I have the doorbell installed and it is working with the Amcrest SmartHomeApp (version 3.3.2), Blue Iris and Amazon Alexa. I find there is a terrific delay on all 3 applications ranging from 5 to 15 seconds. Also, on the SmartHome App I find that it appears to be using 3G/4G an awful lot of the time. Since my WiFi is quite strong and no other app is trying to use cell data, I don't understand that. I have set the unit to factory defaults twice and this delay and use of 3G/4G still persists. The WiFi signal to the AD110 is around -54dBm (excellent). With this delay, the doorbell is unusable. By the way, none of the other 8 WiFi cameras have a delay over about 0.5 seconds. Where would the delay be in the camera? I have a class 10 16 GB memory card. Does the memory card create a delay???
Delay in Amcrest AD110 doorbell video.
- Thread starter eganders
- Start date
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
You answered your own question. "none of the other 8 WiFi cameras have a delay over about 0.5 seconds"
Your wifi network is over saturated.
If you temporarily turn off the other 8 WiFi cams, the doorbell cam will be cured most likely.
You are lucky, it's working at all.
You should avoid using Wifi for cameras if you care about reliability.
Your wifi network is over saturated.
If you temporarily turn off the other 8 WiFi cams, the doorbell cam will be cured most likely.
You are lucky, it's working at all.
You should avoid using Wifi for cameras if you care about reliability.
In addition to "normal" delays encountered in a wireless environment, If you scanned a QR code or entered a UID number when setting up the doorbell, then your SmartHome device (as all other devices with that name in front) is set up as P2P (peer-to-peer) and is UPLOADING via your LAN to their cloud service and then DOWNLOADING to your phone's app, adding more delay (especially on the upload portion).
looney2ns
As you suggest, I took 4 of my WiFi cameras off line. I saw an improvement, but there is still a delay. This doorbell camera appears to have an unusual amount of overhead. I think TonyR has hit the nail on the head. I think it is sending data back to Amcrest and back down. There is a lot of buffering and the use of cellular data.
I have added cameras over a period of 6 years or so and I have never seen much of an impact on the system. This system is mostly an experiment. We are in an area that does not require a security system like I have. When I first saw Blue Iris and found what it could do, I just put a system together to see what its limits were and what it would do. If I was REALLY serious, I would have put together a POE system.
If you think my WiFi system is stretching the rules, you should see a couple of my indoor pan/tilt cameras I have on my porch ceiling and under the eve of my roof. This is Michigan. I expected them to be out in about 6 months or less. They have been going for nearly 7 years and are still working!!
TonyR
Since the camera was setup with the Amcrest app, you are most assuredly right. Any ideas of how to avoid the app data to and from Amcrest? I am afraid I am at their mercy since they have setup the ringing of my doorbell and are controlling the communication from the app to the doorbell camera to answer the door.
As you suggest, I took 4 of my WiFi cameras off line. I saw an improvement, but there is still a delay. This doorbell camera appears to have an unusual amount of overhead. I think TonyR has hit the nail on the head. I think it is sending data back to Amcrest and back down. There is a lot of buffering and the use of cellular data.
I have added cameras over a period of 6 years or so and I have never seen much of an impact on the system. This system is mostly an experiment. We are in an area that does not require a security system like I have. When I first saw Blue Iris and found what it could do, I just put a system together to see what its limits were and what it would do. If I was REALLY serious, I would have put together a POE system.
If you think my WiFi system is stretching the rules, you should see a couple of my indoor pan/tilt cameras I have on my porch ceiling and under the eve of my roof. This is Michigan. I expected them to be out in about 6 months or less. They have been going for nearly 7 years and are still working!!
TonyR
Since the camera was setup with the Amcrest app, you are most assuredly right. Any ideas of how to avoid the app data to and from Amcrest? I am afraid I am at their mercy since they have setup the ringing of my doorbell and are controlling the communication from the app to the doorbell camera to answer the door.
The above is from the IPCT subforum named Amcrest. You could ask Bryan from Amcrest about your doorbell.
Jack7,
Good, I am glad you are on line.
It appears that there is some kind of use of cellular data in the iPhone
Amcrest SmartHome App. When I answer a doorbell or "go live" often I see the message in the attached image. If I accept it, it counts up with a "basketball on a trampoline" symbol which delays the display the camera sees. If I don't accept it, no photo appears. It seems to me that if I am attached to the internet, there should be no cellular use at all. if I accept it, many times it counts up to about 90% then s-l-o-w-l-e-y counts the rest of the way toward 100% and often results in an error whereupon it asks for a tap to repeat. Meanwhile, the person at the door is waiting.
Good, I am glad you are on line.
It appears that there is some kind of use of cellular data in the iPhone
Amcrest SmartHome App. When I answer a doorbell or "go live" often I see the message in the attached image. If I accept it, it counts up with a "basketball on a trampoline" symbol which delays the display the camera sees. If I don't accept it, no photo appears. It seems to me that if I am attached to the internet, there should be no cellular use at all. if I accept it, many times it counts up to about 90% then s-l-o-w-l-e-y counts the rest of the way toward 100% and often results in an error whereupon it asks for a tap to repeat. Meanwhile, the person at the door is waiting.I hope you can read the previous message. It was the first time I used the "attach a file" and it was not very successful. It split the written message up.
(continued from previous message)
If the application is not a background or foreground application (not loaded), I get this (shown in the attachment)
Which requires me to tap for a live view. Should I not always get the first screen, with a phone icon, so that I can answer to doorbell right away? Why do I get the second screen that I have to tap to get a live view and tap the speaker and the microphone separately? Of course, it may most likely use 3G/4G cellular data (and possibly fail) -- which requires a tap to repeat).
If the application is not a background or foreground application (not loaded), I get this (shown in the attachment)
Which requires me to tap for a live view. Should I not always get the first screen, with a phone icon, so that I can answer to doorbell right away? Why do I get the second screen that I have to tap to get a live view and tap the speaker and the microphone separately? Of course, it may most likely use 3G/4G cellular data (and possibly fail) -- which requires a tap to repeat).
Attachments
I would say the change over to 3G/4G is because your wifi connection is causing problems.
Assuming you have not signed up for a Cloud recording plan, and based on my experience with Amcrest Smart Home ASH21 camera, I don't think your delay problem has anything to do with camera stream going to and from cloud. It's probably caused by your wifi.
To test it, disconnect your modem(internet) from your router. Blue Iris will probably still have the delay. The Smart Home app, if already receiving stream when internet is disconnected, will probably still have delay. Smart Home app does need to have internet available to first connect to camera.
Assuming you have not signed up for a Cloud recording plan, and based on my experience with Amcrest Smart Home ASH21 camera, I don't think your delay problem has anything to do with camera stream going to and from cloud. It's probably caused by your wifi.
To test it, disconnect your modem(internet) from your router. Blue Iris will probably still have the delay. The Smart Home app, if already receiving stream when internet is disconnected, will probably still have delay. Smart Home app does need to have internet available to first connect to camera.
Jack7,
I used your idea, but went about it in a little different way. I have Mac computers with airport routers. The airport utility provides the signal strength from the iPhone in dBm.
It appears that the app uses WiFi if the signal strength is, for example, -58dBm (considered excellent by the airport utility). The app starts using cellular data somewhere just over -60 dBm (which is between excellent in the low -60's to good in the high -60's). I turned off the cellular data on my phone from the position where it would consistantly use cellular data. The app used WiFi and was faster than if it used cellular from the same position. I then went about 50 ft away where the signal strength was about -91 dBm (considered fair by my router). The app response was very snappy (much snappier than if it was using cellular data) and it had no errors such as it typically has with cellular data.
Conclusion: The app switches over to cellular data much too quickly. I don't know how or if it can control when it switches over, but it should switch over to cellular data much later than it does now.
By the way, the app appears to be a power hog. The last few days I have been testing this I run out of battery before the day ends. I was at about 34% when I started my tests this evening and now it is at 19%. Looking at the battery usage graph you can see the slope change being much steeper when I started using the app.
I hope this helps you. It has certainly help me understand what is going on here. Tomorrow I will turn on my other 3 WiFi cameras to see if the app is affected adversely by adding them.
I used your idea, but went about it in a little different way. I have Mac computers with airport routers. The airport utility provides the signal strength from the iPhone in dBm.
It appears that the app uses WiFi if the signal strength is, for example, -58dBm (considered excellent by the airport utility). The app starts using cellular data somewhere just over -60 dBm (which is between excellent in the low -60's to good in the high -60's). I turned off the cellular data on my phone from the position where it would consistantly use cellular data. The app used WiFi and was faster than if it used cellular from the same position. I then went about 50 ft away where the signal strength was about -91 dBm (considered fair by my router). The app response was very snappy (much snappier than if it was using cellular data) and it had no errors such as it typically has with cellular data.
Conclusion: The app switches over to cellular data much too quickly. I don't know how or if it can control when it switches over, but it should switch over to cellular data much later than it does now.
By the way, the app appears to be a power hog. The last few days I have been testing this I run out of battery before the day ends. I was at about 34% when I started my tests this evening and now it is at 19%. Looking at the battery usage graph you can see the slope change being much steeper when I started using the app.
I hope this helps you. It has certainly help me understand what is going on here. Tomorrow I will turn on my other 3 WiFi cameras to see if the app is affected adversely by adding them.
If the Amcrest AD110 doorbell is similar to the Amcrest "SmartHome" camera devices, you should be able to follow the below instructions to stream DIRECTLY to Blue Iris.
Amcrest support states here that one of their SmartHome bullet cams, the ASH42, can work with Blue Iris but must first be set up with their app.
You won't know if it will also work with their doorbell until you try it.
Note that images are "busted" on that page but the text explains the process.
"Conclusion: The app switches over to cellular data much too quickly. I don't know how or if it can control when it switches over, but it should switch over to cellular data much later than it does now. "
The iPhone setting"WIFI Assist" changes wifi to cell, not the app. It can be set on or off.
The iPhone setting"WIFI Assist" changes wifi to cell, not the app. It can be set on or off.
@eganders , I was just wondering',,,,,
Using your home's Wi-Fi, what is your upload speed and your download speed like with something like speedtest.net ?
Using your home's Wi-Fi, what is your upload speed and your download speed like with something like speedtest.net ?
TonyR
Taken on my iPhone within 4 ft of router:
Download: 195-210 Mb/sec
Upload 11.9-12.0 Mb/sec
Taken where I am having the transfer over to cellular. About 20ft from router:
Download: 94.0 Mb/sec
Upload: 12.1 Mb/sec
Jack7
I turned off WiFi assist and it may be the solution to this problem, but I really don't understand what it is doing and when it kicks in...
The app still uses cellular data when WiFi is off and uses WiFi when it is on and cellular is off. I wonder what determines when WiFi assist kicks in and when cellular kicks in when WiFi assist is off? How about when it is on? I have not had this type of problem before (but how would I know???)
It was hell trying to find WiFi assist. The search box did not find it and it is WAY down on a list of apps in the cellular menu.
Have you seen this problem before -- I guess you have.
Taken on my iPhone within 4 ft of router:
Download: 195-210 Mb/sec
Upload 11.9-12.0 Mb/sec
Taken where I am having the transfer over to cellular. About 20ft from router:
Download: 94.0 Mb/sec
Upload: 12.1 Mb/sec
Jack7
I turned off WiFi assist and it may be the solution to this problem, but I really don't understand what it is doing and when it kicks in...
The app still uses cellular data when WiFi is off and uses WiFi when it is on and cellular is off. I wonder what determines when WiFi assist kicks in and when cellular kicks in when WiFi assist is off? How about when it is on? I have not had this type of problem before (but how would I know???)
It was hell trying to find WiFi assist. The search box did not find it and it is WAY down on a list of apps in the cellular menu.
Have you seen this problem before -- I guess you have.