Reolink Base Station Not Connecting? Here's the Fix
The Reolink base station is the central hub for many of their wire-free camera systems, like the Argus series. It's the essential bridge that connects your cameras to your network. If your base station is offline or fails to connect, your entire camera system will be down. This guide will walk you through the most common reasons for this issue and how to resolve them.
## Understanding the Base Station's Status Lights
Before you start troubleshooting, take a look at the status light on the front of the base station. It's your primary diagnostic tool.
- Flashing Blue: The base station is powered on and is in the process of starting up.
- Solid Blue: The base station is connected to the network and is working correctly.
- Solid Red or Flashing Red: This indicates a network connection error. The base station is powered on but cannot communicate with your router.
This guide focuses on fixing the red light error state.
## Step-by-Step Troubleshooting for Connection Failure
Start with the simplest solutions first and work your way down the list.
### Step 1: Check the Physical Connections
The most common cause of a connection failure is a simple physical problem. Don't overlook the basics.
- Ethernet Cable: Ensure the Ethernet cable is securely plugged into the back of the Reolink base station and into one of the LAN ports on your internet router. You should hear a 'click' when it's properly seated.
- Power Adapter: Verify that the power adapter is firmly connected to the base station and plugged into a working power outlet.
- Try a Different Cable/Port: A faulty Ethernet cable or router port can be the culprit.
- Swap the current Ethernet cable for a new one that you know is functional.
- Plug the Ethernet cable into a different LAN port on your router. Most routers have at least four.
### Step 2: Power Cycle Your Network and Devices
A full reboot can often clear up temporary network glitches that are preventing the connection. It's important to do this in the correct order.
- Power off and unplug the Reolink base station.
- Power off and unplug your internet router. If you have a separate modem, unplug that as well.
- Wait for at least 60 seconds to allow all devices to fully discharge.
- Plug in and power on your modem first. Wait for its status lights to become stable (usually about 1-2 minutes).
- Plug in and power on your router. Wait for its lights to indicate it's online.
- Finally, plug the power back into your Reolink base station. Give it a few minutes to boot up and attempt to connect. Check if the status light turns blue.
### Step 3: Check Router Settings
In some rare cases, a setting on your router might be blocking the base station.
- DHCP Enabled: Log in to your router's admin panel and ensure that DHCP is enabled. The base station needs this to be automatically assigned an IP address. This setting is enabled by default on virtually all routers.
- MAC Filtering: Check if you have any security settings like MAC address filtering enabled that might be preventing new devices from joining the network.
### Step 4: Factory Reset the Base Station (Last Resort)
If nothing else has worked, you can perform a factory reset. This will return the base station to its original settings, and you will need to set it up again from the beginning, including re-pairing all your cameras.
- Locate the small, recessed reset button on the base station.
- Use a paperclip or a SIM eject tool to press and hold the reset button for about 10 seconds, until the status light changes or you hear a prompt.
- Release the button and allow the base station to reboot.
- Once it has restarted, follow the initial setup instructions in the Reolink app.