FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Wi-Fi related questions:

Question: I have setup my camera but in the app it always says offline?

Answer: Sometimes setting up Wi-Fi can be tricky as Wi-Fi passwords are CASE sensitive and sometimes complex as well. To confirm you have the correct Wi-Fi settings and password simply follow the same process as you did to initially set up the camera as outlined in the Quick Start Guide and User Manual, taking care to enter the password exactly as it appears on your Wi-Fi network device. Also make sure your phone is connected to the network you want to connect your camera to before you start the setup, as this information is saved on the camera during the setup process. If all of the details are correct and it still appears as offline, move your camera closer to your Wi-Fi and see if you can connect.

Question: How far from my Wi-Fi router can I mount my camera?

Answer: The Wi-Fi range can be up to 65ft / 20m but Wi-Fi signal can be reduced by many things around the home. Take into consideration the amount of walls the Wi-Fi signal must pass through and their construction. The more solid the building material or the more metal the signal must pass through the more impact it has on the Wi-Fi signal. Also take note of electrical equipment and other appliances that may affect the Wi-Fi signal. Some experimentation with locations may be required to get the optimal signal, check the signal strength in the app to give you a guide on the most suitable placement options.

Question: Can I use range extenders to help improve or extend my connection?

Answer: Range extenders can be very useful in obtaining suitable Wi-Fi signal strength at longer distances. Please refer to the range extender's manufacturer user guide for setup and usage assistance as Swann are unable to directly support these devices.

Question: Should I use 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi?

Answer: The SWIFI-ALERTCAM is only capable of connecting to the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequency. Depending on your router/Wi-Fi device, you may need to disable or edit the name of the 5GHz radio before you can connect the SWIFI-ALERTCAM.

Question: How do I change or update the camera's network settings?

Answer: To change to a different Wi-Fi network or to refresh the Wi-Fi settings simply follow the same process as you did to initially set up the camera as outlined in the Quick Start Guide and User Manual, this will save the new settings on the camera.

If the camera is still online, you can go to the camera's settings then select WiFi SSID. From there, enter the new SSID and the password of that new WiFi then hit OK. This method is used to pre-set the camera but keep in mind that after changing it, the camera will be offline until the new WiFi is available.

Tip: You do not need to press ‘Remove Device’ under the settings menu before you start the pairing process to put your camera on a different network. You can simply put your phone onto the new network which you wish to place the camera on, and then select ‘Pair Camera’ from the main menu to follow the pairing process again and place the camera on a different network.

Question: What type of Wi-Fi signal can I connect the camera to?

Answer: 2.4GHz - 802.11b/g/n only.

Question: Can I connect the camera to a mobile broadband device?

Answer: It is possible but not recommended as this will usually incur data charges and will be dependent on mobile coverage in the area.

Recording questions:

Question: How many days of recordings can I see in the app?

Answer: Local camera storage once it is full (therefore, no exact days) while Cloud recordings are up to 7 days.

Question: What happens to the video after the storage days have expired?

Answer: Make sure you download any clips you need from the cloud storage via the Playback tab or local storage via Camera Settings. When the storage days have expired, clips will automatically be removed from the cloud and local storage and can no longer be retrievable.

Question: How long will the camera record for in each clip?

Answer: Once an event is triggered, the camera will record for up to 60 seconds, depending on motion. In an event that there are still movements, it will record to another file.

Motion detection questions:

Question: How far away can my camera detect movement?

Answer: Your camera can detect movement of a person up to 32ft / 10m from the camera when on the highest True Detect Motion Sensitivity settings. More intense heat sources (e.g. vehicles) may detect a little further away and less intense heat sources (e.g. pets/small animals) may need to be a little closer before they are detected. The range/sensitivity of the motion sensor can be adjusted via the True Detect Motion Sensitivity settings bar in the app.

Question: How do I optimize the motion detection?

Answer: PIR sensors work optimally when the camera is mounted around looking down somewhat and the subject of detection passes across their front. The more the object must "cross" the front of the camera the better the detection reliability. When placing your camera try to avoid situations where the subject would move straight toward the camera if possible. You may need to experiment with the sensitivity settings in the app and camera placement to get the ideal setting

Question: Can my camera detect motion through a window or pane of glass?

Answer: The nature of PIR sensors is that they detect warm moving objects. Given that glass is quite a good insulator, it actively blocks this heat from the camera's PIR sensor and so the sensor cannot detect motion even though you can see movement happening.

Question: What type of detection method is being used by the camera?

Answer: True Detect™ PIR (Passive Infrared) - motion based.

Image related questions:

Question: Can my camera see through glass at night?

Answer: The IR LEDs do not fare as well travelling through glass compared to visible light. The camera is made for indoor use, but not to be indoor while facing outside

Question: Sometimes at night I can see a white edge to the image or some light off to the side of the picture, what is that?

Answer: The IR LEDs around the lens create infrared light so the camera can see clearly at night. While our eyes cannot see this IR light, the camera certainly can. IR light reflected by nearby objects such as walls, ceilings and other light colored objects will reflect light into the lens. If this occurs, move your camera to reduce the reflection and check again using the app to confirm the performance.

Hardware questions:

Question: I see the lights on the front of the camera are on or flashing sometimes, what do they indicate?

Answer: The lights on the front of the camera reflect different modes of operation or camera states, check the User Manual from the link down the page for information on the various LED colors and their meaning.

Question: My app shows there is an Update Available on the main screen, what does this mean?

Answer: Swann will continue to release new versions of the app and camera firmware to improve your experience. When a new camera firmware is available, the app will show an Update Available message on the main screen. Swann highly recommends that you update your camera firmware to take advantage of the latest improvements. Please follow the instructions in the User Manual for how to update your camera’s firmware.

Question: Can this camera be mounted under the eaves?

Answer: Currently the camera is designed to be used indoor and can be placed on a flat surface or mounted on a wall or ceiling.

App related questions:

Question: I forgot the password to my account, how do I reset it?

Answer: Open the app on your phone, just under the Sign In bar you will see "Forgot Password". Enter your registered email address then tap Reset Password. The system will then email you instructions for resetting your password online. Go to your email app and follow the instructions to set a new password, then return to the app to login. Keep a record of the password somewhere safe in case you need it again later.

Question: When I watch the live stream it doesn't seem to play smoothly and sometimes seems slow?

Answer: The camera has 3 different settings for streaming quality; low, medium and high. If you are having problems streaming you can lower the settings and test to see if it improves. Note that lowering the stream settings does not affect the quality of the recordings. If you have very fast upload speeds you can set your camera to high, but if your upload speed is not that good then we recommend you use medium or low for the streaming setting.

Question: How many users can be connected to a camera at once?

Answer: There is no specific limit but we recommend no more than 3 connections at once; the available bandwidth of the internet connection that the camera is using may also limit the connections that can be sustained.

Question: Where do I find the camera's information such as firmware, manufacturer, state... etc?

Answer: Once you login to your account, tap on Settings (Android) or Device Settings (iOS) (if you have 2 or more devices, select the unit you wanted to check). Swipe to the bottom and select Technical details.

Question: Can I setup or view my cameras on my PC or Mac?

Answer: The Swann Security app is currently only available on iOS and Android for supported phones and tablets, operation on PC or Mac is not supported.