NAT Loopback

Your networking setup is very important to the operation of eKeypad. While most setups work with no issues some equipment and configurations require extra setup.

If your symptoms includes all of the following symptoms the following troubleshooting guide will be helpful.

• You are able to connect successfully via cellular data (E, 3G, 4G or LTE).
• You are able to connect successfully using a remote Wifi Network.
• You receive a connection timeout error while connected to your local Wifi Network.

Under this specific set of symptoms a networking standard called, “NAT Loopback”, is causing the issue.

Normally this standard is implemented by your router. It automatically detects the use of the external IP address from inside your local network. NAT loopback detects this usage and takes special actions allowing it to work. If you have the symptoms listed above then these special actions are not being performed.

Most routers on the market implement NAT loopback. The few we have encountered that do not support NAT loopback include:

• AT&T 2Wire routers
• Cisco IOS based routers

If affected by this issue you will require a special a setup. There are two options. 1) An alternative router setup or 2) an alternative eKeypad setup.

1) Alternative router setup.

Since most routers on the market support NAT loopback one option is to replace your router with a new one. In most cases you will not actually replace the physical hardware but rather put your existing equipment into what is called bridge mode (disabling the firewall) and use the new router as the firewall.

2) Alternative eKeypad setup.

If changing or replacing the router is not an option a special eKeypad setup will work. Before starting you must ensure that your copy of eKeypad has the “Multi-System Module” enabled. This module is included in the eK Pro product but is a paid add-on for all other applications.

Once enabled this module will allow you to create two instances of your M1 system in eKeypad. It is recommended to name them someting similar to “home” and “remote”. These configuration will be setup with the internal and external addresses as appropriate.

Once both systems are configured you will need to setup two key settings in eKeypad. On the main configuration screens touch on the “Automation Systems” link (you will only see this link if the Multi-systme module is enabled). At the top of the system list screen you will see two options. The “Default System” should be set to None. The “Connect Method” should be set to Ask Me.

With this configuration every time you launch eKeypad it will ask you to choose the configuration you wish to use. Simply select the correct system for your current network status.