Have to disable then enable Yawcam when IP address changes

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Fri May 18, 2007 4:12 pm

Hi, wonder if someone could help...

I have a problem with Yawcam - when my IP address changes I have to click on Streaming to disable it, then enable again before it detects the change in IP address.

I use DynDNS as I don't have a static IP address, and then on my computer I use DynDNS updater which checks my IP address every 15 minutes and updates DynDNS if it changes.

In Yawcam, under Settings/Connection I have my DynDNS address entered, and no ticks in 'Detect every 15 minutes', but a tick in Use UPNP'.

When the IP address changes, I check DynDNS and it has the latest IP address, so obvioulsy the updater is working.

However, as mentioned above, when the IP address changes, my camera stops working and I have to disable streaming, and then click on it again to start it. Once done, the camera comes back online.

Is this a problem with Yawcam, or have I got a setting wrong somewhere?
Should I have a tick in 'Detect every 15 minutes'

Thanks

Post by **malun** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:59 am

Your settings sound correct.
Are you using a router between your computer and the Internet, or are you connected directly to Internet?
What does the output in Yawcam's console say about UPNP?

/malun

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Sun May 27, 2007 5:08 pm

Hi, thanks for your reply.

I do run through a Belkin router.

I have included below a copy of the console log. According to DYNDNS Updater, my IP addressed changed at around 06:00. When I checked Yawcam at 09:00 it said it was offline, so I clicked on Streaming Disable, and then re-enabled it.

CONSOLE:
[22:57] Yawcam started
[22:57] Settings loaded
[22:57] Language: English
[22:57] Stream-output started
[22:58] UPNP: Found device Belkin Belkin Wireless ADSL Router F5D7633
[22:58] UPNP: Port 8081/TCP mapped to 192.168.2.2
[23:03] The help file is located on the www.
[23:09] + 192.168.2.2
[23:10] Yawcam hidden
[23:10] - 192.168.2.2 (Time: 00:00:40, 295 kB)
[23:14] + 192.168.2.5
[23:15] - 192.168.2.5 (Time: 00:00:40, 356 kB)
[09:02] Stream-output stopped
[09:02] UPNP: Port 8081/TCP unmapped
[09:02] Stream-output started
[09:02] UPNP: Found device Belkin Belkin Wireless ADSL Router F5D7633
[09:02] UPNP: Port 8081/TCP mapped to 192.168.2.2
[09:04] Yawcam hidden
[09:52] Yawcam hidden
[09:53] + 192.168.2.2
[09:54] - 192.168.2.2 (Time: 00:01:00, 3920 kB)
[10:59] Yawcam hidden

Thanks for your help.

Post by **malun** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:11 pm

The output in the console looks good.

StevieW wrote:When I checked Yawcam at 09:00 it said it was offline, so I clicked on Streaming Disable, and then re-enabled it.

What do you mean by "it was offline"... Do you see the Yawcam offline image or doesn't the page load at all?

/malun

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:35 pm

Unfortunately I cannot see the webcam through my router i.e. what a visitor might see.

To see if the webcam is visible I use the Help/Am I online? option. When I try it, the page says ERROR against the streaming option. This is what I mean by offline.

If I then click on Disable streaming, then re-enable it again immediately the 'Am I online?' page then says OK.

I can always see the webcam using my local IP address even if the 'Am I online?' says ERROR.

Post by **malun** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:47 pm

Ah, okey I see what you mean.
I'll look in to this more tomorrow evening.

/malun

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Sun May 27, 2007 11:53 pm

Thanks very much, I appreciate your time

Post by **malun** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:55 pm

Last week became very hectic. I'll see if I can find some time this week...

/malun

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:58 pm

OK, no problem

Post by **malun** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 11:21 pm

I've now been looking into this problem but without finding what's causing it.

I must admit that it makes it harder that I don't have a dynamic ip address myself, so that I can reproduce the problem.
Anybody else that is experiencing the same problem?

I suspect the problem lies within the UPNP port mapping. It would be very nice of you if you could help me test without the UPNP port mapping and see if that makes any difference:

1) In the connection settings ("Settings -> Edit settings... -> Connection") remove the tick from "Use UPNP to open ports on router".
2) Forward the needed ports manually in your routers settings. (look at "Option 2" on this page: http://www.yawcam.com/help/routerconfig.php )

3) Tell me how it goes

/malun

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:22 pm

Hi, sorry for delay in replying as I have been away.

I have set up the port forwarding and will let you know how it goes. I should know by tomorrow morning (UK time).

Thanks.

Post by **malun** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 5:04 pm

Great

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:14 pm

Malun, sorry for the delay in updating you, but my ISP did not force an IP address change yesterday so I had to wait until today.

The good news is that Yawcam now seems okay since doing the manual port forwarding. The IP address changed this morning, and when I checked to see if the stream was still viewable on the Internet, it was

I will check again tomorrow.

Thanks for your help.

18:05 (UK time): An addition to the above... I have now had three further changes of IP address in the last two hours and Yawcam has continued to work perfectly so obviously it was the UPnP option which was causing the problem.

Post by **malun** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 10:21 pm

Thanks for your help!

I now know where to focus when I'm looking for what causes the problem.
It is recommended to use manual forward of ports until I find the problem

/malun

StevieW · Post by **StevieW** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:54 am

Hi Malun, not sure if this is anything to do with Yawcam not refreshing using UPnP, but I have one other problem (which might be the camera)

I leave Yawcam running 24/7. When I get up in the morning and look at the camera I only see a night time image (I can see some small lights I have in the garden). For some reason, as it gets light Yawcam still continues to display the night image and I have to close Yawcam down and open it again. It then sees the daylight image.

This might of course be my camera (creative Live! Cam Optia). Any thoughts?

I am going to try and use Yawcams settings to turn the camera off automatically during the night, then turn it on again at dawn and see what happens.