Importance of Ports (Internal and External)
Ports play a crucial role in network communication, enabling devices to send and receive data efficiently. In Smart Surveillance, ports are essential for remote access, video streaming, and data transmission between DVRs/NVRs and external networks.
Internal vs. External Ports
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Internal Ports (Local Ports)
- Used within a private network (LAN) to facilitate communication between devices.
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External Ports (Public Ports)
- Used to allow access from the internet (WAN) to a specific device within the local network.
- Example: When accessing a DVR remotely, an external port is used to route the request to the correct device inside the network.
- Requires port forwarding to ensure incoming traffic reaches the intended internal port.
Example
A DVR may use port 80 internally for local access, but externally, it may be mapped to port 81 through port forwarding, allowing remote users to connect using:
- https://public-ip:81
