Wi-Fi cameras are helpful right from keeping your home safe to checking the pet on the balcony, but what if the internet goes offline? Will your Wi-Fi camera keep on recording video in that case or not?
Convenience is paramount when we talk about Wi-Fi cameras. You can place them anywhere around or inside the home as long as the power cord reaches the power socket. The Wi-Fi camera can connect to the home Wi-Fi from there and magically start from that moment.
If you are using a Nest Cam or any other camera that works on Wi-Fi, then in situations when the internet goes offline, these cameras are none more than a paperweight.
The Nest cam doesn’t let you do anything from the Nest app if the Camera is offline or no Wi-Fi is available. You can’t even play the past or recorded videos from the app if the camera is offline. The only advantage of using this camera is you will receive a notification that your camera is offline followed by an image that was last shown during online mode.
No doubt, not all cameras rely on Wi-Fi but most of them do. If the wireless camera is recording the videos locally or not on the cloud, then you can well understand what will be going to happen.
If you are using a Wi-Fi camera that can store videos locally like on a USB or SD card, then it can record the videos even if the Wi-Fi goes off.
Netgear Arlo is an example of such a camera that has a built-in battery and Wi-Fi capability. There is a base station in Arlo which connects directly to the router. You can connect the USB drive to the base station to record videos when the Wi-Fi is not available or goes off suddenly. The Arlo Pro camera will record the actions in the local USB drive instead of saving them on the cloud.
So what’s the solution?
If you are using a camera that doesn’t support local storage or if you can’t afford to purchase the Arlo pro, then there are some alternatives for you. You can go for Wyze cam which is cheaper than any other Wi-Fi camera in the market.
Another option that will suit you best is; installation of a wired security camera. It may cost more than the normal Wi-Fi camera installation but will keep on working even when there is no connectivity to the Wi-Fi signal.
There is a lot more work to do in this system as you have to install the wires throughout the house to connect the camera to each corner. However, at the same time, this is the more reliable and durable approach for connecting the Arlo or any other smart camera to the internet. The dependency on the Wi-Fi network can be averted. For more information go to Arlo Pro Setup.