Cameras going offline

[Samm05]

Both indoor and outdoor cameras (including the doorbell) keep going offline! It’s frustrating as the Wi-Fi connection has not moved and continues to be strong. It has been checked several times. We have Wi-Fi boosters on every floor (townhouse) and it’s only in the last week or so that the cameras keep going offline. It started with going off in the early hours for hours at a time but now it’s throughout the day. My history just shows ALOT of greyed out spaces. From reviews on the App Store I’m the the only one having issues!

[MplsCustomer]

@Samm05 

If ALL of your cameras are going offline, chances are that it is something to do with your Wi-Fi, even if you don't know what it might be.

Can you view your cameras' livestreams on the home.nest.com website and the "preview"/beta home.google.com website?

[Samm05]

The Wi-Fi has been checked and there are no issues there at all, livestreams not showing when the cameras are offline either via the app or the website. Going back through the history you can see where it is on and offline. As mentioned the reviews over the last week show I’m not the only one … it’s super frustrating especially if I’m not home 😩

[MplsCustomer]

@Samm05 

There are ongoing reports going way back in this forum of cameras and doorbells going offline, or video being unavailable, or live-streaming of a camera to a Nest Hub frequently failing.  Some of these reports seem to be due to problems with specific products, especially the battery doorbell, the floodlight camera, and the battery camera when running on battery power.  (Our battery camera does fine because it's plugged in.)  There is also the recent issue with the camera on the Nest Hub Max appearing offline, which Google Nest has acknowledged as a problem .  But aside from these particular product lines, Wi-Fi issues seem to be a more plausible explanation, if only because there does not seem to be any other plausible explanation.  We have multiple cameras and doorbells, including a battery camera and a 2nd gen indoor camera, as well as Nest Hub, a Nest Hub Max, and a Nest Mini; our devices stay online, video is rarely unavailable (and only temporarily), and live-streaming to our Nest Hubs is only interrupted one occasion.

I've seen some of the threads on offline cameras, etc. get resolved by addressing particular Wi-Fi issues.  Others seem to never get resolved.  I'm just another Google Nest customer, so I don't really know why.  But if the cause is not a Wi-Fi issue, then what is the cause?

[sect0r]

I am having the same issue for a few weeks now.  Even upgraded my wifi because Google troubleshooting steps convinced me that wifi signal was the problem.  Nothing else in my house goes offline except my Google devices.  I have 950MB/s internet with wifi6 and full bars at every camera.  Most are within 20 feet of the router

[Samm05]

Yep our Wi-Fi has been checked etc and we literally cannot upgrade it anymore … if I get told by one more person that my Wi-Fi is the issue I think I’ll scream 😅. 

I have 3 outdoor cameras and doorbell, they were all playing up and now it’s just down to one outdoor cam and the doorbell. They both go offline intermittently on a daily basis now. Doorbell isn’t even alerting me when someone has pressed it now. 

if the issues don’t get sorted soon I will have no choice but to replace all and leave Nest. 

[EmersonB]

Hello everyone,

@Samm05 and @sect0r, thanks for posting here in the Community. To confirm, what are the troubleshooting steps you've done with your Nest Cameras and Nest Doorbell so far? In case you're not taking any steps, I would suggest you try restarting them. You may also try moving them near your router after you restart and monitor their behavior.

I appreciate the help, MplsCustomer.

Best,

Emerson

[EmersonB]

Hi folks,

I'm dropping by to ensure that everything is covered here. How's it going with your Nest Camera? We would appreciate it if you could share the information I’m asking above. Also, were you able to check the link I've shared? In case you have an update, you know where to find us. 

Regards,
Emerson

[EmersonB]

Hey everybody,

Just one quick final check in here since activity has slowed down. We'll be locking the thread in the next 24 hours, but if you still need help, we would be happy to keep it open. If there's more we can do, just let us know.

Thanks,
Emerson

[sect0r]

I've been working with Nest support to no avail.  They are not responding to my emails.  This is still happening withany of my Google devices.  I have dozens of wifi devices and no others drop off the wifi ever.  I had Verizon send me the latest router and have the top service.  They also split my wifi into 4 bands so I can pick which one I would like to use.  I selected both IoT and 2.4GHz as directed by Google and it happens still on both.  I am about the return every Google home device I purchased.

[janthadeus]

Hey there,

sect0r, could you provide the case ID of your interaction with our support team so I can have it reviewed? 

Samm05, how's it going? Still need our help?

I appreciate the help here, MplsCustomer and Emerson.

Thanks,

JT

[EmersonB]

Hello everyone,

@sect0r, we wanted to follow up and see if you are still in need of any help. Please let us know if you are still having any concerns or questions from here, as we would be happy to take a closer look and assist you further.

I appreciate the help, JT.

Regards,
Emerson

[Samm05]

I think like me he has given up with trying to communicate. The problems still persist for me and I cannot be bothered to waste anymore of my time going through troubleshooting. I am happy for you to close my thread down.

[sect0r]

So I figured it out myself after months of annoyance and wasted time climbing on ladders to add cameras back.  Google Nest devices are incompatible with just about every new feature on any new router.  Self Organizing Networks will kill your cameras.  IPV6 will kill your cameras.  You need to have a 2.4GHz router or SSID that never changes and never shares an SSID with another device or band.  After turning off every advanced feature of my router all of my cameras have been online for an entire week without losing connection.  My neighbors hate me because I broadcast 4 different WiFi bands now but my cameras and thermostats and smoke detectors work.  I will keep you all posted on the progress.  Google.  Do better and upgrade your devices.

[MplsCustomer]

@Samm05and @sect0r 

We use the same SSID for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, and IPv6 is turned on by default, and we have no problems.

This may be a long shot, but on several other threads it seems that Google Nest may have problems with the data for customers' Google Nest "homes/structures" on Google Nest's servers getting corrupted, causing cameras and doorbells to go offline inexplicably, and/or prevent customers from installing or reinstalling Google Nest cameras and doorbells in existing Google Nest "homes/structures". It seems Google Nest is either unable or unwilling to correct these corruption issues with Google Nest "homes/structures".

Google Nest customers have resorted to variations of one of the following workarounds:

1) Removing some or ALL of their Google Nest devices from their Google Nest "home/structure", doing factory resets, and reinstalling them.

2) Creating a new Google Nest "home/structure", installing some of their devices there, them removing them, and reinstalling them in their original Google Nest "home/structure".

3) Removing ALL of their Google Nest devices from their Google Nest "home/structure", doing factory resets, and reinstalling them in a new Google Nest "home/structure". This of course means they also have to cancel their Nest Aware subscription and buy a new one. as well as reconfigure everything.

Some of the relevant threads include:

• https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/Nest-Battery-Cameras-all-Offline/m-p/40...
• https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/NC009-Error-SOMEONE-PLEASE-HELP/m-p/403...
• https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Cameras-and-Doorbells/I-can-t-install-my-new-Nest-Battery-Doo...

@EmersonBand @janthadeus  , is Google Nest looking into this issue with corrupted Google Nest "homes/structures"?

[sect0r]

Separate your wifi networks and you won't have any more issues.  Data can't corrupt over networks.  The Google devices are not smart enough to decipher between 2.4 and 5G.  When it tries to connect to 5G with the same credentials it gets booted.  Turn off SoN and you will have 5 wifi bands but it will work.

[MplsCustomer]

@sect0r 

By a "corrupted" Google Nest home/structure, I mean that there's a bug in Google Nest's software that messes up behind-the-scenes settings of the Google Nest home/structure, resulting in cameras in that home/structure going offline, as well as being unable to add new cameras to that home/structure. And because Google Nest cannot or will not correct the messed-up settings, the only remedy seems to be to empty out that home/structure. On the threads I cited above, Google Nest seems to have admitted as much in its interactions with customers.

[Samm05]

Hi, thank you for the above suggestion, we have turned 5g off and seeing if running on 2.4 will help resolve the connection issues. 3 out of 4 of the cameras were using 2.4 and the only one not tripping out was running on 5. We shall see if this helps 

[sect0r]

Well I spoke too soon.  12 days later all of my devices are offline again.  I think it may be time for Google to start distributing refunds.  They are discontinuing their alarm devices and half their devices don't work in one app and work in the other.  They can't even keep devices on the network.  I have been connecting wirelessly for 20 years without any issues.  Your devices are broken.

[Samm05]

So far so good with switching to 2.4 for us, however it makes the rest of our internet lag at home now 🙄. Switching to 5 cuts 3 of the cameras back out. It’s too much hassle now, I think we will be switching from Nest. 

[sect0r]

I think we are in the same boat.  Sad really.  When it works, it works great.  When it doesn't it really doesn't. 

[janthadeus]

Hey folks,

We appreciate all your efforts here and for trying some steps to fix your camera connectivity issues. We’d like to take a deeper look into this  — could you fill out this form and let us know once you’re done?

Looking forward to your response.

Best,

JT

[janthadeus]

Hi there,

Checking back in — we haven't received your form. Were you able to fill it out? Still need our help?

Best regards,

JT

[janthadeus]

Hey there,

It's us again. Are you able to fill out the form. If not, please do so, so we can assist you further with your concern.

Thanks,

JT

[janthadeus]

Hello there,

I haven't heard from you in a while so I'll be locking this thread if there is no update within the day. If you have any new issues, updates or just a discussion topic, feel free to start a new thread in the Community.

Best,

JT

[sect0r]

No comment?

[sect0r]

I have been working with Nest support but they have stopped responding as well.

[sect0r]

I also worked with Verizon and have separated my wifi signals and it still happens on 5G 2.4G and IoT specific networks.