Constant External IP Requests

[jjreynolds]

These cameras sit behind firewalls with nonroutable ip addresses, so the only way the Amcrest cloud server and phone apps can communicate with them is when responding to requests from a camera, like the way a Web browser works. When idle, the cameras constantly ping the cloud server with zero length data packets to let the cloud know they are alive and to check for config changes, updates, or live streaming requests etc. Normally, unless you're live streaming, it shouldn't consume much bandwith.
Like others have mentioned, if you're not using the Amcrest cloud it would be nice to be able to disable this.

[trinitron79]

Can someone from Amcrest give a possible answer to this security related request?

Firmware update to give the ability to completely disable Amcrest Cloud requests. *Aka remove all external requests coming from camera(s)

[trinitron79]

Anyone from Amcrest???

This should be a simple request, add a option to disable ALL external access requests.

If we want firmware we'll click the button to check, if we don't have your cloud access configured the cameras should not be trying to "phone home".

[Melvin]

Hello trinitron79,

We will pass this on to our developers for review and future updates.Thank you for the suggestion.

[bw355]

Has the firmware been fixed by your developers yet? I have one Amcrest ip2m-841 camera and in the market for more. The issue I have is the constant request to config.amcrestcloud.com when i'm not even using that function. I can tell you that this issue is making look at other manufacturers.


Edit: before you say to upgrade to the latest firmware. I'm running, 2.520.AC00.18.R, Build Date: 2017-06-29, which seems to be the latest one (as of the time of this post).

[t84a]

Can someone post a copy (screenshot) of their log?

[bw355]

No screenshot but here is a recent part of the calls back to config.amcrest.com. You can figure out how may times it calls home based upon the timing.

Code: Select all

Time		 			  Type			Domain					Client

11/13/2017 10:31:44	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:31:33	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:31:23	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:31:13	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:31:03	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:30:53	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:30:43	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:30:33	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:30:22	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:30:12	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:30:02	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:29:52	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:29:42	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:29:32	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:29:21	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:29:11	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:29:01	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:28:51	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:28:41	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:28:31	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:28:21	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:28:10	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:28:00	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:27:50	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:27:40	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:27:30	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:27:20	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:27:09	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:26:59	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:26:49	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

11/13/2017 10:26:39	IPv4	config.amcrestcloud.com	Amcrest_IP2M-841

[t84a]

Is this from your router? Thanks

[bw355]

The log is from my pi-hole. Just in case you don't know what it is: https://pi-hole.net/

[t84a]

Thanks. My cameras don't appear to be doing it.