How to Fix August Camera Lag and Video Delay
The August Doorbell Cam and other August security cameras are designed to provide you with a real-time view of what's happening at your home. However, experiencing a significant lag or delay in the video feed can be frustrating and defeats the purpose of live monitoring. A choppy, buffering, or delayed stream can prevent you from communicating with visitors effectively or seeing an event as it happens.
This guide will help you diagnose the common causes of camera lag and provide you with clear, actionable steps to troubleshoot the issue for a smoother, more responsive video stream.
Understanding the Causes of Camera Lag
Video lag, also known as latency, is the delay between an event happening in real life and you seeing it on your screen. It's usually caused by a bottleneck in the data transmission process. The most common culprits are:
- Weak Wi-Fi Signal: This is the number one cause of lag. If your camera has a poor connection to your Wi-Fi router, it struggles to send the video data smoothly.
- Slow Internet Upload Speed: Your internet connection's upload speed is critical for streaming video from your camera to the cloud. If it's too slow, the video data gets backlogged, causing a delay.
- Network Congestion: If many other devices are using your home network at the same time (e.g., streaming 4K movies, online gaming, large downloads), it can use up the available bandwidth, leaving less for your camera.
- Physical Obstructions: Thick walls (especially brick or concrete), large metal appliances, and even water can absorb Wi-Fi signals and weaken the connection to your camera.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting to Reduce Lag
Work through these steps to identify and fix the source of your video delay.
1. Check Your Wi-Fi Signal Strength
First, check the camera's connection quality in the August app.
- Open the August app and go to the settings for the camera in question.
- Find the Network Settings or Device Health section.
- Check the reported Wi-Fi signal strength. If it's "Weak" or "Poor" (or only one or two bars), this is likely the primary cause of the lag.
To improve the signal, try moving your Wi-Fi router closer to your August camera. If that's not possible, consider installing a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh Wi-Fi system to provide a stronger, more reliable signal to the area where your camera is located.
2. Test Your Internet Upload Speed
Your upload speed determines how quickly your camera can send video to the August servers.
- Connect your smartphone to the same Wi-Fi network as your camera.
- Open a web browser and search for "internet speed test."
- Run the test and pay close attention to the "UPLOAD" speed result.
August recommends a minimum upload speed of 2 Mbps for each camera. If your result is lower than this, especially while other devices are using the internet, your connection may not be sufficient. Contact your internet service provider (ISP) to discuss upgrading to a plan with a higher upload speed.
3. Reduce Network Congestion
If the lag is worse at certain times of the day, it might be due to network congestion.
- Try to limit other high-bandwidth activities on your network while you need a real-time feed from your camera.
- Some routers have Quality of Service (QoS) settings that allow you to prioritise traffic for specific devices. If your router supports this, you can give your August camera higher priority to ensure it always has the bandwidth it needs.
4. Reboot Your Camera and Router
A simple reboot can often clear up temporary glitches that cause lag.
- Unplug your internet router from power for 60 seconds, then plug it back in. Wait for it to fully restart.
- Restart your August camera. For doorbell cameras, you may need to use the reset button or temporarily disconnect it from power. Refer to your model's specific instructions.
By systematically working through these steps, you can significantly reduce or eliminate the lag on your August camera, restoring the real-time view you rely on for your home's security.