Smart Video Doorbell FAQs Follow
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- Wi-Fi questions
- Recording questions
- Motion questions
- Image questions
- Hardware questions
- App questions
- Downloads
Wi-Fi-related questions:
Question: I have set up my doorbell 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 doorbell 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 doorbell to before you start the setup, as this information is saved on the doorbell during the setup process. If all of the details are correct and it still appears as offline, move your doorbell closer to your Wi-Fi and see if you can connect.
Question: How far from my Wi-Fi hub can I mount my doorbell?
Answer: The Wi-Fi range can be up to 65ft / 20m but the Wi-Fi signal can be reduced by many things around the home. Take into consideration the number 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: How do I change or update the doorbell'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 doorbell as outlined in the Quick Start Guide and User Manual, this will save the new settings on the doorbell.
Tip: You do not need to press ‘Unpair doorbell’ under the settings menu before you start the pairing process to put your doorbell on a different network. You can simply put your phone onto the new network which you wish to place the doorbell on, and then select ‘Pair doorbell’ from the main menu to follow the pairing process again and place the doorbell on a different network.
Question: What type of Wi-Fi signal can I connect the doorbell to?
Answer: 2.4GHz - 802.11b/g/n
Question: Can I connect the doorbell to a mobile broadband device?
Answer: Yes, but keep in mind the internet usage so as to not incur additional costs
Recording questions:
Question: How many days of recordings can I see in the app?
Answer: 7 days stored on the camera's built-in memory.
Question: What happens to the video after the storage days have expired?
Answer: Make sure you download any clips you need from the activity log as when your storage days expire the video for that day is automatically removed by the system and is no longer retrievable.
Question: How long will the doorbell record for in each clip?
Answer: 4 selections are available: 15, 30, 45 & 60 seconds.
Question: What happens if there is a power outage and my internet is off?
Answer: The doorbell will still record and store the clips on the built-in memory.
Motion detection questions:
Question: How do I optimize motion detection?
Answer: PIR sensors work optimally when the doorbell 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 doorbell the better the detection reliability. When placing your doorbell 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 doorbell placement to get the ideal mix of detection and battery life as too much sensitivity can reduce battery life.
Question: Can my doorbell 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 doorbell's PIR sensor and so the sensor cannot detect motion even though you can see movement happening.
Question: Why can’t my doorbell continuously record?
Answer: In order to preserve battery life, this doorbell is designed to be in a sleep state for most of the day, only waking to record when the PIR sensor detects a warm moving object, or when the Call button is pressed. This ensures that you only get relevant recordings and push notifications, rather than hours of wasted footage with nothing happening. If this type of doorbell was able to continuously record, the battery would be flat in a matter of hours.
Question: What type of detection method is being used by the doorbell?
Answer: True Detect™ PIR (Passive Infrared) - motion-based.
Image related questions:
Question: Sometimes at night or in the early morning the image from my doorbell is a little cloudy or blurry, why is that?
Answer: Although IP65 weatherproof, the outside of the doorbell is still subject to frost, ice and dew when out in the open air. We recommend you install under some sheltered location where possible but if this is not suitable for your location simply aiming the doorbell to look a little downward can stop moisture from settling on the doorbell lens.
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 Infra-Red light so the doorbell can see clearly at night. While our eyes cannot see this IR light, the doorbell certainly can. IR light reflected by nearby objects such as walls, roofs and other light-colored objects will reflect light into the lens. If this occurs, move your doorbell 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 doorbell are on or flashing sometimes, what do they indicate?
Answer: The lights on the front of the doorbell reflect different modes of operation or doorbell 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 doorbell firmware to improve your experience. When a new doorbell firmware is available, the app will show an Update Available message on the main screen. Swann highly recommends that you update your doorbell 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: How do I charge my doorbell when the battery is low?
Answer: The doorbell is easily charged using the supplied charge cable and most USB chargers or USB ports. Simply take your doorbell to the charger and plug it into USB, it should fully charge in 4 - 6 hours depending on the output of the charger.
Question: What sort of charger should I use to recharge my doorbell?
Answer: Most phone and tablet chargers will charge your doorbell just fine. Ideally, use chargers rated at 5Volts with 2Amp output as supplied with most tablets and larger phone models. You can also charge from the USB port on a PC or built-in USB chargers found on power strips and other similar devices.
Question: How long does the rechargeable battery last for each full charge?
Answer: The battery will give you up to two months of normal use. Note that high sensitivity, frequent access from the app and high numbers of event detection can impact the life of each charge and should be carefully considered when locating and setting the camera. Note also that extreme cold will reduce the effectiveness of the battery.
Question: Is the battery inside the camera replaceable?
Answer: The internal battery cannot be replaced as this would require breaking open the doorbell case which would affect the IP65 weatherproof seal.
Therefore if the doorbell battery was lasting one month on average between charges, then 500 cycles is going to last 40 years. (500 / 12x per year).
Question: How do I find out how much charge is left in my doorbell battery?
Answer: When the doorbell’s remaining battery level reaches 30% or less, a battery indicator icon will appear on screen to inform you that you will need to charge soon. A precise percentage of battery remaining can be obtained by going into the ABOUT section for the doorbell and scrolling to the bottom. The app will send push notifications to you when the battery is getting very low and requires a charge. The push notifications are set to automatically go out when the battery reaches 20%, 10%, 5%, then at 2%, the doorbell will notify you that it will shut down until recharged.
Answer: No, it is completely optional to use this screw. Simply slide the doorbell onto the wall mount so that it is easy to remove again when it needs to be charged. The doorbell will sit securely and tightly on the mount without needing to use the screw. Your doorbell ships with a small hex tool which you can use to tighten and loosen the locking screw that sits within a small hole on the bottom edge of the doorbell. You only need to use this if you wish to as it can be a little difficult to access.
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". Tap here to open the Password Recovery screen and follow the prompts to enter the email address you first signed up with. 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 log in. Keep a record of the password somewhere safe in case you need it again later.
Question: Why does my doorbell take a long time to go into Live View?
Answer: In order to preserve battery life, this doorbell is designed to be in a sleep state until motion is triggered or you connect from the app. From sleep mode, it may take 15-20 seconds for your doorbell to wake up and to establish a live connection between your phone and the doorbell. Our development team are already working on ways to reduce this connection time and we will continue to release updated apps and/or firmware to improve the performance of the Smart Video Doorphone and the SwannBuzz app as they become available.
Question: How long can I view the live stream from the doorbell in a single session?
Answer: The doorbell will stream for up to two minutes per live view session then return to standby mode. You can go straight back to live view again from standby for up to 10 minutes from the first view and then the doorbell will go into sleep mode to preserve the battery.
Question: When I watch the live stream it doesn't seem to play smoothly and sometimes seems slow?
Answer: The doorbell 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 doorbell 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 doorbell 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 doorbell is using may also limit the connections that can be sustained.
Question: Where do I find the doorbell's information such as firmware, manufacturer, state... etc?
Answer: Once you login to your account, tap the drawer icon at the top left then choose Doorbell Settings. Select your doorbell then go to the About tab.
Question: Can I setup or view my doorbells on my PC or Mac?
Answer: The SwannBuzz app is currently only available on iOS and Android for supported phones and tablets, operation on PC or Mac is not supported.
Question: Why is the app crashing on my Intel® based tablet?
Answer: Some Android tablet models use an Intel® processor. The SwannBuzz app is not currently compatible with Intel® processors, but this compatibility will be added in the future.
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