Review- IPC-WL46A 4MP 2.8mm Floodlight Wifi Network Camera
- Thread starter looney2ns
- Start date
The internet is full of good reviews of bad products.
Yet they work fine when streaming 1080p video from multiple $20 webcams, go figure!... Routers are not design for streaming videos from security cameras beacuse unlike watching online videos with buffer. I learn that from wittaj.
I think he meant well-regarded by reputable members of this forum such as:
Door bell dilemma
So here is my dilemma. I am installing surveillance cameras at a buddies house, which is a fully finished bungalow with no security alarm. I sold him on the idea of getting the ring alarm first, but I am contemplating on what wifi door bell to install. Clients are retired and not very tech...
woolfman72
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PFA-139 Doesn't work on this you only get about half of the hole visible. didn't think to take pictures.That's a very good question, IMO, as many existing flood light fixtures are mounted horizontally under eaves or soffits. So it got me to thinking (Uh oh):
So I'm wondering if the wall bracket could be mounted over an existing circular, flush-mounted electrical box (as many of those under the eaves are) and then the floodlight cam mounted to the wall bracket, as in the below image.
- Andy said here that the IPC-WL46A floodlight fits a PFA-139 box.
- The PFA-139 specs show that it has four M4 threaded holes @ 90 degrees in a 69mm radius.
- The PFB-204W wall bracket specs state that it also has four M4 threaded holes @ 90 degrees but they're in a 68.5mm radius.
- If both spec sheets are correct, the wall bracket's radius is only .5mm / .019 inches smaller than the box which I think could be easily overcome.
Anyguinea pigsvolunteers out there?
View attachment 159860
AlwaysSomething
Getting the hang of it
@looney2ns
How high do you have the light mounted? When you say a good 60' is that motion going across (left to right) of the cam or also walking up to the light (like someone walking up your driveway from the street)? I ask because I have mine set to maximum sensitivity and doesn't detect until 10' away regardless of direction. Need to find some time to troubleshoot some more. Wish they had a test mode like regular lights so you can test during the day.
If you know what you are doing to can find the device (hotspot) and configure that way but for novice it is easier with the app.
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
I tested it mounted as recommended in the quick start guide as outline here on page 3.
Sixty feet was from walking left to right. It's 50ft to bottom of my drive. I don't recall having an issue with it not detecting at close distance.
EMPIRETECANDY
IPCT Vendor
Hey guys
We make a new video for this camera to help people know more about this cam's function.
EmpireTech 2K floodlight camera IPC-FL46N 4MP Fixed-focal Floodlight Network Camera - YouTube
We make a new video for this camera to help people know more about this cam's function.
EmpireTech 2K floodlight camera IPC-FL46N 4MP Fixed-focal Floodlight Network Camera - YouTube
@looney2ns Question about this camera setup - If I needed the camera to be aimed to the left (or right) but the floodlights aimed straight ahead, is that possible? Or is the camera portion fixed to be aimed straight on?
I have a side walkway that I'd like to aim the camera to the gate to the left of the walkway - not the typical straight on like you have in your driveway setup there. Thanks.
I have a side walkway that I'd like to aim the camera to the gate to the left of the walkway - not the typical straight on like you have in your driveway setup there. Thanks.
AlwaysSomething
Getting the hang of it
The camera is independent of the lights. Each light can be adjusted independently as well. It's just like regular motion floodlights just the motion sensor also has a camera built in. Perfect placement for Ring or existing floodlights.
There are 3 PIR zones in the app (left, center, and right) so you can turn off the zone that is facing the wall if you want too.
There are 3 PIR zones in the app (left, center, and right) so you can turn off the zone that is facing the wall if you want too.
flynreelow
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the reolink is one of the better POE doorbells on the market. shittts on ring, doorbird, etc
Do you still have the camera? I got the Canadian version (IPC-L46N-CAN) and for the life of me I cannot get it to see any 5GHz Wi-Fi. Did you ever try to use 5G, can you post a picture of the Web UI that shows where you can change the Frequency in the settings?
This is the WiFi page I see:
That is a list of 2.4 GHz SSIDs.
Attempting to manually add a 5GHz SSID it says it does not exist.
Also, in the DMSS app, when I select the WiFi, I get a text saying "Dual band router fails to support 5G Wi-Fi (?)" If I click on the (?), I get:
1. Your camera does not support 5 GHz Wi-Fi....
2. ... (other router-related stuff)
I am currently trying:
- Use a dedicated AP with only 5 GHz
- Try various channels as it appears that this being an Outdoor camera might have special restrictions in Canada.
AlwaysSomething
Getting the hang of it
I am in the US and still have mine. That is the same screen. Mine does find my 5G and actually prefers it. It will use the weaker 5G signal over the stronger 2.4G signal all the time.
The camera itself does not have a filter by signal. It will just show whatever it can find. Just like any other Wifi client. Since 5G has shorter ranges it just may not be getting the signal.
You will hear others preach to "bench test". I always test my stuff in my office next to my AP/switch before I bring it outside to final location to make sure it works and not a signal or wiring issue. I had 2 other outdoor Wifi cameras that worked great in office but would not find a signal outside. Both were less than 10 ft and just on the other side of the exterior wall from the AP's. My problem is I have aluminum siding which kills the signal. If I moved the cameras down just a few feet and in front of the window they got the signal.
I would try connecting indoors first.
The camera itself does not have a filter by signal. It will just show whatever it can find. Just like any other Wifi client. Since 5G has shorter ranges it just may not be getting the signal.
You will hear others preach to "bench test". I always test my stuff in my office next to my AP/switch before I bring it outside to final location to make sure it works and not a signal or wiring issue. I had 2 other outdoor Wifi cameras that worked great in office but would not find a signal outside. Both were less than 10 ft and just on the other side of the exterior wall from the AP's. My problem is I have aluminum siding which kills the signal. If I moved the cameras down just a few feet and in front of the window they got the signal.
I would try connecting indoors first.
Thanks for the reply.
I tested with a 5G only AP 1m away from the camera. The camera does not see it in the list.
After playing with various channels, the camera accepted to connect to the 5GHz Wi-Fi when it was on channel 157.
The screen doesn't show the 5G WiFi that it is connected to in the list, but it shows it in the WiFi info.
I am still suspecting that the camera is restricted to only "Outdoor" channels in Canada.
While I cannot get the camera to find and select a 5G WiFi, it seems I can force it if the WiFi is on channels 149 - 165.
I'm hoping to mount it outside next week and will see how it works several meters from the AP, or if I need to put an AP closer to it.
I tested with a 5G only AP 1m away from the camera. The camera does not see it in the list.
After playing with various channels, the camera accepted to connect to the 5GHz Wi-Fi when it was on channel 157.
The screen doesn't show the 5G WiFi that it is connected to in the list, but it shows it in the WiFi info.
I am still suspecting that the camera is restricted to only "Outdoor" channels in Canada.
While I cannot get the camera to find and select a 5G WiFi, it seems I can force it if the WiFi is on channels 149 - 165.
I'm hoping to mount it outside next week and will see how it works several meters from the AP, or if I need to put an AP closer to it.
AlwaysSomething
Getting the hang of it
I'm not familiar with Canada regulations so I can't help you there.
What are the "Outdoor" channels in Canada? Also, what are the "Indoor" channels? I knew US and EU had different laws but didn't know Canada was also different.
Since it is connected to Ch 48 for me right now I guess that may mean Ch 48 is an "Outdoor" channel in Canada and not allowed??
If it helps I currently have 2 AP's using 5G:
Ch 48 is the one it is currently connected to. Camera has been mounted outside my garage close to a year now.
Ch 157 is the one near my office used for bench testing and it will connect to that as well if I bring down the AP with Ch 48.
According to my AP controller, the signal is -82dBm (which is a VERY weak signal). According the camera Web GUI (this pic you posted), it's signal is 3 out of 5 bars which I would think would be like 1 bar based on the AP. Back to the AP, it seems to go between 80-82 dBm and I am always surprised it doesn't switch to the 2.4G. When I brought down the 5G radio, and it was using 2.4G, the signal is much better but I can't remember what (I want to say 50-60 dBm). Like I said, it must be coded to prefer 5G.
FYI - When testing I always used the same SSID so I would never have to touch the camera. I just changed things on the network side. I use the mobile app for this camera and resetting the App/camera is a pain so that is why once that is set I don't touch it if I don't have to. I also try to not to mess with the Web GUI too much since sometimes it messes things up. In other words, if the setting can be changed in the Mobile App I do it there. That is just my experience though (YMMV).
Eventually I want to put a dedicated AP closer in the garage but that project keeps getting pushed down list of priorities. If do, I can try other channels and report back here.
One last thing, I had 2 apps on my iPhone that I used for testing Wifi outside. First is a very old app by Apple call Airport Utility (not even sure if you can get it anymore. I used that first to see what SSIDs I see and the signal they were getting at that location (to see if I can even see my SSID or not). If I could find the SSID, I would connect to it and then use a 2nd app called Wi-Fi Sweetspots. That would tell my throughput in MBps in realtime. Since it is realtime you can move and around and see if it goes up or down in case there is something that might interfere (like aluminum duct work in a wall). As you can see from my comments above, quality of signal is different from manufacturer so this would help me see if I can "really" get the throughput I need.
What are the "Outdoor" channels in Canada? Also, what are the "Indoor" channels? I knew US and EU had different laws but didn't know Canada was also different.
Since it is connected to Ch 48 for me right now I guess that may mean Ch 48 is an "Outdoor" channel in Canada and not allowed??
If it helps I currently have 2 AP's using 5G:
Ch 48 is the one it is currently connected to. Camera has been mounted outside my garage close to a year now.
Ch 157 is the one near my office used for bench testing and it will connect to that as well if I bring down the AP with Ch 48.
According to my AP controller, the signal is -82dBm (which is a VERY weak signal). According the camera Web GUI (this pic you posted), it's signal is 3 out of 5 bars which I would think would be like 1 bar based on the AP. Back to the AP, it seems to go between 80-82 dBm and I am always surprised it doesn't switch to the 2.4G. When I brought down the 5G radio, and it was using 2.4G, the signal is much better but I can't remember what (I want to say 50-60 dBm). Like I said, it must be coded to prefer 5G.
FYI - When testing I always used the same SSID so I would never have to touch the camera. I just changed things on the network side. I use the mobile app for this camera and resetting the App/camera is a pain so that is why once that is set I don't touch it if I don't have to. I also try to not to mess with the Web GUI too much since sometimes it messes things up. In other words, if the setting can be changed in the Mobile App I do it there. That is just my experience though (YMMV).
Eventually I want to put a dedicated AP closer in the garage but that project keeps getting pushed down list of priorities. If do, I can try other channels and report back here.
One last thing, I had 2 apps on my iPhone that I used for testing Wifi outside. First is a very old app by Apple call Airport Utility (not even sure if you can get it anymore. I used that first to see what SSIDs I see and the signal they were getting at that location (to see if I can even see my SSID or not). If I could find the SSID, I would connect to it and then use a 2nd app called Wi-Fi Sweetspots. That would tell my throughput in MBps in realtime. Since it is realtime you can move and around and see if it goes up or down in case there is something that might interfere (like aluminum duct work in a wall). As you can see from my comments above, quality of signal is different from manufacturer so this would help me see if I can "really" get the throughput I need.
For the Canadian channels, I just used Wikipedia:
List of WLAN channels - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Channel 48 in Canada is Indoor, in US is both Indoor and Outdoor.
I mounted the camera outside. The 5GHz was too weak for the camera to use it. In fact I find the camera's WiFi reception quite poor compared to other 802.11ac devices such as Pixel phones.
I'm thinking the same as you: getting an AP just across the wall of the camera to improve signal. Right now, I'm back on 2.4Ghz. quite a distance from the Asus router and getting 3/4 bar (72.2 / 13 Mbps) which is too low for my liking (13 Mbps for footage!) and also causes the occasional "No Signal"
I use a simple WiFi Analyzer (open-source) on an Android phone to check WiFi signal around the house. It shows good signal (both 2.4GHz and 5GHz) where the camera is located, but the camera sees much poorer signal, so a dedicated closer AP might be good, thought I have the same issue with de-prioritizing it
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AlwaysSomething
Getting the hang of it
I'm glad you are making progress.
It's ironic because just yesterday I just looked at a camera and there was a footnote:
*Due to Industry Canada (IC) restrictions, your 5GHz Wi-Fi network may not be supported if you are located in Canada.
Also, you mentioned the Pixel and the reminded me of something else. As far as my iPhone, the Settings would not always find my Wifi but the Analyzer tools on the phone would. So there could be different thresholds for not only different devices but for the apps on top of the device. I would want my security camera to have a higher threshold for Wifi.
As always, keep in mind that Wifi is not reliable and will almost always fail when you need it most. I've missed many videos because the Wifi dropped at the exact time I needed it. Thankfully they were not critical situations and mostly just funny (candid camera type footage and maybe better it wasn't captured ).
If I could trust Wifi, I would have purchased at least 1-3 more of these. In fact I had one in the cart ready to checkout when I said "Let me go check the signal where I want to put it" and sure enough there was no signal or it was too weak. I still debate getting it for 1 of the 3 locations and relying the SD card but haven't bit the bullet yet.
It's ironic because just yesterday I just looked at a camera and there was a footnote:
*Due to Industry Canada (IC) restrictions, your 5GHz Wi-Fi network may not be supported if you are located in Canada.
Also, you mentioned the Pixel and the reminded me of something else. As far as my iPhone, the Settings would not always find my Wifi but the Analyzer tools on the phone would. So there could be different thresholds for not only different devices but for the apps on top of the device. I would want my security camera to have a higher threshold for Wifi.
As always, keep in mind that Wifi is not reliable and will almost always fail when you need it most. I've missed many videos because the Wifi dropped at the exact time I needed it. Thankfully they were not critical situations and mostly just funny (candid camera type footage and maybe better it wasn't captured
).If I could trust Wifi, I would have purchased at least 1-3 more of these. In fact I had one in the cart ready to checkout when I said "Let me go check the signal where I want to put it" and sure enough there was no signal or it was too weak. I still debate getting it for 1 of the 3 locations and relying the SD card but haven't bit the bullet yet.
FWIW, I use Wi-Fi for a couple of non-critical applications such as dog watching and they have their own dedicated wireless access point (AP) set with large channel separation. Also, I'm 200 yards from the closest neighbor in a rural setting.
I may get a signal loss for 15 seconds or so ever week or so and because of the application I can live with that. My other cams, the ones of more importance to me, are hard-wired.
I may get a signal loss for 15 seconds or so ever week or so and because of the application I can live with that. My other cams, the ones of more importance to me, are hard-wired.