When making a device on your network available over the internet, you will need to make allowances for the type of internet connection you have.

Static IP address

Some Internet Service Providers give you a static IP address, which means that your public IP address on the internet never changes. This is ideal, as it means you can always access your system using the same IP address.

Dynamic IP address

Most Internet Service Providers give you a dynamic IP address. This means that your IP address can change over time.

If you have a dynamic IP address, you will need to use a free Dynamic DNS service. These services work by providing you with a fixed address, which is updated to point to your dynamic IP by client software running on your computer.

A good Dynamic DNS service is provided by DynDNS.org. Mac OS X client software for this service is available here.

Some network cameras and broadband routers have built-in Dynamic DNS clients which you can use instead. This is essential if you have a dynamic IP address and want to make your cameras directly available to a Mac running SecuritySpy from a remote location, without a Mac on the local network.