So, am I understanding that because I installed a new router tonight in order for me to reconnect the five cameras I have spread around the house and property I now have reinstall every one as a new camera, losing all the current setup that I have into them? and the app? That can’t be right. That would be insanity if so.
If you don’t want to do the setup, you can use the same SSID and password you had on the old router. By doing this, the cameras will connect.
If you are looking at using a new SSID and/or password, you can go through the setup but you do not have to remove the cameras / devices from the app. that will force a new SSID and password to be applied while maintaining the current setup, rules, etc.
So there really is no simple way, via the app, like nearly every other modern connected device in use today, to simply update the camera connection info? That’s astounding. In a world of risk even updating a password yields the same idiotic method to set them up all over again? I have three outdoor cams that are in mounted cases and in order to get to the set up controls they would all need to be disassembled, set up and reassembled. The irony for security cameras eh, to be designed to discourage their own security?
No.
How would the app communicate with the cams if they aren’t on wifi anymore?
It seems to me that the app would allow the input for the new information. I guess I am mistaken. It’s the only device tonight that feels prehistoric comparatively speaking. To have to get into them all and start over.
It seems counterintuitive, but I’ve set up a few brands of cameras now and they all work the same way. In order to establish (and maintain) connectivity while changing wifi settings, it needs to use bluetooth or a temporary wifi direct connection to your phone. So not only is it short range but you have to tell it to go into that mode with a button press.
In theory they could add a feature to the app where you change the settings while connected to your old network, push it out to the cams, and hope they reconnect when connected to your new network (i.e. hope you didn’t typo the password). But how many people would mess that up (or interrupted connection would cause problems)? And honestly, how many would think to do that before they move, switch routers, ISPs, etc? Sort of pointless.
As far as putting it into setup mode remotely (or defaulting to it when wifi is lost) that’s just a risk, it is funny to drive around with the wifi network list on your phone and see all kinds of generic SSIDs from chromecasts, smart bulbs, HP printers, etc just sitting there waiting to be taken over.
I don’t see it as a dumb design or oversight, just no practical way around it.
What I’d recommend is putting your cams on a dedicated SSID for IOTs - you can leave it with LAN access if you want to maintain the ability to stream directly to your phone, but that way if your main network or guest network needs to have its password changed for security, you can leave the IOT one alone. Since you won’t often need the IOT password and you’ll never give it to anyone, just write down a long, secure one and lock it up somewhere, and it won’t need to be changed as often, if ever. Sure, WPA2 can be cracked, but there’s a pretty small subset of people capable of doing that.
I change my guest password regularly, my main one much less frequently, and haven’t had a need to change the IOT one at all in like 2 years. My IOT and guest networks are firewalled off from my main network (which does cause the cams to stream via wyze servers and not directly to my phone, but hasn’t been an issue). So even if someone hacks it, they can’t see or do anything other than surf the web (AP isolation is enabled, so no other devices are visible) and I’d notice it within a fairly short period.
I did mount my cams in places where they aren’t easily reached but it is easy enough for me to hit the setup button if needed (or access the SD card which is a more frequent occurrence). Some are in 2nd floor windows and a couple would require an 8 foot stepladder, which by the time someone got that set up, I’d be alerted and they’d be hearing the sound of a slide rack.
Actually I’m realizing that several of these cams, if they are on wifi, if you delete them from the app, they go into setup mode. I believe my Panv3 and OG both do but can’t recall exactly, I know at least one of the models does. So you may have the option of spinning up your old SSID and password (as a temporary second SSID), deleting the cam, and getting close enough that you can set it up again without opening your boxes. Depending on the cam model, you might have to at least get your phone in front of the camera to scan the QR code though. Still easier than tearing open the box. YMMV though, I don’t recall off the top of my head which cams act this way. If your router can’t run two SSIDs simultaneously, you can change to the old one, delete all your cams (after confirming they’re online) then change to the new SSID and go through the setup (if they in fact go into auto setup mode). Maybe test by deleting one more easily accessible cam first to see if it behaves that way.
NOTE that when you re-add the cameras, as long as you name them the exact same thing in the app, they will restore all their previous settings (or at least the vast majority of them), with the exception of the wifi info obviously.
Thank you for the thoughtful response. A lot of what you proposed is well beyond my realm of ability or understanding at the present time. That is likely I hit a wall of frustration pretty quickly, especially when things just ‘don’t work’. The last 4 hours have been spet dead ending trying to set up new iPhone from an old one. Last time was painless, this time hurdle after hurdle.
Do you have concerns with continuing to use the same wifi name and password (i.e. people may have the password that you don’t want to, etc)? If not, your easiest course of action is just to go into the router and update it to use the old network and password, at which point your cams will come back online (you’ll need to update any devices that you’ve already changed over to the new one, but that’s usually pretty painless). One less thing to deal with in the transition to the new provider.
Just an FYI, you do not need to delete them from the app. Leave them alone in the app and simply press the button to do the setup again. They will maintain all settings and information.
I don’t really have any concerns with the original PW I guess. And with that I am happy to report that returning the new router to the old SSID name and PW did reconnect all the cameras. Except for one that is on the back of a garage the furthest distance from the router. I will power cycle that one to see if that changes anything but I think it’s likely too far from the router and I guess I have found the transmission limits of the new unit. I may need an extender again to cover the garage as I had in the previous system.
Thanks to all for the input and education. I do like these little cameras a lot, which is why I have five. That said I guess we learn and accept the idiosyncrasies of these like we do with anything else.
Yeah but in this case where OP wasn’t able to access some cameras, I know that with some cameras, deleting them from the app when they’re connected puts them into setup mode, so was suggesting to try that, which might eliminate the need to push the button on each cam.
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