Cameras can periodically go offline for a number of reasons. When this happens, you will need to troubleshoot the issue locally at the cameras. Use this guide to help you go through the most common causes for offline cameras and get yours back up and running.
Why do Cameras go Offline?
Single cameras or entire camera systems can lose the connection to our server due to connectivity, power or network configuration issues.
With a little bit of effort the cause can be found by checking:
The power supply of the switch
Cabling between switch and cameras
Internet connection of the local network
The network's firewall settings
⮕ Restart the Switch
Most of the times that all cameras go offline, it helps to restart the switch. Keep the power cord out for 15-30 seconds before inserting it again. Make sure the ports in the switch are supplying power to the cameras via the cables, the ports should show a green light.
If more devices are connected to the switch, please contact your IT-responsible before doing this.
⮕ Restart the Network
If restarting the switch doesn't help try restarting your network device. Keep the network device switched off for 15-30 seconds before inserting it again.
If more devices are connected to the network, please contact your IT-responsible before doing this.
⮕ Make Sure that the PoE/PoE+ Switch has an Internet Connection
Connect a laptop to the switch and verify that you can access external websites.
⮕ Check your Network Permissions
Make sure no changes to your local network have been made. Check the network and firewall settings together with an IT responsible on site.
All connections from the camera are outbound (to the internet) and the below protocols and ports needs to be enabled in the firewall:
https (video upload)
NTP (time synchronization: time.google.com)
TCP ports 7752- 7760, 17891 (camera management)
⮕ Check Integrity of Cables and Switch Ports
Check that the Ethernet cord is connected on both ends and has no damage.
Check that the Ethernet switch that the cameras are connected to is working.
Try plugging the camera into another port of you Switch.
Use a network cable tester to quickly determine if the issue is caused by a bad cable. A cable tester checks each of the eight wires inside an ethernet cable and determines whether any wires are broken, crossed or shorted and if they are wired correctly.
If you have another camera on the same switch that is working you can swap ports between the cameras and see if the offline camera comes online. This can be applied for S-line Wide, X-line Wide and any other setup containing more than one camera.
Connect the cable from the offline camera to an online camera’s port and the online camera to the offline camera’s port.
If the same camera is still online after switching, the switch is fully functional and the offline camera may need to be replaced.
If the other camera comes online, it’s most likely the port of the switch that is causing problems.
You can also try swapping the cables between the cameras. Disconnect the cable from the camera that is online and connect it to the camera that is offline. Then, take the cable from the offline camera and connect it to the previously online camera.
If it’s always the same camera that is offline, the issue is most likely caused by the camera which will need to be replaced.
If a different camera goes offline each time, the issue is most likely caused by the cable or the port.
⮕ Look for the Cameras on the Local Network
You can also try searching the cameras on the local network. Log in to your router and look for a section labeled for e.g 'Connected Devices', 'Connected Clients', 'Device List', 'LAN Status', or 'Attached Devices'. The name depends on your router brand.
Once you've located the section you should see a list of all devices currently connected to the router, either via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The list usually shows device names, IP addresses, and MAC addresses. Here, you'll want to look for the IP addresses or MAC addresses belonging to the cameras.
There are a couple of ways to find the IP and MAC address of a camera.
If the camera is visible locally but is offline in Spiideo this indicates that the cameras are receiving power and that they are connected to the network but not connected to the cloud. This most often indicates an issue with the firewall or internet connection.
If the camera doesn’t appear locally, it usually indicates an issue with power, the cable, the PoE port, or the camera’s network interface.
If you copy the IP address of the camera, paste it in to your browser and get redirected to a login page, the camera is online locally. If the camera still appears offline in Spiideo this is likely due to a network or firewall issue.
Please note: The cameras are only discoverable for about 5-10 minutes after they come online. If you want to locate them locally we recommend restarting the camera.
If you have:
Restarted the switch and network
Ensured that the firewall and network settings are correct
Confirmed that the PoE switch has a network connection
Ensured that the cables and ports are not damaged
See the cameras on your local network
Please contact Support via the chat in the bottom right and we'll assist you further.