This guide discusses setting up 'port forwarding' to provide remote access to your Foscam MJPEG camera. This includes models such as FI8918W, FI8910W, FI8905W and so on. This does not include the megapixel cameras or P2P models. Before you can set up port forwarding please ensure you have your camera(s) set up and running and that you can access them LOCALLY on the same network where they are installed.
We highly recommend you check out portforward.com for instructions and in fact you can find your router (or a similar model# from the same manufacturer) then go to Foscam and find a similar camera model# and it will walk through each step. You can pay them for automatic set up, or close the window that asks for money and it will take you to the written instructions. There are also several youtube videos on this subject that are well worth watching before you start and it's free.
We also offer remote router and camera set up for CDN$50.
Firstly you must know the IP address of your camera. You can use the Foscam camera finder tool to locate it. Write it down.
Next, log in to the Foscam camera with a browser, go to the network settings, and change the PORT to port 8090. Also make sure you have changed the default password to something strong as you will be making it available to the Internet. This also means that next time you want to log in to the camera with your browser you will now have to add :8090 to the end of the address. Eg. http://192.168.1.100:8090
Next you need to use your web browser on a computer in the house that is on the same house network, to log in to your home's ROUTER. It typically is at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.2.1 but check your router manual or your router company's tech support documentation. Once you're in, you're looking for something called 'virtual server' or 'port forwarding' in the router set up.
On this page, add a new port forwarding entry, using the remote port of 8090 and enter in the internal IP address of your camera that we determined above. You might have to enter the port twice, and some routers will ask you to enter a port range. In this case enter it as 8090 to 8090.
Now, in your same web browser, go to www.canuseeme.org and you should see a page with your current EXTERNAL IP address listed. This is the IP address that your Internet provider has assigned to your house. Write it down. Next in the 'port to check' section, type 8090 and then submit. If it tells you the port is open, you're good. If not, make sure the Foscam camera is still connected to the network, and then check your port settings on the Foscam camera and the forwarding settings in the router.
Once it's set up correctly, you'll be able to use the Foscam app or 3rd party app to remotely access your camera by pointing them to the IP address and port 8090 for your house.
Keep in mind that the IP address for your house CAN CHANGE and for that reason, Foscam has provided a free DDNS address with each camera. Use this DDNS address instead of the IP address once you have things working, and if the IP changes it should automatically update so you don't lose connection.
One last step - we suggest you check your router settings to see if you can set a 'DHCP reservation' or 'ASSIGNED DHCP' address for your camera. Otherwise if the camera is unplugged, when you plug it back in, it may end up with a new 'local IP' address and you'd have to change that address in your router's port forwarding settings. With an assigned or reserved DHCP set up, the camera IP will never change.