Unifi Camera Stopped Working: A Troubleshooting Guide

Diagnosing an Unresponsive Unifi Camera

A security camera that has stopped working is a significant gap in your surveillance coverage. When a Unifi camera goes offline or becomes completely unresponsive, it's crucial to diagnose the problem quickly. The issue can typically be traced back to one of three areas: Power, Network, or the Camera Hardware itself.

This troubleshooting guide will walk you through a systematic process to identify the root cause and get your camera back online.

Initial Checks and Symptoms

Before diving into complex troubleshooting, let's identify what "stopped working" means in your case:

• Camera is 'Offline' in Unifi Protect: The controller can no longer communicate with the camera, but it was previously working.
• No LED Light: The camera's status LED is completely off, indicating a likely power issue.
• Fails to Adopt: The camera is visible to the controller but repeatedly fails the adoption process.
• No Live Video: You can see the camera in the dashboard, but the live stream will not load.
• Completely Undetectable: The camera doesn't show up anywhere on your network or in the controller.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Follow these steps in order. Do not skip a step, as they are designed to rule out the most common and simple issues first.

Step 1: Resolve Potential Power Issues

Most Unifi cameras are powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE). This is the first place to look.

1. Check the Switch Port:
   • Log in to your Unifi Network controller.
   • Navigate to the switch that the camera is connected to.
   • Check the port the camera is plugged into. Does it show that it is providing PoE power?
2. Power Cycle the Port:
   • In the network controller, disable the PoE on the port the camera is connected to, wait 10-15 seconds, and then re-enable it. This is the equivalent of unplugging and plugging the camera back in and can often resolve temporary glitches.
3. Try a Different Port:
   • If power cycling doesn't work, unplug the camera's ethernet cable from its current port and plug it into a different, known-working PoE port on the same switch.
4. Check the PoE Injector (if applicable):
   • If your camera is powered by a separate PoE injector instead of a switch, ensure the injector's power light is on. Try plugging the injector into a different wall outlet.

Step 2: Investigate Network Connectivity

If the camera appears to have power but is still offline, the problem lies with the network connection.

1. Test the Ethernet Cable:
   • The ethernet cable itself is a common point of failure, especially for outdoor cameras where the cable can be damaged by weather or animals.
   • Replace the existing cable with a brand new or known-working ethernet cable. This is one of the most important and effective troubleshooting steps.
2. Check Network Configuration:
   • Ensure the camera and the Unifi Protect controller are on the same local network (VLAN). A network misconfiguration can prevent the camera from communicating with the controller.
3. Review Firewall Rules:
   • If you have a complex network setup with custom firewall rules, ensure that you are not accidentally blocking traffic between your cameras and the Unifi Protect controller.

Step 3: Address the Camera Itself

If you have confirmed that both power and network are functioning correctly, the issue may be with the camera's hardware or firmware.

1. Attempt a Factory Reset:
   • A factory reset can resolve persistent firmware issues. This will unmanage the camera from your controller and restore it to its default settings.
   • Locate the reset button on your camera (you may need a paperclip). With the camera powered on, press and hold the reset button for 10-15 seconds until the LED light indicates that it is resetting.
   • After the reset, try to adopt the camera in your Unifi Protect controller again.
2. Bring the Camera to the Switch:
   • To completely rule out cabling issues, dismount the camera and bring it right next to your network switch.
   • Use a short, new patch cable to connect it directly to a PoE port. If the camera works in this setup, you know the problem is with the long cable run in your wall or ceiling. If it still doesn't work, the camera hardware is very likely faulty.

If you have followed all these steps and the camera remains unresponsive, it is highly probable that the device has suffered a hardware failure. In this case, you should check if the device is under warranty and contact Ubiquiti support for further assistance.