4G Router without public IP

[user_607883587289105_607883587289105]

Hi all,
I would like to buy a Reolink camera, but as I have a 4G router in my home, so I don't have a public IP, and I need to know if I can use this camera with Reolink App remotely, is there someone that can help?
Thanks in advance!

[joseph_1979]

@user_607883587289105_607883587289105 Whenever the 4G router makes an LTE attach (message AttachRequest) to MME) , the PGW (this is the gateway between the mobile packet core and the internet) assigns an internal private IP to the router (in message AttachAccept) and when session is established through the PDN, the PGW assigns a dynamic public IP (PDN IP) from a pool of shared IP addresses. This public IP/port is kept during the session but there is no guarantee that it will be maintained. If there is a handover to say another PGW the IP will be changed. Each time there is an LTE re-attach there is a high probability that the IP/port will be different and this poses an issue if one wants to communicate with the UE (mobile device). However, the ip camera frequently transmit packets with its UID to the Reolink P2P servers which should update the IP of the camera if there is a change. I am not the product designer and so I cannot provide more details here. Your android application queries the Reolink P2P servers to get the IPs of the camera and thereafter establishes a direct communication (encrypted but can be decrypted :)) with the camera. Therefore whenever the PDN IP changes and you try to communicate with the camera, communication cannot be established. So to be able to communicate with the camera at all times you need to request a static IP on your SIM from your mobile operator. I guess this is at a charge. This IP is then added to your profile in the HLR ( where your mobile subscription is created) and each time your 4G router does an LTE attach it is always assigned the same public IP. Mobile communication is complex but fun to work in :).

[Janser Dienstleistungen GmbH_257000373518575]

@user_607883587289105_607883587289105
As there is already an answer with lots of text I give you a short answer:
It is possible to use Reolink cameras through 4G routers as the Reolink cameras usually use a UID and so the camera is reachable anywhere on the world in the App or client software…
So there is absolutely no reason to think about IP adresses and so on…

[Janser Dienstleistungen GmbH_257000373518575]

@joseph-chircop_497308027822318
…“So to be able to communicate with the camera at all times you need to request a static IP on your SIM from your mobile operator. I guess this is at a charge.“…

Sorry but this is fully wrong…!!
I installed lots of Reolink cameras with 5G routers, 4G routers and within normal internet installations with DSL routers etc. and there was never a static IP necessary…!

[joseph_1979]

@janser-dienstleistungen-gmbh_257000373518575 DSL is OK but 4G is different. PGW releases the public IP nearly after each session and there is no guarantee that you will get the same public IP. Then until the camera sends a request to the P2P server you will not be able to communicate with the camera. I said....if you need to have communication at ALL times. It happened to me twice on my 4G router and so I added a fixed IP on my IMSI profile in the HLR and since then had no issue. Try to switch off and on the 4G router (maybe more than once) and try to connect to the camera after you have access to the Internet.

[Kristof]

@user_607883587289105_607883587289105
As there is already an answer with lots of text I give you a short answer:
It is possible to use Reolink cameras through 4G routers as the Reolink cameras usually use a UID and so the camera is reachable anywhere on the world in the App or client software…
So there is absolutely no reason to think about IP adresses and so on…

I agree with this answer.

We installed a Reolink Camera with a mobile Router (4g or 5g I don't know but doesn't really matter) at my father in law and it works like a charm. He is happy and noticed no connection problems so far.

[joseph_1979]

@janser-dienstleistungen-gmbh_257000373518575 The maximum duration of a data session on a mobile packet core is 12 hours (depends on mobile operator) and so the UE has to re-establish a new session. During the re-establishment of the new data session there is no guarantee that the PGW will assign you the same public IP. So from this instance to the moment the camera sends a request to the Reolink P2P server, there is no way to communicate with it. I work in the mobile networks and know what I am saying. People don't notice this as they are not always communicating with the camera and if not available they will retry. They don't know why it was not possible to log on.

[user_602724781011001_602724781011001]

@joseph-chircop_497308027822318 wouldn't that depend on the operator and type of service? E.g. here in sweden the operators have a "mobile broadband" service where the link between the router and the network has a higher priority and persistance in order to avoid situations where the mobile broadband subscriber suddenly lose the internet due to lack of channels.