OUTDOOR CAMERAS DON'T WORK AND NO HELP FROM SIMPLISAFE

Still trying to get someone to help at Simplisafe. I had all kinds of problems with ADT and Brinks before I went to Simplisafe. They lie just like them all.  Seems like there are no honest security providers out there.

If, as others have said, the cameras are woken up by the base station, then it seems to me that tweaking your WIFI won't have any effect. 

If moving the base station closer to the cameras wakes them up reliably, then ... (?!)

Seems that a class action suit is the only way any action will be made by Simplisafe. I've done all the same steps as others have outlined here and the refurbished replacement they sent me will not read a QR code even when trying in the middle of the night with near complete darkness behind my bright phone...the cameras are garbage thus making the rest of the system worthless...

@emily_s​ So you are censuring my posts now?

@emily_s​

I have tried absolutely everything possible to make my cameras operative, including phone instructions from live Simplisafe technicians, all without success.  After my last attempts, the tech stated he would have their "Support Team" reach out to me, but that was a week ago and no contact since from Simplisafe.  I am just confounded why a company would allow this type of thing to continue without addressing the root problem....can you help me?

The outdoor cameras are awful, full stop, end of sentence.  They know it, their customers know it.  They aren't going to get better because it's a hardware issue, it literally cannot be fixed.

My concern is that their new indoor wireless cameras are built using similar architecture (base station wakes up camera, camera connects to wifi, camera starts to stream).  I've seen somewhat similar behavior with the one that I purchased.

No amount of begging or pleading will resolve the issue because it's not something they can resolve.  You're going to keep getting the same attempts to fix it.  Your only option is to consider another system at this point.

@berrytc​ I can see that the agent you spoke to did send your case details to our engineers for further investigation - someone will contact you to investigate your cameras further. In the interim, I can absolutely troubleshoot with you further here in the Community. 

Can you please tell me the symptoms your cameras are exhibiting? Are there any flashing lights? Are they currently added to your system?

Thats not going to help the cameras wake up any faster, ask me how I know.

A faster router would certainly help if you haven't had an upgrade in a while. But what also helps is to troubleshoot the local radio link between that camera and the Base Station, because it's the Base Station that wakes the camera up.

Hopefully people will start to wake up and see how simpliunsafe is taking their money and not selling them a working product. What I can't believe is that a company that sells a "security Product " can get away with selling a product that is not working and could put the owner at risk.

I couldn't agree more.  The Indoor system works. The monitoring system works great. But I also have three of these absolutely worthless SS cameras.  I have also, like so many others, tried over and over to troubleshoot. There is no way to make them functional, even with attached solar panels.  My advice is "Simple", don't buy them.

For cameras (all brands) that require 2.4G WIFI, you'll get more reliable operation if you split your WIFI, and setup your cameras to the 2.4G band.  It's simple to do on your internet provider's web site on your accounts' WIFI settings page.

When I did it, the result was a 2.4G band with the existing name, plus a 5G band with -5 added to the end of the name.  Both bands use the same password.

For example, if your existing WIFI name is "mywifi", then after splitting you will have a 2.4G band named "mywifi", plus a 5G band named "mywifi-5" or a custom name of your choosing if your provider offers that option.

Since your cameras were already setup to connect to the WIFI named "mywifi", you shouldn't need to do anything else, other than possibly cycling the power to the cameras, unless you changed the 2.4G name when you did the split (not recommended).

To avoid overcrowding, be sure to reset all your other WIFI enabled devices, that don't specifically call for a 2.4G connection, like cell phones, tablets, TVs, computers, game consoles, etc. to the 5G band.

2.4G WIFI is better at penetrating walls and objects. 5G is faster, and can support more devices.

Hope this helps.

@JulzMC​ When adhering sensors to surfaces, we recommend cleaning the surface with an alcohol-based cleaning solution and letting the surface dry all the way to ensure that the device stays secured to the wall.

But regarding the refund for your Video Doorbell, have you already gotten in touch with our Support team about this? They will be able to help track that down for you.

@jandtkawis​ Make that 601 complaints.   Junk is probably too kind a word, but there aren't many synonyms that accurately describe the stuff SS is peddling.  Also notice how the moderators of the community have been mostly absent along with the fanboys.

I bought a system last Christmas on a Black Friday deal because my shed kept getting broken into. Thank goodness I only paid about 30% of retail. The system worked properly for about a month. Then all the outdoor cameras lost signal and refused to reconnect. I lost count of how many calls I made and hours I wasted on the phone with techs. They sent me new cameras, then sent me a signal extender, I switched ISPs from DSL to 1 Gig fiber and still had problems. Each time I called we'd get the cameras to function, temporarily. The last time they worked for less than 2 days, I am so sick of this garbage hardware they sell. It's a real shame because I like the cameras, I like the battery setup and the magnetic mounts, and when they actually worked they were great. The problem is you can't keep them working, they just quit whenever they feel like it! Like everyone else, of course by the time you are ready to give up it's too late for a refund. If I had paid full price for this system, I would sue for my money back. The ONLY camera that consistently works is the doorbell cam, and it only detects people some of the time, usually after they're leaving so I only get to see the back of them. But at least it doesn't lose signal all the damn time. I told one tech they should make the outdoor cams like the doorbell, since it actually works. This company should be out of business. So many people like me see the ads and expect it's a reliable company but it's anything but. 

I bought a system last Christmas on a Black Friday deal because my shed kept getting broken into. Thank goodness I only paid about 30% of retail. The system worked properly for about a month. Then all the outdoor cameras lost signal and refused to reconnect. I lost count of how many calls I made and hours I wasted on the phone with techs. They sent me new cameras, then sent me a signal extender, I switched ISPs from DSL to 1 Gig fiber and still had problems. Each time I called we'd get the cameras to function, temporarily. The last time they worked for less than 2 days, I am so sick of this garbage hardware they sell. It's a real shame because I like the cameras, I like the battery setup and the magnetic mounts, and when they actually worked they were great. The problem is you can't keep them working, they just quit whenever they feel like it! Like everyone else, of course by the time you are ready to give up it's too late for a refund. If I had paid full price for this system, I would sue for my money back. The ONLY camera that consistently works is the doorbell cam, and it only detects people some of the time, usually after they're leaving so I only get to see the back of them. But at least it doesn't lose signal all the damn time. I told one tech they should make the outdoor cams like the doorbell, since it actually works. This company should be out of business. So many people like me see the ads and expect it's a reliable company but it's anything but.