Investigating and Solving Gaps in Your Verkada Recordings
One of the most critical functions of a security camera is to reliably record footage. Discovering a gap in your video timeline, especially after an incident has occurred, can be incredibly frustrating. Verkada cameras are designed for high reliability, but certain issues can still lead to missed recordings.
This guide will help you understand the common causes of recording gaps and how to troubleshoot them using the Verkada Command platform.
The Role of Onboard Storage and Cloud Backup
Verkada cameras are designed with a hybrid cloud architecture. They have internal, solid-state drives (SSDs) that store a certain amount of footage directly on the device (e.g., 30, 60, or 365 days, depending on the model). The camera then syncs this footage with the Verkada cloud.
This design means that even if the camera's internet connection fails, it will continue to record footage to its onboard storage. When the internet connection is restored, the camera uploads the stored footage to the cloud. However, if the outage is extremely long, it is possible for gaps to occur if the onboard storage fills up.
Common Causes for Missed Recordings and How to Fix Them
Here are the most likely reasons you are seeing a gap in your video history.
1. Network Connectivity Issues
This is the number one cause of recording problems. While the camera records locally during an outage, a flaky or unstable connection can cause issues with the upload process.
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How to Diagnose:
- Log in to your Verkada Command account.
- Navigate to the specific camera that has the missed recording.
- Go to the camera's Settings and then to the Info tab.
- Review the Uptime chart. This graph will show you a history of when the camera was online (in blue) and when it was offline (in red).
- Compare the timestamps of the missed recordings with the periods the camera was marked as offline. If they match, you have found your culprit.
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The Solution:
- Check the Physical Connection: Ensure the Ethernet cable is securely plugged into both the camera and the network switch.
- Check the Network Port: Make sure the port on the switch is active and providing power if it is a PoE camera.
- Investigate Network Health: The issue may lie with your broader network infrastructure (e.g., a faulty switch, a problem with your internet service provider). Your IT team may need to investigate the network's stability.
2. Incorrect Motion Detection or Recording Settings
If the camera was online during the event but still did not record, the issue likely lies in your recording configuration.
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How to Diagnose:
- You expected a motion event to be recorded, but there is no corresponding clip in the timeline.
- Go to the camera's Settings and then the Motion tab.
- Check if Motion-Based Recording is enabled. If it is off, the camera will only record during scheduled times (if any).
- Review your Activity Zones. Is it possible the event happened outside of a defined motion zone? For example, if you drew a zone only over a door, motion in the yard next to the door would be ignored.
- Check the Motion Sensitivity. If the sensitivity is set too low, a subtle or distant event might not have been strong enough to trigger a recording.
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The Solution:
- Ensure motion-based recording is enabled for the times you need it.
- Adjust your activity zones to cover the entire area of interest.
- If you are missing events, try increasing the motion sensitivity slightly.
3. Power Outages
A camera cannot record if it has no power.
- How to Diagnose: A power outage will appear as the camera being offline in the Uptime chart. If other devices in the same area also lost power simultaneously, this is the likely cause.
- The Solution: For critical cameras, consider connecting the network switch that powers them to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS is essentially a large battery backup that can keep your network equipment and cameras running for a period during a power cut.
By methodically checking your camera's connectivity, its recording settings, and its power source, you can effectively diagnose the cause of missed recordings and take steps to ensure your Verkada system is as reliable as possible.