Hi,

 

noticed a feature on the Dahua DVR (P2P), which requires no port forwarding etc...

 

1. How does this work

2. How secure or vulnerable does it make the network or cctv when enabled

 

thanks.

If you use p2p you're viewing images via a third party website/server, the dvr updates the remote server with ip address etc, useful if you dont have a fixed ip address, ie, if you have a power outage, or router reboots, it may assign a different ip address to the dvr, which the dvr then passes to p2p.

Obviously you are viewing via a 3rd party, so it's not as secure as going straight to the dvr using the www, also if the hosting server/site fails, so does your p2p.

Imo it's easier to use, and for just domestic use, or none critical places, I don't feel there is any major problem.

I'm sure others here will elaborate and discuss the ins and outs.

 

P2P (peer-to-peer) is a distribution architecture in computer networking. This is a different to the C/S (client-server) architecture that you maybe familiar with.

For CCTV this P2P network architecture is abused to provide easier setup for installers.

 

The way P2P is structured most firewalls would not need port forwarding as the peer uses hole punching to establish the connection to the other peers on the network.

In a C/S architecture you are contacting the server (DVR) inbound which would be blocked by the firewall before NAT would occur.

This means peers moving between IP's are irrelevant to the other peers, any structure of the peers within the network would be done in the application layer anyway.

In this way no DDNS or servers are required to locate the DVR's within the internet.

 

Due to the way P2P networks work they require more bandwidth both inbound and outbound.

They are also doing the job of server and client so are more vulnerable to being attacked.

 

But low risk cameras , security , no one cares a out attacks , as for those with cameras in-house perhaps different issue

Sixwheel - would you advise from using P2P on a CCTV application for commercial?

I wouldn't use P2P at all TBH.

I like to keep DVR/NVR's separated from the rest of the network.

 

Thanks.