App Basically Doesn't Work

[Brendan]

I've been using the Amcrest View Pro app for a few years now but recently it doesn't work for me anymore.
The same problems occurred at the same time for my phone (Galaxy S20 Ultra, my previous phone Galaxy S9+, and my wife's current phone which is a Galaxy S9+

Trying to watch Live View, I can see the speed of the video stream in the upper right corner, it's usually around 800k. After a few seconds it goes to 0 and the video stops. Once it does this I am unable to connect to any other cameras on my AMDV4M8 system until I force stop the app and restart. It does this on both HD and SD feeds. It's always after about 5 seconds of streaming.

It does this on my wifi and cellular connections.

During playback, the video will stop and lose connection. Sometimes I can tap to reconnect, sometimes I have to kill the app and start over.

Sounds like a network issue, right? Well, I can stream live video feed from my PC all day long with a hiccup. Same network, same connection.

I do not have data saver turned on, and I turned off battery optimization for the app on all phones. I have power cycled the DVR, phone and router.
I am having this problem with the stable version of the app, and the beta version.

Any ideas?

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello Sorry to hear your having some issues with your 4mp CVI Dvr unit... So I am not there have no way to know these answers without asking so I have to ask some questions that may seem pointless to you but I need as much answered as you can please...

How old is your CVI unit
When was the last time it was cleaned in and out
What type of HDD (Hard Drive) are you using 5400 or 7200
Is this connected to your Network on a switch or direct to your Router
Distance to Router, Cable used Known good Quality or unknown
Internet Speed UP and Down and ISP Name
What type of Connection are you trying to connect with your DVR? P2P or IP Forward
What type of cameras are you using 2mp 3mp or 4mp?
Have you setup your system for recorded data in both streams Main and Sub1? or you just recording in Main

[Brendan]

1 - Maybe a year
2 - Never, it's in a filtered and cooled AV cab Virtually dust free
3 - Western Digital Purple Surveillance Drive. 6TB, 5400 RPM
4 - It's connected wirelessly via a network extender into the ethernet port of the DVR.
5 - Less than 20ft, thru one wall. Excellent connection according to the router and extender. I can connect to the extender and pull almost all 250meg.
6 - 250 meg down, 10 meg up
7 - I believe P2P? I use Amcrest DDNS in the domain
8 - I have all 4mp and one 2mp camera.
9 - both. It does it for either stream.

This happens only in the app. I can connect to the web server on my laptop and stream video all day long without so much as a buffer.
I just installed View Pro on my iPad and the exact same thing is happening.

Thanks for your help.

Hello Sorry to hear your having some issues with your 4mp CVI Dvr unit... So I am not there have no way to know these answers without asking so I have to ask some questions that may seem pointless to you but I need as much answered as you can please...

How old is your CVI unit
When was the last time it was cleaned in and out
What type of HDD (Hard Drive) are you using 5400 or 7200
Is this connected to your Network on a switch or direct to your Router
Distance to Router, Cable used Known good Quality or unknown
Internet Speed UP and Down and ISP Name
What type of Connection are you trying to connect with your DVR? P2P or IP Forward
What type of cameras are you using 2mp 3mp or 4mp?
Have you setup your system for recorded data in both streams Main and Sub1? or you just recording in Main

[Revo2Maxx]

Thank you for the Fast Reply...

Well after reading that sadly you won't like what I conclude. While I am not 100% sure this is the issue but this is going to be my guess..

When your connected VIA your phone or Tablet the system is asking for info that is going though a Network Extender, This data then has to pool up in your Router memory and while it is doing that your router has to have enough Processor power to be able to take in all the data, Pool it and Send it... This could be that it is asking for info that maybe the Extender isn't able to give in a timely fashion or maybe it is giving back to much data that your Router can't take the data fast enough. Do you have a Managed switch or anything that you can look at the data being transferred and see if there is any type of Traffic blocks or errors or anything.. Here is a not too good paste of mine lol but will give you an idea of what I am asking about...


Totals:
Receive Transmit
Bytes :
991260958 : 26340528
Unicast :
721304 : 354938
Bcast/Mcast :
600 : 24445



Errors:
Receive
FCS:
0
Alignment:
0
Runts:
0
Giants:
0
Total Errors:
0
Drops:

Collisions:

Late Collns:

Excess Collns:

Deferred:

[Brendan]

I think I'm getting somewhere. I changed the domain from amcrestddns to the local IP of the DVR and have been streaming on the view pro app for about 5 minutes with no dropouts.

So I just need to figure out what it is about the type of connection that causes the problem.
I know just enough to be dangerous yet not enough to sound dumb.....but when using a DDNS domain in the app, is it connecting to the wan side of my router or LAN?

Maybe I need a static route or something?

[Brendan]

I don't get it. Using my ddns address in the domain it drops the connection. Using the local IP it works flawlessly. I can switch back and forth between the two and replicate it 100% of the time. Nothing else changes other than the domain name.

[Revo2Maxx]

I am not sure.. I am going to guess that if your not working over P2P that could be a little issue as well.. That is the best Stable connection to the outside world.. Just in a Internet Cafe don't let someone stand over you while enter your password because if they see you type it and have network traffic snoop on they could get the SN and you pass if they seen you enter it... No one sees you enter it or have a Keylogger on your system there would be no way for them to have both because the P2P goes Not in plain text so that is good however a snooper could get the SN of your Camera when using P2P if your in their network.. I used to have my IP address forward and had a Domain that kept my Ip address info if my ISP changed it but found it was just not stable enough for what I run... So now only do that on one of my Other Non Amcrest system that makes you Register for a P2P and I don't like have my Password out for the world to see... Amcrest way is much better P2P and seemless

[Brendan]

P2P setup = same results. Unstable connection.
So for now I have 2 connections set up, local IP when I'm connected to my LAN, DDNS for when I'm not. I guess it will have to do until I figure out why DDNS domain causes an unstable connection.

[Revo2Maxx]

Well if P2P is unstable then I am going to guess that it has to do with your Extender and Router.. I am not sure if your router has info like Ram and CPU... I know that the router I have now is a Quad Core and more then double the Ram then my last Router and has improved my overall Wifi and system connections but I still have one Wifi Camera that I have connected to another Router outdoor that is wired to my router as a Bride.. When I connected it Wifi to Wifi it wasn't doing well even in my local network.. So I ran that router over my POE+ Switch seeing it is a POE power router and since then the connection has been better but from time to time I still have traffic issues with others in my area that fight for Router CH... Had to turn down the power of my External Router because it was picking up over 100 devices outside my network. Now it sees around 25 and my main house router only sees 15.

[Brendan]

It's the same router and extender regardless of local IP or Ddns. I'm still connected to the same router. I'm reading about ddns to see if there are more ports I need to forward.