Resolving Intermittent Connectivity with Your Avigilon Camera
An Avigilon security camera that repeatedly goes offline is a significant liability. Gaps in your video surveillance record can compromise security and hinder investigations. When a camera frequently disconnects from the Avigilon Control Center (ACC), it's crucial to diagnose and resolve the underlying issue promptly.
This professional troubleshooting guide will walk you through the common causes of Avigilon cameras dropping their connection, from physical layer issues to network configuration problems.
## Level 1: Physical and Power Inspection
Always start with the most fundamental components of the installation. A robust physical connection is the foundation of a stable camera feed.
- Inspect Cabling: Check the Ethernet cable connected to the camera. Ensure the RJ45 connectors are securely clicked into place at both the camera end and the network switch or injector end. Look for any visible signs of damage, sharp bends, or kinks in the cable that could impair performance. If possible, test the connection with a known-good patch cable.
- Verify Network Port Status: Observe the LED indicator lights on the network switch port where the camera is connected. You should typically see a solid or blinking green or amber light indicating a successful link and network activity. If the port lights are off, it suggests a problem with the cable, the port itself, or the camera's network interface. Try connecting the camera to a different port on the switch.
- Analyse Power Delivery (PoE): Most Avigilon cameras are powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE).
- PoE Budget: Check the specifications of your PoE switch. Ensure you have not exceeded the total power budget for the switch with all connected devices. High-power cameras (like PTZ or multi-sensor models) can draw significant wattage.
- PoE Class: Confirm that the switch port can provide the required PoE class (e.g., Class 3, Class 4) for your specific camera model. An underpowered camera may boot up but then drop offline under load (e.g., when its infrared illuminators turn on at night).
## Level 2: Network and IP Address Diagnostics
If the physical connections appear solid, the next step is to investigate the camera's network configuration and its communication path to the ACC server.
### IP Address Conflicts
An IP address conflict, where two devices on the same network have the same IP address, is a very common cause of intermittent connectivity. The devices will fight for the IP, causing both to drop on and off the network.
- Check for Duplicates: Ensure the static IP address assigned to your Avigilon camera is unique on the network. You can use an IP scanning tool or check your router's DHCP lease table to verify this.
- Use DHCP Reservations: A best practice is to use DHCP reservations (sometimes called static DHCP) in your router or server. This links the camera's unique MAC address to a specific IP address, preventing conflicts while still allowing for centralised IP management.
### Basic Network Path Testing
- Ping the Camera: From the Avigilon server or another computer on the same network, open a command prompt and use the ping tool to test basic connectivity. Type
ping [Camera_IP_Address] -t. The-tswitch will cause the ping to run continuously. - Interpret the Results:
- Consistent Replies: If you see continuous successful replies, the basic network link is stable.
- "Request timed out": Occasional or frequent timeouts indicate packet loss between your location and the camera, pointing to a potential network hardware issue (bad switch, faulty cable) or network congestion.
- "Destination host unreachable": This means your computer cannot find a route to the camera's IP address, suggesting a more severe network configuration problem (e.g., incorrect subnet mask, VLAN issue).
## Level 3: Firmware and Software Configuration
Finally, ensure the software components are up to date and correctly configured.
- Update Firmware: Avigilon regularly releases firmware updates for their cameras to fix bugs, improve performance, and enhance security. Log in to the camera's web interface or use the Avigilon Camera Configuration Tool to check the current firmware version and upgrade if a newer version is available.
- Update ACC Software: Ensure your Avigilon Control Center server software is also running a recent version. Mismatches between camera firmware and ACC versions can sometimes lead to unpredictable behaviour.
- Check Camera Drivers: In ACC, ensure the correct device driver is being used for the camera model. While ACC is generally good at auto-detection, it's worth verifying this in the camera's setup dialogue.
By methodically working through these three levels of troubleshooting, from the physical cable to the software configuration, you can effectively diagnose and resolve the frustrating issue of an Avigilon camera that keeps going offline.