Thank you Dan,

I think my plan of attack for now will be to get the DDNS up and working, see what kind of service our mobile phone gets when hooking into the HDVR via Internet, and decide if I have to try the UDP route rather than TCP.

I have already tried changing the HDVR IP address once, but still could not access the HDVR UDP 37778 port, also tried changing the HDVR UDP 37778 port to 38888 with no luck.

I will keep trying to get that port to open, and will let you know if I find a way.

The CenturyLink ZyXE communications corp. model PK5001Z modem that I have now, has online help pages that you might be interested in looking at to see if you spot something about the set up I might be missing, so if you decide to look into it further and spot something, drop something in this thread, as I will keep an eye on it. I think it is the current IP modem the phone company is providing its IP customers, so you might find more folks with questions on how to connect it to your DVR systems.

So now I will move into setting up the DDNS service provided by SCK & hopefully get it up and rolling.

I also want to get going on adding another PTZ to my system to cover some blind spots I have spotted, and also add IR to it for night work, as that seems to be the time my "neighbor from Hell" seems to do most of his skulking about our property.

He knows we have the security camera system in place.  And having the cameras up has done wonders to at least keep whoever from sneaking into our yard and stomping my wife's landscaping fences around her flowers flat, as happened in the past prior to getting the system in place.

This camera is going to be over 250 to 300 feet away from the house located on a metal sided shop on the property, so will be doing something wireless to connect. Am thinking a analog PTZ hooked into a transmitter/receiver may do the trick. I have power at the shop and can get a direct line of sight from one side of the shop to the windows next to where the HDVR is located. The IP cameras I have seen do not seem to have that kind of range, so thinking may as well stay analog.

I am also thinking about hooking up an external HDD located outside the house in a nearby out building for backup recording should someone manage to break in and take the HDVR. What is the distance limitation to how far I an run wired hook up to an external HDD, if power will be near the external HDD?

I am thinking going wired for backup HDD, as it is more secure/reliable in my estimation to wireless. And the distance will not be that long for a conduit run. I am not that in the know as to being able to use CAT5 and adapters to do the run, or if I will need different wire. Pretty sure CAT5 will run a connection USB with amps, but not sure about a SATA run. I haven't looked into if there are adapters allowing to run CAT5 wire to SATA in and out points?

Your HYBDVR-FE016480 I bought has the eSATA on back, so set to go there, a 2m cable would allow through the wall/floor to a HDD hidden in the crawlspace, and I recon I could get a small fireproof safe to put it in for further safety, as I think I could get the wiring through the doors and still keep the fire rating in place.

I was/am hoping there are amps that can boost the signal for longer wired runs on the market now? I also thought I saw adapters somewhere that allow CAT5 or 6 wire runs tied to SATA start & end points. The out building would be much easier to access, but will require at least a 25 to 30 foot wire run.

I guess another question might be, will I be able to run a eSATA drive through the back port on the HDVR in mirror mode recording as an active HDD on my HDVR. If not, how about by plugging into one of the 8 motherboard connections and running as just another HDD, just with longer wire with a power supply of its own.

As far as the remote camera, I am thinking analog PTZ camera wired to transmitter/receiver and HDVR to another at its end, wireless would be the run between house to shop.

I am leaning to analog vs. IP, as I have been having most of my problems with IP to just reach HDVR now.

I Don't want to open another can of worms having by introducing myself to IP cameras hookups if I can help it. I think I see IP cameras function more in a setting of bypassing DVR use and going through the computer and Internet to use them.

From what I think I am seeing, running an analog camera to a transmitter/receiver setup would still be basically just plugging the components together and letting the machines sort it out when it comes to talking to each other.