SimpliCam losing connection

Cameras goes offline when updating and gets stuck.  I have had this issue with almost all my cameras.  I'll notice one stating its offline.  I'll check it and it will have the yellow light on.  I usually leave it for 24 hours hoping it fixes itself but so far it never does.  So I unplug it then plug it back in.  The camera goes back to working correctly.  Hasn't happened to the same camera yet.  I'm running four of them at this time.  When I first got the cameras in Jan. they all had to update so I could get the voice and mic options.  This was really nice and liked how they all updated on there own.  But so far it's been an easy fix with unplugging and plugging back in when they get stuck.  Lucky this has only happened a few times so far.

I called simplisafe and was tried to be convinced it was an upload speed issue. I had my ISP send a tech out to check and everything checked out great. Was then sent a new camera and same issue happened. Connect for 1-5 secinds, freeze, followed by lost connection. Worked perfect for the 1st 3 months I owned the system. The camera is a key component of the security system. It's just not the same without it. When is a fix coming?????

The same is happening to me. Did an internet speed test for upload and download right next to the camera, wifi signal is great. this is a genuine bug.

My ISP modem/router was the issue.

I read through this whole thread and was banging my head against the wall.

Short version: internet speed can definitely be an issue, but it's tricky because of dual band routers that hide their crappiness on the 2.4ghz band. When doing speed tests on your home network, make sure you are connecting to the 2.4ghz band. That's the one the cameras use.

The modem/router combo that AT&T gave us had great speed on 5Ghz band. I thought, therefore, that the problem was with the cameras. But on the 2.4Ghz band, speed was insanely slow and not enough for the cameras (upload speed was below .5mbps). Changing channels to avoid interefernce, etc. didn't help. I had to buy a separate router and plug it into the ISP modem/router. The separate router properly handles 2.4 and 5ghz bands without issue. Cameras are now working again.

So in the short term, the fix is to get a separate router that works properly. In the long term, it would really help if simplisafe made cameras that worked on the 5ghz bandwidth...although 5ghz doesn't do well going through walls...


Long version: I started having an issue with our cameras after an upgrade to our internet speed. We were on 50Mbps down/10MBps up. Everytrhing was fine. We upgraded to 100down, 20 up. There was a problem with our internet connection immediately. ISP sent a tech to fix the problem same day. He swapped our two year old modem/router combo with a brand new one (BGW210-700). Did a speed test. Great speeds, no problem.

Camera problems started. Jittery. Disconnecting and freezing. Unreliable. Resets and whatnot did nothing to help.  

Here's what was tricky: the new modem/router broadcasts on 2.4 and 5ghz using the same network ID. That's user friendly and easy. The confusing thing was when doing speed tests, the laptop was getting great speed...and the cameras were still buggy.

I went into advanced settings and gave 2.4 and 5 ghz bands separate names so I could put the laptop on the independent bands and test. On the 5Ghz band, no problems with speed.

On the 2.4ghz band - less than .5 mbps up. Tried changing channels on the 2.4ghz band. Zero help.

This wasn't an issue with the old router/modem, but this new one does not handle 2.4ghz properly for some reason. AT&T tech had no idea how to fix it and suggested I get a new separate router. I read that this is a good idea in general since router/modem combos are just not that great.

Installed separate router with unqiue 2.4 and 5ghz band names.

Speed tests all come back great on both bands. Cameras are now working since the router functions properly.

Suspicions about how this might affect others out there:
ISP modem/routers may not be handling 2.4ghz band properly, but you won't know it if they have the 2.4 and 5ghz bands on the same name. You'll need to split them apart to test this! Also, when your ISP provided modem gets an automatic firmware update, it may be screwing up 2.4ghz band speeds, which will then look like your simplicam failed...But until you test the 2.4ghz band, you won't know if it's the camera or the ISP modem/router. And based on my experience with this craziness, I'd say it is a likely scenario that the ISP devices are the issue.

The fact that I was able to usually connect to the camera but then would get stuttering video and then cut off definitely made sense that the bandwidth was being messed up. So this is all worth testing if you're having the same issues!

0.5 Mbps up is almost implausibly low. Begs for a reset to factory defaults and reconfiguration.

Want to add...

Here are my speed tests on Spectrum high-speed ISP:

DOWNLOAD
117.9
Mbps

UPLOAD
10.0
Mbps

SImpliSafe says this isn't enough for two cameras!

All my Ring cameras work flawlessly. I am switching out to replace the SimpliCams which seem to be old technology and unworkable with modern systems and networks.

Same issue as everyone. This only started 2-weeks ago on a camera that worked perfectly for over 2 years. When I finally reached support, also told it's my upload speed--but it has always worked.

This is an epidemic issue that compromises all users' security. I urge everyone to take to social media and start to pan SimpliSafe until they fix their camera issues. Let's take control of these false promises and get their engineers to take responsibility!

Same thing happening with me and started about 2 weeks ago so 'something' had changed with Simplisafe for us all to be having these problems.  I have AT&T Fiber and my speed tests commonly show 1GB download speeds and 500Mbit upload speeds consistently.  I only have 2 cameras and they've always worked flawlessly up until about 2 weeks ago.

Nothing has changed at my house.  I've rebooted everything.  Everything else at my house continues to work great whether it's the 2.4 or 5ghz bandwidths.  For me its:

1) Can't consistently watch live feed on ANY device (Chrome on PC, iPhone).  I get 5-6 seconds of "okay" feed and then it stops and throws an error.
2) I still get motion detection but when I go to watch it, I get a few seconds and then failure.

We really need SimplySafe to step up here and tell us what's going on and stop giving us the "it's your upload speed" nonsense.

Same issues. Unreliable cameras ... No solutions ..

Same issue here with my SimpliSafe doorbell.

SimpliCams Lose Connection and Jittery / Choppy

Issue:  I keep loosing connection to SimpliCam(s) after entering preview mode "Watch Live", after 2-4 seconds.  And in the rare times I don't loose connection after 4 seconds, the video feed is choppy and jittery--really unwatchable.  Using the talk back feature doesn't work, as the connection is lost immediately.

Yes, I can use the iPhone app to use live preview and I can hear the mechanical shutter release within half a second--this part is fast.
Yes, my upload speed on both 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz is very fast on both. I get at least 82 Mbps very regularly.  
Yes, I've tried two different SimpliCam cameras (the first one I got as part of the base package, and the second a replacement).  Both have same connection issue.
Yes, I toyed with switching out the Channels on my 2.4 GHz Router between 1, 6 and 11, with no success.

Not a great experience.  Entry sensors and motion sensors are working great however.   I'm now considering dropping SimpliSafe all together.

-Michael

Finally fixed it. Works great again.

Everyone, I've been using a doorbell and indoor cam very reliably for about 3 months when, all of the sudden I started experiencing the same issues everyone here has.  Essentially, whenever I look at either camera live, it freezes after 2-3 seconds.  Same when viewing recordings after alerts.  I didn't do any upgrades, didn't change ISPs, etc.

For security reasons, I've kept my Simplisafe cameras (and other Internet of Things devices) off my internal home network.  Essentially, I've connected all these devices to my AT&T wifi.  I installed an Orbi wifi network for all my internal home computers so essentially I have a very secure network (my Orbi) and my unsecured network (my AT&T wifi).   Furthermore, I have AT&T fiber so I regularly get 1Gbit downloads and very nearly that on uploads.  So Internet bandwidth was NEVER my issue.

So, to cut to the chase, I re-installed my 2 Simplisafe cameras to my Orbi wifi network and it IMMEDIATELY fixed the problems.  I then tried to re-install them back onto my AT&T modem's wifi network and the problem immediately returned.  So I reinstalled the devices back on my internal Orbi network and it's working great again.   Both the Orbi and the AT&T fiber modem are in the same closet in my house and they're right beside each other.  They both travel the same fiber network so it's not an Internet speed issue.

I can only surmise that AT&T upgraded the firmware on my fiber device a few weeks ago that caused the problem because NOTHING else changed.  Furthermore, it completely rules out an issue with camera or Simplisafe's delivery network because I can cause or fix the problem simply by re-deploying the cameras on different networks.  

AT&T Device info just so we can compare it to see if others with this issue have this device:
Arris BGW210-700, Software version      1.10.9

Working With Workaround

Well, I have one SimpliCam working with an unpleasant workaround.  I last posted on August 24th, 2019 (about a week ago), and I have an update on my frequent camera disconnects and jittery video.

Hardward Specs
I had neglected to post my router specs on my last post.  I'm using:
- AT&T Router/Modem Combo BGW210-700 (for new AT&T Fiber setup in Los Angeles)
- Software Version: 1.10.9

Unpleasant Solution
I decided to try taking an older NetGear router that I've owned for a long time and connect it to my AT&T Router via Ethernet.  It worked, and for my SimpliCam I got:
1) Really smooth video streaming
2) No more frequent "Unable to load video" messages
3) Talkback feature worked
4) Delay of 3 seconds (which is acceptable to me)

Call
Is this bug from AT&T?  Or is the SimpliCam not meeting Wifi standards all that well?  Could be on either end.  We should all start calling frequently both SimpliSafe and AT&T to have them figure this out!  

This workaround sucks.  I have to use a second router for greater complexity and more Wifi signals.  This means more electricity, more electrical plugs, more Wifi noise, more passwords. Ugh.

I was completely about to walk away from SimpliSafe saying their cameras do not work, and they would have lost me as a customer, but now I at least have a workaround.

Hi Simplisafe Users,

IMPORTANT:

The only way to stay your camera connected always and to recover the connection remotely are the following:

1. Tell your internet service provider that you need internet booster(s), and it should be exclusively supplied by them.
   Do not use other internet booster it's no good.
2. You need to know how many weak spots you have in your house where you put your cameras.
3. You need to make another WIFI username and password, in this way you can allocate the stronger connection to your cameras individually.
4. You will lose signal but try and refresh by using the app it's not gonna connect right away but usually it takes a minute or less to back up that's 100%.
5. You need to leave your internal doors open like in your kitchen door(s), living room door(s) and etc, because if you do close your doors it will block the signal and your internet boosters won't be able to feed connections with your cameras.
6. Upgrade your internet speed and bandwidth if needed.

Result: PROBLEM SOLVED... PEACE OF MIND.

If you miss one (1) out of five (6), then forget everything.
Simplisafe cameras will only work if your internet connection is stable.

Cheers Guys!

Raul Rona Jr. : )

BASE STATION, CAMERAS HANG

I was away and both cameras hung and the Base station also hung and was not able to communicate with SS meaning I had no monitoring!!!  I had to call my neighbor who was able to go in and power cycle the base station and the cameras.  Everything worked fine for a week then the cameras hung again.

For the Engineers out there, I'm wondering if S.S. employs Watchdog Timers and Deadman Timers in their devices.  This is essential for a remote device.  This would reset the device if the software goes into the weeds or something else other than an actual hardware failure cause a device to hang. When I called support, they told me to press the button on top of the camera.  They didn't seem to understand that I was 1500 miles away!!!  Unbelievable!!!  These devices need to employ every feature possible to provide the best reliability possible otherwise they are useless.