sophisticated Synology NAS box, with more drives etc. You can also add additional IP camera licenses for Surveillance Station if the two freebies is not enough

Total one off cost: £154.30 +VAT
Total ongoing cost from Synology: zero

Required:
- 4G router (a Huawei Huawei B593s-22 can be had outright for about £100 or get a free basic 4G bundled router with a data contract)
- IP cameras (your choice)

RIGHT then Pheasant Surprise is this the way to jump, looking to put some sort of surveillance cameras up for calving and also some one has been into the farm yard this afternoon and up to no good so need a bit of help please to sort this problem out if that's possible. thanks.

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

RIGHT then Pheasant Surprise is this the way to jump, looking to put some sort of surveillance cameras up for calving and also some one has been into the farm yard this afternoon and up to no good so need a bit of help please to sort this problem out if that's possible. thanks.

I'll try to help you where I can bkg, just saying that what I suggested above is not the only way to skin this cat, there are many other ways that can work well.