Is it possible to access my BT router remotely?

Smiffy-UK · 9 Jan 2022 at 14:49

Hi, currently looking to see if it's possible to access my BT Smart hub 2 (6) remotely from work, I've got all the information with me apart from my local IP. I guess I need to turn on something from the HUB once I'm back home?

Basically I'm looking to try and check on my ASIC miners temperatures using the Goldshell find my device, I'm going to have a guess without the potential option of enabling remote access and my physical IP?

I should know this but it's been a while since I've needed or wanted to.

Any information or tips all welcome,

Thanks.

Turn · 9 Jan 2022 at 15:02

I take it you meant 'how can I access a device behind my firewall remotely?'
How do you access it (the Goldminer) when you're on the LAN?

If it's a port that's behind your firewall/router it sounds like you'd just need to portforward, make sure you application is secure though if you're going to open it up to the internet.
& If your IP is dynamic I'd recommend setting up DDNS.

ChrisD. · 9 Jan 2022 at 15:32

Use a VPN.

Smiffy-UK · 9 Jan 2022 at 15:34

Thanks for the reply @0007

So yeah when I'm home it's usually 192.168. 1.254 which I believe is local.

Then I can see all devices that way.

I've done port-forwarding before when I've needed to help other devices on the network, I do believe it's dynamic IPv6 for the smart hub 2. I guess security is a lot better these days lol. You'd think I know all this as I've done my CCNA lol. Just taking a year or 2 out of university so it's all gone from my head with a rubbish couple of years.

Turn · 9 Jan 2022 at 15:55

ChrisD. said:
Use a VPN.

Yep, I'd recommend setting up a VPN server, and just port forward that as it's probably the most secure aswell especially since your firewall (BT Hub) won't allow you to restrict access to only certain IP's.

But if you trust the 'Goldshell' interface is secure (hopefully it has a password

) , & you're adamant on just opening the port for anyone to access for ease, here's how you do it:
If it's 192.168.1.254:80 like you say to access the 'Goldshell interface', just make a port forward and on the router set the dst port to something else which is less common to reduce the likelihood of it getting port scanned etc. & And you should be set.

andy_mk3 · 9 Jan 2022 at 18:01

ChrisD. said:
Use a VPN.

This.

You can use a PC that's always on, or a Rasberry Pi to host the VPN Server, and connect to it remotely. It's pretty much the most secure way to remotely access your network.

Semple · 9 Jan 2022 at 18:09

The other alternative is to script the temperature outputs from the system and send them up to something like Google Drive.

Although you won't be able to do anything like remotely shut them down.

the-evaluator · 11 Jan 2022 at 09:33

0007 said:
just make a port forward and on the router set the dst port to something else which is less common to reduce the likelihood of it getting port scanned etc.

Bad advice. Security through obscurity is to be avoided.

Compute is cheap, bandwidth is plenty. Putting a http server on something other than port 80 may slow down the login attempts from the public internet but it won't stop it.

Turn · 11 Jan 2022 at 10:12

the-evaluator said:
Bad advice. Security through obscurity is to be avoided.

I take it that You didn't read everything I wrote then?
Personally if I were to do this, I'd avoid using a VPN, I'd use Cloudflare Access & use a nginx reverse proxy instead.

the-evaluator · 11 Jan 2022 at 10:23

0007 said:
I take it that You didn't read everything I wrote then?
Personally if I were to do this, I'd avoid using a VPN, I'd use Cloudflare Access & use a nginx reverse proxy instead.

Yep. The VPN advice is good, changing the port forward as you suggested isn't.

bledd · 15 Jan 2022 at 08:26

Raspberry Pi
Give it a static IP or reserved IP on your router.

https://www.pivpn.io/
Install this, go with the Wireguard option.

If you're not on a static IP from your ISP (you probably aren't), then you'll need a dynamic DNS update service to track your IP address. Hopefully can use your router to type in the dynamic DNS details, if not, Google how to get the pi to do it for you.

Forward a port to the VPN port of the Pi to the Pi's internal static IP.

Can have it on your phone with a toggle switch for connecting yout phone to the VPN.