monitor only works when there is a separate ssh connection open

[tafollaj]

Hi,
I am running 1.34.22 with a hikvision camera and accessing the server over a secure connection, but the camera refuses the connection to zoneminder until I open a separate ssh connection to the server, and then then the camera will talk to zoneminder. Once the ssh connection is ended, the monitor stops working. First time this happens with an install, so hoping someone has some insight into what to look at. Thanks.

[Magic919]

How does the camera refuse the connection? Can you explain the set-up.

[tafollaj]

I'm running Ubuntu 20.04 on an Udoo x86 board. It is in a remote location in the Sierra Nevada on a dam. I am accessing using "remote.it" over a Hughesnet satellite connection. So when I access the the server, zoneminder shows the monitor as down, and the logs say that the vamera refused the connection. However, if I simultaneously log in via ssh from either the same or another computer, the monitor begins working. As soon as the ssh connection is closed, the monitor stops working. I have no idea why, and my poking around is not solving the issue so far. I would just start from scratch with a new install, but I have to take a helicopter to the site, so I don't want to mess with it too much over ssh. I'm stuck at the moment so if you have an idea I'll try it. Thanks!

[Magic919]

I suspect it's a problem related to NAT.

How are the server and camera connected?

[Bluemax]

Maybe a custom systemd.socket activation. Once you connect via SSH other (listening) ports might get opened as well. Maybe 'journalctl -b -u sshd@*.service' shows something. Also check what the ssh socket activation exactly does.
Did you install the server by any strict instructions/tutorial we could look at? Usually default systems shouldn't behave like that.

[tafollaj]

Thank you Magic and Bluemax! Just getting back from a long field run, so I will have time to troubleshoot this in the next few days. I currently have a raspberry pi maintaining a persistent ssh connection to the device to allow others to log in and view the camera, but your suggestions have given me a direction to pursue. The camera is connected to the server using a usb ethernet adapter on a different subnet than the satellite connection. I installed ubuntu server 20.04, then used tasksel to to install LAMP server, Ubuntu minimal desktop, and OpenSSH. I then ran mysql secure installation and installed zoneminder per https://wiki.zoneminder.com/Ubuntu_Serv ... der_1.34.x. I'll see if I can get this working the right way. Thanks again, and I'll update as I work through this.