How to control your Dreambox from a remote location

**T_G** · 20-12-2008

I have added an entry in the Idiot Guide that deals with controlling the Dreambox from outside your home network. If anyone has a question or remarks/corrections on this subject, please post them here.

Cheers, TG

http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellit...84-post50.html

4tothefloor · 13-07-2009

Hi mate,

The dyndns.org method will not work for me, no matter what I try. I've followed everything to the letter but I cannot connect to the dyndns server name with the commands or ftp. I just keep getting a 'network timed out' message in my browser. Any ideas?

**td03-5** · 16-07-2009

Hi 4TTF,

The DynDNS method works fine for me and I see no reason why there should be a problem for anyone.

It's most likely that your problem is with port forwarding in your router or it could be with the DDNS update from your router (or Dreambox, depending on your chosen update method).

Which router are you using?
What DDNS update method are you using?
How did you set up port forwarding in the router?

Give as much info as possible and I/we will try to help you resolve the problem.

Best wishes, John.

**T_G** · 16-07-2009

Lately I have been havibng trouble with dyndns.com, it seems they have changed something and the automatic update through the router does not work as before. Just to make sure it is not that, go to the dyndns site and manualkly update your ip address, then see what happens.

You should be able to connect to your dreambox through FTP program using th edyndns address, I use it all the time

**dig deep** · 18-07-2009

Works fine here.

Think it is a matter of the setup in the router as said before.

Check the ports !

**td03-5** · 22-07-2009

Hi 4ttf,

Another too simple, too silly thought but.......

You are using (remove the underscore prefix):-
_http://yourdyndnsname.homelinux.org

and not:-
_http://www.yourdyndnsname.homelinux.org

when attempting to access your Dreambox remotely using Firefox.

Where 'yourdyndnsname' is the Domain Name prefix that you entered at DynDNS setup and 'homelinux.org' is the Domain Name suffix that you selected from the list of available names.

Best wishes, John.

J700 · 22-07-2009

- http and ftp passwords are sent in clear text over the internet
- enigma1 web interface prior to CVS 11.2008 is VERY insecure
- dreambox was never ment to be an internet server
- apache has been the object of hacking for several years, subject the dreambox to these hacks and it will be hacked in minutes, not hours.

It is better to install dropbear ssh daemon on the dreambox and do tunneling to it on port 22 using putty.

Beware!

**T_G** · 22-07-2009

In any case, what would a hacker do once he has hacked your dreambox?

**Topper** · 22-07-2009

Originally Posted by T_G

In any case, what would a hacker do once he has hacked your dreambox?

In theory he could run a spamming service on it without your knowledge

**T_G** · 24-07-2009

Through a Dreambox??

***compufunk*** · 24-07-2009

Originally Posted by J700

It is better to install dropbear ssh daemon on the dreambox and do tunneling to it on port 22 using putty.

There is already a SSH daemon installed on any dreambox images I have used. I would always use SSH over telnet.

I agree on your other points, however for myself, its a risk I'm willing to take. The convenience outweighs the risk for me.

If your not forwarding anything more than the HTTP port from your router, then the damage a potential intruder could do is limited.

In any case, what would a hacker do once he has hacked your dreambox?

Anyone who is cardsharing could have a mess on their hands if someone gets hold of their config files.

Also, lets say someone has unauthorized access to a server on the web. They could launch SSH sessions between your dreambox and the server. The originating IP address would then be your address.

There are a host of mischievous things an intruder could do beyond changing channels.

(Of course, if you are not forwarding the SSH or Telnet port, then the above examples are not possible unless your router has been compromised.)

If you ever notice your dreambox running slowly, connect to it using putty (or whatever client you use) and run the following commands.

command:

Code:

netstat

This will give you a list of active connections and where they are originating from, e.g.
output:

Code:

Active Internet connections (w/o servers)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address           Foreign Address         State
tcp        0      1 192.168.1.101:22     192.168.1.2:50871  ESTABLISHED

The columns are as follows....
connection type (UDP or TCP), your local address and the port thats being connect to, the address of the originating connection and port, connection status.

Pay particular attention to connections to ports 21,22,23 and 80. You should know where each of these is originating from. If you don't there is something wrong.

command:

Code:

who

Shows who is currently logged in, this is of limited use if an intruder is logged in as root.

output:

Code:

USER       TTY      IDLE      FROM           HOST
root       pts/0    00:00m    Jul 24 13:41   my.ip.address

Thats pretty self explanatory.

command:

Code:

last

Lists all SSH logins since the last reboot.

Again, this is of limited use. An intruder could clear the log file entries containing this info., but it may catch someone sloppy out.

4tothefloor · 02-08-2009

Hi lads,

Been abroad on holidays for the last few weeks so sorry for the delayed reply!

Originally Posted by td03-5

Hi 4TTF,

The DynDNS method works fine for me and I see no reason why there should be a problem for anyone.

It's most likely that your problem is with port forwarding in your router or it could be with the DDNS update from your router (or Dreambox, depending on your chosen update method).

Which router are you using?
What DDNS update method are you using?
How did you set up port forwarding in the router?

Give as much info as possible and I/we will try to help you resolve the problem.

Best wishes, John.

Hi John, to answer your questions first:

Router: D-Link DSL-2640B
DDNS Method: Using dlinkddns.com
Port Forwarding Setup:

Name-----------Address-------Ext Port----Protocol-----Internal Port
Internet--------192.168.x.x---80/80------TCP/UDP-----80/80
FTP ------------192.168.x.x----21/21-----TCP/UDP-----21/21
CCcam Upper---192.168.x.x---10001------TCP----------10001
CCcam Lower---192.168.x.x --10000------TCP----------10000

I have since tested connecting to the box remotely from a mates house. I can connect to the box remotely using both http and ftp. Both Ftp and Http asks for a username & password to access the box so all seems ok there.

At home I can connect to the dreambox using my local IP address but I cannot connect to it using my external IP address or the dlinkddns address.

Originally Posted by td03-5

You are using (remove the underscore prefix):-
_http://yourdyndnsname.homelinux.org

Yes I am using this method. For some reason I cannot connect when on my own local network. Any idea why this is? I do not have any firewall set. Are there any other settings that need to be checked on the router?

I'm trying to get this sorted so I can have a go at streaming my box to the internet so any help would be appreciated. Many thanks for your help so far!

4tothefloor · 03-08-2009

Update:

I managed to fix the problem of not being able to access the box using the ddns address. I did it by modifying the 'hosts' file on my pc
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

I did it by following this _http://www.dyndns.com/support/kb/loopback_connections.html

1. Configure port forwarding
Checked my ports and as far as I could see they are fine (see above)

2. Check security settings
Checked my router for Security Settings - couldn't find any settings relating to security or NAT redirection or loopbacks.

3. Modify your HOSTS file
Took this option. Used the following code:
192.168.x.x xxxxx.dlinkddns.com # dreambox

I can access it now - can anyone confirm if I've done this right? Cheers

**td03-5** · 05-08-2009

Hi 4TTF,

Glad you've got it working.
I have a Netgear DG834 series router and it just loops back to the Dreambox regardless of whether I use the local IP or the DynDNS name. I know nothing about the hosts file but the above works for me on Linux and with Windows (when I use it!).
I assume the D-Link must handle it differently.

Not sure why you even need to access the DB using the DynDNS name when at home? Surely you only need that when you are at a remote location and accessing via the internet?

As far as streaming is concerned, I assume you realise that your upstream bandwidth is only going to be between 250 Kb/s and 500 Kb/s so Audio streaming direct from the DB is fine but Video streaming will need a server with video compressor or a Slingbox (as I use). Video streaming at full bandwidth direct from the DB on the home LAN will be fine though (using VLC).

For remote Audio streaming with VLC you will need to edit the audio.pls file (received from the DB) manually or use my Auto Edit script (vlcplsed.bat) to change the local LAN IP in the file to the DynDNS name.

Best wishes, John.

4tothefloor · 06-08-2009

Originally Posted by td03-5

Hi 4TTF,

Glad you've got it working.
I have a Netgear DG834 series router and it just loops back to the Dreambox regardless of whether I use the local IP or the DynDNS name. I know nothing about the hosts file but the above works for me on Linux and with Windows (when I use it!).
I assume the D-Link must handle it differently.

Yes the D-Link doesn't allow loopback. The editing of the hosts file effectively allows loopback to be possible

Originally Posted by td03-5

Not sure why you even need to access the DB using the DynDNS name when at home? Surely you only need that when you are at a remote location and accessing via the internet?

Just for testing purposes basically

Originally Posted by td03-5

As far as streaming is concerned, I assume you realise that your upstream bandwidth is only going to be between 250 Kb/s and 500 Kb/s so Audio streaming direct from the DB is fine but Video streaming will need a server with video compressor or a Slingbox (as I use). Video streaming at full bandwidth direct from the DB on the home LAN will be fine though (using VLC).

Yep I know about the bandwidth. I've tried streaming to the net via VLC player and Dreamviewer etc but these are no good as you have to leave a PC on at home to benefit from these streams. You also have to set up the streams beforehand. Pretty pointless really!

I've been reading about the slingbox and I'm definately going to buy one as it seems to do exactly what I want - enable me to access and watch my tv channels from a remote location. Is the Slingbox hard to set up with the DM? I'm using a DM7025+, is there any particular Slingbox model you would recommend?

I'm streaming on my home LAN perfectly to all pc's and laptops through the webinterface with VLC player. Multi room on the move

Cheers for all the help mate!

**td03-5** · 07-08-2009

Hi 4TTF,

All points noted and understood.

As for the Slingbox, I just went for the cheapest model (Slingbox Classic) and bought via e-bay (paid under £50). It's very easy to set up and does all I wanted and more.
It has three video sources, Scart Input, S-Video Input and TV Coax IP (Digital Freeview or Analogue). It has infra red remote control OP but I do not use that. My Dreambox is connected to the Scart IP so unlike direct LAN streaming the Dreambox has to be switched On and not in Standby. I use the Enigma Webif to switch to/from standby and select channels. Unfortunately the Slingbox uses a bespoke player (Slingplayer) and I need to run it under Wine (Windows compatibility layer) on my little Asus Linux Netbooks. These are 'super portable'/'take anywhere' little machines but running Slingplayer under Wine has them running 'flat out'!! I would have preferred to use VLC and there is a Slingbox plugin for the Windoze version of VLC but not for Linux. I use the older (less fussy) version of Slingplayer (1.6 I think) as I don't think anyone has got the new (fussy) version 2.0 to run under Wine.

As a BTW: I have an old camcorder, with broken tape transport but ok camera, connected to the S-Video IP (there is no separate sound IP for the S-Video IP). The camera has 24x optical zoom and is directed out of a window towards some bird feeders in my garden. From Slingplayer I can select, the Scart, the S-Video or the Coax. Which results in watching; the Dreambox, the Birdcam or Freeview!

Most people seem to think the Birdcam with live pictures of Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bluetits etc. far more cool than watching my Dreambox!

Ah well!

Best wishes, John.

sickboy666 · 11-09-2009

Originally Posted by J700

It is better to install dropbear ssh daemon on the dreambox and do tunneling to it on port 22 using putty.

Beware!

HI

Tunneling over Dreambox ssh just doesnt work :-( I activated dropbear. I conneceted to SSH from my pc (putty) , activated tunneling (I know how to do it) and it just doesnt work on my browser. Is there something else to activate? I am talking about dm500 gemini 4.2
THNX

J700 · 11-09-2009

Originally Posted by sickboy666

HI
Tunneling over Dreambox ssh just doesnt work :-( I activated dropbear. I conneceted to SSH from my pc (putty) , activated tunneling (I know how to do it) and it just doesnt work on my browser. Is there something else to activate? I am talking about dm500 gemini 4.2
THNX

I explained the process in swedish here _http://www.dreamboxx.nu/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?129942.post
Just klick the pictures and I'm sure you will get the idea.

**shumifan50** · 18-09-2009

When you insert an entry into your hosts file you are bypassing the router entirely - the domain name is translated to the local LAN address using the hostfile and then routed purely internally. This will work but it does not test external access at all. To test external access you really need 2 broadband connections with your PC on one and the dreambox on the other. I have cable broadband and it does not allow access to my extrnal domains from a PC that is using it, I have to use my ADSL broadband to do that.

***compufunk*** · 18-09-2009

Originally Posted by shumifan50

.........To test external access you really need 2 broadband connections with your PC on one and the dreambox on the other. I have cable broadband and it does not allow access to my extrnal domains from a PC that is using it, I have to use my ADSL broadband to do that.

Just use a proxy server like _http://www.hidemyass.com/ to test a HTTP connection from outside your LAN.

moelikepie · 04-10-2009

i have my dyndns set up all fine and can access my dreambox perfectly from outside my network. the only problem is the dreambox webcontrol interface comes up and doesnt ask for a password. i have used the guides here and changed my root password via telnet but the dreambox interface wont ask for a password...

does anybody know how to enable the password??

cheers
adam

**td03-5** · 10-10-2009

Hi Adam,

Try checking this:
On Dreambox remote press Menu....select Setup....select Expert Setup....scroll down to HTTP Authentication (Webif) and ensure it is Ticked (press OK to Tick/UnTick).

Best wishes, John.

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