Going crazy - POE Hikvision cam works, Amcrest won't - same cable

J

jt777

n3wb
Aug 12, 2024
8
8
MA
Here's my scenario:

- I set up Amcrest IP8M-T2599EW with patch cable at router - no problems
- Move the camera to cable (about 40 ft Cat 5) that was working for an older POE Hikvision dome
- Amcrest doesn't work
- Put Hikvision DS-2CD2387G2P-LSU/SL on same cable, and works fine!

Why????

I've replaced the connectors but I can't think of what else would do this?

Thank you in advance!
 
When patched to the router, did you power the camera with an external 12v supply?

When on the PoE switch, which status lights show on the switch port that the camera is connected to, compared with the hikvision camera?

Do you have a PoE injector or another PoE switch that you can test the camera on?

Is the ethernet cable solid copper(what guage?) or is it CCA (copper clad aluminium?)
 
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+1^^^^.

@jt777, if your answer to the above "did you power the camera with an external 12v supply?" is "YES", I'd say the cam is having an issue with POE.
 
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Thanks for the replies!

No, no power injector was used when at the switch. The switch is a NETGEAR 8 Port PoE Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch (GS308EP) - with 8 x PoE+ @ 62W.

The cable is VIVO 500 ft Bulk Cat5e Ethernet Cable CABLE-V002 Wire UTP. CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) 24 AWG. Solid UTP - (4-pair unshielded twisted pair) wires.

I have two pulls, both doing the same thing with the Amcrest.

Edited: corrected to include switch.
 
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CCA cabling is problematic for POE devices and some are more sensitive than others.

You have a budget amcrest cam that shoved 8MP on a sensor/processor designed for 2MP, so it isn't efficient and probably needs a little more power than your older cam and the cabling isn't up to the need.
 
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Yowza!! I have that cable everywhere....like 500 ft of it between 2 houses! (I bought the cable in 2015)

Interestingly, I have that cable in my main house, too, with a larger POE setup and multiple Amcrest cameras (same ones) running without a problem.

Did the cabling at this place get fried? Or would a different switch make a difference?

The reason I think the cable could have ended up damaged is I had to replace the switch here since the other one stopped working - e.g., I think it got fried in a storm.

Thank you again for the replies.
 
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jt777 said:
Interestingly, I have that cable in my main house, too, with a larger POE setup and multiple Amcrest cameras (same ones) running without a problem.

Did the cabling at this place get fried? Or would a different switch make a difference?

The reason I think the cable could have ended up damaged is I had to replace the switch here since the other one stopped working - e.g., I think it got fried in a storm.
Click to expand...
I think a key test here which should determine if it's the camera or the cable that's causing the problem would be, if possible, to operate the camera connected to the PoE switch with a short length of cable. If it doesn't work - that lets out the existing cable and points the finger at faulty camera PoE circuitry.

In reality - 50 feet of 24 gauge CCA isn't that bad for a camera that's not heavy on power requirements, maybe up to 5 or 6 watts or so (what does the managed PoE switch show for power draw on the port?). CCA is higher resistance than solid copper, but PoE will tolerate quite a large voltage drop. Camera-dependant.
But it's certainly not recommended, as you have shown from the disclaimer.
 
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alastairstevenson said:
I think a key test here which should determine if it's the camera or the cable that's causing the problem would be, if possible, to operate the camera connected to the PoE switch with a short length of cable. If it doesn't work - that lets out the existing cable and points the finger at faulty camera PoE circuitry.

In reality - 50 feet of 24 gauge CCA isn't that bad for a camera that's not heavy on power requirements, maybe up to 5 or 6 watts or so (what does the managed PoE switch show for power draw on the port?). CCA is higher resistance than solid copper, but PoE will tolerate quite a large voltage drop. Camera-dependant.
But it's certainly not recommended, as you have shown from the disclaimer.
Click to expand...

With a short patch cable directly to the switch it works fine.
 
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jt777 said:
NETGEAR 8 Port PoE Gigabit Ethernet Plus Switch (GS308EP)
Click to expand...
This is a managed switch - and while the specs don't specifically mention what port monitoring there is, I'd expect it to show power consumption.

That might be useful if it was to confirm that the Amcrest camera was quite a bit heavier on power than the Hikvision one and so was more demanding on the cable voltage drop.
 
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Realize that every run is different. The CCA is not recommended for POE applications. That does not mean that it will not work. It does mean that if it does not work, the manufacturer warned you against using it for POE.

If it was a PITA to run this cable, there may be a good chance that it was stretched, crimped, kinked, or damaged (even internally) just enough for the Amcrest cam to not function.

So what do you mean by "Amcrest doesn't work" ?

No Video? Cam does not reset at all? Do the link lights on the POE switch function? Tried another port?
 
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Just an FYI...
  • CCA cable is more susceptible to mechanical issues caused by kinks, twists or sharp bends than pure copper. It is more likely to not recover well when untwisted or straightened out.
  • CCA cable is more likely to have corrosion or oxidation issues especially when DC voltage (as in POE) is transported.
  • I don't know this for a fact but I do know that UL will not approve CCA for CAT cables. Even with a CMR or CMP rated jacket I personally would not pull non-UL approved cable into a crawl space, wall, attic or between floors: if there was a fire that traveled in the wall or under a floor to damage more or all of the structure an insurance company could use that lack of UL-listing to deny a insurance claim.
 
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Conclusion (for now):

I ran the NetGear switch management tool - thank you!

One of the cables indicated a short so I clipped the ends of the cable and added new connectors to everything. Everything worked! (for now)

I had things fixed by the time I could test the POE stats but in checking them, they're all ranging from 3 to 5 watts each.

Thanks for all the help!!
 
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FWIW - this is a great example of CCA cable seemingly being a good cost savings costing a great amount of labor attempting to trouble shoot when trouble emerges.

This us why many of us recommending avoiding CCA cables even for normal non POE runs.
 
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