Cannot Configure IP2M-841B With Wi-fi Only

[Mattsterrific]

I received my IP2M-841B today that I purchased based on this advertised feature:

Quick WiFi Setup via iPhone or Android Smartphone using the Amcrest View App

I have been unable to do so. In researching it seems many others have this issue as well. I have been able to connect by plugging into the router directly, but I purchased this camera with the express intent of traveling with the camera, and setting it up using only the camera, a wi-fi network name & password, app and smartphone. I will not have physical access to the various routers in my travels, nor be able to configure the routers in any way.

I am on a 2.4ghz connection, I'm very close to the router, I've tried both Lite and Pro versions of the app, I've tried using both Android & Apple phones, and I've also tried it all on my neighbors network, which uses a different brand of router.

I just got off of a very frustrating call with Amcrest Tech Support in which no matter how many times I told him I want to be able to connect with just wi-fi, he responded with, "Yes you can", he then would instruct me to connect an ethernet cable, "just for the initial setup". I tried explaining in vain that I needed to be able to configure it without a cable at all, the poor guy just didn't get it. It felt like Abbott and Castello's, "Who's on First" skit. In the end I thanked him for trying to help but told him if an ethernet cable is required then the camera won't work for me and I'll just have to return...and he immediately hung up on me before I could finish. Oh well, I guess he was just as frustrated as I was.

It actually seems like a good quality camera, but it should be advertised that an ethernet connection to the router is required for initial setup.

That being said, if anyone has any ideas before I box it up and send it back to Amazon, I'm all ears.

[Melvin]

Hello Mattsterrific,

Sorry to hear about the bad experience. As you might know it can only connect to 2.4 GHz networks. Also you should ensure that the phone is connected to the same wifi. Some routers have dual band so if the phone is connected to 5Ggz network, it will not work. Our intention is to make the set up as easy as possible for the customers but there are some cases where the wifi set up fails. Hard wiring and then setting up might be the only option in some cases.

You need to choose wifi configuration and then scan the QR code of the camera, enter camera name, username and password first (both admin by default), the next step is where you enter wifi password. Make sure you enter the correct wifi password as its case sensitive. If it fails power recycle the camera and try again.

[lmm]

The OP is not alone.

I have the same issue, the WIFI setup fails as well.

Yes, using ethernet to setup is a pain, it is not needed once the setup is complete.

[Mattsterrific]

Thanks for your reply Melvin, but...

As you might know it can only connect to 2.4 GHz networks.

Yes, I do know that. That's why I stated as much:

I am on a 2.4ghz connection

Also you should ensure that the phone is connected to the same wifi.

They were.

You need to choose wifi configuration and then scan the QR code of the camera, enter camera name, username and password first (both admin by default), the next step is where you enter wifi password. Make sure you enter the correct wifi password as its case sensitive. If it fails power recycle the camera and try again.

Umm, those are the basic instructions that were included with the unit. I tried that, several times, since those are the instructions.

but there are some cases where the wifi set up fails.

It seems to be all cases. I posted a question on Amazon, it got 9 responses so far, not one of them were able to set up through just wi-fi. They all had to plug into the router initially. I've yet to find one case anywhere in researching this problem where someone stated they were able to configure the camera with just wifi.

It's being returned.

[Mattsterrific]

Yes, using ethernet to setup is a pain, it is not needed once the setup is complete.

It's not needed for that particular network. If you switch networks, you'll have to do the process all over again. I need to be able to setup every couple of days at a different hotel or marina. I will not have physical access to the router to plug a cable into.

[hchan33]

I could set up mine with an Android phone and iphone 6S using the FiOS MI424WR 2.4gHz router without much problem. However, when I replaced the old router with the new dual-band router yesterday I couldn't set it up again, at least wirelessly. I chose the 2.4gHz signal for my Android and iphone but that doesn't work. I have to connect the camera to the new router with an Ethernet cable. But after I disconnect the cable and unplug the camera from the power source and put the camera where I want it to be, the wireless connection is lost again. I feel like I have to put the camera where it should be first, power it up, and then connect it to the router, which will require a 50-ft ethernet cable. Doable, but what a pain! Otherwise I have no problem with the camera. Quite unfortunate because the video looks good and I like its functionalities.

[Melvin]

Hello hchan33,

So does it work wireless near the router but not 50ft away which is where you want the camera to work? It could be that the wifi signal is inadequate in the area where you mount the camera.

[hchan33]

The short distance between the router and the camera did not make the installation work. I had to connect the camera to the router to make the installation work. But when I unplugged the camera and moved it to where it should be, the wireless connection was lost and the indicator was blinking green again, not solid green. I reran the installation on my Android phone, which can use both 2.4gHZ and 5gHZ. I disabled the auto search function and specifically made it use only 2.4gHZ. It saw the SSID of the 2.4gHZ channel but could not log on after a long wait. Signal strength should not be an issue as this camera was previously connected to the old single-band router without any problem. I have ordered an Ethernet cable to connect the router and the camera while keeping the camera where it should be. We will see what happens.

[hchan33]

So finally I bought a cable long enough to connect the router from downstairs to the camera upstairs. And the ethernet setup works. It is a pain but at least I am done.

[chrisgianti]

I noticed that amcrest did update the phone software recently. It might be better now. If not, try hardwiring the pc to the same (internal) network as the camera (also hardwired). Then log into your router and look at the DHCP table & see if one shows up beginning with AMC or the MAC address of the camera. I found the amcrest IP config software did find the camera pretty quickly as well as a DVR I had attached to the network. If that doesn't work, try hardwiring the PC directly to the camera. I posted a full tutorial on setting this up for remote access on amazon. I'll repeat it here below. Good luck. It took me many hours to get all my cctv (dvr w/3 qsee cameras along with this camera) up and running. But once I did, I understood all the hang-ups I had in the process.

REMOTE ACCESS SETUP:
This may seem long & complicated, but it is not. Apologies for the long-windedness of this, but it's an attempt to make it understandable to basic users. More advanced can skip through some of this.

1. Use the Amcrest IP Config software on your PC or Mac to find the camera on your home network & setup the password for the admin (best to give it a different than default). Follow the Amcrest provided instructions on this. Familiarize yourself with setting up the camera on your network, the software & instructions they provide if you need to. You might need to in order to get through the rest of this process. If you're having trouble understanding the concepts described here: "IP address" & "ports", think of it like this: the IP address is like a street address, the port number is like an apartment number. Internal network is your internal home network, shielded from the outside. External network is everything outside this, the internet with all its craziness.

2. Remember this camera will have two IP addresses (on your home internal network). If it is plugged in with an ethernet cable, that is one IP address. If unplugged and put on wireless, that is a 2nd IP address. When forwarding ports, you need to factor that in (forwarding ports on your home wireless router, you might have the camera plugged directly into this router or plugged into a dummy switch that's plugged into the wireless router). It is best to assign it a static IP address using the router's static IP reservation. If you don't, any time the camera is unplugged or the power goes out, it might be given a different IP address on the router's DHCP (dynamically assigned IP address) when it comes back on. Plan your static IP address assignment, for example, I have my wireless set to assign IP addresses dynamically in the 101 to 150 range (for cell phones & tablets & other items on the network that aren't critical) and have a number of devices such as printer, CCTV DVR, & this camera assigned STATIC and I use a 50-100 range for static IP addresses). You must not ever have two network devices with the same IP address. After assigning this camera a static address, power cycle the camera (unplug, power off, wait 10 sec, power on) so the STATIC IP address gets assigned.

3. Log into your home wireless router (or whatever device, possibly a network extender, you have this plugged into or wirelessly assigned). Go into the the port forwarding settings of the router, it might be called 'Application & Gaming'.

My amcrest camera's default ports for http was 80 and for rtsp was 554. Your camera's might be different. If you want to find out the default http & rtsp ports of your camera (they might not be the same as mine), you can use the 'amcrest IP config' software (mentioned at the beginning of this) on your computer to search for the Amcrest camera on your network & go into settings of the camera.

Enter the camera's static IP address in two different lines (the IP you made the router assign to it) along with the two ports (80 http & 554 rtsp in my case) in two separate lines under the 'internal port'. Then assign the two different external port numbers (example 19780 & 19554), this translates to the outside ports (when you're accessing the camera remotely from the outside). WARNING: some internet providers, or perhaps it is DynamicDNS.com that does this, blocks the 80 & 554 port requests from the outside, so you probably don't want to use 80 & 554. This had me stuck for hours when I was trying to troubleshoot remote access.

For ease, under the 'protocol' column, I used 'both' on the router. Save the settings in the router. Now your router is forwarding this camera to the outside. It is forwarding the camera's IP address & the two ports to the outside as different ports. For outside access, you must know your home network's public IP address. It's best if it's static. I use OpenDNS.com and enable dynamic IP update.

4. In the remote camera software, in my case I use tinyCam Monitor (awesome app as it can do multiple camera systems, I have a q-see dvr on my internal network & this amcrest camera & it shows me all cameras from the outside) which works great if you have all the settings right. In tinyCam Monitor, you enter the cameras model (or the closest thing you can find), enter your public IP address, enter the external ports for http & rtsp (you set these in the portforwarding of the router), and enter the username password you made for the camera. If it still doesn't work, try the advanced settings for that camera and enter again the external ports there. If it still doesn't work, you need to recheck everything. I spent hours trying to figure out what I did wrong when I realized I had forwarded the IP address of the camera as it was plugged in when afterward I had made the camera on the network wireless (an entirely different IP address). Other issues might be that your internet provider or dynamicDNS blocks the ports (as mentioned before).