Understanding Verkada's Recording Philosophy
It can be unsettling to find gaps in your security camera's timeline. If you've noticed your Verkada camera isn't recording 24/7, it's important to understand that this is often by design. Verkada systems are engineered to be bandwidth-efficient and storage-conscious, prioritising event-based recording over continuous recording. This means the camera intelligently activates and records when it detects activity, such as motion or people, rather than capturing hours of uneventful footage.
While this approach is efficient, it can sometimes lead to concerns about missing crucial moments. This guide will walk you through the common symptoms, causes, and solutions related to Verkada's recording behaviour, helping you optimise your system for maximum coverage and peace of mind.
Common Symptoms of Recording Gaps
You might be experiencing issues with your Verkada camera's recording if you notice:
- Gaps in your video timeline: Obvious breaks in the recorded footage where you expected to see video.
- Inability to find footage for specific times: Searching for an incident at a particular time yields no results.
- Camera only records short clips: The recordings are brief and seem to only capture the middle of an event.
- "No video" or "offline" status: The camera appears to be inactive during periods when no motion is detected.
- Missing footage before or after an event: The recording starts too late or ends too soon, cutting off important context.
- Difficulty reviewing a full day's activities: You cannot simply scrub through a continuous timeline of the day.
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide
If you're concerned about missing important footage, follow these steps to ensure your Verkada camera is configured optimally for your environment.
1. Review Your Camera's Recording Settings
The first step is to check the settings within the Verkada Command platform.
- Log in to Command: Access your Verkada dashboard.
- Select the Camera: Navigate to the specific camera you are troubleshooting.
- Go to Settings > Recording: Here, you can see the configured recording resolution and quality. While you can't switch to 24/7 recording, you can ensure it's set to record in high quality when an event does occur.
2. Optimise Motion Detection Sensitivity
The sensitivity of motion detection is crucial. If it's too low, the camera won't trigger recordings for subtle but important events.
- In the camera's settings, find the Motion Detection section.
- You will likely see a slider or numerical setting for sensitivity.
- Increase the sensitivity slightly and monitor the results. Be careful not to set it too high, as this can lead to excessive, unnecessary recordings from minor movements like shifting shadows or leaves.
3. Configure and Refine Activity Zones
Activity Zones tell your camera where to look for motion. If these are not configured correctly, the camera might ignore events happening outside the specified areas.
- Access Activity Zones in the camera's settings.
- Ensure the zones cover all critical areas of the camera's field of view, such as doorways, windows, and walkways.
- Remove any "dead zones" where an event could occur but not be recorded. You can create multiple zones for different areas of interest.
4. Check Network and Power Stability
Even with on-board storage, network and power interruptions can cause issues.
- Ensure a stable power source: Check that the camera's power cable is securely connected and the power source is reliable. For PoE (Power over Ethernet) setups, verify the switch is functioning correctly.
- Check network connectivity: In the Command dashboard, you can view the camera's network status and history. Frequent disconnections could indicate a problem with your local network, which might affect the camera's ability to upload and process events correctly.
5. Utilise People and Vehicle Analytics
Verkada's advanced analytics can be used to trigger recordings. Make sure these are enabled and configured correctly.
- Go to the Analytics tab for your camera.
- Enable People Detection and/or Vehicle Detection as needed. This can be more reliable than standard motion detection for certain environments, ensuring you capture relevant human or vehicle activity.
- You can set alerts based on these specific analytic detections, adding another layer of monitoring.
Advanced Tips for Maximising Coverage
- Regularly Audit Your Event Log: Periodically review the event log for your cameras. Are there any unexpected patterns or lack of events? This can help you proactively identify issues.
- Understand Onboard Storage: Familiarise yourself with your camera model's onboard storage capacity. During a network outage, the camera will record to its internal solid-state drive. Once connectivity is restored, this footage is uploaded to the cloud. Knowing the capacity helps you understand how long it can record offline.
- Contact Verkada Support: If you've tried all the troubleshooting steps and are still concerned about your camera's performance, don't hesitate to reach out to Verkada's technical support. They can perform remote diagnostics to identify any underlying hardware or software issues.
By understanding that Verkada cameras are built for event-based recording and by carefully optimising their settings, you can ensure your security system is both efficient and effective at capturing the moments that matter most.