When you try to access the video stream from the Somfy Protect app, no image is displayed, or you receive notifications that the connection is no longer working properly.
Information on possible causes
Your camera may frequently lose connection in the following cases:
- your smartphone's network (3G/4G/5G) is not strong enough to access the video stream
- your internet line is regularly interrupted
- the quality of Wi-Fi where your monitor is installed is insufficient
- your upstream bandwidth is insufficient
- the Wi-Fi channel used by your Internet router is congested
Procedure
1. CHECK THE QUALITY OF YOUR PHONE CONNECTION
To be able to view the video phone image in good conditions, you need to make sure your phone has broadband Internet access: 3G, 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi. In all cases, reception and speed must be of good quality.
Please note that if you have enabled automatic switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data on your phone, when switching from one network to another, or depending on the signal level, the connection may slow down and prevent video viewing.
If you are not sure, you can try watching a video on YouTube.
2. CHECK THE LED COLOR ON THE MONITOR
First of all, check the monitor's current connection status by looking at the color of the LED on the front panel. If the LED flashes red and then green, the monitor is trying to connect to Wi-Fi.
What does the V®500 Connect LED color code mean?
3. MAKE SURE YOUR INTERNET LINE IS STABLE
During outages, if someone is at your location, or you have another remotely accessible device, make sure your internet line is available.
Don't forget to restart your Internet box, as this can improve the quality of your home Internet connection.
4. CHECK THE QUALITY OF THE WI-FI WHERE YOUR MONITOR IS POSITIONED
In your Somfy Protect app, go to "Settings" > "My devices" > "Connected video doorphone."
If the "Wi-Fi network" information shows 1 bar out of 4, the Wi-Fi signal is not strong enough to ensure a connection of sufficient quality.
- 4 bars - excellent connection
- 2 or 3 bars - correct connection
- 1 bar - insufficient connection
It is therefore advisable to move the Internet box if possible, or to add a Wi-Fi repeater between the box and the monitor to amplify the Wi-Fi signal, in order to improve the quality of the WiFi connection.
Please note:
- Wi-Fi quality levels do not refresh instantly, so we recommend moving the box or installing a repeater, then trying to access the video stream again to see if the move has solved the problem.
- Wi-Fi quality is highly variable: two devides connected at a distance of one meter from each other may have different Wi-Fi quality levels.
5. CHECK TO SEE IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT BANDWIDTH WHERE YOUR MONITOR IS POSITIONED
The monitor needs a stable Wi-Fi signal that can deliver a constant stream of 0.80 Mbps.
In order to check the available upload bandwidth via your Internet subscription, you can use a software program or an app available free of charge:
- PC/Mac - Web Speed test
- iOS - iOS Speed test
- Android - Android Speed test
It is a good idea to test the speed where your monitor is positioned.
The upstream bandwidth (also called upload speed), on the right in the illustration above, is equal to 2.01 Mbps.
Also check that the other devices connected to the Internet in your home are not taking up all the bandwidth: downloading computers, other IP cameras, connected TVs, etc. In order to make sure, disconnect these devices while you run your tests.
6. MAKE SURE THE WI-FI CHANNEL USED BY THE INTERNET BOX IS NOT OVERLOADED
If there are many Wi-Fi networks around your home, the channel used by your Internet Box may be overloaded.
If the previous operations have not helped you find a suitable location for your Internet box or Wi-Fi repeater, you may need to change the Wi-Fi channel in the settings of your Internet box (or Wi-Fi router). We recommend that you first change your Wi-Fi channel0to automatic, if it is not currently set that way.
If this doesn't fix the problem, we recommend checking the Wi-Fi environment. You can use a free channel analysis app or a software program, such as:
- PC - Acrylic WiFi
- Mac - Netspot
- Android - WiFi Analyzer
These applications provide a graphic depiction of how busy different Wi-Fi channels are. If your Wi-Fi network is on a channel occupied by several other networks, you will need to move it to a less busy channel. You can do this in the settings of your internet box (or Wi-Fi router).