Switch from WiFi to Wired (just by plugging in Ethernet cable)?

[DroMike]

- I have two Amcrest WiFi bullet cameras installed outside my house. They're great generally, but once in a while they experience (surprise) WiFi dropouts.

- While they are not POE cameras per se (they are separately powered), both have Ethernet cable/ports and can transmit signals via Ethernet.

- Besides desirable, it's now going to be physically easy for me to run separate Ethernet cables to them to give them a stable wired connection.

- It took some time for me to position the cameras, so IF I needed to reset them to run on Ethernet, getting to the reset button would require me to access a small compartment on them and re-positioning them all over again, which will be a pain in the ass.

That said, my question is: Do I NEED to reset the cameras, or will they obtain the stable connection I seek merely from my plugging a wired/Ethernet cable into them?

 

[Fastb]

I had a WiFi cam, and suffered through many off-line events. I had to power-cycle to get them online again.
IIRC, I simply connected an ethernet cable. I entered the config screens on the cam, and disable the WiFi. I don't think I needed to press a reset button. Instead, aw/ re-conconfig and power cycle, I was back in business.
I used a poe ethernet cable, and a poe-to-12V converter next to cam. So I ditched the old DC supply, which needed an AC cord. Meaninf I traded an AC cable for an ethernet cable.
Happy w/ the results!

Good luck,
Fastb

 

[TonyR]

Do I NEED to reset the cameras, or will they obtain the stable connection I seek merely from my plugging a wired/Ethernet cable into them?

Negative., do not reset.
The wired/wireless Amcrest bullets I have worked with have a different IP for the wired and the wireless.

• Insure Ethernet cable is NOT plugged in.
• While camera still working on Wi-Fi, log into camera's webGUI with your browser, using the IP address for it's wireless connection.
• Go to "setup", "Network", "TCP/IP" , note the settings for wireless, subnet mask, gateway, preferred and alternate DNS and write them down.
• Go to "Ethernet Card", change drop-down menu to "Wired", click radio button for "Static", assign a unique IP in the same subnet as the wireless but not the same as the wireless.
• Fill in subnet mask, gateway, preferred and alternate DNS as they were with the wireless that you wrote down.
• Back up at "Ethernet Card", click on "set as the default".
• Double check all settings to be as stated above and if correct, click on "Save".
• Power the camera off, plug in Ethernet cable, power back up, wait 60 seconds.
• Open your browser but this time use the IP you entered into the "wired" entry.
• If camera's webGUI opens, you're in business.

 

[DroMike]

I appreciate both your answers which at least happily assure me I don't need to hard-reset the camera, the scenario I was trying to avoid.

However, thanks in particular to Tony due to your past experience with Amcrest cameras. GREAT information. I just visited my Amcrest WebGUI and sure enough DID see all you mentioned and how easy it will be to note, change and invoke those new settings. Ultimately I'd simply like the cameras to work on Ethernet and ensure they're working in Blue Iris (and now I see they'll have new IP addresses...) so those simple instructions I now know to perform BEFORE I wire the cameras will almost certainly save me a fair amount of hassle. I owe you a bottle of whiskey there buddy! - Mike

 

[DroMike]

UPDATE: Today I switched one of my two outside cams to Ethernet although admittedly the dropouts were few on this particular camera. All went flawlessly and I now have the peace of mind of a stable camera connection. Now that this trial run is over, tomorrow I'm going to do the same for my other outside cam that has had regularly-occurring WiFi connectivity issues. Can't wait!

 

[StratRider]

Negative., do not reset.
The wired/wireless Amcrest bullets I have worked with have a different IP for the wired and the wireless.

• Insure Ethernet cable is NOT plugged in.
• While camera still working on Wi-Fi, log into camera's webGUI with your browser, using the IP address for it's wireless connection.
• Go to "setup", "Network", "TCP/IP" , note the settings for wireless, subnet mask, gateway, preferred and alternate DNS and write them down.
• Go to "Ethernet Card", change drop-down menu to "Wired", click radio button for "Static", assign a unique IP in the same subnet as the wireless but not the same as the wireless.
• Fill in subnet mask, gateway, preferred and alternate DNS as they were with the wireless that you wrote down.
• Back up at "Ethernet Card", click on "set as the default".
• Double check all settings to be as stated above and if correct, click on "Save".
• Power the camera off, plug in Ethernet cable, power back up, wait 60 seconds.
• Open your browser but this time use the IP you entered into the "wired" entry.
• If camera's webGUI opens, you're in business.

I attempted this with an IP4M-1051 and when I got to the "Static" button - it cannot be pressed unless you switch over to IPv6 (which I wasn't going to do with my very limited networking capabilities).
I did notice that just plugging the wire into a switch and into the camera did eliminate any lockups or lag issues though.
But even though I was now wired from PC to Router to Switch to Camera - it sappears that my cam was still on wireless anyway.
When I tried to go direct from PC to Switch to Cam - I can locate the Switch but not the Cam and thus I can't config anything.
Back to the Wiki and Cliff notes for the 4th time I guess.
I feel that I need to just start from scratch with some really good instructions without any wifi router at all as this is how I intend to run the system anyway.
This is a good topic though and I will continue until I figure this out.

 

[DroMike]

But even though I was now wired from PC to Router to Switch to Camera - it sappears that my cam was still on wireless anyway.

I wonder if unchecking the "Enable" (Wifi) box under "Setup/Network/WiFi" in your Ancrest WebUI would force your connection to utilize Ethernet only and alleviate your cam working on WiFi... Otherwise Tony's info above was golden for me!

 

[StratRider]

I wonder if unchecking the "Enable" (Wifi) box under "Setup/Network/WiFi" in your Ancrest WebUI would force your connection to utilize Ethernet only and alleviate your cam working on WiFi... Otherwise Tony's info above was golden for me!

yes, that did the trick - still going to re-read everything but glad you pointed that one out.