Outdoor camera won’t connect to wifi

I have had several camera systems for years, Arlo, Zmodo, Blink, Ring, all of these are active and work fine. My Simplisafe camera system is a disaster. My cameras are constantly going offline despite being close to my router and base station. I am really fed up because I know it is bad product, I have been working in the tech industry for years and have never come across such cheap equipment in the world of security hardware. 

Because it's on 25 year old wireless protocol 802.11b...Simplisafe will always blame the customer: "try moving the base station" or other tired blame-games.

@davey_d​ it seems clear the issues we are experiencing are not on our end. Every customer can't have the same connectivity problems with the outdoor cams. Resets don't fix things. New Cameras Don't fix this. Telling me I am not getting a signal when I am at -37db inches from the camera.. Sending me a new WIFI extender that is a lower end model that what I already have isn't the problem. It isn't ASUS or Synology Tp link.. etc.. The same problem is across the spectrum...

So pretty pretty please stop blaming the customer and telling us it is on our end.. Fix it. Next thing you know your customer service will start using voice wobblers to make us think the phone connection is bad.. SMH

@davey_d​ I have tried this for the same issues and it's not working. Will not connect to WiFi no matter what so it's basically useless now. Very sad. 

@shellsville41​ If you haven't tried this already, I would recommend resetting your Wi-Fi router by unplugging it for 30-60 seconds and then plug it back in again. That can help refresh the camera's connection. 

Another step you can also try is to bring the Outdoor Camera inside and place it about 5-10 feet away from the router and then try to connect it to your network again. Bringing the camera inside, near the router will help diminish any interference between the devices and aid in the initial connection. 

What happens during that process? Is the camera able to reboot succesfully? Do you get stuck at a certain point during the app install?

It would have more detail on where you'e getting stuck, as that might point towards the issue.

@boognish7​ same exact problem. They sent out another battery, both batteries are fine, it has nothing to do with the battery. The camera absolutely refuses to reconnect. 

@pkeddie88​ did you also try resetting the camera? You can do so by holding the button in the back of the camera for 16 seconds. When you release, it will reboot into setup mode, and you can set it up like a new camera on the SimpliSafe app.

If that doesn't work, the next step is a replacement of the whole camera.

@davey_d yes I was on phone with tech support and attempted the reset twice to no avail. The camera refuses to go into setup/connect mode. It is effectively orphaned from the system. 

@pkeddie88​ I have the same issue. They must’ve change some sort of firmware recently… my outdoor camera never had any issues for the last year or so and then all of a sudden it stops connecting to my Wi-Fi. I’ll reboot my router, reinstall the Camera and it will work for a few days and then the same thing happens again. My other model SimpliSafe cameras such as the doorbell and indoor camera with outdoor housing have no problems… it’s only the outdoor model camera that doesn’t work. They even sent me a replacement camera and it has the same issues.

@linuxgam​ thanks for reporting. The problem might also be somewhere in the communication between your router and the wider internet (which is how the camera can talk to our servers).

That guest network that you want the Outdoor Camera to connect to - is it currently set to WPA3 encryption? We've been hearing about compatibility issues that our engineers are currently working to resolve. But in the meantime, if you set it to WPA3 Mixed Mode, or WPA2, the camera might have a better time connecting.

It’s clear from reading here that this is a widespread issue and no solution has been found for months. This camera was the reason I got this service. I’m not sure what to do at this point. Please send out communication on this matter to your customers. 

@linuxgam​ I'm having nearly the exact same issue. I have a Doorbell cam, an indoor cam and an outdoor cam already installed. When trying to connect another outdoor cam I have run into the same problem over and over (it will not connect to the wifi to complete the install). 

I have spent countless hours troubleshooting this over the phone but there has to be something else going on.

@benr​ I would try removing the Outdoor Camera that will not connect your WiFi from your account and then add it back. If that does not work, I would perform a reset on the camera. You can do that by taking the following steps:

1. Look for the Pairing button on the back of the Outdoor Camera
2. Press and hold that button for 16 seconds
3. When your release, the camera should reboot
4. You can then reinstall the camera like new in the SimpliSafe app

If both of those potential solutions do not work, we may need to replace this Outdoor Camera completely. Our Support team can help with that.

@emily_s​ I have tried troubleshooting already and nothing seems to fix it.

@dixxie​ 

Was running into the above mentioned issues with brand-new cameras not connecting to Wi-Fi. Tried different cameras, Different routers, modifying router settings etc. Nothing worked.

The fix turned out to be simple. 

Uninstalling the SimpliSafe app from the phone and reinstalling the app fixed all issues.

@rivids​ just tried this and, in fact, it did not fix my issue.

@benr​ I tried this too - didn't work

@plcarp​ Have you tried resetting the Outdoor Camera? To do so, take the following steps:

1. Look for the Pairing button on the back of the Outdoor Camera
2. Press and hold that button for 16 seconds
3. When your release, the camera should reboot
4. You can then reinstall the camera like new in the SimpliSafe app

@emily_s​ resetting the outdoor camera multiple times a week is not an appropriate fix. There is a software issue on SimpliSafe’s end. When will this be resolved?

Hi @mikekuo​ welcome to the community!

When downgrading or canceling your monitoring service, you shouldn't have to set up your system as if it were new. The settings stay saved within the Base Station, and as long as you still have an account with basic app control enabled the transition should be rather seamless. 

It sounds like in this scenario the cameras might be attached to your old account, which might be the reason why you're unable to set them up again. You can try to reset the camera using the button on the top of the device. Simply power down the camera (unplug it) and when powering it on hold that button for about 10-20 seconds. If that fails to add after resetting it, the best option would be to contact our support team directly. You can reach out to them with the contact details here. 

@alexandria_c​ @mikekuo 

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! I CANNOT BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH FAITH I HAVE LOST IN SIMPLISAFE EVER SINCE THAT HAPPENED. 

THE DAY MY MONITORING SERVICE WAS CANCELLED, ALL OF MY LOCKS AND CAMERAS HAD TO BE SETUP FROM SCRATCH. AND I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE CAMERAS TO CONNECT EVER SINCE. I HAVE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS.

BUT, @alexandria_c​, I CAN ABSOLUTELY ASSURE YOU THAT NOT ONLY DOES THIS NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO, BUT YOU SHOULD REALLY DO MORE TO TROUBLESHOOT BEFORE POINTING THE BLAME TOWARD THE CUSTOMER.

@mikekuo​ exact same problem.....system worked beautifully until......I canceled the monitoring.....now outdoor cameras stopped working......interesting. customer service swears that's not why but same thing. Got off the call system went kapootz and had to set back up. Indoor cameras work fine but both my outdoor won't connect unless I get a motion notification and and access then through the notification and then they connect. It's 100% a petty "cancelation " I'm willing to bet if I signed back up my cameras would magically work

@dfwithin​ Having a monitoring plan or not does not impact a camera's connectivity. Even if you cancel a monitoring plan, your cameras should still connect to your network.

As a first troubleshooting step, I would recommend resetting your Outdoor Camera if you haven't already. This can be done by pressing and holding the pairing button on the back for 30 seconds. Once you release it, you will be prompted to set it back up in the SimpliSafe mobile app.

If you have already tried resetting the camera, I would then recommend using the Connection Check tool in the SimpliSafe mobile app. This is a diagnostics tool that will scan the camera's connection to your Wi-Fi network and provide additional troubleshooting steps to improve its connection. We list out the steps to run a Connection Check in this Help Center article.

@dfwithin​ Same thing happened, stopped working after I cancelled the service. We started the service back up, but they still wont work.

@2728gkb​ it would be helpful to know what troubleshooting steps you've already gone through, so we can eliminate some possibilities.

For example, it might help to set up a dedicated secondary WiFi network, locked to the 2.4GHz band, as well as WPA2 encryption. These settings may help with compatibility issues.

Dave - Been there, done that.  Recall six hours, we tried everything.  Note - Flashing white light immediately goes to solid red after clicking button on back of camera to connect to nextwork.  No one could explain why that was happening.

Regarding that last piece: It means the camera can actually find the WiFi, but the "handshake" with your WiFi router for allowing the connection is being denied. So it's basically an issue with the device logging in. Either the password is incorrect, or the router's security settings are blocking the connection somehow.

That's why I suggested creating a secondary WiFi network on your router with different settings - namely WPA2 security (if you have a newer WiFi router, WPA3 would likely be the default).

D - I appreciate the feedback and suggestions.  Additional fact, I have a SS indoor camera that connected no problem; given that, do you still recommend the different security?  Are the indoor vs. outdoor cameras set up differently in that regard?  Also, can you pls provide a bit more detail on what you are asking me to do.  I have a brand new router from ATT, but I don't know if its WPA2 or 3.  Thanks for the engagement, I do appreciate it.  I just want these things to work.  

Hi @2728gkb,

I do still recommend you use a different security for your Outdoor Camera. The Outdoor Camera is built on a different platform and with a separate firmware from the Indoor Camera.

When it comes to setting up your secondary WiFi network, I recommend reaching out to your internet service provider or your router’s manufacturer for more info. Each router has a different way of setting up a secondary network, so they would know best.

Solution finally! There’s a bug in the firmware. WiFi names longer than 22 characters (including spaces) will cause camera to be unable to connect. Change WiFi name to less than 22 characters or make a guest wifi name that’s less than 22 char. 

Hi @rhi0626​, 

I'm sorry to hear that! Have you tried resetting your camera? You can reset your camera by following these steps:

1. Look for the Pairing button on the back of the Outdoor Camera
2. Press and hold that button for 16 seconds
3. When your release, the camera should reboot
4. You can then reinstall the camera like new in the SimpliSafe app

If that doesn't help, the next step is a replacement of the whole camera. If you contact our Support team, they can get that replacement ordered for you.

Yes we have several times. The system recognizes the cameras, but the cameras won’t connect to wifi. I’ll contact customer support for replacements. Thank you

Replacement cameras are not the fix!!! Try changing the security settings on your router to WPA 2. It worked for me!

@bhac3​ this worked for me

Hi @amcphail5​, 

There could be something cached on your app. Have you tried deleting the app and re-downloading it?

@amcphail5​ when that happens it's not fully deleted out of system, go in your keypad and delete it from there as well and it should delete and then you can gonfrom there

@amcphail5​ 

Was running into the above mentioned issues with brand-new cameras not connecting to Wi-Fi. Tried different cameras, Different routers, modifying router settings etc. Nothing worked.

The fix turned out to be simple. 

Uninstalling the SimpliSafe app from the phone and reinstalling the app fixed all issues.

@ewlarson7​ Ok so disabling 6ghz and 5 ghz did not fix the issue. Attempted connection on only 2.4ghz. 

What's interesting is that I would guess that most people having this issue are utilizing WPA3-Transition Only or WPA3-Personal Only as a means of encryption, which is why the older legacy code on those outdoor cameras can't connect. 

I'm hoping that somewhere at SimpliSafe there's a Scrum Master ripping out their hair trying to see when they can find time to make their Product Owner happy in developing a new branch that allows for WPA3 encryption compatibility.

@ewlarson7​ 

That's the fix confirmed. 

Has to be on WPA2-AES; WPA3 does not connect for the outdoor cameras. 

I was able to get both of them connected ok on WPA2

@ewlarson7​  thank you! After a lot of frustration and returning cameras, getting new ones, etc. changing to WPA 2 worked like a charm! Maybe SimpliSafe should hire you…or maybe give you a free subscription or something, Thanks again!

@bhac3​ I think SimpliSafe just got lucky, I've worked in cybersecurity long enough to be able to troubleshoot and packet watch a lot of these things. 

Glad it worked out for you! have a good one 

@ewlarson7 switching my 2.4ghz network to WPA2 from WPA3 helped me FINALLY too! THANK YOU.

it took a new camera, re-jiggering my comcast xfi (luckily can do that in the app). 

Concerned about how splitting bands will affect our overall house internet, but i guess that remains to be seen...

@davey_d please communicate back to product dev team that we need these cameras to be compatible with the latest and greatest modems/routers. i am hoping that within the year these cameras can handle 5 ghz bands since that seems to be default on home wifi systems...

@bhac3​ 

Was running into the above mentioned issues with brand-new cameras not connecting to Wi-Fi. Tried different cameras, Different routers, modifying router settings etc. Nothing worked.

The fix turned out to be simple. 

Uninstalling the SimpliSafe app from the phone and reinstalling the app fixed all issues.

@bhac3​ I just got off the internet chat with Xfinity and they updated my network setting to WPA2 and it didn't work. Any suggestions? 

@rivids​ this did not work

Hi @mycoangelo ​, 

It seems that your Outdoor Camera is connecting to your Wi-Fi, but it's not connecting to your Base Station. I'd first make sure the version of the SimpliSafe app is up to date; and check to see if any of your SimpliSafe devices need a firmware update.

If everything is up to date, I would reset your Outdoor Camera. To do this, press and hold the button on your camera for 20-30 seconds until the white light starts flashing.

@emily_s​ 

I’ve done all of this. Everything up to date on keypad and app. I hear camera added from the base station. Then it goes to connect to wifi and I get an error in the app. Camera continues to flash white, even after I see it pop into my router app.

Updated app.

Updated keypad.

Deleted camera from keypad.

Reset camera.

Removed battery.

Locked onto 2.4 and WPA2 in router app.

Uninstalled app.

Reinstalled app.

Signed in and clicked add new camera.

Put battery in camera.

White light flashing.

Walked through setup.

Base station says camera added.

Click button to connect to wifi.

See “your camera could not connect to wifi” as I simultaneously get an alert from my router app that it’s connected. Click retry multiple times. Keep getting error.

White light continues to flash.

Hi @mycoangelo , 

Thank you for listing out all the troubleshooting steps you've taken, this is very helpful for me. Seeing this, it seems that your Outdoor Camera is having trouble communicating with your Base Station. If you contact our Support Team, they can help you get a replacement. 

@emily_s​ 

I’ve had them less than a week. Is it normal for your products to not work so shortly after install? It’s all three cameras and three spare batteries. Will replacements be needed every time they are disconnected from the wifi?

@mycoangelo ,

No, this is certainly not normal; and a replacement will not be needed every time your Outdoor Cameras are disconnected from your Wi-Fi. It appears that there's an issue with your current cameras. Our Support team can help you get a replacement. 

@Davidandniloo​ Yes, my ASUS router has had issues with other limited or old devices.

In this case, I cannot get a camera to connect, no matter what I try. I even added a Linksys router to try at WPA2 (personal, enterprise, mixed) and set the mode at 802.11b only.