Did I receive a bad ASH21? Just want to check before returning...

[amcrust]

I was delighted to receive my ASH21 camera today, purchased from Amcrest via Amazon just days ago. I have the AD110 video doorbell and am using it with Blue Iris. I expected the setup for the ASH21 to be similar. However, I cannot get Blue Iris to connect to the camera when the camera is on Wi-Fi. I have reset the camera multiple times. The camera works fine via the Amcrest app regardless of whether it is on Wi-Fi or connected via ethernet. The firmware version is the latest version (according to the app), 2.680.00LR000.2.R.200410.

When the camera is on Wi-Fi, what I am noticing is that the app shows an IP address of 192.168.1.108, but neither this nor the MAC address are showing up in my router, which serves just a dozen devices on its wired and wireless networks. No IP for any device on the network matches what the Amcrest app shows for this ASH21 (again, 192.168.1.108).

Digging further, I discovered -- and have tried -- the Amcrest IP Config program on my computer. It is showing my AD110 video doorbell, as expected, and this new ASH21 (also as expected)...but the ASH21 is under the IP address of 192.168.1.187 in the Amcmrest IP Config program while also showing 192.168.1.108 in the Amcrest app on my iPhone.

When the ASH21 is connected to the network via ethernet, visiting 192.168.1.108 in my browser shows shows a "404 not found" page (and the AD110 is just a blank page), but when I visit either 192.168.1.108 or 192.168.187 (.187 is the final number every single time, even after each reset) when the camera is on Wi-Fi, the browser times out because it can't establish a connection. When I ping 192.168.1.108, the request times out, and when I ping 192.168.1.187, everything appears as it should as far as the ping is concerned.

Do I exchange this? Return it entirely? Is there something else I can do to get it working?

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum

So here is my idea of what needs to be done.. Do a Factory Reset and this time Leave the Network cable out of the camera, Then Setup the Camera using the Amcrest Smart Home app.. Once this is setup and the camera is connected to your Wifi on a Wifi setup only your camera will work as you expect sadly it seems these share a Network connection and don't change on the Wifi after cable is removed even if the number is there the ports are closed so the cure for this is to setup the ASH21 on a PURE Wifi network from the start.. Doing so will make the IP and Mac address for the Wifi Register with your router. Now if your Router is setup like mine where you have to give it access your camera might at first say that it has no connection if that is the case make sure to give it access and then the camera will Register correctly..

[amcrust]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum

So here is my idea of what needs to be done.. Do a Factory Reset and this time Leave the Network cable out of the camera, Then Setup the Camera using the Amcrest Smart Home app.. Once this is setup and the camera is connected to your Wifi on a Wifi setup only your camera will work as you expect sadly it seems these share a Network connection and don't change on the Wifi after cable is removed even if the number is there the ports are closed so the cure for this is to setup the ASH21 on a PURE Wifi network from the start.. Doing so will make the IP and Mac address for the Wifi Register with your router. Now if your Router is setup like mine where you have to give it access your camera might at first say that it has no connection if that is the case make sure to give it access and then the camera will Register correctly..

Thank you, James. I pulled power from my entire networking setup, pulled out a spare router, a D-Link DIR-810L that I'm not using, reset it, did the bare essentials required to set it up, and then proceeded to reset and set up the ASH-21 over Wi-Fi. I then moved onto Blue Iris with just the ASH-21's IP address and the password. It worked right away! Not only that, but the pan/tilt, mic, and sound worked immediately as well. However, the same cannot be said for when I reset my main router, a Synology RT2600ac. I removed the D-Link and put my original networking equipment back online. After backing up the Synology router's config, I reset it, again going through only what is absolutely required to set it up. I reset the ASH-21 and set it up again over Wi-Fi, just as I did with the D-Link router, and then moved onto Blue Iris, where I am experiencing the same issue as before. What could be going on? I tried both dual mode and separate 2.4 and 5GHz networks, connecting the ASH-21 only to the 2.4GHz, network, of course. The RT2600ac router is fancier than some, but I cannot imagine what settings could be interfering with the RTSP stream or protocol of the ASH-21. Could it be a port issue? There is no firewall enabled on the router, nor is there on the computer running Blue Iris. Again, I believe the ASH-21 worked fine when wired in via ethernet, which leads me to believe it is purely a wireless issue rather than a network protocol configuration issue.

I called Amcrest support today, and they were not helpful at all.

Is there anything else I should try, or should I return it? Or might it be a dud and an exchange may work alright?

I like the form factor and price of the ASH-21. But I did just order a 3MP IP4M-1051 for $70, which at least has the web interface and some of the configurable features of more professional cameras. I was torn between this and the $40 -- not much more expensive than the ASH-21 -- IP2M-841, which is 1080p like the ASH-21, slightly larger than the ASH-21 (again, I am after the size of the ASH-21 in particular), and supposedly has a web interface as well.

Let me know what you think. Thank you so much!

[Revo2Maxx]

Sadly I can't speak for the 2600Ac.. I know there are a lot of people that are talking about having issues with cameras from many different manufactures while using Mesh networks.. One reason I won't go to a Mesh setup my self.. Sadly my home has 5 routers and 2 Bridge devices in use..

Issue with the Ash21 has been reported that once setup on Ethernet cable and then try to setup on Wifi after the fact the ports over wifi turn off. So I found that setting up over Wifi to start was the answer an cured the issue..

Sadly this isn't always the case for other Amcrest devices that you talk about however I do own them all you mentioned and found that for the Most Stable connection it is Best to setup using the Wifi Setup and sadly that isn't always doable.. So I found that installing it over cable, setting up network, using 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 for DNS 1 and 2 and then doing a Update to the Cloud based FW that it will Download to the last Stable version before the JS released in most cases is 2018 or older I do think there is one FW from 2019 that is early like March or April that isn't JS FW seeing that was released in Aug and Sept 2019.. Anyway after doing the update I will remove it from cable and do a Reset and after that reset I have always been able to install over the Wifi setup without an issue.. Ash21 isn't coved in this last part as it is a Smart Home Product and was 2019 or 2020 released FW to start with..

Issue to be honest I have a few and VERY few Wifi cameras connected outside of the Smart home family.. Wifi is just not stable enough to make me happy and I want a stable connection for recording to my NVR, sending to my FTP and making sure I get notices on my cameras that I have pushing notices to me...

I do have my 941 and 1051 connected via 5g testing the stability of them on that.. For me 1051 has an issue with line noise on Wifi that I don't have when connected to cable.. I am thinking might be a bad Filtering cap in the camera on the power for the Wifi card that is built into it I am not sure and isn't a big issue not sure if it is a device issue seeing I only own 1 or just within mine.. The 941 don't have this issue and the 12 841's that I own also don't have that issue on Wifi however all of them are now on Ethernet seeing it is just to much on my network to all be on wifi..

In the end, Maybe setup your DLink as a AP to the normal network where it can use the IP and setup the ASH21 to the Dlink.. Or even as a second Router to your first as long as it has Internet access you should be able to have the ash21 working on it.. I just setup one of my Backup TP-Link Routers as a stand alone router giving it access to the internet, Reset the Ash21 to it and it is working without an issue.. Personally I think it is Router Related and would setup to work with your Dlink in AP or Repeater setup ..

[jack7]

amcrust,
Regarding your ASH21 WIFI problem, perhaps something here will help:

The thread below shows WIFI has been a problem for many users for a year.  This recent post shows how someone resolved it:
https://amcrest.com/forum/viewtopic.php ... 044#p36070

Also see https://support.amcrest.com/hc/en-us/ar ... ort-ASH21-