Dropped PoE cameras - troubleshooting?

[AndrewNorCal]

I have a Blue Iris system running now for about a month in our family business. All was well . . . until a customer did something bad and I found out two of the cameras had stopped working ("no signal") including one that would have I.D.-ed him.

Both cameras are connected via PoE and are two different brands . . . one is a Q-See (Dahua) and one is a really small RevoTech (cheap Chinese camera).

What are a good series of steps to troubleshoot dropped PoE cameras?

1. Disconnect & reconnect
2. Try new powered switch port
3. Try new network cable
...
100. Factory reset the camera

What else?

Also, what the heck would make them randomly drop in the first place? (Aside from just completely crapping out.)

Thanks!
Andrew

 

[TonyR]

What else?

Looks like you've covered the main reasons already.

Are they close to a ceiling with little or no ventilation?
Are they getting direct sun and/or the ambient temp is very high?
I ask in case it's a thermal thing, being somewhat random...and it IS July in NorCal.....

 

[AndrewNorCal]

Good question. Both are inside, but the RevoTech would get some sun for a shortish time in the afternoon, I suspect. When I get time to mount it in it's final location, it'll be out of the sun.

Andrew

 

[wittaj]

What version BI? Is it one of the newer versions where it is trying to find cams by MAC on reboot and messed a lot of people up?

 

[AndrewNorCal]

I downloaded it this year, so it's "newish".

I'm not sure what the uptime is the BI box, I'd have to look. I suppose that it's possible that it rebooted on its own, but I haven't done it manually.

Andrew