Wyze Security compromised if internet down?

Wyze devices need internet access in order to function properly. With no internet, your timers and triggers won’t run, you won’t get notified of any sensor events, and you can’t see your cameras. The system basically goes dark, and we all experience that whenever the Wyze servers go down, as they did yesterday!

In addition, it looks like the new Wyze security system will notify the monitoring company of security events via the internet as well. This means that all a thief has to do is snip the internet connection (phone/coax/fiber) and they can have free run of the house without worrying too much about the police coming.

Apparently the new Wyze Security sensors will connect directly to the base station via the home wifi, so I hope they’d at least set off the base station’s alarm, but neither the homeowner nor the monitoring company would be notified. I guess it relies on the neighbors to hear the alarm (which is inside the house) and take action - not very useful if you live out in the country or have neighbors who are absent, sound sleepers, hard of hearing or just don’t care.

Am I missing/misunderstanding something, or is this a security loophole?

-David

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Yes the WYZE cams operate like 99.99% of all other web based cameras.
I use the latest RTSP firmware which allows the web based app’s to function but I also monitor the cams with third party camera software using RTSP and it doesn’t care about the WEB, I have to do the same for all other WEB based cameras.

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Yes but he or she is asking mostly about the new Home Security offering.

And the answer is that the WYZE system functions EXACTLY like all other web based security systems. There is nothing unique about the wyze system when it comes to losing contact with the server. You can simply use google to find out the downfall of relying on the internet for your security. It’s why I use the RTSP firmware and don’t rely on the servers for important things.
BOTTOM LINE, There is nothing unique about how wyze works.

The question is whether or not it connects to cell phones and/or landlines as backups. There has been discussion but I don’t know the answer.

The related question would be how long and how well the overall system would work – sensors + alarms + camera viewing – without Internet available. It is neither an obvious nor simple question. Local RTSP video to a local home server or local smartphone IP address is a small part of the picture.

According to Wyze no landline/cell phone backup, at least not yet.

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Since it would pretty much require an RJ11 Jack or Bluetooth connection, if there is no indication of those features already, that is pretty disappointing. :frowning:

Thanks @WildBill.

Thanks for all the suggestions. The best solution would be for the base station to have an (optional) cellular connection, but if that were planned I’m sure Wyze would be touting it in their marketing material. (A landline could easily be cut, so is less reliable.)

One option would be to run the whole thing from a cellphone hotspot. Then you’d have an internet connection even if the power were cut, at least until your phone and/or the base station battery died. You could run them through a ups and have even longer autonomy, and if you ran your cameras through a cheap ups then you’d have visibility even in a complete outage. Could get expensive, though.

And of course if the Wyze server goes down (ahem!) then all bets are off.

Dave

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ONCE AGAIN there is NOTHING UNIQUE about the wyze products in this respect. If you’re unhappy with the product you purchased you may be able to return it for a refund.
These cheap Chinese cameras were never meant for anything but casual monitoring.
I do not believe they are marketed as security cameras anywhere on earth.

[mod edit] As ‘Customer’ already noted above, this is not about the cameras per se; it’s about the Wyze Security system, which was announced a month or so ago. I’m not unhappy about the security system, having never seen it, and can’t return it for the same reason. (I’ve pre-ordered it and am waiting for it to arrive.)

I do have 5 ‘cheap Chinese’ Wyze Cams - two on my boat and 3 at my house - and am very happy with them, esp. given the price.

[mod edit]

-David

MOD NOTE: Post edited to conform to the Community Guidelines.

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I’m very happy with the product I purchased, [mod edit]. I was simply explaining that these cameras are not $200 security cameras and were NEVER supposed to, [mod edit] Nothing is compromised when the internet goes down if you don’t set yourselves up for failure.

MOD NOTE: Post edited to conform to the Community Guidelines.

Dude, yet again, this is not primarily about the cameras!

Thank you David for this question.

I currently have CPI at both my home and rental. The rental is not presently occupied. The camera does not work because there is no WiFi, but the rest of the security system functions. That includes thermostat, alarm, door lock, sensors, etc.

I can understand the camera not working due to lack of WiFi. If the whole system depends on WIFI that would be a big NO for me.

Is there information in Wyze support docs to confirm or deny that the WHOLE system is solely WiFi dependent?

Thank you

Hi Drea, Thanks for the info. I don’t know anything about CPI’s systems, but it sounds like their devices must communicate to each other directly, or maybe through a base station.

Not sure exactly how the Wyze security system will communicate (maybe a Wyze rep could chime in??), but the current V1 sensors have to communicate through a bridge in a camera, and as far as I can tell are completely dependent on an internet connection to take trigger actions, like turning on a light or a plug. In other words, a sensor event apparently goes through the bridge to the camera, the camera sends it on the the Wyze server via the internet, the Wyze server executes the rule and sends back an action to, say, turn on a light. At least that’s the way I THINK it works!

Hope the new Wyze Security system will be a bit more robust & autonomous, like the CPI system…

-Dave

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This is correct. They Home Monitoring System will be internet dependent on initial rollout. @aaronramsdell, this will be the first Wyze product that is marketed as a security device/system.

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Thanks for the clarification, Loki (and for the edits!) :wink:

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Thanks, @Loki. So if no physical port is present in the new hub the only way they can add landline support is with an additional module.

I agree, not having a cellular backup is a BIG problem on a security system.
Thieves can easily cut your cable, DSL/phone, or fiber coming into your house, and there would be no internet access provided to the Wyze system. They can also jam the cellular signal too, but that takes a more advanced thief. One suggestion (if Wyze does not provide a solution) might be to purchase a router that has automatic fail-over to a WIFI hotspot. Even the Xfinity security system has cellular and battery backup.

It’s easier to jam Wifi than cell signal. If Wifi is jammed nothing communicates, cellular backup or not.
In reality, all of these scenarios, wire cutting and signal jamming, are unlikely.
If you do live in an area where this type of thing is a real concern then bargain Wifi secruity systems may not be for you. :slight_smile:

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