Youth and Skill Needed--What does this mean? (Computer Question)

[lucius]

Beside the obvious of a boned-up wrong configuration.

I am configuring an Axis 207W IP camera to send email motion-detection notices. When I try a test email, I get this warning:

"Primary Mail Server: Error - SMTP Client: Error! Time out while sending mail."

http://www.axis.com/cache/imagegen/2798f4aede4746c7002f88d02f843806.jpg

Axis user manual: http://www.axis.com/products/cam_207w/index.htm

[Kludge]

I'm not familiar with the product at all, but my first guess would be that you're using a wireless router and don't have yer static IP/port forwarding set up, so when your camera tries to communicate with your computer, your router's firewall blocks it.

When you configure it, there's probably a box somewhere in the options which shows which UDP port you're using where it lets you enter one manually.

(should look something similar to the "UDP port" section of this image)
http://service.real.com/firewall/pics/player31udp.gif

If it does, you're probably going to need to configure yer router so that it can fully communicate with software and devices.

Set up a static IP Address (http://www.portforward.com/networking/staticip.htm)

Set up port forwarding (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm)

[lucius]

Thanks Kludge!

Very informative post. Still not working, but I understand much more.

I reset the camera to factory settings, configured it with a set IP address, and got it working with the wireless router using WPA SSI security (Linksys WRT54GL). It's not pan and tilt, but hard to beat an axis picture, plus you can buy a vandal dome for $100, which makes mounting a snap.

Now the camera is up and going wireless, I then obtained DNS server address via DHCP to enter in Domain Name and Primary/Secondary DNS servers from my internet provider (roadrunner). I then entered in my fastmail SMPT Server: mail.messagingengine.com, set Primary server port: 587 (like fastmail wants), then entered in my fastmail SMTP Authentication user name & password. Still getting the timeout error message: "Primary Mail Server: Error - SMTP Client: Error! Time out while sending mail."

I agree with you, I think my router settings are not allowing the camera to access the internet so the camera is timing out. From the camera log, I am getting this:

root: /usr/html//axis-cgi/operator/smtptest.cgi: SMTPclient: Error! Timeout while sending mail.

[unconsious767]

Here's (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Linksys/WRT54GL/WRT54GLindex.htm) the page on portforwarding for your router, but I don't see your cam listed. I guess the closest is the YCam wireless IP camera? (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Linksys/WRT54GL/Y-cam_Wireless_IP_Camera.htm)

Have you successfully sent any fastmail before?

[lucius]

Thanks all, you kids are fiendishly clever...I speculate why the inculcations didn't take.

Ok, I think I understand what I need, which is a third party email service. Something, not too expensive, solid uptime/simple, and will provide a (1) DNS server address domain name or ip, with (2) Primary/Secondary DNS servers and (3) SMTP primary mail server that the camera can use to send mails from. My kludge (no offense to present company) install is in a building that has internet service but with no DNS, SMTP etc...

bring your virtual kind-bud & help an old man out with this newfangled juju--I guarantee that I shall wax exuberantly... :D

[constituent]

Beside the obvious of a boned-up wrong configuration.

I am configuring an Axis 207W IP camera to send email motion-detection notices. When I try a test email, I get this warning:

"Primary Mail Server: Error - SMTP Client: Error! Time out while sending mail."

http://www.axis.com/cache/imagegen/2798f4aede4746c7002f88d02f843806.jpg

Axis user manual: http://www.axis.com/products/cam_207w/index.htm

have you monkeyed w/ your e-mail preferences?

check for an "e-mail" tab or something like that under either "File->Preferences" or "Edit->Preferences."

also which e-mail service are you using?

[Dieseler]

Hey lucius
I got interested in your problem and started surfing around. I found out that Gmail can route smtp. I'm not really sure if this will work but heres a link that will show you what I'm talking about.
http://lifehacker.com/software/email-apps/how-to-use-gmail-as-your-smtp-server-111166.php

And for maybe more info on the work around.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080125185022AAq4cne

Then again it might not work that way.
http://www.networkcamerareviews.com/forums/about1675.html

Is ftp an option?

Bunch of troubleshooting threads on that camera here.
http://www.networkcamerareviews.com/networkcameras/axis/207W/camera_posts.html

[lucius]

have you monkeyed w/ your e-mail preferences?

check for an "e-mail" tab or something like that under either "File->Preferences" or "Edit->Preferences."

also which e-mail service are you using?

Thanks, I have been monkeying w/ the e-mail preferences, trying everything and then periodically resetting the camera back to factory settings to start anew. I was trying to get it up and running with roadrunner--no luck. And now with fastmail. I will try it again, fresh in the morning.

This is my second go-around--I initially got a Linksys wvc200 IP camera mounted and all configured only to discover that it was basically a noisy, pan and tilt, intermittent web-toy (after some research, I found that a Panasonic BL-C131A would of been a better choice to get my feet wet with). The wvc200 motion detection and low-light conditions are piss-poor. But it had no problem emailing 100's+ of false-positive event detections, before it locks up, about an every four hour occurrence. I also learned the hard way about wireless router stability or how the DLink WBR-1310 is not. I switched to the Linksys WRT54GL router, which is the open source code one, and it seems to very stable/cost effective; I tested it with downloading, extended time, no problems.

The axis camera is fixed, but has good picture/motion detection/low light conditions--pretty much use the same firmware throughout all their cameras; you can also hook an external event, which is nice for using a door switch. Plus, you can get a vandal dome mount that makes for a very easy install: basically punch a hole and tighten some screws, done. So if I can just get this thing spitting emails--I may be golden. Thanks!

[lucius]

Hey lucius
I got interested in your problem and started surfing around. I found out that Gmail can route smtp. I'm not really sure if this will work but heres a link that will show you what I'm talking about.
http://lifehacker.com/software/email-apps/how-to-use-gmail-as-your-smtp-server-111166.php

And for maybe more info on the work around.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080125185022AAq4cne

Then again it might not work that way.
http://www.networkcamerareviews.com/forums/about1675.html

Is ftp an option?

Bunch of troubleshooting threads on that camera here.
http://www.networkcamerareviews.com/networkcameras/axis/207W/camera_posts.html

Wow, good stuff here--thanks!

If the axis camera supports SSL, I may be able to get it to work with gmail, which would be perfect. Looks like in the axis DNS configuration, I need to input DNS Domain Name and Primary and Secondary DNS Servers.

Then enter in SMTP Settings, Primary Mail Server (host name or IP address) & Primary server port (0..65535). For 'Use authentication to log in to this server:' Have 'User Name' & 'Password' with four levels of SMTP Authentication (Weakest method allow: login, plain, CRAM-MD5, DIGEST-MD5) or POP-login with POP-Server.

Where I am ultimately installing it, I am connecting to the internet behind a router that I do not have access to, so I don't know if FTP would be an option or not--would I need to open ports up? Sending emails worked like a charm with the WVC200 (Linksys was so easy to configure to use yahoo webmail, took about one minute; axis is like a highly configurable relic). I do have FTP capabilities with my fastmail account. Linksys support is incredible; axis is hard to get ahold of--maybe a french company. Is how their install manual reads, like elusive vapors. I am also looking at maybe something like http://www.smtp.com/free-smtp-server.html. Wow--thanks again.

[Dieseler]

Wow, good stuff here--thanks!

If the axis camera supports SSL, I may be able to get it to work with gmail, which would be perfect. Looks like in the axis DNS configuration, I need to input DNS Domain Name and Primary and Secondary DNS Servers.

Then enter in SMTP Settings, Primary Mail Server (host name or IP address) & Primary server port (0..65535). For 'Use authentication to log in to this server:' Have 'User Name' & 'Password' with four levels of SMTP Authentication (Weakest method allow: login, plain, CRAM-MD5, DIGEST-MD5) or POP-login with POP-Server.

Where I am ultimately installing it, I am connecting to the internet behind a router that I do not have access to, so I don't know if FTP would be an option or not--would I need to open ports up? Sending emails worked like a charm with the WVC200 (Linksys was so easy to configure to use yahoo webmail, took about one minute; axis is like a highly configurable relic). I do have FTP capabilities with my fastmail account. Linksys support is incredible; axis is hard to get ahold of--maybe a french company. Is how their install manual reads, like elusive vapors. I am also looking at maybe something like http://www.smtp.com/free-smtp-server.html. Wow--thanks again.

Your welcomed and anytime man.
I think you would have to get the ports opened up for FTP to be directly sent to your location. I would exhaust every other possibility option before I even asked the network administrator though, as long as it didn't cost more money that is. i doubt they will compromise a port for that. Dunno.
Maybe you can send in FTP from the camera to fastmail, then just access the fastmail like you do now. Then its just a matter of the camera being set up and the fastmail being set up from outside your location. I think the smtp with free server or gmail would be doing about the same thing.
In other words, you got to find a way for the camera to send its packets somewhere successfully that your network will allow you to log into.
I think you are gonna make it work.

[lucius]

I sent this to Axis support three days ago:

I have the camera up and working in wireless mode.

1) I am having problems configuring the camera to send email. I get an error message: "Primary Mail server: Error! Timeout while sending mail."

2) Can you recommend an email service that works well with this product, which will provide a DNS server address domain name with Primary/Secondary DNS servers and primary mail server. Something cost effective. I have a fastmail account.

All I want this camera to do is detect motion on a door when it opens, capture a few seconds of video and email this too me.

My router is a Linksys wrt54gl, my current IP provider is roadrunner, which I would like to work with temporary to configure the camera, but the ultimate install location is a building that provides an internet connection but with no DNS server nor SMTP server, hence the need for an email service.

The oracle has spoken:

The error you are receiving is due to the camera not having a good communications link to the SMTP server that is specified in the cameras configuration. It could be something as easy as adding DNS servers to do name resolution. Or it could be something more complicated like your provider not allowing the connection.

Unfortunately we can not recommend any e-mail services. They each have their own requirements and as such would not be something we follow. You will have to do research to find one that meets your requirements.

Best regards,

Duncan
Axis Technical Services

ps: life came at me and I got sidetracked...back to the grind.

[Agent CSL]

It means you have no SMTP protocol or one that isn't working. Are you sending this email from your computer? From a server? Through an email service?

You need an email server that allows you to send remotely from the SMTP protocol. The email your internet service comes with may have SMTP. Free Fastmail does not.

[lucius]

It means you have no SMTP protocol or one that isn't working. Are you sending this email from your computer? From a server? Through an email service?

Thank you, it is an ip camera connected to a wireless router with no computer.


You need an email server that allows you to send remotely from the SMTP protocol. The email your internet service comes with may have SMTP. Free Fastmail does not.

What would you suggest? I don't mind paying a nominal fee.

Here is from the 207w manual:

Use the following DNS server address - enter the desired DNS server by specifying the following:

Domain name - enter the domain(s) to search for the host name used by the AXIS 207. Multiple domains can be separated by semicolons [;]. The host name is always the first part of a Fully Qualified Domain Name, e.g. myserver is the host name in the Fully Qualified Domain Name myserver.mycompany.com where mycompany.com is the Domain name.

DNS servers - enter the IP addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers.

SMTP (email)
Enter the host names (or IP addresses) and port numbers for your primary and secondary mail servers in the fields provided, to enable the sending of notifications and image/video email messages from the camera to predefined addresses via SMTP.

If your mail server requires authentication, check the box for Use authentication to log in to this server and enter the necessary information.

[Agent CSL]

Thank you, it is an ip camera connected to a wireless router with no computer.



What would you suggest? I don't mind paying a nominal fee.

Here is from the 207w manual:

Use the following DNS server address - enter the desired DNS server by specifying the following:

Domain name - enter the domain(s) to search for the host name used by the AXIS 207. Multiple domains can be separated by semicolons [;]. The host name is always the first part of a Fully Qualified Domain Name, e.g. myserver is the host name in the Fully Qualified Domain Name myserver.mycompany.com where mycompany.com is the Domain name.

DNS servers - enter the IP addresses of the primary and secondary DNS servers.

SMTP (email)
Enter the host names (or IP addresses) and port numbers for your primary and secondary mail servers in the fields provided, to enable the sending of notifications and image/video email messages from the camera to predefined addresses via SMTP.

If your mail server requires authentication, check the box for Use authentication to log in to this server and enter the necessary information.
Looks like a simple email setup. You just need an email host that allows SMTP.

[FunkBuddha]

I use stunnel (http://www.stunnel.org/) to tunnel my logs via email over an SSL connection too gmail. The downside is that you would have to have a computer that is "always-on" to send through. Lots of email providers require an SSL connection as well as username/password authentication.

[lucius]

Yea--made some headway: it's now spitting emails!

Now's time to fine tune the motion detection, switch the cameras, and hope like hell I can return the WVC200--I will even offer to pay a restocking fee.

The fix was a domain with SMTP email with much mucking around--many thanks to Agent CSL. Oh well, first time I do anything it's usually wrong--next one will be a snap.

Thanks for all the help y'all!