Offline cams still provide snapshots.

I’ve two stickup cams which claim to be offline - and aren’t supposed to be but that’s for a different thread. Both of them regularly provide the snapshots they’re supposed to provide at 30s intervals.

Now one such cam does report unavailable snapshots for a couple minutes, then it regains the ability again for exactly 13 minutes or so, then it will loose it for two minutes, then regain it for 13 and so on and so forth. So every 15 minutes on the timeline for this cam, there are missing snaps. The other cam of this type never drops out at all. And both report offline. They never report online.

I should add that live View doesn’t function on any of the cams of this type or any other type even when the WiFi connection claims to have been established successfully.

That pretty normal? Seems to me if they’re offline, I shouldn’t be receiving anything from them. Very peculiar if you ask me. Could this be a sign of a hacking?

What you have described is not the normal functioning for your Stick-Up cams. There is a possibility that during your initial set-up, the firmware download code was slightly corrupted or has partial missing code. Slight download issues might not be apparent for awhile, but later can cause unusual behavior.

Have you tried to do a hard “Factory Reset” on the Stick-up cam?

The initial ‘Set-up” of your cam, and same for a “Set-up” after a hard reset, can be the most delicate process to ensure a glitch-free download process of updated firmware.

First ensure your phone’s Location feature is activated on your smartphone. I even go outside so my phone can establish a GPS satellite connection. Once your phone ‘knows’ where it is located, you can go back indoors. On your cam, depress & hold the Orange reset button for least 30 seconds while power is on it. After you have released the orange button, the cam should enter set up mode again. Before you scan the ‘code’, check to see if your phone app is still displaying this Stick-up cam (from any previous set-up) and if it is still displayed, remove/delete that cam off your app.

Note: For a clean firmware update, when the cam enters the phase of Updating the firmware, don’t do anything … even if it says it is ready! Wait until your phone app steps by itself to the next part of the step-up process. Also check the Blue Cam light is no longer flashing, … and then wait a minute longer. I’ve just had better luck waiting … I’m just guessing, but I think the firmware update can take longer than expected ( I’ve waited over 6 minutes) and I’ve had less future camera issues by waiting long enough before continuing the set-up, since the firmware still might be downloading. It’s just a gut feel … at least I’ve had better luck & less future issues with my cams by waiting (I have quite a few cams).

There is a possibility that the newest, latest firmware version (July 2020) might remove the “30 second” interval Snapshot option on your Stick-up cam, making the “5 minute” option as you shortest interval. I don’t know why Ring code-writers removed the “30 second” choice, but I hope the next firmware update version brings that option back. I found that “30 second” Snapshot option was the closest thing to constant “Live View.” Snapshots are a good method to monitor areas beyond your Motion Detection range and can catch activity between Motion-activations.

I hope the hard reset helps you.

1 Like

Because of my earlier comment, I wanted to post an update about my loss of the Snapshot “30 Second” interval option.

I’m excited! My “30 Seconds" interval Snapshot option is back!

I don’t know what actually caused the original loss of the “30 Second” option. It could have been something to do with a Firmware update, or a glitch during a download, or the alignment of the stars with Jupiter and Mars.

But now all three of my outdoor Stick-up Plug-In cameras (Gen 2) have new Snapshot interval choices of:

  • Every 3 Minutes.

  • Every 1 Minute.

  • Every 30 Seconds.

When I did my original installation of my Stick-up cams, the instructions had me choose between Plug-in power or Battery power. Mine are all Plug-in powered. In each Stick-up cam there is an internal compartment for a click-in battery. Mine are empty. After setting up as a “Plug-In” device, all three cams had the following 4 choices available for Snapshot intervals:

  • Every 30-Seconds.

  • Every 1 Hour.

  • Every 14 Minutes

  • Every 5 Minutes.

After a few weeks, one Stick-up cam needed a full, hard, “Factory Reset” to correct a problem. That’s when the first camera lost the “Every 30 second” option, and I was left with only the 3 options of “1 Hour”, “14 Minutes”, and the “5 Minutes”. Shortly afterwards, another Stick-up cam also lost the “30 Second” option, and it was never “Hard Reset” nor had a ‘soft’ reset procedure.

With all three of my cams, both before and after the interval loss, the “Device Health” indicated everything was fine. The “Power Source” displayed “Power Outlet” (not “Battery”). All other “Device Health” indications were good too. I kept searching for a solution to get “30 Seconds” back, to no avail.

Today, I checked “Device Setting”, and then found and selected “General Settings.” To my surprise it displayed “Power Mode - Battery.” Huh? I’m not sure, but it used to show “Plug-in” or something like that. Now it was different and had switched to a Battery Mode. Took me awhile to realize I could click on “Power Mode” to arrive at another sub-set menu … showing “Battery Mode” and “Wired Mode” with a blue bar icon at the bottom of the screen to transfer back & forth between the two power modes!

But it now makes sense, why I lost the “30 Seconds” and eventually ended up with only the 3 interval selections. Stick-up camera’s power source can be either Battery or Plug-In. Lots of repetitive Snapshots can put a high drain on the battery if interval choice is very short. My cam mistakenly believed it was Battery powered (even though there is not even a battery in the compartment).

Selecting the “Switch to Wire Mode” blue bar, another setup process attempted to start. Apparently, the camera’s Blue light was supposed to start blinking … never did … and the process had to be initiated by pressing the cam’s Orange reset button. This was not a hard reset, but rather a momentary push on the Orange button for a soft reset. It turns out that all 3 of my Stick-up cams needed the Orange reset button pressed to initiate the setup.

Now with a completed soft reset, all three of my outdoor Stick-up Plug-In cameras show “Power Mode – Wired.” They all have 3 new, significantly shorter Snapshot interval options of:

  • Every 3 Minutes.

  • Every 1 Minute.

  • Every 30 Seconds.

I discovered that some of my previous selections had remained unchanged during this soft reset. But some did change back to factory default settings, such as Alert-sounds. Also, some previous features were gone, and several new features were added. A totally new “Motion Zones” format (just like those found on Ring Indoor Cameras) allows you to move 8 blue dots to create a tailored, geometric-shaped zone.

I apologize for thinking Ring intentionally stole away my favorite “30 Second” interval. And whoever was involved in the latest firmware that permits “Wired-Powered” Stick-up (Gen 2) cameras to have short intervals . . . Thank You!

Two things I still find bizarre. How did my Stick-Up Plug-In originally have 4 interval choices? And how did the camera change the power mode to battery? Bottomline, I can again select “30 Seconds” and I’m happy!

What would make me ecstatic? Provide new firmware for my hardwired powered, Ring Video Door 2 with a Snapshot interval shorter than its current minimum of “5 Minutes.” Yes? Maybe? Soon? ?

@Boone wrote:

What you have described is not the normal functioning for your Stick-Up cams. There is a possibility that during your initial set-up, the firmware download code was slightly corrupted or has partial missing code. Slight download issues might not be apparent for awhile, but later can cause unusual behavior.

Have you tried to do a hard “Factory Reset” on the Stick-up cam?

The initial ‘Set-up” of your cam, and same for a “Set-up” after a hard reset, can be the most delicate process to ensure a glitch-free download process of updated firmware.

First ensure your phone’s Location feature is activated on your smartphone. I even go outside so my phone can establish a GPS satellite connection. Once your phone ‘knows’ where it is located, you can go back indoors. On your cam, depress & hold the Orange reset button for least 30 seconds while power is on it. After you have released the orange button, the cam should enter set up mode again. Before you scan the ‘code’, check to see if your phone app is still displaying this Stick-up cam (from any previous set-up) and if it is still displayed, remove/delete that cam off your app.

Note: For a clean firmware update, when the cam enters the phase of Updating the firmware, don’t do anything … even if it says it is ready! During firmware update, do not select "SKIP." Wait until your phone app steps by itself to the next part of the step-up process. Also check the Blue Cam light is no longer flashing, … and then wait a minute longer. I’ve just had better luck waiting … I’m just guessing, but I think the firmware update can take longer than expected ( I’ve waited over 6 minutes) and I’ve had less future camera issues by waiting long enough before continuing the set-up, since the firmware still might be downloading. It’s just a gut feel … at least I’ve had better luck & less future issues with my cams by waiting (I have quite a few cams).

There is a possibility that the newest, latest firmware version (July 2020) might remove the “30 second” interval Snapshot option on your Stick-up cam, making the “5 minute” option as you shortest interval. I don’t know why Ring code-writers removed the “30 second” choice, but I hope the next firmware update version brings that option back. I found that “30 second” Snapshot option was the closest thing to constant “Live View.” Snapshots are a good method to monitor areas beyond your Motion Detection range and can catch activity between Motion-activations.

I hope the hard reset helps you.

@Cerberus

Any success using the hard reset?

@Cerberus

If a hard reset does not solve your issues, then, concentrate your trouble-shooting efforts with your Wi-Fi router. Wi-Fi issues that interfere with the high data-stream causes the most video problems. Yes, even with a good RSSI signal number, a strong signal connection doesn’t necessarily mean a good connection. Check out one of the relies from this link by @DragonDave

https://community.ring.com/t5/Security-Cams/Problems-getting-live-view-working/m-p/30694/highlight/t…

You could have multiple Wi-Fi devices competing with your camera for a good streaming connection. Here is an additional link to trouble-shoot the “Blackness” and it includes router adjustments:

https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360023439472-Fixing-Black-Video-Errors-by-Adjusting-Your-…

Good luck. Let me know what eventually happens with your camera.