We always recommend checking the signal strength that the cameras are getting from the router through the SimpliSafe app itself. To do that, open up the SimpliSafe app and do the following:
Tap on ‚ò∞ Menu
Select Settings
Choose Camera Settings and then select one of your cameras that is experiencing this issue
After scrolling down the page, you should see an option called Connection Strength
If you tap on that you can then run a quick test to see what the quality of the Wifi that the camera is getting from your router
the camera issue is not due to wifi. I am forced to disconnect/delete and reinstall one or the other my cameras every few weeks. The repeated dismissal by the company is extremely irritating. Either I was sent faulty cameras or there’s a software problem.
There is definitely a connection problem with these cameras that when too many get triggered at once they kick off and shut off. It happens often when I shut off my alarm and all the cameras are triggered at once. Several of them get booted and then reset themselves.
This same issue happens to us all the time. Strong signal strength but the video cuts out less then 10 seconds into viewing a motion detected video and says "No Video". So very disappointing. I've been meaning to call but I know I'll just get the same run-around troubleshooting that I've already done.
This has been a CONSTANT battle since installing the doorbell and two external cameras. I even went so far as to invest in a wifi extender to cover my whole house yet the cameras and doorbell disconnect multiple times a day. Just this morning my side camera detected motion. I got the notice, went to check and got "no video'. Yesterday someone knocked on my door and when I tried to answer through the doorbell, it was disconnected from the internet. The wifi extender is literally ten feet from the doorbell on a 1G fiber optic wifi service. What good is a security system that fails every time something is actually happening? I'm pretty close to scrapping this system and finding something reliable from a company that doesn't blame your equipment whenever their equipment fails. I wish I could trust Simplisafe but, unfortunately, I do not find their equipment to be simple when all they ever recommend is resetting it. Nor do I feel safe with their equipment monitoring my house.
@islandsinger You couldn't be more right! This is been a recurrent problem since I had the system and I've increased my internet speed twice. The simple fact is that when the cameras hit too much data like when several go off at once or all of them go off. When we trigger the alarm system they don't overcord and get kicked off line and have to reset themselves. It happens almost all the time
My three indoor SS cams haven't given me any trouble in along time. Wireless is very convenient and an option where there is little other choice. But, it's not as robust as a hardwired system. The majority of my security cameras are hardwired PoE cameras.
I have a few other non-SS wireless cams (Q-See - these I think are actually Dahua, and Amcrest) I got for experimentation. I do get occasional connectivity notices from those but it seems to be only short duration and they recover.
Constant problems with their cameras. Would not choose SimpliSafe again if I was selecting a new provider. Their dismissal of the system’s issues as problems with your wifi when you’ve repeatedly definitively ruled that out is particularly troubling. You’d think they would take these obviously common problems seriously.
@simoncjuw we take any and all customer issues seriously! There's just a lot of different factors in WiFi that affect performance, and we want to make sure that we cover it all.
If you'd like to let me know more about what you've been experiencing, and what you've already tried, I might be able to suggest a next step.
Or of course, our Support team at 800-548-9508 would be happy to help.
Disconnectivity issue with the cameras is a real issue and we're tired of hearing about it being the Wi-Fi connection. I could put these cameras next to my modem and they would still knock off line when they get triggered
I have one camera, in the same room as the WAP. I took packet traces from the WAP and when the camera disconnects from the Simplisafe internet server it is the camera sending the disconnect... the two way communication is fine up to the point that the camera sends a FIN,ACK then the Simplisafe internet server responds with a FIN,ACK and then I see the message from Simplisafe that my camera disconnected from the internet. That is true but it is not due to a network issue. The signal is still there at -48dBm (more than Simplisafe's recommended -55dBm) and over 10 mbps upload speed. I have 100 meg symmetrical fiber here. Camera is on 2.6.2.126. Nothing else has disconnect issues in the house. FireTVs, PCs streaming YouTube, PCs that the wife and I use for work from home on Teams video calls all day. Something is going on with the Simplisafe camera here. And it disconnects when practically no other traffic is on the network, less than 2 meg total on the 100 meg connection.
@patrick Thank you for providing the details about the camera disconnect, as I have run into the same issue and have been meaning to run network sniffing to see what is going on.
Our cameras show good connection link and good upload speeds when doing diagnostics, however when viewing a camera live for over 45 min or sometimes even shorter periods of time, the camera will time out with a “lost connection” message. Sometimes this is followed by a reboot of the camera or flashing yellow or red LED. But all other devices on my network do not have any issues or hiccups at the same time.
It has caused me to believe that the camera sends a disconnect signal to the server or stream for some reason, or that the encrypted connection to SimpliSafe’s servers must be rock solid or the camera terminates the session.
Either way, I agree with most people on the forum. I don’t have time to troubleshoot with level 1 tech support at SimpliSafe when I would really need to speak to an engineer who can actually look at packet data and solve the root cause of the camera issue. I wish Simplisafe offered a “local live view” option with optional SD card storage, so that when the network connection to SimpliSafe’s servers was not stable we would not lose live and recorded video functionality.
Same here. 7 cams and if you watch them live they constantly drop. It's not wifi strength (shows strong), it's something faulty in the programming, most likely something to do with robustness of the streaming software. A local live view feature likely wouldn't work because they are probably programmed to only communicate with Simplisafe servers. Would likely be more work to support that than just fixing the actual problem.
They replaced my indoor camera I posted on earlier in this thread and it did not change anything. Packet traces still show that the camera sends the disconnect to the SImpliSafe servers. Everything is streaming along fine then the camera sends a disconnect, does a new DNS request, then starts a new connection. Camera is within 20 feet of the WAP, camera states the signal strength is -45dBm and greater than 10 meg upload, all well above minimums per SimpliSafe. I am not confident they have the support staff capable of troubleshooting this to resolution.
It's a software issue for sure. Going to have to get rid of their stuff unfortunately when time permits. I'm already telling people not to get this system. I've also noticed the front door lock is unreliable. Sometimes I press the lock button and the keypad LED lights up but nothing happens. Second press and it actually locks. It's random.
My camera's have been doing this since I bought them 3 years ago. I've increased my internet speed twice and when they get activated half of the time they just shut off
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simplisafe_admin
Community Admin
•
491 Messages
2 years ago
We always recommend checking the signal strength that the cameras are getting from the router through the SimpliSafe app itself. To do that, open up the SimpliSafe app and do the following:
SimpliSafe Social Team
SimpliSafe Home Security
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mark576
2 Messages
2 years ago
There's not a way to hardwire the cameras via ethernet, correct? it's disappointing that both the side and back cameras cut out at the same time.
0
jcsteffy
7 Messages
2 years ago
0
islandsinger
2 Messages
2 years ago
1
whoaru99
1.3K Messages
2 years ago
I have a few other non-SS wireless cams (Q-See - these I think are actually Dahua, and Amcrest) I got for experimentation. I do get occasional connectivity notices from those but it seems to be only short duration and they recover.
0
simoncjuw
2 Messages
1 year ago
Constant problems with their cameras. Would not choose SimpliSafe again if I was selecting a new provider. Their dismissal of the system’s issues as problems with your wifi when you’ve repeatedly definitively ruled that out is particularly troubling. You’d think they would take these obviously common problems seriously.
2
patrick
2 Messages
9 months ago
I have one camera, in the same room as the WAP. I took packet traces from the WAP and when the camera disconnects from the Simplisafe internet server it is the camera sending the disconnect... the two way communication is fine up to the point that the camera sends a FIN,ACK then the Simplisafe internet server responds with a FIN,ACK and then I see the message from Simplisafe that my camera disconnected from the internet. That is true but it is not due to a network issue. The signal is still there at -48dBm (more than Simplisafe's recommended -55dBm) and over 10 mbps upload speed. I have 100 meg symmetrical fiber here. Camera is on 2.6.2.126. Nothing else has disconnect issues in the house. FireTVs, PCs streaming YouTube, PCs that the wife and I use for work from home on Teams video calls all day. Something is going on with the Simplisafe camera here. And it disconnects when practically no other traffic is on the network, less than 2 meg total on the 100 meg connection.
1
bills_60526
10 Messages
8 months ago
@patrick Thank you for providing the details about the camera disconnect, as I have run into the same issue and have been meaning to run network sniffing to see what is going on.
Our cameras show good connection link and good upload speeds when doing diagnostics, however when viewing a camera live for over 45 min or sometimes even shorter periods of time, the camera will time out with a “lost connection” message. Sometimes this is followed by a reboot of the camera or flashing yellow or red LED. But all other devices on my network do not have any issues or hiccups at the same time.
It has caused me to believe that the camera sends a disconnect signal to the server or stream for some reason, or that the encrypted connection to SimpliSafe’s servers must be rock solid or the camera terminates the session.
Either way, I agree with most people on the forum. I don’t have time to troubleshoot with level 1 tech support at SimpliSafe when I would really need to speak to an engineer who can actually look at packet data and solve the root cause of the camera issue. I wish Simplisafe offered a “local live view” option with optional SD card storage, so that when the network connection to SimpliSafe’s servers was not stable we would not lose live and recorded video functionality.
0
syedahusain
3 Messages
8 months ago
Same here. 7 cams and if you watch them live they constantly drop. It's not wifi strength (shows strong), it's something faulty in the programming, most likely something to do with robustness of the streaming software. A local live view feature likely wouldn't work because they are probably programmed to only communicate with Simplisafe servers. Would likely be more work to support that than just fixing the actual problem.
(edited)
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patrick
2 Messages
5 months ago
They replaced my indoor camera I posted on earlier in this thread and it did not change anything. Packet traces still show that the camera sends the disconnect to the SImpliSafe servers. Everything is streaming along fine then the camera sends a disconnect, does a new DNS request, then starts a new connection. Camera is within 20 feet of the WAP, camera states the signal strength is -45dBm and greater than 10 meg upload, all well above minimums per SimpliSafe. I am not confident they have the support staff capable of troubleshooting this to resolution.
0
syedahusain
3 Messages
5 months ago
It's a software issue for sure. Going to have to get rid of their stuff unfortunately when time permits. I'm already telling people not to get this system. I've also noticed the front door lock is unreliable. Sometimes I press the lock button and the keypad LED lights up but nothing happens. Second press and it actually locks. It's random.
0
0
JayZee
13 Messages
4 months ago
My camera's have been doing this since I bought them 3 years ago. I've increased my internet speed twice and when they get activated half of the time they just shut off
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0