Amcrest Smart Home "Server" down?

[mbster]

For those that have had to deal with technical support, is the interaction really just one email from Amcrest a day? Thus far, the first email response I received asked what is the voltage of my doorbell transformer (still new 6 yrs old 16 vac 10 A that worked perfectly fine with the AD110 since Dec'2019 and can still view live video on NVR) and the second email the next day was did you add the doorbell to the smart home app (big no as explained in original email seeking support even provided a link to this thread) and to run a wifi speedtest?

[amcrest168]

it appears smart home serve is down again and it says my device is offline. it's really misleading because the doorbell is connected to my network and the nvr is recording fine. this is not good if the smart home server goes down a lot.

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[Revo2Maxx]

Yes another reason I can assure you that there will be no IP cameras added to the Smart Home app for Live View... Sadly yes mine is offline as well when I posted in another thread about an issue they were having...

I talked with someone at Amcrest and was told that there is no talk about having other IP cameras on the Smart Home app.. That it is not in the future of features to come...

[amcrest168]

i would like amcrest to reinstate the old feature of having live view only for ip cameras. i'm not sure why you are so opposed to the idea. i find it very convenient to scroll down the smart home app and do a live view on a particular ip camera or the doorbell as opposed to the surveillance pro grid layout. i'm not sure what's the big fuzz about reinstating an old feature.

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[Revo2Maxx]

I am not saying they never sent anything about the idea.. I am saying that talking with my Contact I have at Amcrest and this was even after I made the Statement to you that it must have been an Oversight... I was told that it was never meant to be a Feature and from what he was told 2 days ago when I asked him about it, He went to the R&D team and they said it was never a Feature it was released before it was removed... I was told and while it might not be 100% perfect as we are Humans and I have second hand info from again my Contact in Amcrest Support team that as of now there is no idea that it will be ever released with the ability to run anything other then Smart Home Products...

By the way just so everyone knows asking for something in a Features Section don't mean it will ever be released.. That is an area to give ideas of what others would like to see and the team of A and D along with all the Designers of the Cameras and other Amcrest Hardware to figure out if making such a feature is even good for a future release... Smart Home and Home security and Home Surveillance are all different in many ways...

I don't like the V3 removed the alarm inputs and Audio in and out I don't expect to ever see them return even though I have asked that they don't take them away... However there are so many people that don't even use them and I am not the norm when it comes to my CCTV use... I have my Hikvision DVR talking to my Amcrest DVR with alarm inputs and things that many others don't use.. I have my Dahua CVI also in the Mix with my other units all able to talk to one another over my Alarm in and outs and without them my Security isn't set the way I want them.. If I can't have my 2000 dollar camera working like I feel a $2000 camera should then I over spent for a paper weight... I have some very costly PTZ cameras while they might be 6 to 10 years old they are not just some fancy looking cameras they are feature rich and while I might not use every Alarm in or Out I do use them... Sadly in my Amcrest NVR's they are not as feature rich as my DVR's but all the cameras can still talk to other IP cameras within the 2 NVR's because I have doubled a few of the IP ch's to get things done then way I want.. I have 1 IP camera that isn't Amcrest that has 2 in and 1 out that I use in connection with my DVR's.. There is some Complex things going on more then just running some Cat wire and setting a camera to record to my Recorders.. Most of my Footage is stored Off site along with multi on site backups..

[jack7]

i would like amcrest to reinstate the old feature of having live view only for ip cameras. i'm not sure why you are so opposed to the idea. i find it very convenient to scroll down the smart home app and do a live view on a particular ip camera or the doorbell as opposed to the surveillance pro grid layout. i'm not sure what's the big fuzz about reinstating an old feature.

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Amcrest168,
Viewing Amcrest Smart Home ASH21 and other Amcrest IP cameras in the same app works for me in Amcrest View Pro, but all Smart Home cameras may not be created equal. Smart Home camera used there needs IP address, port forwarding, or VPN.
If you prefer the Smart Home app type interface, try the DMSS app which apparently comes from the same developer as Smart Home app originally did. It works for me. IP address, port forwarding, or VPN required there for all Amcrest cameras.
Also,, everything I've tried using ONVIF with Smart Home ASH21 has worked.

[amcrest168]

hi @jack7, good you mentioned dmss and in fact it's partly because of the app i know it should not be that impossible to restore adding ip cameras to the smart home app for live view. i had one bad experience of having bricked the doorbell hence i've decided to stick with the smart home app for now. i think it's reasonable to restore the ip cam but limit it only for live view only so that the app can be use to control amcrest smart home cameras.

one feature i don't like about the smart home app is one can't even do a live view if the smart home server is down while one can do a live view on the ad110 with the dmss app. amcrest product team needs to listen so it can make the smart home app better for everyone.

[Revo2Maxx]

Why is it that people don't get what things are... DMSS is not Amcrest Smart Home Server based app so yeah the hardware still works there seeing that the Server isn't holding the cameras.... 3 party products can mean bad issues for things... Sadly this Topic of bringing back a FUNCTION not a FEATURE of the past for this product isn't going to happen...

Servers COST money.... Bandwidth Cost MONEY, Tech Support COST MONEY, I am going to guess that the Smart HOME Server is going to be offline until Monday if there is no Support Staff working tomorrow AS OF NOW Today for me anyway...

So Why would someone want to have IP cameras on a APP that when the Servers go down will take out the Ability to View them?????

You know what I can't use my SMART HOME APP right now to see my Doorbell Camera but I can sure use my Amcrest Pro App right now on my 4108 and my 2116 NVR and my other Amcrest DVR's and from my NVR's I can access all my cameras right now over P2P. INCLUDING my DOOR-Cam!!!!! WHY ON EARTH would I want to have my Cameras on the Smart HOME APP that I wouldn't even be able to VIEW my Cameras????? I just tested everyone of my Cameras that I have setup using P2P outside of my NVR's meaning them one at a time and Still have access.... Oh lets check out the Ash21 on the Smart Home app.... awww wait sorry Server down no go wait lets log into my Amcrest CVI DVR on P2P what is this Ch4 there is my ASH21 oh yeah never mind server still down but I am accessing this on my Amcrest Pro App from my CVI dvr cameras on a IP ch... Smart Home Server Down but I still have access outside my home Network because I have them setup on either my NVR's or my DVR's that I can access using Amcrest Pro over P2P

amcrest168 I am honestly shocked on how much you won't let it go that it will not happen or accept things that is how it is... I have never been so Privileged to make such a FUSS to get my WAY... I learn to deal with what I have or how it is and Live to Love another day...

[KarlHungus53]

I'm experiencing the same problem. My doorbell is powered on and my router shows it is connected to the network, yet the app says it is offline. Is there any way to connect directly to it without going through Amcrest? Setting up a Dynamic DNS and port forwarding isn't that difficult. Why don't companies put the option for a direct connection in these things?

I've tried connecting the AD110 to Synology Surveillance Station, but the performance of the camera was terrible. It would lag and stutter, sometimes just stop, and the only solution was to remove it and completely reset the doorbell. Has anybody tried using it again since the last firmware update?

[Revo2Maxx]

Sadly server is down at the moment... Without anyone in the office it will most likely be down until Monday