Verkada Camera Keeps Going Offline? Restore Your Connection
A Verkada camera that repeatedly goes offline is a critical failure in an enterprise security system. These cloud-native cameras rely on a stable network connection to stream footage and communicate with the Verkada Command platform. When that connection drops, you have a blind spot. This guide covers the key troubleshooting steps from a network administrator's perspective.
### Step 1: Analyse the Camera's LED Status Indicator
The LED light on the camera is your primary diagnostic tool.
- Solid Orange/Amber: This is the most common state for an 'offline' camera. It signifies that the camera has power and has booted its operating system, but it cannot establish a connection to the network and the Verkada cloud. The problem is almost certainly related to the network.
- Flashing Blue: The camera is in the process of upgrading its firmware. Do not unplug it during this time.
- Solid Blue: The camera is connected and recording.
- No Light: The camera is not receiving power.
If the light is solid orange, all your troubleshooting should be focused on the network path.
Step 2: Verify Network Connectivity and Firewall Rules
Verkada cameras require specific network conditions to function.
- Check DHCP and DNS: The camera needs to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server. Ensure that the VLAN the camera is on has a functioning DHCP scope. The camera must also be able to resolve
*.verkada.comhostnames via DNS. Check your DNS server and make sure it can resolve external addresses. - Firewall Configuration: This is a critical point. Verkada cameras only make outbound connections. Your firewall must allow outbound traffic on TCP port 443 to
*.verkada.com. For time synchronisation, the camera also needs outbound access on UDP port 123. No inbound port forwarding is required. If your firewall is performing deep packet or SSL inspection, you may need to create an exception for Verkada traffic.
Step 3: Inspect the Physical Layer and Power over Ethernet (PoE)
A faulty cable or insufficient power can easily cause a camera to drop offline.
- Cable Integrity: The issue could be the Ethernet cable run itself. Use a network cable tester to verify that all pairs are correctly terminated and that there are no shorts or breaks in the cable. Test the patch panel port and the wall jack.
- PoE Switch Port: Connect a known-good device (like a laptop with an Ethernet port) to the same cable the camera was using to confirm the switch port is active and providing a network link.
- Power Budget: This is a frequent cause of problems. Check the camera's datasheet for its power requirement (e.g., 802.3af for standard PoE, 802.3at for PoE+). Now, check the specifications of your network switch.
- Is the individual port supplying the correct PoE standard?
- What is the total power budget of the switch? If you have many PoE devices connected, you may have exceeded the switch's total capacity, causing it to shut down power to some ports.
Step 4: Isolate the Issue
To determine if the problem is with the camera or the network infrastructure, take the camera and a laptop to the network switch. Using a new, short patch cable, connect the camera directly to the switch. If the camera comes online (LED turns blue), the problem lies with the cable run or wall jack. If the camera still shows a solid orange light, the issue is more likely a network configuration (VLAN, firewall) or a hardware fault with the camera itself, at which point you should contact Verkada support.