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Affected Roles: Owner, Administrator
Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps: DW Spectrum
Complexity: Medium to High
Software Version: DW Spectrum v3.0 or later
Last Edit: April 17, 2020
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In many cases, remote access cannot be accomplished for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, remote accessibility issues are experienced when there is a lack of port forwarding or if there is a firewall blocking TCP/UDP communication.
This article will outline some things to check if you are encountering external connectivity issues while using either a direct-connection (port forwarding) or DW Cloud.
Note: If you are encountering connection issues due to forgetting the login credentials for your DW Spectrum System, please submit a Password Recovery request.
Note: “Server” in this article refers to the computer that the DW Spectrum Media Server program is installed on. “System” refers to either the Server or a group of merged Servers.
Confirm that the DW Spectrum Media Server service is running. If this service is not running, your System will appear to be unreachable when you try to connect from your DW Spectrum Client.
To check this directly at the computer that DW Spectrum Server is installed on:
Windows
Ubuntu/Linux
To connect remotely with a DW Spectrum Server, users can set up TCP Port Forwarding rules within the Server’s router (security/firewall settings) to allow external connections through an Internet connection.
If you are encountering external connection issues and are using forwarded ports for remote connection, please confirm the following:
Enter http://localhost:7001 in the address bar, then press the Enter key.
If the Server is running correctly, the Server Web Client will display. You should be able to enter your DW Spectrum login credentials to access the web client.
Enter wget http://localhost:7001 into the Terminal, then press the Enter key.
If the Server is running correctly, it will reply with index.html file. If the Server is not running correctly, it will result in a connection refusal.
To test this, run the ping command using the Command Prompt or Terminal to determine that the Server is reachable over the LAN (Local Area Network).
Alternatively, open a web browser on the Server and confirm that there is Internet access.
On a computer, separate from the Server, open a web browser.
Connect with the server’s web client. If the Server is accessible over LAN, the Server Web Client will display. You should be able to enter your DW Spectrum login credentials to access the web client.
Use a port checking tool like Ping.eu, YouGetSignal.com, or CanYouSeeMe.org to test and confirm the port forwarding status for remote access to the Server.
Note: DW Spectrum used Port 7001 by default. If you have changed the Server port, please test the port forwarding for that value.
If you have confirmed the above recommendations are working correctly and your remote connection issue still persists, please contact Digital Watchdog Technical Support for further assistance.
DW Spectrum v3.0 introduced the DW Cloud connection feature, which allows users to connect with their System using a P2P (Peer-to-Peer) connection option. This feature can be set up without having to port forward the Server for external access.
Note: For more about DW Cloud, please read DW Cloud Setup.
If you are encountering issues connecting remotely to your System through DW Cloud:
To test this, run the ping command using the Command Prompt or Terminal to determine that the Server is reachable over the LAN (Local Area Network).
Alternatively, open a web browser on the Server and confirm that there is Internet access.
Log in to your DW Cloud account with the Client to see if the System appears accessible using DW Cloud. This will be indicated by an orange cloud icon.
Check the following service ports:
Note: If there is a Firewall or SonicWall present, TCP or UDP communication between the Server to the DW Cloud service is likely being blocked. Please read FQDN or Whitelist For DW Spectrum Cloud Access for information on how to allow DW Cloud to function though a Firewall or SonicWall.
If you have confirmed the above recommendations are working correctly and your remote connection issue still persists, please contact Digital Watchdog Technical Support to report an issue with DW Cloud.