Orbi and CCTV

[Mal56]

Just posting this as will hopefully help someone connecting to home cctv as I had problems connecting my CTRONICS  4 cameras to a newly purchased orbi with 2 satellites.

This seems to be a problem as the cameras only pick up 2.4 and indeed trying to connect by Wi-Fi they would not connect . Couldn't really find a solution online so decided to get an extension power lead and plug in one of the satellites close to my external camera and connect the camera (camera obviously need Ethernet port, usually one of the 3 leads hanging from the camera) directly  via Ethernet to the satellite in one of the Ethernet ports.

Bingo,it picked up the camera, disconnected the Ethernet cable  and camera still connected and a week later after disconnecting power to check if reconnects all still fine and working on 2.4.

Hope it helps someone!

[schumaku]

This confirms once more the problem isn't with Orbi and many of these cameras or IoT - just some crazy discovery app checking (if the camera can't be located on the network) the mobile phone is connected to a 2.4GHz network, which neither mobile phones nor modern Mesh systems does allow to choose. In your case, the camera was discovered while plugged to the wired network, and the WiFi config is pushed on the same way.

[CrimpOn]

There are some cameras that are designed to be configured over ethernet before connecting to WiFi.  The tip-off is that even though they are sold as "WiFi" cameras, they have an ethernet jack on them.  My Reolink cameras, for example, come with three cords dangling out:

• 12v power
• Reset button
• Ethernet jack

(And, yes, it is a chore drilling a hole in the wall or soffit large enough to stuff all that mess of wires through.)

If a consumer had a home network with absolutely zero ethernet connections, it would be impossible to set up the camera.

I much prefer cameras that are set up by using the smartphone app to generate a QR code and then pointing the camera at the QR code.

[schumaku]

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@CrimpOn wrote:

There are some cameras that are designed to be configured over ethernet before connecting to WiFi. 

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Whatever crutch is used to bring the wireless credentials to the wireless camera does not really matter. Ethernet, Bluetooth, WiFi, portable storage media, or optical recognition. As long as the App makers don't follow the mostly irrelevant idea [except where different credentials are used by the band - something few users still like to achieve for whatever reason] to break the process if the current WiFi connection - mind you we don't speak of the connection to the camera at that point [!!!] isn't established on a 2.4 GHz channel. The only reason the cumbersome camera Apps require a 2.4 GHz connection is to ensure the 2.4 GHz SSID and passphrase is read from the mobile device config, and can be sent to the camera. Cameras allowing the config over WiFi have initially an access point config where the configuring wireless device will connect to. If this is 2.4 GHz only - it's not relevant for the user or the Mesh system, as it can use the 2.4 GHz connection also to the Orbi.

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@CrimpOn wrote:

If a consumer had a home network with absolutely zero ethernet connections, it would be impossible to set up the camera.

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These are a small exception - the majority of the Internet connection devices (routers et all) have one or multiple Ethernet LAN ports. It would be cumbersome if the requirement would be having an Ethernet direct on a computer/tablet/mobile.

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@CrimpOn wrote:

I much prefer cameras that are set up by using the smartphone app to generate a QR code and then pointing the camera at the QR code.

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One of many possible options only.