Google camera troubleshooting

[thegios]

I have a two node mesh system (Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8).
One single SSID for both 2.5 and 5, all handled automatically as by default setting.
I have had a Xiaomi camera for years powered by cable, never an issue, never got disconnected.
I have now a Google Nest Camera battery powered and I keep on having disconnection issues, or better...

Regardless if the camera is on (monitoring) or off (not monitoring but still connected to WiFi and reachable from the Google home app, even from remote, to be turned on in case) sometimes I get a notification from the Google Home app that the camera is OFFLINE: when this happens the camera appears as OFFLINE also in Google home app.

This offline status can last between 5 minutes to 1h.

Unfortunately this happens always when I am not at home or at night when I am sleeping, so I cannot troubleshoot.

The other day I left the camera home while at home (so in monitoring mode) and a flyer a couple of hours I received the offline notification, and here's what I have found;
- Asus app still shows the camera as connected and with an assigned IP
- moving in front of the camera the led turned green (movement detected) and I got a movement notification
all while the camera was OFFLINE in the Google home app.

I also made another test; with camera on correctly working, I turned off the WiFi. I was expecting an offline notification, instead I got nothing and in Google home app the camera status was not offline but unreachable.

Same is instead of turning off WiFi I block the camera from Asus app.

This should prove first of all that it is the camera going offline, and that offline and unreachable are two different statuses. After all if camera is not connected to WiFi how can it send a notification?

Now, what I am trying to understand is if the camera is going offline by itself (last year Google had a server issue that was sending offline some camera in Europe) or if by some reason it's the mesh system sending the camera offline.

The main problem in troubleshooting, as I said, is that when camera goes offline I am usually not at home. And when it happened while I was at home, Asus app still showed camera as connected.

Is there a log where I can see connection issues?
Is there by chance someone who's had a similar problem?

Any suggestions would be welcome
Thx

 

[thegios]

ANyone here with a suggestion please? I am going mad

 

[bbunge]

What firmware is installed on the router and node? Are you using WPA2/ WPA3-PERSONAL? Is the camera 5 GHz capable and if so will it work with DFS channels?

 

[thegios]

Firmware: 3.0.0.4.388_24621-g9054e31
WPA2-Personal
Smart Connect 3 band
Camera supports only 2.4 GHz in my region (beats me why)
Currently camera is assigned to main node (the one connected via wan to the ISP modem).

Funny thing: I came back home, camera was connected but off, I opened Asus app to check above settings, then I decided to assign also nest Thermostat to node 1, as soon as I did that the camera went offline. A coincidence?

Fact is that camera is now offline but Asus app shows the camera as connected and with an IP assigned. Is there a way to check deeper from the web gui? Maybe some logs?

 

[sfx2000]

I have now a Google Nest Camera battery powered and I keep on having disconnection issues, or better...

I have the same camera(s) - they are sensitive to range issues, and yes, they are dual-band, at least here in the US...

Sometimes they're too smart for their own good - if you're having connectivity issues with them, best thing is to reset them and start over...

 

[thegios]

I have the same camera(s) - they are sensitive to range issues, and yes, they are dual-band, at least here in the US...

Sometimes they're too smart for their own good - if you're having connectivity issues with them, best thing is to reset them and start over...

Camera is in line of sight of both nodes, main in front and secondary on the left, both at 4 meters. To make sure camera cannot decide to which node must attach, I bound it to main node. But again, when the camera goes offline the Asus app shows it is connected, reason why I believe it's not the Asus kicking out the camera, but the camera going offline by itself. This is why I want to find a way to look at logs, but I so not know where to look.

 

[thegios]

I have the same camera(s) - they are sensitive to range issues, and yes, they are dual-band, at least here in the US...

Sometimes they're too smart for their own good - if you're having connectivity issues with them, best thing is to reset them and start over...

by the way, here's what I have found out this morning.
Camera was connected by off, went offline, I opened asus web console and I can see the camera connected but... access time is reset after 7 seconds, it's like if the camera tries to connect for a few seconds then disconnects and tries again and again and again...

What I do not understand is whu? Is it the camera going crazy or is it the router?

 

[thegios]

I found where the logs are and my previous statement (camera is disassociated then asssociated again for a few seconds and then disassociated again etc etc etc) is proven by the logs

Anyone who can read and explain? (btw, 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25 is the camera's MAC address).

Apr 19 08:55:59 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:0
Apr 19 08:55:59 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:0
Apr 19 08:55:59 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(695): eth4: ReAssoc 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-28

Apr 19 08:56:09 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:-28
Apr 19 08:56:09 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-28
Apr 19 08:56:09 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(695): eth4: ReAssoc 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-28

Apr 19 08:56:18 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:-26
Apr 19 08:56:18 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-26
Apr 19 08:56:18 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(695): eth4: ReAssoc 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-26

Apr 19 08:56:28 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(645): eth4: Deauth_ind 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: 0, reason: Unspecified reason (1), rssi:-26
Apr 19 08:56:28 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(685): eth4: Auth 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-26
Apr 19 08:56:28 wlceventd: wlceventd_proc_event(695): eth4: ReAssoc 38:86:F7:E5:E7:25, status: Successful (0), rssi:-26

 

[thegios]

The only solution I have found is to restart the whole mesh system

 

[sfx2000]

That looks an awful lot like Smart Connect or roaming assistant.

Try not binding it to any particular node and let it float... and don't assign it an IP - it doesn't need it...

 

[thegios]

That looks an awful lot like Smart Connect or roaming assistant.

Try not binding it to any particular node and let it float... and don't assign it an IP - it doesn't need it...

I removed any node binding and IP was never assigned manually but automatically.

Wonder why I have issue only with the camera

 

[sfx2000]

Wonder why I have issue only with the camera

I would again suggest to reset the camera, including removing it from Google Home - I have had to do that in the past with the camera and my nest hub...

Once I did that, and added them back into Google Home, they were fine...

 

[thegios]

I would again suggest to reset the camera, including removing it from Google Home - I have had to do that in the past with the camera and my nest hub...

Once I did that, and added them back into Google Home, they were fine...

Done many many many times. Problem keeps kn coming back.

 

[thegios]

So this is my WiFi setting now

Should I set 2.4 to only 40MHz and a fixed channel and set 5GHz to 80MHz?

I presume for 5GHz the 160MHz is not available cause used by the backhaul connection between the two nodes.

 

[bbunge]

So this is my WiFi setting now

View attachment 58071

Should I set 2.4 to only 40MHz and a fixed channel and set 5GHz to 80MHz?

I presume for 5GHz the 160MHz is not available cause used by the backhaul connection between the two nodes.

No. Set the 2.4 GHz to 20 MHz and a fixed channel. Use channel 1, 6 or 11. For the 5 GHz channels, disable DFS and let them Auto select channels and bandwidth.

 

[sfx2000]

The Nest Cam only does 20MHz 802.11n in either band - but as mentioned, in your 2.4GHz, select 1, 6, or 11 with 20MHz - your neighbors will appreciate it.

 

[thegios]

Why would they appreciate?

 

[sfx2000]

Why would they appreciate?

Because if you're not on 1/6/11 - you'll interfere on two common channels...

 

[bbunge]

Why would they appreciate?

The 2.4 GHz channels overlap each other and thus can cause interference in a crowded WIFI environment. Channels 1, 6, 11 and 13 (13 is available in some countries) do not overlap when the WIFI radio is set to 20 MHz. In my neighborhood, there are inconsiderate folks who force 40 MHz.

 

[thegios]

All, this has eventully solved my problem and next cam is not disconnecting any longer: a big huge mega thank you to all of you