8.6. Remote access and streaming

How do I view cameras remotely?

AnyCam provides several built-in options for remote viewing:

Built-in remote viewing

  1. Android mobile app — install the AnyCam app from Google Play. You will need your installation instance ID, which can be found in the application settings. For details, see Section 5.1.

  2. Telegram bot — connect to the @AnycamBot bot to view camera feeds and receive motion detection notifications. For details, see Section 5.2.

  3. Browser viewing — each camera can generate a unique URL for viewing in any web browser on your PC or phone. For details, see Section 5.3.

Alternative: Remote desktop software

If built-in remote viewing does not meet your needs, you can use third-party remote desktop tools such as TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or RustDesk to access the full AnyCam application remotely:

  1. Install AnyCam on the PC where your cameras are connected.

  2. Install the remote desktop tool on both the server PC and the client device (mobile or desktop).

  3. Connect remotely using the assigned ID and password.

Download TeamViewer: https://www.teamviewer.com/

Download AnyDesk: https://www.anydesk.com/

Download RustDesk: https://rustdesk.com/

Alternative: Dynamic DNS

Assign a dynamic domain name to your camera's local IP address using a service like DynDNS or No-IP. This allows you to connect to the camera directly from the internet. You may also need to configure port forwarding on your router (see below).

Useful resources:

How do I set up remote access via Dynamic DNS?

To access your cameras from outside your local network:

  1. Register with a dynamic DNS provider (e.g., DynDNS, No-IP).

  2. Assign a domain name to your camera's local IP address.

  3. Configure port forwarding on your router for the ports used by your cameras (commonly 554 for RTSP, 8080 for HTTP).

For port forwarding instructions, refer to your router's documentation or see: https://videos.cctvcamerapros.com/surveillance-systems/port-forwarding-remote-access-setup-for-ip-security-cameras.html

How do I stream to YouTube, Facebook, or a custom server?

AnyCam supports retransmitting video streams to YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and any custom RTMP server. To set this up:

  1. Open the camera's settings panel.

  2. Go to the Live Streaming tab.

  3. Select the service (YouTube, Facebook, or Custom RTMP) from the dropdown.

  4. Enter your stream key or click Get Default Key to obtain it automatically.

  5. Click Save.

Figure 8.6.1. The Live Streaming tab with YouTube selected and the stream key field.

Once configured, the camera feed will be broadcast to the selected platform in real time. You can monitor the stream status in the platform's dashboard:

Figure 8.6.2. YouTube Live Dashboard showing the active stream from AnyCam.