15 Messages
How I FINALLY got my Outdoor Camera re-connected!
One last-ditch call to SS Tech Support got me to DARYL, who was an intelligent, reasonably informed, patient and courteous individual. Here's what he had me do:
1) connect my SS Base Station to my PHONE'S WiFi Hot Spot
2) WiFi Hot Spot MUST be set for 2.4gHz
3) re-set camera
4) open SS app using SAME phone which provides the WiFi Hot Spot
5) Add camera as usual...it immediately installed a firmware update
6) it actually connects via the WiFi Hot Spot!
7) test camera...it works!
8) change SS WiFi BACK to my Asus Router's dedicated 2.4gHz network
9) camera goes off-line
10) SS app lists camera but says it's off-line w the "!" on the red circle 🔴 background
He suggested a WiFi extender, for reasons UNRELATED to WiFi signal strength, but instead, I did this:
11) clicked on the off-line camera anyway
12) got Connection Error. Unable to connect to WiFi
13) clicked "retry"
14) camera view opened normally, w live video and audio
So, SS reports (falsely) that the camera is off-line. It isn't, or at least comes on-line when the retry is clicked. If you can tolerate the 'erroneous' error message which the SS app generates, you also may be able to get your camera working.
BTW, it was this IDENTICAL false error message that lead me to remove and (unsuccessfully) re-add this camera over a year ago. I thought that removing and re-adding the camera would clear the error message. Instead I found myself in the nightmare so many have endured for so long.
The problem is NOT the camera, but (I believe) the archaic SS networking software. TS suggested a WiFi extender NOT to extend the signal, but to provide a 2.4gHz signal that was somehow isolated from my primary router (dual 2.4/5 gHz). This suggests to me a fundamental flaw in the SS Base Station firmware. It was AFTER an update that this error first occurred. All worked FINE until then. I wonder if there is some protocol that is being blocked on the 2.4gHz guest network, or a port that needs to be forwarded. An additional piece of hardware (e.g., WiFi extender) might WORK, but it begs the questions: WHY & HOW? This cannot, fundamentally, such a difficult matter to run down by someone w deeper networking skills than mine.
But, this got my camera working again, and might/should work for others.
dlpsr
1.3K Messages
21 days ago
YMMV, I still get those mostly fake offline messages and retry as you suggest does work for me, but not always. Sometimes takes some a lot more fiddling around.
Seems to be endless for quite some time somewhere in between 1.20 firmware and the multiple unannounced versions since to 1.34 now. Used to be more or a little bit stable.
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susanfhaine
9 Messages
19 days ago
Thanks for the idea - I tried connecting to my phone’s hotspot but that didn’t work … (I’m a senior citizen who’s lucky to be able to work my iPhone!!) I did successfully install my SimpliSafe system which worked for 15months … until it DiDN’T
anyway going to try some other things later this weekend. Really frustrated.
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