The POE Cat 6 test passes now but there is no camera connection.
The POE Cat 6 test passes now but there is no camera connection.
Good afternoon, I set up a Reolink 6 security camera system on an 8-channel 2TB network video recorder about 13 months ago in June 2021. The whole thing worked perfectly for over one year. I used my own FastCat CAT6 solid core ethernet cable for the job, and until about two or three weeks ago, there were no problems. In June of 2022, one of my cameras stopped sending signals. If I unplugged that camera from the NVR, it came back working again, but this fix didn't last long. The connection could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on how far away the camera was. Since my system had a 24-month warranty, I used that and ordered a replacement camera. When I got the new one and installed it immediately, everything seemed okay for less than two and a half hours before losing the feed again. Unplugging it made me think there might be an issue because I could never get it back online. So I had both cameras up at the same time. I used short wires to test them directly in my basement, connecting each one straight to the NVR with the OLD camera and the NEW camera working fine for a while. Then I got a cheap ethernet continuity tester that has a blinking LED light, and when I checked it out, everything looked normal on the screen. So I bought an advanced ethernet tester with POE testing features instead. This time, the continuity check still passed all tests, but the POE test results were weird. Can you help me figure this out? According to the manual, there should be no shorts because if there were, I would see something different on the display during a continuity test when that happens! I am attaching some pictures showing what is happening on my new tester's LCD screen. When the ethernet cable goes into the NVR and then plugs into the camera end, the device checks for continuity without the NVR connected at all. This picture shows the results from the POE test mode while the other part of the image shows a continuity check in that same mode.
POE is a confusing topic. The official rules are things like 802.3af and 802.3at, plus some others. These rules tell you which pins get what voltage and how they can be connected in the middle of the run or at the end. I might forget these details when I don't have to pass a test for silly certification reasons. There is mostly Type A and Type B pinout for power. The next issue is that many camera systems are proprietary poe... so many times you get forced to buy everything from the camera vendor. At 48 volts, it tends to be passive systems because at those voltages you won't fry equipment like 48 volts can do. So your problem might just be the meter looking for signals that meet standards and the NVR not actually putting out power that follows the 802.3a rules. If the vendor says your cameras can be powered by another device, like a switch, then it should exactly follow the standards.
I get it. I don't use any switches with or without power between the Reolink NVR and the cameras. Just the CAT6 cable, that's all. I have 6 cameras on this whole system. They worked perfectly for a full year until one started acting up in late June of 2022.
I have this item to work with six cameras and lots of things in my house like other devices and computers. I haven't had any trouble with any other stuff or console or TV yet. https://www.amazon.com/fastCat-Cat6...1657228732&sprefix=fastcat+cat6,aps,87&sr=8-3
Here is something else I remembered - when the camera was set up inside the house and connected to the NVR but wasn't sending any picture or video, you would see that little light on the back of the NVR stop flashing. However, you could still hear a quiet, high-pitched noise coming from the unit right there. As long as that specific camera was plugged in, it didn't matter which port I used; once I cut off the ethernet cable for that camera, the noise stopped completely. Later, another person told me to snip off the plug on the outside wall and twist a new one in place, crimping a fresh connector. But this didn't help at all because my test with the old plug worked fine too. Anyway, it was just something I had to do regardless of whether it fixed anything or not.
Have you tried swapping your cameras around to see if the problem moves with them? I realize that would likely hurt because it mixes up the video until done permanently. The cables usually don't break after they've been running, and if you reconnect them that's how you fix things. Can you plug the camera in with a regular outlet instead of PoE for a little while? That way you'll know the power is good and any issues are just communication problems or strange software glitches on the camera.
I still have two cameras here - the old one that I thought was broken, and a new Reolink camera. They are asking me to take it back, but I'm putting off until later. I've plugged them right into my NVR in the basement with a short cable about five feet long, and both wires work great inside!