With the cases where a smart security camera is needed increasing by the day and with the progress/rapid advance and acceptance of IP security cameras, there comes a very valid question: will these cameras detect motion and/or do their general recording in the event of an internet blackout?
Or, will they take on the status of mere ‘toys’ and ‘decorations’ once your home router fails or your ISP is having challenges ensuring steady internet connectivity, especially during such periods as a storm, flood or hurricane?
This is the question that bothers many users and would-be buyers of this security camera type. The challenge becomes real and extremely valid when it becomes clear that the very internet is the backbone of these IP security cameras. It thus makes sense to simply assume that they will fail in the event of an internet connectivity failure, doesn’t it?
Well, the answer may actually shock you, in a very pleasant manner.
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Can IP Cameras Work Without The Internet?
Contrary to what you may have believed before now, IP security cameras can and will work without the internet, assuming they were so programmed and set before the offending internet blackout.
What the above means is that, while it is practically impossible to set these security camera types and get them to do their thing without the internet, once you have successfully set them up and working, you don’t need an active internet connection (powered by your home router or not) to get them to do their thing.
They simply work, exactly as promised and set, prior.
However, there’s a nice, important caveat that you should know and clearly understand: not all security cameras of the IP variant are capable of detecting motion and/or recording footage in the event of a challenge from your ISP or generally when you have an internet blackout.
In What Conditions Will An IP Security Camera Not Record When There’s An Internet Blackout?
Generally, IP security cameras that are set in a mesh-like fashion and don’t connect directly to the WiFi router or home ethernet port will still be able to detect motion and trigger recordings in a super brilliant manner, even with the momentary loss of internet connectivity.
This is possible because these cameras, by means of their base stations, already have a network that fulfills the ‘IP’ part of their reality and workings.
For such cameras thus, the essential part of their reality that sees to it that they actually get to work and do their thing even in the face of challenging internet connectivity is the fact that the network they desperately need to function is devoid of the internet, at least, directly.
Having the ability to create their own networks and rely on the same is what distinguishes them and makes all the difference.
Can You View Footage From An IP Security Camera Without The Internet?
This is where the challenge comes in; you cannot view footage from an IP camera without the internet. When there’s an internet blackout, the camera will still record and do its thing, as per set conditions or instructions. However, that recording will be securely saved on the designated storage unit of the camera and will only be accessible to you as an authorized user with the restoration of the internet.
Now, the interesting part is that it doesn’t matter if you’re onsite or off: access to the footage will remain off till you find a way to connect the camera back to the internet or the fluctuating internet connection restores.
However, this doesn’t in any way imply that the footage will be lost: everything will be securely saved up and you’ll have the opportunity to take a look at it, as described prior, after the restoration of internet service.
Will An IP Security Camera Still Back Up To The Cloud Without The Internet?
No. IP cameras won’t back up to the clouds without an active internet connection for models that have the ability and have an active cloud storage subscription.
The logic behind this is simple and quite straight to the point: for the authentication to your designated cloud storage to work and importantly, for the footage to get uploaded, there needs to be an active internet connection before these can sail through. Accordingly thus, if you have a connection that isn’t capable of connecting to the internet for whatever reason, you will certainly be faced with a unit that will likely detect motion and record events for local storage but not much more, especially as relates to cloud storage.
To keep your cloud storage going strong and your camera actually backing up footage there, you’ll need to wait for the restoration of internet service or cause same to be restored – if you cannot patiently wait for the eventual restoration.
Is There Any Way To Mitigate Internet Failure Challenges With An IP Camera?
Yes, there are at least three fool-proof ways of ensuring that internet failure does not affect your IP security cameras – if the footage to be recorded is of the essence and must be ensured by all means (possible).
Note, especially that, while the three methods shared here may appear like overkill – especially for someone who already has a home router and active, pretty stable internet connectivity, it is not. As a matter of fact, it is the only way to avoid challenges if your footage must be saved in the clouds by all means and importantly, protected.
Here:
1. Ensure A Hybrid Connection
It is a known fact that home internet connections are famously unreliable. From apparently no reasons at all to storms, hurricanes and everything else in-between, these systems can pack up on you suddenly – and without any notice. As a matter of fact, if you take time and read the fine prints of virtually all the providers, you’ll see a striking similarity of clauses, all aimed to evade liability in the event of such failures which are largely termed ‘inevitable’ and ‘beyond their control’ by the telecoms companies themselves.
This, if not anything, is an advance warning. The fine print clearly points to you in clear terms what is likely to come and importantly, what to expect, going forth with the contract. The import of such a warning, at least to a super-conscious person who cannot afford to lose connection for whatever reason, is to at least, prepare.
This is where strategy comes in. Instead of connecting to either the ethernet port or WiFi only, you should connect to both. This is what I term the ‘hybrid approach’.
Connecting in the manner as described above, means that, should you experience internet hiccups with one source, the other will brilliantly come to the rescue, assuming the challenge is with either the connectivity ports or the WiFi signals themselves and not the ISP or router as a whole.
The way this is achieved with a plethora of IP cameras is that, the ethernet cable is first connected to either the camera or base station. Once set up is achieved, it becomes easy and seamless to add another connection type, in this case, WiFi. Once these two connection types have been achieved, you can disconnect one if you so please or leave both to achieve the hybrid effect, should the need actually arise.
2. Ensure You Have At Least Two Service Providers, Powering Your Camera Setup
The second way of mitigating against internet failure when you have an IP security camera and the fact that it needs to work, round the clock, unfailingly and you cannot as much as tolerate a hiccup when it comes to internet connection and availability, is to ensure that you have two different ISP providers powering the security camera system.
The smartest way to do this is to ensure that, if you’re relying on WiFi, the ethernet jack is firmly connected and set to an ISP that isn’t the same as the first one and probably, also doubles as more reliable.
If you prefer to have everything on WiFi, you should connect both routers to the IP camera system in such a manner that while you actively use one, the second serves as a backup in the most brilliant of manners.
This way, if you ever have any challenges with one internet connection, the second will spring up and serve you in an awesome manner.
However, it is instructive to note that, these ISPs should be as physically far from each other as possible, its critical infrastructure, that is. This is is minimize the chances of both of them going down at the same time in such scenarios as natural disasters.
It will also be a smart option to ensure that the technology powering the connections is as different as can possibly be. Accordingly thus, you could have your regular cellular option as the WiFi connection and a cable connection as the ethernet option.
This way, you are likely to be spared the challenges that will inevitably come with your internet connection going out of your camera setup and the sad fact that with this, you won’t be able to review the associated footage saved prior, especially if you’re not physically on site to fix things up as the challenges occur (or soon after).
3. Connect Your System To Satellite Internet
Alternatively, you simply need to hook up to a super reliable satellite internet connection like StarLInk powered by SpaceX and go to bed, without any sort of worry at all. To crown up things, while at this, ensure that you keep your payments open and recurring so that you don’t miss your renewals and face avoidable downtimes as a consequence.
Satellite internet, especially, StarLink is so reliable and open for use, even in the remotest of regions so it should fly, without needing any special backup. All you need to do, besides keeping up your payments, is to get a backup power system to keep things up and online, should your mains fail for whatever reason. For this, an inverter with backup batteries and a generous amount of solar panels on the roof should sort out the issue, once and for all, all year round.
Or, if you’d prefer to keep things low-key with the same results however, consider going the portable solar generator route with an option such as the Goal Zero Yeti 3000X.
The reason why satellite internet is so reliable (and fast) is that, it has none of the challenges of conventional internet services. Accordingly, it has no business with thunderstorms or floods or even hurricanes. It will deliver, based on its unique architecture, all the time, day or night, irrespective of the prevailing conditions at the place of use.
This is something worth thinking about and importantly, considering carefully if an internet connection that will not fail is important to you.
Wrap Up
As the article above clearly shows, IP security cameras can detect motion, record and generally, do their thing without the internet, provided they were configured and set, prior to internet service disruption.
However, there is a huge caveat here: only models that have some sort of base station or operate in a mesh-like reality handle operations without the internet flawlessly, a good example being the Eufy Cam 2 Pro, a model that relies heavily on the Eufy Home Base to do its thing. Other models that connect directly to WiFi, even within the Eufy product line, aren’t this badass nor do they promise this same reality in the event of an internet blackout.
However, there is no immediate cause for jubilation yet. If the property the camera(s) would be protecting is very valuable and it is necessary for coverage to exist, round the clock, all year round, then, you may need to invest in more than the suggested internet backup plans; you’d also need an alternative power source for those moments when, inevitably, you will be faced with power outages and still need to call your footage or make reference to it.
Generally, a deep cycle battery, paired with an AC inverter and routed to solar panels, especially of the monocrystalline variant is all that you need to ensure power 24/7.
A cheaper option, however, is the Goal Zero Yeti 3000X – a portable solar generator that offers similar results.
However, if you’re interested in Eufy and specifically opt for the many models that are powered by the base station, called ‘Home Base’ in Eufy-speak, there’s yet a cheaper option to keep the Home Base online in a power outage: the Eufy Battery Backup for HomeBase 2 – which (in comparison to the inverter and portable solar generator options), is well cheaper and ensures an extra 8 hours of coverage at least, from the moment the grid or whatever is your power source fails.
This, in my experience and estimation, is worth considering.
Goodluck.