OpenVPN

OpenVPN can be used to allow remote access to the ZM server and camera feeds, on a desktop computer or mobile device.

Setup

Follow instructions on http://github.com/nyr/openvpn-install

If you run the program a second time after the first time, it will allow you to make new client certificates. By default, OpenVPN will allow one person to use each certificate. If you want others to view the camera feeds, you will need to make additional certificates.

The certificates are created as .ovpn files. These extensions should be renamed to .conf and placed in the /etc/openvpn folder for most distributions. Then edit /etc/default/openvpn and add the name of the ####.conf file to the autostart, if you want the VPN connected upon boot.

If you have not setup a VPN before, you need to understand how to troubleshoot if things go wrong. VPNs are widely documented on the internet. This 'roadwarrior' script quickly sets up a VPN for you with the settings that 'most' people want. It needs to be slightly tweaked for Zoneminder usage, as we only want to redirect traffic intended for the ZM server. We do not want to redirect traffic through the Zoneminder server to the WAN.

Mobile Device

This works easily on a mobile device as well.

Download the official OpenVPN application from the internet, and import the .ovpn file. Then connect to 10.8.0.1/zm on a browser.

Troubleshooting

I can't connect to the internet when VPN is running

This particular VPN, by default adds a setting called: This setting will route traffic through VPN which you do not want for an OpenVPN setup with a camera. You want a VPN that connects only to the camera machine subnet when you want it. You are not trying to forward all outgoing traffic. Note that this setting is in addition to the push default gw commands that you might already know forward traffic.