Intermittent data feed from IP Cameras

[Dewcal]

I am trying to install 8 POE IP cameras in wall mounted nest boxes (for swifts Apus apus) and am having difficulty registering some of the cameras on the network.

The cameras are 5Mp, Sony sensor, POE units from "AliExpress" and show up as "Foscam - F186xx/98xx compatible" when interrogated in BI v5. Each camera was easily and successfully set up via web page (Firefox) and MAC addresses noted with the IP addresses made static in an EE (telco) home router. The cameras are still set to DHCP so they should receive the assigned IP address from the router.

Once set up, the cameras were installed in the nest boxes and tested again for focusing and positioning. These boxes are now positioned some 25 feet high up on the gable end of a building - accessible only via scaffolding!

Bespoke cables were assembled from unshielded Cat6 solid cable using pass though RJ45 connectors using a suitable crimping tool with which I have made dozens of cables. One end was terminated first and positioned to the relevant camera before the other end of the cable was passed through a wall and the remaining end terminated. Each cable then tested OK showing that all 1 - 8 strands made a correct connection before being connected to the relevant camera. Each of these cables would be no more than 12 feet long.

POE is supplied via a 16 port Netgear GS316EP POE+ 180W switch - this switch was used when setting the cameras up on the table as they were installed in the nest boxes. The Netgear POE switch has a direct cable (approx. 40 feet) connection to the EE router. The lights on the switch indicate that power is going to all the cameras but that data is only being received from 7 of them.

This is further compounded by the EE supplied router showing that only four of these cameras are connected to the router. These four "connected" cameras can be easily set up in BI v5. Looking at the router connections pages, the static IP addresses for the "unconnected" cameras are all present / reserved as previously set up but show as "not connected" despite having worked previously.

The router and the switch have both been power cycled to no avail.

A Reolink (RLC-510A) outdoor camera is also connected to this switch and is working without issue in BI (once the camera firmware had been set to allow it - thanks to this forum for the information.) This camera is in port 12 of the switch suggesting that there is plenty of power available for the preceding ports.

I am struggling to understand why the router is not seeing the "missing" four cameras and would appreciate any suggestions as to how to get these cameras working. Is there something I have missed? Any and all help appreciated.

 

[TonyR]

I have always assigned to the cams unique, static IP's that are outside of the router's DHCP pool and have only used a router's IP reservation feature with one cam that has only a DHCP mode and connect cannot be set to static.

That said, and hoping you have a list of which cams were "assigned" which IP's via reservation in the router, I would consider deleting every one of them in the router, cycling power to the router (again) and then re-asserting those IP reservations but doing one at a time: connect one, set reservation, confirm and test and if OK, do another. Rinse and repeat until all the offline cams are done.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Bespoke cables were assembled from unshielded Cat6 solid cable using pass though RJ45 connectors

What wiring standard did you use when crimping the connectors on? (eg T568B)

The lights on the switch indicate that power is going to all the cameras but that data is only being received from 7 of them.

Do you mean that the link detect light on the switch is absent on the problem cameras?

What is the result of pinging the assigned IP addresses of the cameras?

 

[Dewcal]

I have always assigned to the cams unique, static IP's that are outside of the router's DHCP pool and have only used a router's IP reservation feature with one cam that has only a DHCP mode and connect be set to static.

That said, and hoping you have a list of which cams were "assigned" which IP's via reservation in the router, I would consider deleting every one of them in the router, cycling power to the router (again) and then re-asserting those IP reservations but doing one at a time: connect one, set reservation, confirm and test and if OK, do another. Rinse and repeat until all the offline cams are done.

Thank you for reply. Yes, I did make a list of the MAC address for each camera and linked that tot he IP address the router gave first time around. Looking at the IP table on the router, I can see the "missing" cameras have the IP and MAC addresses are shown as "not connected" and these are the same as the list I made previously.

The router is, in my opinion, not very user friendly and not designed for people to do anything more than "plug and play" - makes me appreciate my Darytek!

I will have another look and see if I can see where the router IP pool is set but so far I have not managed to find it! Will look at deleting the "not connected" cameras as suggested.

 

[Dewcal]

What wiring standard did you use when crimping the connectors on? (eg T568B)

Do you mean that the link detect light on the switch is absent on the problem cameras?

What is the result of pinging the assigned IP addresses of the cameras?

Thanks for reply. Always use T568B for my cables.
The switch shows that both power and data going to 3 of the problem cameras while only power to the fourth one.
Pinging the noted IP addresses fails.

 

[Dewcal]

Am pleased to report a successful update to this issue. I managed to obtain some new RJ45 connectors (Klein) and when these were used in place of the connectors I have been using fro several years, all connections came live. All cameras are now live on Blue Iris and all we now need are some swifts to occupy the nest boxes!
Still no idea as to why, when using my "original" connectors, the circuit testing showed each core was connected correctly but camera not seen by router.
All is well that ends well - even if I am bit greyer than I was!

 

[TonyR]

FWIW, I coat the male RJ-45 and inside the female RJ-45 of the camera with dielectric grease to help prevent oxidation and corrosion of the connector contacts, even though the connection is inside the bluebird box and out of the direct weather, because of the high humidity.

Three years now with no connection issues. The 7th brood of 3 eastern bluebird chicks fledged this past Monday 4/29.

 

[Dewcal]

Thanks for suggestion of the dielectric grease. DOn't think corrosion would be an issue here as all components were new. Grease has now been used since we got the systems / connections working so hopefully they will stay working!

Great news on the BB chicks - lovely to hear. Most of my nest boxes are not being used which could be explained by the Tawny Owls nesting in one of the larger trees!

Thanks again.

 

[TonyR]

Thanks for suggestion of the dielectric grease. DOn't think corrosion would be an issue here as all components were new. Grease has now been used since we got the systems / connections working so hopefully they will stay working!

Great news on the BB chicks - lovely to hear. Most of my nest boxes are not being used which could be explained by the Tawny Owls nesting in one of the larger trees!

Thanks again.

Understood that corrosion was NOT the issue but I'm glad you took the recommendation of using dielectric grease for the new connections as a preventative measure.