Weird webcam behavior

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

I bought a really cheap PTZ outdoor webcam, which can connect via either wifi, or wired. It is mounted outdoors and when it works, it provides a really good picture. Powered via a wallwart type adaptor, and uses CMS to view the scene of the camera and control it.

I originally set it up outside, using wifi. It worked OK, but could be quite laggy, at times, or even show a static frame, but it always showed a picture on my PC.

I then gave it a wired LAN connection, the laggyness improved, but was replaced by another strange issue....

Camera is left powered 24/7. If I run the CMS software, often it shows the camera inaccessible, sometimes it shows up, with a perfect picture, but the connection is then soon lost.

Turn the wallwart off/back on to reboot the cam, the picture again appears, but again not for long.

I can ping the cams IP, when I can see the picture, not ping it when it cannot be seen. I'm waiting for some better weather to investigate this strange behavior, but in the meantime - has anyone any idea of any further checks I can try please?

[Bob Eager]

It's not trying to use the same IP address as someting else?

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Not that I could see.

[Paul]

Thermal.

Unplug the power source for ten minutes. Then plug back in. Test.

It could be bad firmware. Check to see if the brand has a web site. If and when you find a firmware, scan it on Virustotal.com before doing ANYTHING with it :-/ I picked up malware (in the scan) on one of my downloads, which is why I offer this advice. I was picking up a driver for a non-UVC webcam at the time, and the driver had malware.

Some devices use plastic housings which insulate the workings and encourage high cabinet temperatures. It might take around 1 watt of electricity to compress a low-res stream, and that heat has to go somewhere.

You may be able to estimate the power it uses, by checking the current flow from the supply.

Some categories of electronics, have attention to thermal details. For others, they simply don't care. For example, if you make a PCB, put the hot chip on the secondary side, then use double sided thermal tape, you can conduct chip heat, right into the metal housing (PCB is pretty close to the flat housing). A few SSDs use thermal tape in that way.

Many pieces of electronic kit, have a thermal sensor built-in. A "thermal diode" in a CPU for example. These days, the camera should be able to tell you it is overheating, as it has the sensor in the micro. (It does not cost them anything, to measure the temperature.) The computer in front of me, has around 20 sensors in its CPU. I found a utility that showed them.

Don't point your camera into the sun. Protect it.

Trail cams are pretty good. But their duty cycle is pretty low too. Most of the time the trail cam is asleep. Whereas your PTZ may be intended for continuous usage.

Paul

[Brian]

At the risk of teaching you to suck eggs, have you tried another Ethernet cable? Also, if as it sounds, the camera has been outside, is the Ethernet port in good condition? No muck, corrosion etc?

You mentioned it is a cheapie, chances are it hasn’t got weather proof Ethernet connectors. A bit of water damage may be your problem. If you are lucky, you may be able to clean it up, assuming there is some crude inside.

If you decide to replace it, I can recommend Eufy security cameras. We have several of the rechargeable ones. They claim a year between charges which is probably a bit of wishful thinking but certainly nearer to 12 mths than

1. No subscription etc and you can monitor them using a free app on a smart phone via the internet. You can link to Alexa etc.

I think you can view on PC but I haven’t tried - I use a phone or iPad.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

That was my thinking, but the cable had been in use for another appliance for years without a problem, before diverting for the camera. The other point being, it works OK for a short while, after being power cycled. As said, I'm just waiting for the weather to improve enough, to get up a ladder - then I will bring it indoors for testing further. Thanks...

[Sam Plusnet]

If it is thermal issues, in April, it isn't going do do well if/when we get into summer.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

I'm fairly sure it's not thermal issues, it will not generate more heat when watched, versus not watched. It has to be some weird network issue.

[wasbit]

What's CMS? If it's Novosun software (rather than Content Management Systems) then it looks like it's no longer in development?

Also FYI but probably not the cause of your problem, some ethernet cables only have 4 wires rather than 8

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

CMS client.

I wired it with the full 8 cores, and worked absolutely fine, with a previous PTZ camera.

[wasbit]

CMS Client

I use the free IP Camera Viewer from Deskshare - A second viewing programme would at least eliminate a software glitch.

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

I've tried a few, and not found anything has worked.

Yousee is the software which operates with the camera operates with the camera on an Iphone. Picture is lost, using that, in exactly the same circumstances as with the CMS client software, on the PC. From that, it suggests it is probably a network hardware/software issue.

[Paul]

Have you ever used Wireshark, on the viewing PC ?

(separate download links, 3/4 down the web page. 32-bit versions for older Windows, are in the older release section.)

It can trace packets, and depending on the carriage method, can sometimes provide a hint. If traffic is encrypted, then you don't learn much except (grossly) how the level of traffic changes. The packets are timestamped, so you can see when they went by.

[Picture]

It has a few modes where it can "summarize" the traffic stream, and it can pretend a conversation is going on between machines. But if you're debugging Windows File Sharing, the dissector there cannot read the boolean Reasons word and display why the remote machine won't accept your login. Some levels of dissection are too deep, for the developer to waste time displaying for you. Some things in Wireshark are still a "work in progress".

Desktop Computer --- IP_CAM \ / \ / Router

Paul