Cameras struggle to connect from phone app over Wifi but connect from cellular almost immediately

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

When I am at home on my Wifi and try to pull up any of the various Wifi cameras I have located around my house, I often get connection failed and have to try several times to get it to connect. Once I get it to connect, it stays connected and I can view it without issue and even access playback and settings. If I turn off Wifi and use cell signal, it will connect almost immediately and never have problems. I am connecting using the UID in the phone app and desktop app. I read that if you are using the UID for connection purposes, you don't need to do any port forwarding as it uses a random port, but I feel as though there must be some sort of network interference causing this. Also, just to be clear, all the my network devices, Wifi or otherwise, all run on the same subnet and same IP octet (class C).

[joseph_1979]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 And if you use the PC on your home WiFi, you have the same issue?

Which cameras you have installed? Did you try to switch off mobile data and connect to the home WiFi? Did you try to connect with fluent rather than clear mode? Do you have the latest version of the client on the smartphone? Do your cameras have the latest firmware?

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@joseph_1979 Using the desktop app on PC doesn't have any problem connecting to the cameras. I can close the desktop app and open it back up and they all show up immediately. The only issue I experience with trying to pull up cameras is from the phone app (iOS). If I flip off Wifi and connect with cellular, I can turn Wifi back on and it's works as expected. It's the initial connection that struggles when on Wifi. I can watch the FPS indicator ramp up and down while it tries to connect and usually tell when it's going to be successful when the FPS continues to increase and not drop.


The cameras I have installed are: ReoLink Duo 2, RLC510WA, and Argus PT Ultra. I just tried switching off mobile data and connecting through Wifi and it took me 4 attempts before it connected. I'm not sure how to connect in a particular mode. I have the latest client on my phone (iOS). Cameras are all on the latest firmware.

[joseph_1979]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 Watch them in Fluent and quit. Then try to connect again. Client will try to connect at a lower speed. Just a test.

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@joseph_1979 I found where you set that and it was already set to fluent for all 3 cameras. One other thing of note, once I connect and view one of the cameras, I can switch to any of the others and they view without any problems. It just seems like the initial connection that randomly struggles with the initial connection.

[joseph_1979]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 Which client are you using? And what is the smartphone?

[tomselbyuk_331910860959874]

@mlodge87_607028518432873
I frequently have a similar problem. I have a matrix Wi-Fi system (BT Whole house). Whilst watching TV I will often have the Reolink's Wi-Fi cameras on display on my Android Samsung Galaxy Tablet. But then one or two cameras will drop. After about an hour they will usually reconnect. But sitting in the same position, typically I can call the reluctant cameras up on my Samsung smart phone. On other occasions I try and call up a camera on my phone and it will not connect. I turn off Wi-Fi on the phone and the camera then displays via 5g

I find all this very irritating. But it always seems to work OK on my Win 11 PC which is connected via ethernet

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@joseph_1979 I am using App Version 4.43.0.8 on an iPhone running iOS 17.2.1.

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@tomselbyuk_331910860959874 I have had a camera drop from the PC desktop app from time to time where it won't connect and I have come to learn that eventually they come back and I assume they are in an update cycle or a reboot and just wait it out. I haven't had one not come back yet but it's typically a random camera doing it.

[joseph_1979]

@tomselbyuk_331910860959874 Can you try from another smartphone?

[tomselbyuk_331910860959874]

@joseph_1979 I only have access to one smartphone. I have Reolink on the phone, table and win11 PC

[tomselbyuk_331910860959874]

@joseph_1979 I feel I should add that the problem is very intermittent. Many days can pass without any issues but then the problem re-occurs frequently over the following days and then back to normal again. Intermittent problems like this are obviously very difficult to solve

[joseph_1979]

@tomselbyuk_331910860959874 So if you use the PC with WIFI then you are able to connect immediately. Similarly if you use smartphone on mobile data, connection is immediate too. So the issue is when using WIFI on smartphone. Would you be able to check the level of the WIFI strength? You need to install WIFI analysis from Playstore. Would you be able to install Ookla from playstore and check the speed?

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@joseph_1979 When I'm using the PC desktop app, it's not on Wifi but it's running through the Wifi router on the same subnet. This is something that I typically only experience in the app on the phone when on the Wifi at home. Also, the camera Wifi strength is not a problem as the cameras are no more than 20 feet from either Wifi access point.

[joseph_1979]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 Try to connect your PC through the WIFI and connect to the cams.

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@joseph_1979 I installed the desktop app on my laptop and connected to the cameras across Wifi and they connect every time.

[joseph_1979]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 So your WIFI network is fine. So we need another smartphone to verify. Are you able to get another one?

[Mlodge87_607028518432873]

@joseph_1979 I used my work phone (iPhone 14) after downloading the latest REOLink app. I experienced the same issues just trying to get the cameras connected to the app. The DUO2 camera was by far the worst as it gave me connection failed repeatedly before it got past the UPN entry, then connection failed several times after entering my login. Once I got them all connected, they behave the same as on my other phone. Open the app, they all start spinning with the Connecting icon. Then it says connection failed, starts trying to connect again and after multiple attempts, it finally connects. Also, the same behavior with the other phone which is, I turn off my Wifi while it's trying to connect to a single camera, it connects in seconds.

[joseph_1979]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 I am using the Android client and the windows client and have no issue to connect through WIFI to DUO 2, RLC-811WA, RLC-511WA, Argus 3 Ultra, Argus 3 Pro, Argus 2, TrackMix, E1 OD, E1 Zoom and doorbell. The connection is immediate for the DC powered cams and for the battery I just click once.

However, I have never use the IoS client and cannot say anything, I suggest you to contact support on support @ reolink . com (delete spaces).

[wngo416_345938121068706]

@mlodge87_607028518432873. Did you find a solution for this issue? I’ve been experiencing the same problem.

[user_824433098711168_824433098711168]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 I have exactly the same problem on my android phone, running the latest version and with fully updated cameras. So this deffinately a reolink issue rather than our phones or our wifi. My problem is with two CX410W's and an Argus track.

While not ideal, I found that by forcing the cameras to use the 2.4ghz wifi spectrum by turning off the 5ghz channel in the cameras, the problem went away completely. Since the Argus track does not have the option to disable individual spectrums, I will be returning that one for another model.

[joseph_1979]

@user_824433098711168_824433098711168 This means that your weak signal at 5G. Try to have distinct 2.4G and 5G SSIDs and change the current 5G so that the camera will not try to connect to it.

[tjmoore82_316514855800995]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 my wife and I have had the same issue for years but we use android. I have also noticed that connecting with mobile does happen faster and more consistent but there is lag by 2 seconds. With wifi it's mostly realtime with occasional lag.

[ramrod6619_318960601329860]

@mlodge87_607028518432873
Have the same problem with Note 9 on android 10. I was thinking its the phone being android 10, but wifes Pixel 7 has the same problem with android 14.
The Client works fine on my TP-Link AX6000 with 2 mesh extenders. Have an E1 pro indoor & E1 Outdoor connected approx 20-25 ft from extender inside, and approx 100 ft away
from house going through a standard outside wall. My phone see the Mesh/extender and is connected to the wifi system. Bring up the Reolink app to view the cameras and cannot connect. Have to reinstall the app for it to work. Hell, I've been sitting 10 ft from the main router and not connect. All I see is the bit rate numbers going lower, then saying Can Not Connect. Reolink has a glitch in the app and needs to put one of their best programmers on this !

[AllanHvass_879495658877077]

@mlodge87_607028518432873 New Reolink user here, very satisfied in general with 7 Lumus 4MP cameras as well as cloud recording. But already experiencing exact same behavior. Mobile app on Android 14 Samsung S23 will fail to connect to cameras around 33% of the time when on local wifi, switching to mobile data connection and they connect immediately, then switching back to wifi and the app can then connect. This is not a wifi issue, signal is super strong and stable across all cameras as well as mobile. Windows PC also using same wifi connects to the cameras immediately every time.

Clearly an app problem, surprised it's not being recognized and addressed, rather than keep looking for other straws to shift the problem back to end users.

[Andrea Di Monaco_662769044119635]

I do have the same issue on Iphone 14 Pro Reolink app.
I see that if you remove the app and you install it back again, it works but just for few days.

This is an app issue, I think we should raise a support ticket for it.

[joseph_1979]

@andrea-di-monaco_662769044119635 I suggest you to submit your complaint to support(@)reolink(dot)com. I don't use IoS.

[doravec88_816143366607068]

Check the settings app>reolink>"Local Network", ensure that the button is turned on. I was experiencing these same issues; I'd switch off wifi and connect, turn it back on and would lose connections...

[user_838519774986409_838519774986409]

I tried many ways but it doesn't seem to work Mapquest Directions

[lilycollins9x_648360100860886]

I find it annoying that the camera connecting via the phone app using 1v1 lol Wifi keeps crashing, but connects instantly when using cellular, indicating a potential issue with Wifi network compatibility or configuration.

[user_831074437669079_831074437669079]

Thanks

[James_751554476372195]

As of a couple of weeks ago I started experiencing the exact same issue described in this thread.

When I access the Reolink App while connected to WiFi, the camera fails to connect or takes very very long to do so. If I turn off the WiFi on my phone and connect over cellular data, it works fine. Similarly if I access the camera directly over IP in a web browser or using the windows app on a laptop connected to the same wi-fi network it works fine.

So I guess it can't be a Wi-Fi issue as otherwise the camera would never be accessible over Wi-Fi. To me it looks more like an issue with the app.

Camera Model: Reolink Video Doorbell WiFi (D340W)
Hardware Ver: DB_566128M5MP_W
Config Ver: 3.0.0.0
Firmware Ver: v3.0.0.3308_2407315182

RTMP, HTTP: OFF
HTTPS, RTSP, ONVIF: ON

[user_855873665142929_855873665142929]

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[Matt_743136365514923]

Has anyone had any luck resolving this issue? I can connect without any problems using my phone, but my wife can only access the NVR over cellular and not Wi-Fi. All settings (both within the app, as well as iOS seem exactly the same).

[Scott9990_615758583771236]

@matt_743136365514923 I have a WiFi doorbell, as well as x2 E1 Pro PTZ cameras all connected on WiFi. I'm using a TP-Link router and just discovered that if device isolation is switched on, this will stop the cameras being picked up over WiFi but work remotely. Not sure if this would help in a NVR situation though.

[tomsreolink]

@matt_743136365514923 Dunno "device isolation" myself, but just FYI I've had this very problem not with Reolink but with Foscam cameras, and I've found that re-booting my ASUS Wi-Fi router solves it. I have not been able to ascertain what about the router performance might cause it to have trouble with certain wifi devices. Maddening.