Troubleshooting: Why is My Verkada Live View Not Working?
When you need to check on your premises, there's nothing more disruptive than finding your Verkada live view is unavailable. Whether it's showing as offline, buffering endlessly, or simply displaying a black screen, a non-functional live view can be a significant security concern.
Fortunately, most issues preventing you from accessing your camera's live stream can be diagnosed and resolved with some straightforward troubleshooting. This guide will help you identify the root cause and get your live view working again.
## Initial Diagnosis: Check the Camera Status
The first step is to understand the camera's current state, both physically and within the Verkada Command platform.
- Check the LED Status Light: The small LED light on your Verkada camera is a powerful diagnostic tool.
- Solid Blue: The camera is connected and recording. If you can't see the live view, the issue is likely with your network or viewing device.
- Flashing Orange: The camera has power but cannot reach the Verkada servers. This points directly to a network connectivity issue.
- Solid Orange: The camera is booting up. If it stays in this state, it may be a hardware issue.
- Review Camera Status in Command: Log in to your Verkada Command account. Does the camera show as "Online" or "Offline"? This will confirm what the LED light is telling you and guide your next steps.
## Solving Network and Connectivity Issues
Most live view problems stem from a network interruption between the camera and Verkada's cloud servers.
### 1. Verify Physical Connections
It's always best to start with the simplest solution. Check the physical Ethernet cable connected to the camera. Ensure it's securely plugged in at both the camera end and the switch or port end. If possible, try using a different Ethernet cable or port to rule out faulty hardware.
### 2. Check Your Firewall and Network Settings
Verkada cameras need to communicate with specific domains to function correctly. Corporate or complex network firewalls can sometimes block this communication.
- Required Outbound Ports: Ensure that your network firewall allows outbound traffic on TCP port 443.
- Verkada Domains: You must whitelist Verkada's required domains. Check Verkada's official documentation for the most up-to-date list of domains that need to be accessible.
- Bandwidth Requirements: Each Verkada camera requires a certain amount of upload bandwidth (typically 20-50 kbps in its steady state). Ensure your network has sufficient upload bandwidth available, especially if you have many cameras.
### 3. Power Cycle the Camera
A simple restart can often resolve temporary glitches. If your camera is powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE), you can do this by unplugging the Ethernet cable for about 30 seconds and then plugging it back in. If it uses a separate power adapter, unplug that instead. Wait for the camera to reboot fully (the LED should turn solid blue) and then try accessing the live view again.
## Troubleshooting Browser and Device Issues
If the camera is online and the network seems fine, the problem might be with the device you're using to view the stream.
- Try a Different Browser/Device: Attempt to access the live view from a different web browser (e.g., switch from Safari to Google Chrome) or use the Verkada Command mobile app on your smartphone. This helps determine if the issue is isolated to one specific setup.
- Clear Browser Cache: Corrupted data stored in your browser's cache can sometimes interfere with video playback. Clear your browser's cache and cookies, then restart it and try again.
- Disable Browser Extensions: Some browser extensions, particularly ad-blockers or privacy-focused add-ons, can mistakenly block the video stream. Try disabling them temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
By following these steps methodically, you can quickly diagnose the reason your Verkada live view is not working and take the necessary action to restore your visual access.