Troubleshooting and Replacing a Faulty MV

My camera is taking a long time for initial setup

Cameras can take up to 20 minutes ( if not longer) for first-time setup due to firmware upgrade, format/partitioning, and encrypting of the storage. They are sensitive to power and network fluctuations during this time. It is suggested to pre-stage cameras before deployment to avoid troubleshooting when cameras are less inaccessible. 

My camera is not online on the dashboard

If the camera goes offline and never checks back into the dashboard, please verify the following: 

• Make sure the camera is powered ON. Refer to the section above for the troubleshooting flow. 
• If the camera is powered ON: 
  • Verify if the MV's IP address is ping-able via the LAN. 
  • Verify the upstream switch-port configuration and fix any potential configuration issues. 
  • MV's Dashboard connectivity traffic must be allowed upstream. Details are available at Help > Firewall Info. 
  • Verify if the camera generates any traffic by running an upstream port capture.
  • If not, open a support ticket to investigate further. 

I see Potential hardware problem detected. Contact Support

The error message, "Potential hardware problem detected. Contact support." is presented when the camera cannot mount its storage. Open a support case.

There is a delay in my video stream

Anything under ~10 seconds is expected behaviour; read the Video Streaming article.

I cannot stream video through my LAN (direct streaming)

Each MV camera will generate a unique domain name to allow for secured direct streaming functionality. These domain names resolve an A record for the private IP address of the camera. Any public recursive DNS server will resolve this domain.

If utilizing an on-site DNS server, allow '*.devices.meraki.direct' or configure a conditional forwarder so that local domains are not appended to '*.devices.meraki.direct' and that these domain requests are forwarded to Google public DNS.

Why do I see "No Video"?

• Double-check that you are not using scheduled recording or motion-based recording. If so, it is expected not to have video during certain times.

• Also, double-check that the period is not beyond your maximum retention.

• If the above is not applicable, open a support case.

My video quality is bad

Open a support case if the following suggestions do not resolve the issue,

• Is your video feed all white / too bright?

  • Ensure that Night Mode (Camera > Settings > Night mode) is not set to 'Always On' if the camera is in a location with adequate lighting. This makes the camera much more sensitive to infrared light and can cause the picture to appear washed out.

• Is your video feed all black / too dark?

  • Ensure that Night Mode is not set to 'Always Off' if the camera is in a location that experiences low lighting levels. Night Mode makes the camera much more sensitive to infrared light and can help improve visibility in low light conditions.

  • Try adjusting the Aperture setting to a wider setting (left on the Aperture slider). In low light situations an Aperture set to its smallest (far right) can produce a very dark or all black image.

• Something else?

  • Ensure that you have read the proper guidelines for adjusting the camera's field of view and focus. Note the FoV specifications of the camera you are using to understand the expectations for video quality.

IR illuminators are not working

• Verify night mode is turned on.

• Check transition threshold to ensure there are at least 2 lux between night and day.

My camera is blinded at night / is blurry / has reflections

• This is most likely an IR reflection issue. Refer to Troubleshooting MV Image Quality for more information.

• Another possible issue is the aperture % is not low enough, thus not allowing enough light into the sensor. Reducing aperture % can improve visibility in low lighting conditions.

I cannot connect wirelessly

Ensure the steps in the MV Wireless Configuration Guide are followed. It is noted here that after your profiles are configured and applied to each camera, cameras should maintain a wired connection for 30 minutes after applying a wireless profile. In about 30 minutes, you will be ready to set up the camera wirelessly and verify the MV camera has associated with one of the wireless SSIDs configured. The LED should turn blue. You can check the status through the Network page or the nodes list page by exposing the respective columns.