Avigilon Night Vision Not Working? A Troubleshooting Guide
Avigilon cameras are trusted in professional security environments for their superior image quality and reliability. A critical component of this is their powerful night vision capability, which utilises infrared (IR) illumination to see in complete darkness. When this feature fails, the integrity of your entire surveillance system is compromised during the most vulnerable hours. This guide provides a systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving common night vision issues with Avigilon cameras.
Understanding Potential Causes for Night Vision Failure
Several factors can lead to an Avigilon camera failing to display a clear image at night. By understanding the root cause, you can more effectively apply the correct solution.
- Power Issues: Insufficient Power over Ethernet (PoE) budget can prevent the IR illuminators from activating.
- Configuration Errors: The day/night mode settings within the camera's web interface or ACC software may be incorrectly configured.
- Environmental Interference: Reflections from nearby surfaces (IR bounce-back) or ambient light sources can confuse the camera's light sensor.
- Physical Obstructions: A dirty or smudged dome bubble or lens can block or reflect IR light, leading to poor image quality.
- Firmware Glitches: Outdated firmware may contain bugs affecting the IR functionality.
- Hardware Failure: In rare cases, the physical IR illuminator board or the photocell sensor on the camera has failed.
How to Troubleshoot Your Avigilon Camera's Night Vision
Follow these steps methodically to restore your camera's night vision. It is best to test these changes in low-light conditions.
Step 1: Verify Power Delivery (PoE)
Avigilon's high-performance IR illuminators can draw significant power. This should be your first check.
- Identify Camera Model: Determine the exact model of your Avigilon camera.
- Check Power Requirements: Consult the camera's datasheet to find its power consumption and required PoE class (e.g., Class 3, Class 4/PoE+).
- Inspect the Switch: Log in to your network switch's management interface and check the power budget for the port the camera is connected to. Ensure the switch can supply the required power and that the total power draw on the switch is not exceeding its maximum capacity.
- Test Connection: If possible, connect the camera to a dedicated, known-good PoE+ injector to rule out a power budget issue with the switch.
Step 2: Clean the Camera Lens and Dome
A contaminated lens or dome is a very common cause of poor night vision, especially white-out or blurry images.
- Inspect the Dome/Lens: Carefully examine the camera for dust, fingerprints, water spots, or spiderwebs.
- Proper Cleaning: Use a lint-free microfibre cloth and an approved camera lens cleaning solution. For dome cameras, remove the bubble to clean both the inside and outside surfaces thoroughly.
- Check the Foam Gasket: On many dome cameras, there is a foam ring around the lens. Ensure it is properly seated against the inside of the bubble to prevent IR light from reflecting back into the lens.
Step 3: Review Camera Day/Night Settings
Check the software settings to ensure the camera is configured to switch to night mode correctly.
- Access Web Interface: Type the camera's IP address into a web browser and log in.
- Navigate to Image Settings: Go to the Image and Display section.
- Check Day/Night Setting: Ensure the 'Day/Night' option is set to Auto. This allows the camera to use its built-in light sensor. You can temporarily set it to Night to force the IR illuminators on and confirm they are working.
- IR Illumination: Verify that the IR Illumination setting is enabled.
Step 4: Update Camera Firmware
Firmware updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements that can resolve operational issues.
- Download Firmware: Go to the Avigilon website's support section and find the latest firmware for your specific camera model.
- Apply Update: In the camera's web interface, navigate to the Setup > Maintenance or similar section.
- Upload Firmware File: Use the 'Upgrade' utility to upload the new firmware file to the camera. The camera will restart once the process is complete.
Step 5: Assess for Environmental Factors
The camera's surroundings can trick its sensors.
- Ambient Light: Is there a bright security light or streetlamp pointing near the camera? This can sometimes provide enough light to prevent the camera from switching to night mode. Try temporarily covering the light source to see if the camera switches.
- IR Reflection: Check for nearby walls, soffits, or shiny surfaces that could be causing the camera's own IR light to bounce back and blind it. If you identify a reflective surface, you may need to reposition the camera slightly.
Contacting Avigilon Support
If you have exhausted all the steps above and the issue persists, it could point to a hardware failure. You should contact your certified Avigilon partner or Avigilon's technical support. Be prepared to provide the camera's model number, serial number, and a summary of the troubleshooting you have already performed.