HOW TO.

Connect to
AXIS Camera Station.

May 17, 2018

Rev. 1.0
© Axis Communications AB
 How To.
Connect to AXIS Camera Station

Contents
Introduction 3
Prepare your system 3
About user and user groups 4
Install AXIS Camera Station Windows app (client) 5
Create Windows users 5
Add Windows users to AXIS Camera Station 7
Configure the firewall on the server 8
Install AXIS Camera Station mobile app 8
Connect to server from a local network 9
Connect from a remote Windows app (client) 9
Connect from the mobile app 10
Connect to server via AXIS Camera Station Secure Remote Access 11
About Axis Secure Remote Access 11
Configure the server 11
Connect from the Windows app (client) 11
Connect from the mobile app 12
Connect to server via port mapping 15
About port mapping 15
Configure the server 15
Connect from the Windows app (client) 15
Connect from the mobile app 15
Advanced settings 17
Server proxy settings 17
Client proxy settings 17
Port mapping more than one server 18

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Introduction
The purpose of this document is to explain how to connect to an AXIS Camera Station
server from a computer or from a mobile app. You can connect to the server in different
ways:

• Connect to the server from a local network

• Connect to the server from the internet:

o via AXIS Camera Station Secure Remote Access
o via port mapping (not recommended)
The information provided in this document is based on AXIS Camera Station 5.16 and
higher. You can perform most steps in older versions but the interface might look
different.

Prerequisites
MyAxis account
AXIS Camera Station 5.16 or later

Please note that AXIS doesn’t take any responsibility for how this configuration may affect your
system. If the modification fails or if you get other unexpected results, you may have to restore the
settings to default.

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Prepare your system

Before you can connect to the AXIS Camera Station server from a client device, you must prepare
your system. The general preparation workflow is:
1. Install AXIS Camera Station Windows app
2. Create Windows users
3. Add Windows users to AXIS Camera Station Windows app
4. Configure the server’s firewall
5. Install AXIS Camera Station mobile app

The steps you must perform depend on your system’s configuration, the client’s location and the
network infrastructure.

About user and user groups

To connect to an AXIS Camera Station server from a client device you must have a Windows user
with the correct permissions. This user can be the default administrator account on the Windows
machine that the server is installed on, or a user that you’ve created.

AXIS Camera Station allows you to use both local Windows and domain users and user groups.
If you use a domain setup, you must join the server to the domain. Your IT department might have
to help you with this

On the physical server, you can use the current account, if using a Windows admin account, to
connect the local client application to the AXIS Camera Station server.

• Log on as current user:

If the current Windows user is added to the permission list on the server, select Log on as
current user and click Log on. This option is mostly used on Domain setup.
• Log on as other user:
▪ If the current Windows user is not added to the permission list on the server, clear
Log on as current user and click Log on.
▪ In the next page, select Other user. Enter the correct username and password and
click Log on.

A user or user group can have one of the following roles:

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• Administrator:
o Full access to all functionality and all cameras and devices.
• Operator:
o Full access to all functionality except Configuration menu, Configuration
workspace, Device management page and Audit log.
o Full access to selected cameras and I/O ports.
o You can restrict access to playback and recording export.
• Viewer:
o Access to live video from selected cameras.
o Access to selected I/O ports.
Click Advanced under the different tabs for more options to customize the Operator and Viewer
accounts.

Install AXIS Camera Station Windows app (client)

1. Download the Windows app from
https://www.axis.com/products/axis-camera-station/overview.
2. Install the same Windows app version as the server version.

NOTE For AXIS Camera Station version 5 or later:

If your client is on the same network as the server,
and you update the server at a later date or install the
wrong client version, the server provides the client
with information about which version to use at the
first connection.

Create Windows users

To use local Windows users and user groups, you must add them to the Windows server that
AXIS Camera Station is installed on. We recommend that all users have their own account.

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1. Go to Computer Management > System tools > Local Users and Groups > Users.

2. On the left-hand side, right-click the Users folder and select New user.

3. Enter User name, Full name and Password. This is the user account that can login
remotely to the AXIS Camera Station server.
4. Clear User must change password at next logon.

5. Click Create.

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Add Windows users to AXIS Camera Station

After creating the Windows users, you must add them to the AXIS Camera Station.

1. Open AXIS Camera Station client and log in to the server with the current user.
2. Go to Configuration > Security > User permissions.

3. In the bottom right of the window, click Add.

4. Select the scope for which you want to add the account from.
▪ Server: fetches the local users and groups.
▪ Domain: fetches the domain users and groups.

5. Select the user and click Add.

6. Select the role and permission level you want for the user and click OK.
If you use a local account, we recommend you to login with that user as a test after adding
it.

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Configure the firewall on the server

During the installation, AXIS Camera Station automatically configures the Windows firewall
exceptions for incoming traffic used by AXIS Camera Station. If you use a third-party firewall, you
might have to request for a similar set of exceptions to be added to the configuration. In most
cases only the “Inbound” port range of 55752 to 55757 requires an exception.

The following table shows the different ports being used in a typical AXIS Camera Station setup.

Inbound/
Port Number Protocol Used by Comments
Outbound
HTTP & ACS Server & Activate license, download firmware, connected services,
80 & 443 Outbound
HTTPS Client to Internet etc.

80 HTTP Outbound ACS Server & Device Video stream & device data

mDNS Discovery (Bonjour) search for cameras

5353 UDP Outbound ACS Server & Device
Multicast 224.0.0.251

SSDP Discovery upnp search for devices

1900 UDP Outbound ACS Server & Device
Multicast 239.255.255.250

WS-Discovery webservices discovery Onvif Multicast

3702 UDP Outbound ACS Server & Device
239.255.255.250
Video, audio, metadata stream (AES encryption)
55752 HTTP Inbound ACS Server & Client If TCP fails on 55754, 55752 with HTTP is used for
application data (AES encryption)

55754 TCP Inbound ACS Server & Client Encrypted application data (TLS 1.2 encryption)

55755 TCP Inbound ACS Server & Client Server discovery SSDP/UPNP

ACS Server & Encrypted application data HTTPS

55756 TCP Inbound
Mobile App Video stream MP4 over HTTPS

ACS Server &

55757 TCP Inbound Video stream RTSP over HTTP
Mobile App
ACS Server &
*50333 TCP Inbound Application data for 3rd party applications using ACS API
3rd party application
ACS Server &
*50334 TCP Inbound Video port used by 3rd party applications using ACS API
3rd party application

Install AXIS Camera Station mobile app

1. Go to the appropriate app store and download the app. You find links to the app stores at:
https://www.axis.com/products/axis-camera-station/overview
2. Install the latest version.

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Connect to server from a local network

Connecting to the server while on the same Windows machine as the server requires no extra
configuration past the installation.

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station Windows app on the physical machine used to run the
AXIS Camera Station service.
2. Select This computer” and Log on as current user.
Clear Log on as current user to use a different Windows user.
3. Click Log on.

Connect from a remote Windows app (client)

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station Windows app.
2. Select Remote server.
3. Select a server in the list or type the IP address of the AXIS Camera Station server.
If Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) is allowed on the local network you can
expand the dropdown list to view all local servers.

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Connect from the mobile app

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station mobile app.
2. Click Add system and enter the local IP or local server name.

3. If you don’t use the default values, adjust the port number accordingly.
4. Log in with the Windows account you’ve configured on the server. You only have to log in
the first time you access a specific server. The mobile app saves your username and
password.
Depending on your system configuration, you might have to use the format “domain\user”
or “servername\user”.

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Connect to server via AXIS Camera Station Secure Remote Access

About Axis Secure Remote Access

Secure remote access allows a client or mobile app to connect a server without the need of a port
forward. When a secure peer-to-peer connection is established between the client or mobile app
and the server, there is no limitation in data transfer.

When direct communication cannot be established, the communication is relayed through the
mediator servers. The complimentary relayed data transfer is 1GByte per month per MyAxis user.

For more information about Axis Secure Remote Access, go to:

https://www.axis.com/technologies/axis-secure-remote-access

The requirements for AXIS Camera Station Secure Remote Access are:
▪ AXIS Camera Station 5.12 or higher
▪ Internet access (If using a proxy server, see section Server proxy settings)
▪ A MyAxis account.
All servers, clients and mobile apps that want access to the system use this account.

Configure the server

1. From the same network as the server, log on to the AXIS Camera Station server with an
administrator user.
2. Go to Configuration > Connected services > Axis Secure Remote Access.
3. Sign in to your MyAxis account.

Connect from the Windows app (client)

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station Windows app.

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2. Click Axis Secure Remote Access.

3. Enter the same MyAxis account as you used when you configured the server.

4. Select Remote server and a server from the list.

The server displays as “ServerName (Secure Remote Access)”.

5. Click Log on.

Connect from the mobile app

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station mobile app.

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2. Click Sign in.

3. Enter the same MyAxis account as you used when you configured the server.

4. Select a server.

5. Log in with the Windows account you’ve configured on the server. You only have to log in
the first time you access a specific server. The mobile app saves your username and
password.
Depending on your system configuration, you might have to use the format “domain\user”
or “servername\user”.
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Connect to server via port mapping

For cyber security reasons it is not recommend to

use port mapping. Axis Communications recommend
using AXIS Secure Remote Access instead.
Read more about cyber security and AXIS Secure
Remote Access on www.axis.com

About port mapping

To connect to your server from a remote location you can do port mapping on your router.
Depending on your network’s infrastructure, you might have to involve your network administrator
to perform this part of the configuration.

Configure the server

1. On the router connecting the AXIS Camera Station server to the internet, open the
following ports:
▪ To allow client connection: 55752 and 55754
▪ To allow mobile connection: 55756 and 55757

Connect from the Windows app (client)

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station Windows app.
2. Select Remote server.
3. Type the public IP or fully qualified name of the network where the AXIS Camera Station
server is installed.

4. If your port forwarding rules don’t use the default port, add “:port#” in the address.
Example: “myserver.axis.com:60009”

Connect from the mobile app

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station mobile app.

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2. Click Add System and enter the public IP or public fully qualified name

3. If you don’t use the default values, adjust the port number accordingly.
4. Log in with the Windows account you’ve configured on the server. You only have to log in
the first time you access a specific server. The mobile app saves your username and
password.

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Advanced settings

Server proxy settings

If your server is on a network requiring proxy setting to get out to the internet you may need to add
the proxy information to the service.
1. Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control.
2. Stop the service.
3. Select Modify settings.
4. Adjust the proxy settings.
5. Click Save.
6. Start the service.

Client proxy settings

If you use an Windows app that requires a proxy to access certain websites you need to
configure the AXIS Camera Station client to use the same proxy server.

1. Open the AXIS Camera Station Windows app.

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2. Click Change client proxy settings.

3. Adjust the settings as required and click OK.

Port mapping more than one server

If you run more than one server on the same network requiring port mapping, you must change
the AXIS Camera Station default port (55752). Each server must have a unique port.

For each server do the following:

1. Open AXIS Camera Station Service Control.
2. Stop the service
3. Select Modify settings.

4. Edit the HTTP port, all other ports adjust to their expected number.
5. Save and start the service again.
6. Use the new port range for the port forward.

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