IP8M-2493E P2P enables itself after reboot

[smrbrts]

I noticed a lot of DNS lookups to p2p.amcrestview.com in my OpenDNS stats and found P2P enabled on both of my Amcrest cameras. I disabled it on both and today I still see the requests. The bullet camera seems fine, but the dome camera model referenced in the subject line was reenabled. I disabled it again, and then on a hunch after saving it, I rebooted the camera and found it enabled again.

I've disabled the automatic reboot for now, but think this should be addressed as it is a big privacy concern.

[Revo2Maxx]

P2P and Privacy concern? Please help me understand how this Feature is a concern?

I would agree if it was a feature on a camera where the owner left the user name and password the same as default..

However all that is sent out when the camera is sending info is a Ready State looking for Connections. Then there is more then 1 Server that will get this status from your camera and listen to the world of Internet for your program to Ping your cameras SN... At this point your program will then get a Return from one of the servers holding your device and pass off a Connection that requires no Port Forwarding or having to remember any IP address from your camera for a Secure Connection between your APP/Program to the Camera and nothing between is holding onto any info about your camera other then your camera SN and without a Password that all users should change from default can not access the camera without right password...

P2P is Peer to Peer and is a Very old Networking format.. P2P is much better then using any 3rd party software for viewing, or View site like amcrestview.com or even more secure then any Cloud server that is holding your data and passwords

Yeah P2P for me is the Smart Route to see what is going on outside my Network and I will never Disable it as long as I have it...

[smrbrts]

@Revo2Maxx I'd consider any device that establishes a connected to an outside server even though I've disabled that feature a security concern, and whereas this connection is specifically designed to allow remote access for cameras around my home a privacy one as well.

You may trust p2p.amcrestview.com, but I do not. I have no idea how well it is or is not secured, and I don't need to know if I can disable the feature properly. For now I'll just block the domain. I've opened a ticket with Amcrest and if this is not resolved quickly I'll replace the camera. That is how I want to run my network.

[longedge]

I don't ever require access to my cameras from outside my own LAN. I have all three of mine set up with incorrect network gateway and DNS IP's. My gateway is at 192.168.1.254 but the cameras 'think' it is at 192.168.1.1

I set static IP's for all 3 cameras but outside the range of addresses that my router's DHCP service allocates. The router doesn't even know they are there.

This works for my requirements although I know it would not be suitable for a lot of people and it does seriously restrict their usefulness.

My NVR runs it's own completely separate network which has no connection to anything else at all.

[Revo2Maxx]

Understand your feelings and I too have questions about some of my IP cameras and infact I have had some IP cameras that I have not used because of the issues like you mention... However most of mine are before knowing about Amcrest. Some of them don't even offer P2P but have Backdoors in them so I setup Ip Trust and I have tested that it does black list if the IP address isn't listed...

So I have loads of Recorders, I have 2 NVR's 3 if you want to call a DVR that can Convert to Ip camera recorder only but anyway I have setup some of the under Trusted IP for my Computer and my Main 2 NVR's. When I try to access the camera from another of my Few to many computers or try to add them to the IP ch's of my DVR's it isn't allowed until adding the Ip to trusted for them.. Now I can't say that there is no way the Company that built them couldn't get into them through a backdoor.. I have 15 Ip cameras that have Telnet Port active yet there is no telnet in the Manual and when i try to access the Telnet it is denied so I don't know why the Port is active.. So I blocked the Ports...

Another thing I have done. I have Router that is behind a router that is behind another router. I have the 3 router setup so I can access it but all IP addresses that are on that router are Blacked listed from Internet access. I also have my Main router that is the DHCP for all my devices Block all IP's that are listed from the 3rd router... So in my listing on my main router it will show some IPs for my cameras all Being Amcrest and 1 other that I use over Cloud service of a different Brand yet all other IP cameras will show up on my Main router as being Blocked... So I can access them because it is only blocking traffic to the internet and from the internet.. I used to Open them up to update them but one day I found to much IP traffic on that camera so I no longer open the Ip to internet.. So far I have not had any try and access internet from a pass though if I do I will remove them all.. The NVR I have them on has access to the Internet but it is an Amcrest Product.. Most Routers under Advanced have some sort of Access control for the Ip addresses on the router..

[smrbrts]

In the end, I guess the safest option will be to create a firewall rule that prevents the cameras from communicating LAN to WAN. I do like @longedge's technique of giving them a bad gateway address. That seems both simple and effective.

[smrbrts]

I've tested firmware from the Amcrest support team that resolves this. I expect it should be available soon.