Camera just quit working.

ingeborgdot

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I am not sure where I should post this, here since I have dahua cameras or somewhere else? I guess I'll find out.
The other day one of the cameras in a setup I did, just quit working. I have tried everything to get it to go, but I'm not sure what I need to do now. I'll explain the setup I have.
I have internet in a shed that has my PC with BI setup with switches, router, etc. About 275 away there is a bin site that has a camera that we use to view the activity at the bin site. In order to get the internet to the bin site, I have a Ubiquiti NanoStation 5AC and in the bin site, around 100' up on the leg, I have the other nano station. The setup has been working flawlessly for around 2 years. Then one day, it just quit. I can pick up both NanoStations and it shows the are connected with a throughput capacity of around 500Mbps on average.
I can't seem to get the connection to recognize any camera at all at the bin site location. I have tried several in that spot, and none give a signal or anything to BI or to the Dahua config tool. I have tried all new ethernet cables, but not on the long run coming from the leg up above.
This setup was from a previous setup from a professional company. I just replaced the NanoStations with new ones, and the PoE injectors also. I have tried replacing the 2 year old injectors with new ones, but still nothing different. I did not replace the cat 5e though from the leg like a stated above. I see power when I go into the Nanostation gui, and it shows there is a connection between them.
The setup was the NanoStation up on the leg at around 100' up. Then the cat5e dropping down the 100' into a weather controlled box, into a PoE injector. That injector is hooked into another injector that runs into the camera.
Is anyone expert enough to give me some advice on what they think the issue could be? If not, where would be the best place to find the answer?
Thanks for any help you can give.
 

ingeborgdot

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The one thing I have noticed is where it shows the cable length. On one of my setups on a different site, it shows on both the access point and the station the length. On the one at the site that is having the issue, it only shows one cable length. I don't know if that is telling me anything or not. CC nano.jpgtaos nano.jpg
 

Jim I.

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I'm no expert, but with all you have done already I would start suspecting the long cable run. Have you looked for corrosion on the cable ends where they terminate?
 

wittaj

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I would agree that it sounds like an issue with the long cable run.
 

fenderman

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It would be easier to diagnose if you posting a diagram of this setup.
 

ingeborgdot

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The difficulty is getting up the leg. I don't like to climb 100 feet up a ladder. I have someone that will do it for me. I'm 63 and could probably do it, but it's not an easy task.
I have replaced both injectors and tried short cables on the bottom side where I can access the cables. The top side is a different story. I'll do that today (well, I have someone that will do that today, lol). I will send a cable tester up with him so we can test the cable run down below. I really think that it is the cable also. It is probably a 10 year old cable out in the elements, with wind, sun, hail, rain etc.
I have read some instances where people get PoE power, but not Ethernet.
 

wittaj

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Keep in mind a tester simply tests continuity and that it could pass but not be sufficient for POE loading.
 

ingeborgdot

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Yes, I understand. I'll be replacing the cable no matter what, but just want to test to see if the tester does catch the problem.
 

ingeborgdot

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1679409581022.png
It would be easier to diagnose if you posting a diagram of this setup.
The setup used is pretty much like this. Nanostation, down into a poe injector. But from there to power the cam, it goes into another injector out to the cam.
I may add a switch in between though.
 

ingeborgdot

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This cable is on a steel leg. I don't have any shielded cable, but it is a cat6 type. If lightning hits this leg, (it never has over a 10 year period) I don't think it matters that the cable is shielded or not, as everything will be toast anyway. It is not connected to any real important pieces to the puzzle other than the 1 cam and nanostation.
Do you think it necessary to use a shielded cable?
 

ingeborgdot

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The connection below is in a watertight sealed box. No water can get in, or even dust doesn't get in. The one on top is in the compartment of the nanostation. The connection going into the camera is perfectly sealed also. I used the watertight connectors that came with the camera. I don't know if the cable they used was outdoor rated or not, but it didn't test out that it worked at all. I have since ordered some outdoor rated cable to replace it, and decided I'm going to use a PoE switch out there instead of just the injectors.
 

TonyR

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I vote for either the cable or connector(s) bad going from the Ubiquiti passive POE injector's "LAN" port to the camera POE injector's "LAN" port....
or same cable/connector issue from camera POE injector's "POE" port to camera.

1679409581022.png
 

ingeborgdot

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Well, we'll soon find out. I have some new Cat6 outdoor cable coming, plus a new PoE switch to power it all. I have used switches on all the other Ubiquiti NanoStations, and the switches work great, so I'll try this to see.
 

TonyR

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I don't like to climb 100 feet up a ladder. I have someone that will do it for me. I'm 63 and could probably do it, but it's not an easy task.
I hear ya. Climbed 75 ft. airport beacon towers in the 80's and 90's when I was more able and agile. I'm 74 now and I quit ladders over 6 feet 2 years ago...if I hit the ground you could proabably sweep me up in a dustpan! :lmao:

No more attics or crawl spaces either...I've had pneumonia 3 times in the last 6 years (once with COVID in 2021), so no dust for me. The pollen we're having right now is bad enough.
 

TonyR

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Well, we'll soon find out. I have some new Cat6 outdoor cable coming, plus a new PoE switch to power it all. I have used switches on all the other Ubiquiti NanoStations, and the switches work great, so I'll try this to see.
Are you squirting some dielectric grease into the female when you plug in all those RJ-45's ?

CRC-dielectric-grease.jpg
 
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