A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Yi Base Station Connection Problems
The Yi Home or Kami base station is the central hub of your wireless camera system, connecting your cameras to your home network and the internet. When it fails to connect, your entire security system goes offline. This is often indicated by a solid or flashing blue light on the station, and an 'Offline' message in the Yi Home app.
Don't worry, this is a common issue that can almost always be resolved with some basic network troubleshooting. Follow these steps to get your system back online.
## Understanding the Status Lights
Before you start, it's helpful to know what the light on your base station means:
- Flashing Yellow: The station is booting up.
- Flashing Blue: The station is trying to connect to the network.
- Solid Blue: The station has power but is not connected to the internet. This is the most common state when there's a problem.
- Solid White: The station is connected to the internet and operating normally. Your goal is to get a solid white light.
How to Troubleshoot a Yi Base Station That Won't Connect
Work through these solutions in order. Most issues are resolved in the first few steps.
### 1. Check All Physical Connections
The most common cause of a connection failure is a simple physical one.
- Ethernet Cable: Ensure the Ethernet cable is securely clicked into place on both the back of the Yi base station and a spare LAN port on your internet router. You should see link lights on the router's port flicker when it's connected.
- Power Adapter: Make sure the power adapter is firmly plugged into the base station and a working wall outlet.
Pro Tip: Do not plug the base station into a secondary network switch, a Wi-Fi extender, or a mesh satellite node for the initial setup. Always connect it directly to your main router.
### 2. Perform a System Power Cycle
Rebooting your network hardware and the base station can clear up temporary software glitches that prevent a connection. This is the most effective troubleshooting step.
- Unplug Everything: Unplug the power cords from your main internet modem, your Wi-Fi router, and the Yi base station.
- Wait: Leave all devices unplugged for at least 30-60 seconds. This allows them to fully discharge and reset.
- Reconnect in Order:
- First, plug in your modem and wait for its lights to become solid, indicating it's connected to the internet.
- Second, plug in your Wi-Fi router and wait for its lights to stabilise.
- Finally, plug the power back into your Yi base station.
- Be Patient: Give the base station a few minutes to boot up and attempt to connect. The light should cycle through yellow, then flashing blue, and hopefully, turn solid white.
### 3. Try a Different Ethernet Cable and Router Port
Hardware can fail. It's important to rule out a faulty cable or port.
- Swap the Cable: Replace the Ethernet cable connecting the base station to the router with a different one that you know is working (e.g., from a computer or games console). A damaged cable can prevent a stable connection.
- Swap the Port: Your router has multiple LAN ports. Try plugging the Ethernet cable into a different LAN port on the router. It's possible the port you were using has failed.
### 4. Check Your Router's Settings
In some rare cases, a setting on your router might be blocking the base station.
- DHCP Enabled: Ensure that the DHCP server is enabled on your router. This is the service that automatically assigns an IP address to devices like your base station. This is enabled by default on virtually all routers.
- Firewall/Security Settings: Check if you have any high-level security settings or MAC address filtering enabled on your router that might be preventing a new device from connecting. You may need to temporarily disable them to test.
### 5. Factory Reset the Base Station (Last Resort)
If nothing else has worked, a factory reset will return the base station to its original settings. This will require you to set it up again from scratch in the Yi Home app.
- Find the Reset Button: Locate the small, recessed reset button on the base station. You will need a paperclip or a SIM-eject tool to press it.
- Press and Hold: With the base station powered on, press and hold the reset button for 5-10 seconds.
- Listen for Confirmation: The device will usually provide an audible confirmation, such as 'Reset is successful'.
- Re-add to App: The light will return to a flashing yellow or blue state. Now, go into your Yi Home app and follow the on-screen instructions to add the base station again as if it were a new device.