Dahua cam dropping off the network each night.

Ronnie Bailey

Ronnie Bailey

Getting the hang of it
Apr 4, 2018
193
36
Michigan, USA
Been fighting this issue for about a couple of weeks now. This can has been working for 3 or 4 months without issues.

My issue of devices dropping off my network is NOT specific to this camera. I have several devices that keep dropping off the network each night.

A little background. I have replaced my router, purchased a different 16 port Ethernet switch, swapped 8 port Ethernet switch. Moved This Dahua camera from a stand alone POE adapter to 4 port POE adapter.

Right now, I have a cat 6 cable running from my router (2nd one) to an 8 port switch (2nd one) in the basement. I have a 4 port POE switch connected to the 8 port switch, and a POE adapter. I had the Dahua cam connected to the adapter, and it would drop off the network each night. I moved that cam to my 4 port POE switch and it still drops off the network each night. I have 2 Trendnet and 2 Hikvision cams connected to the same POE switch and adapter, but they NEVER drop off the network.

But to complicate matters, I have a networked TV tuner (HDHomeRun), that drops off the network each night also. The problem with that, it is on a different leg of the network. I have another Cat 6 cable that runs from the router to my entertainment center. It connects to a new 16 port Ethernet switch. My TV tuner, connects to that 16 port switch. So, the only thing they have in common (except power) is the router, but I swapped it 3 or 4 days ago. Same issue with both routers. I replaced the 16 port Ethernet switch, because I thought it was the problem.

Any advice on what to check?? I also have posted on the SNB forums for my router.
 
Ronnie Bailey said:
Any advice on what to check??
Click to expand...

Vague symptoms sometimes do have strange causes, but I think in your case it's all about "timing". Are these outages happening on the whole network at the same time? What I would do in your case is run such a "pingtest" batch file
Code: 
@echo off

set /p host=host Address:
set logfile=Log_%host%.log

echo Target Host = %host% >%logfile%
for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('ping %host% -n 1 ') do (echo %%A>>%logfile% && GOTO Ping)
:Ping
for /f "tokens=* skip=2" %%A in ('ping %host% -n 1 ') do (
    echo %date% %time:~0,2%:%time:~3,2%:%time:~6,2% %%A>>%logfile%
    echo %date% %time:~0,2%:%time:~3,2%:%time:~6,2% %%A
    timeout 1 >NUL
    GOTO Ping)
This runs a ping towards an IP, together with a timestamp. Run this against all your network devices. After a day or two you'll see whether (or not) they happen at the same time. If you know the timestamp, you can dig deeper into your physical space (maybe there is interference with the heating system/airconditioning). If they happen randomly, then it becomes really difficult.

Good luck!
CC
 
Is this what you mean?? I am using 192.168.10.108 as my device that drops off the network. I save that file as a bat file and run it. But I get this log >>>
Target Host =
IP address must be specified.

@echo off
set /p 192.168.10.108
set logfile=Log_%host%.log
echo Target Host = %host% >%logfile%
for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('ping %host% -n 1 ') do (echo %%A>>%logfile% && GOTO Ping)
:Ping
for /f "tokens=* skip=2" %%A in ('ping %host% -n 1 ') do (
echo %date% %time:~0,2%:%time:~3,2%:%time:~6,2% %%A>>%logfile%
echo %date% %time:~0,2%:%time:~3,2%:%time:~6,2% %%A
timeout 1 >NUL
GOTO Ping)
 
Ronnie Bailey said:
Is this what you mean?? I am using 192.168.10.108 as my device that drops off the network. I save that file as a bat file and run it. But I get this log >>>
Target Host =
IP address must be specified.
Click to expand...

Indeed, you simply grab my code, paste it in "networkping.bat" script (eg on your windows pc). Then you double click on it, you'll get a prompt for IP address to ping. If you want to test out the connection to 192.168.10.108, you fill out that IP address and press enter. Off you go! You will see a log file is created next to the batch script on your desktop called Log_192.168.10.108.log, so you do need to follow the dos prompt all the time.

Then you repeat the process for all other ip's which might (or might not) disappear at night.

Tomorrow morning, you then search for "timed out" in these log files. And hoppa, you know exactly when. Then you crosscorrelate and you know if all go down at the same time.

I hope this helps!

If not: shoot!
CC
 
So you are saying to run the bat file and leave it running until tomorrow and look at the logs?? Those logs will be huge......

Edit: Thank you catcamstar, that should be a good diagnostic tool when those devices drop off the network.
 
Last edited:
Ronnie Bailey said:
So you are saying to run the bat file and leave it running until tomorrow and look at the logs?? Those logs will be huge......

Edit: Thank you catcamstar, that should be a good diagnostic tool when those devices drop off the network.
Click to expand...

You're welcome! Let's wait until you get some fine results (with the time-outs) to continue debugging!
 
catcamstar said:
You're welcome! Let's wait until you get some fine results (with the time-outs) to continue debugging!
Click to expand...
Ok, it seems that they drop off the network in the middle of the night.

Cam just dropped off the network at about half an hour ago. Only it dropped off, not the networked tuner. Every thing was 1ms, and no deviation....

It was sailing along very nicely, then just stopped communicating..
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:26 Reply from 192.168.10.65: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:27 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:32 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:37 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:41 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:46 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:51 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:55 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:00 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:05 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:10 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:14 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:17 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
 
Last edited:
Ronnie Bailey said:
Ok, it seems that they drop off the network in the middle of the night.

Cam just dropped off the network at about half an hour ago. Only it dropped off, not the networked tuner. Every thing was 1ms, and no deviation....

It was sailing along very nicely, then just stopped communicating..
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:26 Reply from 192.168.10.65: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:27 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:32 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:37 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:41 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:46 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:51 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:55 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:00 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:05 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:10 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:14 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:15:17 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.
Click to expand...

Interesting! When did you notice (like described in the first post) that your tuner also drops off?

So the pc you are pinging FROM, is that one also located in 192.168.10.x subnet? I'm doubting that it is, but just want to make sure!
 
Please provide a network drawing. Add the device names, and IP addresses.

Note... The only thing plugged into my router is a switch. All switches and the router, access points are on UPS. Tv is not on UPS.
 
SouthernYankee said:
Please provide a network drawing. Add the device names, and IP addresses.

Note... The only thing plugged into my router is a switch. All switches and the router, access points are on UPS. Tv is not on UPS.
Click to expand...
Here is what I posted on the SNB forums. I thought it was a router issue, but I swapped routers 4 or 5 days ago, and the problem persist.

All my devices are hardwired with either cat 5e or cat 6. I have about 30 different hardwired devices scattered throughout my house. For the past month, I have been fighting the issue of one or more of my devices dropping off my network. Sounds spooky, but I check before I go to bed, and all are connected, when I get up in the am, one or more are dropped off the network. I can not figure it out.

Here is my setup. I have a roughly, 2 year old Asus RT-AC1900P router. From that router, that is sitting on my desk, I have one Ethernet cable going to my computer that is also on my desk, it never looses connection. I also have an Ooma VOIP box and 8 port Trendnet switch on my desk. The Ooma goes to the router as does the 8 port switch, and it does NOT drop off the network.

I have a cat 6 cable running from the switch on my desk to the entertainment center in another room. It connects to a brand new, Netgear GS116NA 16 port switch (purchased and installed yesterday, thought that was my problem child). Two or three of the devices that dropped of the network are connected to that switch.

I also have a cat6 Ethernet cable running from the switch on my desk to my basement, where it connects to an 8 port Ethernet switch. From that switch, I feed another 4 port POE switch for my security cams. I also have a single POE adapter that connects to the 8 port switch (have another cam connected to that adapter). Today, IT also dropped off my network. So, the only common thing is the 8 port switch on my desk. I just noticed that just now as I am typing this.

I moved the Ethernet cable from the router that was connected to my Ooma VOIP device. This freed up two ports on my Asus router, so I moved my cat 6 cables that went to my entertainment center and basement, from the 8 port switch to my router.

This will tell me if the 8 port switch is the problem child. BUT, it was always the same devices that were dropping off the network.

I paid $80 for a that new 16 port switch and it was NOT the problem. I really don't want to replace my Asus router, if it is not bad...........

Any ideas on what to try next??

Thanks
 
Here is another posting of mine about this issue.

New to this forum. Major problem

I am running out of things to disconnect.

I have taken 10 Android devices, running different OS's out of the system. I also took one of my Synology NAS's out of the system.

I have 3 Windows 10 (2 are microPC's) still connected to the system.

I have one Synology and one WD NAS's still connected to the system

I have 2 HDHomeRun OTA networked turners, still connected to the system.

I have ONE Ooma VOIP phone connected to my system

I have 5 (one of which keeps dropping off the network) IP security cams connected to my system.

I don't know what to remove next.

It seems that both the tuner and IP camera drop off at the same time, (only guessing about the time). But whenever I check, and one is offline the other one is offline.........

I guess, the next time they drop off the network, I will take the IP cam out of the system and see if the networked tuner still drops connection.

I tried to move those devices from the reservation group, but the router won't allow it. In other words my group is from 40 to 199, I tried to move the IP from the cam of 65 to 38, but the router won't let me.
 
Yesterday, I took my Zidoo X9S out of my system, and today, I did not lose my IP cam or my HDHomeRun networked tuner. The Zidoo X9S runs OpenWRT in the background. Not sure that would cause an issue. I am 100% sure, my issue is NOT hardware related, at least router or Ethernet switches are concerned.
 
I have one Cat 6 Ethernet cable going from my router (swapped 4 + days ago) to my 16 port Ethernet switch (purchased a week or so ago, thinking that was my problem), that is at my entertainment center.

I have one Cat 6 Ethernet cable going from my router to an 8 port Ethernet switch (replaced 4 + days ago), in the basement. That switch feeds my 4 port POE switch and one POE adapter. I have moved the Dahua cam back and forth from the 4 port POE switch and the POE adapter, but it doesn't make a difference it keeps dropping off the network. I have 2 Trendnet IP cams, 2 Hikvision cams and 1 Dahau cam.

I have one HDHomeRun tuner that is at me entertainment center, and it keeps dropping off the network each day, same as my IP cam, which is on a different Ethernet cable coming directly from the router.
 
catcamstar said:
Interesting! When did you notice (like described in the first post) that your tuner also drops off?

So the pc you are pinging FROM, is that one also located in 192.168.10.x subnet? I'm doubting that it is, but just want to make sure!
Click to expand...
Yes, my computer is on the same subnet. Last night, my cam and tuner did NOT drop off the network.
 
Ronnie Bailey said:
Yes, my computer is on the same subnet. Last night, my cam and tuner did NOT drop off the network.
Click to expand...

This is important information. Looking back at your ping results:

Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:46 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:51 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.

--> the "ping time out" can mean can mean any physical interuption (eg if you pull out the cable at the end point, you'll see the same behaviour). But the next line is troubling me: you were pinging FROM 192.168.10.80, your main ASUS pc. The Destination host unreachable however means something deeper. I found a nice text describing this behaviour:

The response "Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable." actually is the correct one. When pinging a host on your own subnet the sender will first send an ARP request for the MAC address of the associated IP address. Since the host does not exist, the sending station is reporting to you that the destination host is unreachable because the ARP request was not completed. The actual ICMP echo was never sent which is why you aren't getting a "request timed out" message. You can't send a layer 3 packet if you can't resolve the layer 2 address of the host (or the gateway if the destination is on another network).

The reason why you would not get this same message if you were pinging hosts on a different subnet is that the sender would ARP for the gateway address since the target is on a different subnet. The ARP completes properly and the ICMP echo is sent but the timeout value is reached since the destination host never responded with an echo-reply.
Click to expand...

So basically, the Timed Out means ARP requests are getting answered, but ICMP isn't, with the destination unreachable even ARP resolve did not work. That however, is something that is L3 responsibility. Back in the days, I had an early IoT device which I used to manipulate MAC addresses on it, but after a while, it lost its MAC address out of the blue. All seemed good for a while, but then the TCPIP stack went nuts. If you can eliminate any network outage (by running the ping test) by disconnecting the IPC, it can be that he is causing trouble in your network, and being defective.

I was hoping you had 2 subnets with one gateway, then the gateway could be fingerpointed as it remains responsible for the L3 resolve. But that's not the case here, but your ASUS router however holds the ARP cache too.

Hope this helps!
CC
 
catcamstar said:
This is important information. Looking back at your ping results:

Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:46 Request timed out.
Tue 09/25/2018 16:14:51 Reply from 192.168.10.80: Destination host unreachable.

--> the "ping time out" can mean can mean any physical interuption (eg if you pull out the cable at the end point, you'll see the same behaviour). But the next line is troubling me: you were pinging FROM 192.168.10.80, your main ASUS pc. The Destination host unreachable however means something deeper. I found a nice text describing this behaviour:



So basically, the Timed Out means ARP requests are getting answered, but ICMP isn't, with the destination unreachable even ARP resolve did not work. That however, is something that is L3 responsibility. Back in the days, I had an early IoT device which I used to manipulate MAC addresses on it, but after a while, it lost its MAC address out of the blue. All seemed good for a while, but then the TCPIP stack went nuts. If you can eliminate any network outage (by running the ping test) by disconnecting the IPC, it can be that he is causing trouble in your network, and being defective.

I was hoping you had 2 subnets with one gateway, then the gateway could be fingerpointed as it remains responsible for the L3 resolve. But that's not the case here, but your ASUS router however holds the ARP cache too.

Hope this helps!
CC
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, most of what you said, went over my head.

Right now, I am running a continuous ping on my IP cam and my HDHomeRun networked tuner. At this time, I am using my TrendnetTEW-818DRU router, replaced my Asus a few days ago to verify, that the router was not the issue.
 
Ronnie Bailey said:
Unfortunately, most of what you said, went over my head.

Right now, I am running a continuous ping on my IP cam and my HDHomeRun networked tuner. At this time, I am using my TrendnetTEW-818DRU router, replaced my Asus a few days ago to verify, that the router was not the issue.
Click to expand...

No problem, I'm trying to deduct the root cause. Let the ping's run for a while, add some stuff, remove some stuff whilst looking at these outputs. And take note when one (of more) devices crash. It does not harm at all to pingtest to *all* of your network devices, it will not crash or overload, ping packets are light, especially once a second :)

Good luck!
CC
 
catcamstar said:
No problem, I'm trying to deduct the root cause. Let the ping's run for a while, add some stuff, remove some stuff whilst looking at these outputs. And take note when one (of more) devices crash. It does not harm at all to pingtest to *all* of your network devices, it will not crash or overload, ping packets are light, especially once a second :)

Good luck!
CC
Click to expand...
Right now, I think my Zidoo X9S was/is causing my issue, but I took it out of the system yesterday. Of course, every day, I thought it was a different device that was causing my issue.
 
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