How to Fix a Fermax Base Station That's Not Connecting
The Fermax base station, or hub, is the heart of your security system. It's the device that connects your cameras to the internet, allowing you to view footage remotely and receive notifications. If your base station fails to connect, your entire system goes offline. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step process to troubleshoot and resolve connectivity issues with your Fermax base station.
### Understanding the Role of the Base Station
The base station connects directly to your internet router via an Ethernet cable. It then creates its own secure, low-power wireless network to communicate with your Fermax cameras. This setup ensures a more stable and reliable connection for your cameras than connecting them directly to your home Wi-Fi. When it goes offline, it's almost always due to a network or power issue.
Troubleshooting Your Fermax Base Station Connection
Work through these steps in order to get your system back online.
1. Check the Status LED Light
The first clue to the problem is the indicator light on the front of the base station. The colours and patterns have specific meanings:
- Solid Red/Amber: This typically means there is no internet connection.
- Flashing Red/Amber: This can indicate an IP address problem or a failure to connect to the Fermax servers.
- Solid Blue/Green: This usually indicates a successful connection and normal operation.
- Flashing Blue/White: This often means the device is in setup or pairing mode.
Refer to your user manual to confirm the specific light codes for your model. If you see a red or amber light, proceed with the following steps.
2. Inspect All Physical Connections
The most common cause of failure is a loose or faulty cable.
- Power Cable: Ensure the power adapter is securely plugged into both the wall outlet and the base station's power port.
- Ethernet Cable: This is the most critical connection.
- Confirm the Ethernet cable is firmly clicked into place on the back of the Fermax base station.
- Confirm the other end is firmly clicked into a LAN port on your internet router.
- Look for link lights on the router's port where the cable is connected. Most routers have a small light that will illuminate or flash when a device is properly connected. If there's no light, there's a connection problem.
3. Try a Different Ethernet Port and Cable
- Change Router Port: Unplug the Ethernet cable from its current port on the router and plug it into a different, known-working LAN port.
- Swap the Cable: Ethernet cables can fail. If you have a spare one, try swapping the existing cable with a new one to rule out a faulty cable as the cause.
4. Power Cycle Your Network and Base Station
Restarting your equipment in the correct order can clear up many temporary network glitches.
- Power Off: Unplug the power cord from your Fermax base station. Then, unplug the power cord from your internet modem and router.
- Wait: Leave everything unplugged for at least 60 seconds.
- Power On Modem/Router: Plug your modem back in first. Wait for it to fully boot up (usually 1-2 minutes, until the internet/globe light is stable). Then, plug in your router and wait for it to boot up.
- Power On Base Station: Once your internet is back online, plug the power cord back into your Fermax base station. Give it several minutes to boot and attempt to connect.
5. Check Router Settings
In rare cases, a setting on your router could be blocking the connection.
- Firewall: Check your router's firewall settings to ensure it is not blocking access for new devices.
- DHCP: Ensure that DHCP is enabled on your router. This service automatically assigns an IP address to the base station, which is required for it to connect.
If after following all these steps your Fermax base station still shows a red light and remains offline, there may be an issue with the device itself. In this situation, the best course of action is to contact Fermax customer support for further assistance.