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Forum Discussion
Simplisafe Camera Connection Issues with New 960 6E Orbi
I have a simplisafe system with 2 doorbells, 1 inside camera, and 1 outdoor camera. I've always had issues with my old orbi and simplisafe with connections dropping, etc. I just bought a brand n...
Yes, I am using the IoT network.
Simplisafe is of little help, unfortunately. This is my last hope before I give up and move to something like nest instead.
I came across that post about mesh systems causing problems for doorbells and a 2.4 extender fixing it. ?
Possible however adding another wifi signal source could cause wifi interference problems.
One issue with video doorbells is that the only reasonable place to install them is next to an exterior door and that location may not be optimal for a WiFi connection because of the wall construction in relation to where the WiFi access point is located. Often moving an access point just a bit may improve the connection quite a bit. If this does not work, then another solution is to install a WiFi Extender, which is located very close to the doorbell and where there will be a minimum of material in the path. I have had good luck with the TP-Link RE220 ($20 on Amazon). Use it to create a 2.4G WiFi channel with a different name than any of the Orbi WiFi channels so that the doorbell will attempt to connect only to this unit.
This also compensates for a common problem with WiFi devices which are not expected to be mobile. When the Orbi system powers up, such as after a power interruption, the base unit begins broadcasting first and some devices may attempt to connect to it before the satellite signals are available. Mobile devices are typically programmed to scan for WiFi connections all the time in case they roam to a location where a different connection would be better. Devices designed to remain in one location may not do this. This feature is often built into the WiFi hardware. (It is not simply a matter of price. I notice that the Echo Dot will switch access points when a better signal comes up and it cost under $30.)
SimpliSafe is saying that mesh systems might be causing issues with their cameras. I may have to try a cheap extender as a last ditch effort.
- I purchased a TP-Link AC750 extender and set up a 5ghz and 2.4ghz signal. Both connected to my 5ghz ssid from Orbi.
I put it in the room right outside where the door bell is and it doesn’t work. I moved it outside because it’s a covered courtyard (just on the outside wall of that room) and the signal is strong from the extender (around 300mb). Now the cameras work.
Why, how? I can stand down the street and get signal from my Orbi. Where the doorbell is gets 500-600mb. Yet it won’t work. Is that due to it being a mesh network? So this extender is not a mesh then. Somehow connecting to the extender (and both networks have the same ssid and pass) the cameras are working. I don’t understand how is why.
It’s also very weird to me that a wall with stucco can kill a 500mb signal but I can run down the street with internet? I’m very confused.
chuck27p wrote:
Somehow connecting to the extender (and both networks have the same ssid and pass) the cameras are working. I don’t understand how is why.My guess is that the camera has selected the TP-Link WiFi extender because it has the strongest signal. (Stucco is built on a wire mesh ("chicken wire?") that may not be particularly friendly to WiFi signals.)
When using a WiFi Extender, my preference is to give the "extension" a completely different WiFi SSID than the primary WiFi network. That way, the device will never be tempted to connect to a very weak mesh host signal.
I also think of WiFi more like Alchemy than science. Almost "Black Arts".
chuck27p wrote:
So this extender is not a mesh then.This is exactly correct. Any independent WiFi access point or "extender" that is connected to the Orbi network will create a separate WiFi network. The benefit of a "mesh" system is that devices will roam seamlessly from one unit to another. The WiFi protocols control how the device communicates with the access points and the access points communicate with each other to facilitate roaming.
Here's an easy experiment. The Simplisafe outdoor camera is totally mobile. Pull it off the wall and walk to the other side of the house. (As far as possible from the extender as possible.) Does the Orbi Attached Devices (or Connected Devices) show that it connects to different Orbi units as it moves around?
(I'm probably not helping any at this point. It's late.....)
