VMC2030AerH8 Essential Spotlight Camera Not Working

[ggreen1998]

I have an Essential Spotlight Camera that has been working with out issue for around 6 months since we got it.  A few days ago it stopped working (we don't get video feed and it says "Your camera is not connected Make sure it has a working internet connection". on the phone app)  The camera is fully charge/plugged into the power constantly and is connected to the internet.  The internet is running fine on other devises using it.  I tried factory resetting the camera twice: removing the device re-setting it then re-connecting it to my internet.  After doing this it works for around 2 minutes then I get the:  "Your camera is not connected Make sure it has a working internet connection" error message again even though the camera was still in the same physical location connected to the internet and fully charged.  At this point I am not sure what else to try.  Has anyone else had a similar experience and if so, do you have any suggestions?  Thanks in advance.

[Retired_Member]

I would guess that something has changed re. your WiFi signalling between your camera and your router or access point.  This could be as simple as a large metal object having been placed beside your router (which is blocking the signal to a large degree) or something much more complex.

If you have an Android phone available I would start by installing a free WiFi analyzer app and using it to check signal strength at the camera and take a note of it.  My favorite free app for Android is called 'WiFi Network Analyzer' by Zoltan Pallagi though there are lots of free apps for Android which will do the same job.  There is no app for iPhones which will do this job.  Test signal strength, restart your router or access point, imagine a straight line between router and camera and look for new obstacles along the signal path, move them out of the way if you find one, then test signal strength at the camera again.  A signal strength of -80bBm is the bare minimum, better than -60dBm is more than good enough for most WiFi devices in most circumstances.  I can't give you an exact number as it depends to a large degree on how many neighboring WiFi networks there are and how close by they are.  WiFi signalling does not depend on pure signal strength but on being louder than all your neighbors - like the difference between a whisper in a silent room vs. a very crowded room.

If that's not the cause, look at WiFi channels.  One of your closest neighbors may have made a change and is now disrupting your WiFi signalling.  The video linked below may be of some help.  If you find that your WiFi signalling is good and you still have problem you may have a faulty camera.  Contact Arlo support.  They will ask you about WiFi channels and what troubleshooting you've done so to save time it might be worth noting each test you do and change you make as you go along.  Best of luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih2d201onno

*EDIT - there may actually be an iPhone app that can report signal strength.  There is none that can report on WiFi channels, I'm certain of that, but signal strength might be possible.  If you have no Android phone available you'd need to check this.  I don't own any Apple devices so I can't verify