How to access your home network remotely

Where to start: check your IP address

Before choosing a method, it’s worth taking a minute to check. Go to your router’s settings and look up its external (WAN) address. Then use online services such as «2IP.ua» or «My IP», which will show you your IP address, and compare the numbers.

If the addresses match, you have a public IP address, and any of the methods below will work. If they’re different (for example, something like 100.64.x.x or 10.x.x.x in the router settings), this means you’re accessing the internet via a shared address with other subscribers of your provider. In this case, port forwarding and a personal VPN simply won’t work: there is no direct route from the outside to your router. Either a remote access programme or a public IP address provided by your internet service provider will help here.

It is worth distinguishing between two situations that are often confused. If you are working remotely and need access to the company’s work systems, you do not need a static IP address; your employer usually provides a corporate VPN. However, when someone needs to access your home network from outside (whether it’s you, security cameras or a NAS), then a static address becomes necessary.

If, however, your IP address is dynamic and changes from time to time, you can use dynamic DNS (DDNS) for home access: the service will automatically update the name’s association with your current IP address. This is particularly useful for your own VPN or other services that you need to connect to regularly from outside your network.

1. Remote access programmes — the simplest solution

These include AnyDesk, TeamViewer, RustDesk, Chrome Remote Desktop and similar services. The way they work is similar to making a call via a messaging app: both devices — your home computer and the one you’re using to access it — connect to the service’s server themselves, and the server connects them to each other. You don’t need to know your own IP address or configure anything on your router — simply install the programme on both devices.

• If you occasionally need to access your home PC to retrieve a file.
• To help relatives sort out computer issues remotely.
• If you need to quickly check something on your work computer.

1. Your screen is streamed via a third-party server — this isn’t a major issue for family photos, but you should think twice before doing so with work documents containing sensitive data.
2. Free versions usually limit the session duration or the number of devices.
3. Your home computer must be switched on and the programme running. If your PC is running continuously — for example, if an FTP server or another service is running on it round the clock — this isn’t a problem. However, if the computer is usually switched off, you won’t be able to connect to it remotely. The exception is if the hardware and network card support Wake-on-LAN (WoL): this feature allows you to «wake up» the computer remotely via the network.
   If, on the other hand, you only need to retrieve a few personal files from your home PC from time to time, there’s no need to keep the computer switched on all the time just for that. It’s easier to store such files in cloud storage: they’ll be accessible from any device without having to set up remote access or worry about whether your home PC is running.
4. This provides access to one specific device, not the entire network: you won’t be able to view cameras or network storage this way.

If you want the same functionality but without routing traffic through a third-party server, take a look at RustDesk: it allows you to set up your own proxy server.

2. Port forwarding on the router

It’s a classic approach: you tell the router that anything coming in on a specific port should be forwarded to a particular device on the network. This is how you set up direct access to the equipment you need — a camera, a dashcam or a network-attached storage (NAS) device — without any intermediaries.

When this method is suitable: if you need to view home CCTV cameras or access one or two specific devices. If, however, you have more devices and want to view your entire home network at once, it’s more convenient to use the method described below.

What you’ll need:

1. A public IP address, preferably a static one — as it doesn’t change, you can set up access to it once and for all.
2. A fixed local address for the device you’re opening access to.
3. A port forwarding rule in your router’s settings.

It’s worth mentioning an important detail here that is often overlooked: as soon as a port is opened to the outside world, automated bots will start scanning it — usually within a matter of hours. They scan typical addresses and passwords round the clock for anything that responds on standard ports.

A minimum set of rules to avoid becoming yet another victim of such scanning:

• Change the default password on your router, cameras and NAS — don’t use «admin123», but a proper, strong password.
• Where possible, change the port number from the default to a non-standard one.
• Do not expose your Windows Remote Desktop directly to the outside world — the following method is more suitable for this.
• Regularly update the firmware on your router and any connected devices.
• Restrict access by IP address, if your router supports this.

3. Your own VPN — instant access to the entire network

The logic here is different: instead of opening separate «doors» to the outside for each device, you create a single secure entry point — and once you’re through it, you’re «right at home», with immediate access to everything.

This method is suitable: if you need access not to a single device, but to your entire home network at once — your NAS, security camera, smart home and computer all at the same time — without having to set up separate port forwarding for each one.

In practice, it works like this: you enable the VPN on your phone or laptop, and the device connects to your home network as if it were physically located in your flat. Cameras, NAS, smart sockets, home computer — everything is accessible via the usual local addresses.

To do this, you’ll need:

• A public IP address, preferably a static one
• A router with VPN server support (most modern models have this) or a separate device
• A one-off setup.

Compared to port forwarding, a VPN opens just one entry point to the outside world instead of several, encrypts all traffic and doesn’t reveal a single unnecessary service to scanning bots – from their perspective, there are simply «locked doors» with no key. The trade-off is a slightly more complex initial setup, but it only needs to be done once.

Internet requirements for setting up remote access

Remote access places slightly different demands on your connection than, say, watching videos.

Firstly, it is the upload speed that matters, not the download speed. When you view a camera feed from your mobile whilst away from home, the video is actually being transmitted from your home outwards — and this channel is usually overlooked when choosing a data plan.

Secondly, stability is more important than peak speed. You might not even notice a brief drop-out whilst watching a film, but during an active VPN session, it will send you right back to the start.

Thirdly, it is worth considering the power supply. If cameras, a NAS, an FTP server or a smart home system need to operate round the clock, they will also become inaccessible during a power cut without a backup power supply. Therefore, for equipment that needs to remain online, it is advisable to ensure that the router and the device itself are powered by a UPS or another backup power source. This is particularly relevant now, when power cuts are unpredictable.

Maxnet’s fibre-optic network is built on GPON technology, which ensures a stable connection without the speed drops typical of congested areas during the evening hours — and for remote access, channel stability is often more important than the price of the tariff. If, however, you specifically need a static IP address for port forwarding or your own VPN server, you can activate this service separately by contacting Maxnet’s support team.

Three methods — three different tasks. There’s no point in looking for a single best option: simply work out exactly what you need to do remotely and choose the approach that best suits that specific task.