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Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording

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The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - SVR, Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard, and Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - SVR and Onboard trouble conditions appear when a camera fails to record to the associated SVR/CSVR or microSD card.

Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - SVR

The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - SVR trouble condition occurs when a camera fails to record to the associated SVR/CSVR.

There are different scenarios that can cause this trouble condition to appear and restore, depending on the model SVR/CSVR.

SVR/CSVR Model A lapse in communication between the camera and recorder Recorder HD failure, recorder falling offline, or unexpected behavior with recorder
  • ADC-SVR210
  • ADC-CSVR2000P
  • ADC-CSVR2008P
  • ADC-CSVR2016P
  • ADC-CSVR2108P
  • ADC-CSVR2116P

As long as the SVR/CSVR is online, the Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording trouble condition will appear on the customer account if communication is not restored within 30 minutes.

This trouble condition will restore after 30 minutes of continuous recording.

The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording trouble condition will appear on the customer account and restores at supervision as long as communication is restored.

Note: Alarm.com verifies remote access for video devices every 8 hours. Manual tests for supervision will not clear this trouble condition.
  • ADC-SVR100
  • ADC-SVR122
  • ADC-CSVR126

The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording trouble condition will appear on the customer account and restore at supervision as long as communication is restored.

The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording trouble condition will appear on the customer account and restores at supervision (approximately 8 hours) as long as communication is restored.

Note: Alarm.com verifies remote access for video devices every 8 hours. Manual tests for supervision will not clear this trouble condition.

Note: For more information about camera supervision, see How often does Alarm.com check the connectivity of the video cameras?.

The camera may not be able to communicate with the SVR because of a network issue, or the camera may be unplugged. For installation guides, user guides, and frequently asked questions about SVRs and CSVRs, see Stream Video Recorder (SVR) and Commercial Stream Video Recorder (CSVR).

Important: The ADC-SVR210, ADC-CSVR20XXP Pro Series, and ADC-CSVR21XXP Pro Series have a fixed DHCP range. If a network router is connected upstream from the SVR (i.e., connected to the Client port on Pro Series CSVRs and the WAN port on the ADC-SVR210) and is using the same DHCP range as the SVR, it may cause inconsistent recording performance due to both devices attempting to assign conflicting IP addresses. For assistance with configuring a network router's DHCP range, refer to the customer's IT manager, internet service provider, or the router's manufacturer.

For a table of fixed DHCP ranges on compatible SVRs, see What DHCP range do Alarm.com Stream Video Recorders use?.

  1. Power cycle the camera by disconnecting power and reapplying it. Wait for the camera to reboot fully.
  2. Verify the video device has a wireless or Ethernet network connection and that live video works. If live video does not work, see Unable to see live video from a camera.
  3. Verify the video device is on the same local network as the SVR and has not been moved to a separate location.
    • If possible, simplify the network topology by connecting the camera directly to the CSVR's PoE ports.
    • Supported network diagrams are documented within the installation guide for all SVR and CSVR models.
    • For more information regarding CSVR Networking best practices, see Commercial SVR Networking Recommendations.
  4. If the factory reset has been performed on a camera, delete the camera and re-add it to the account.
     
    Note: The affected device must communicate without interruption until its next automatic supervision, which occurs every 8 hours. Manual tests for supervision will not clear this trouble condition.
     
  5. Verify if the affected camera has any other trouble conditions that might help determine where the problem lies. For steps and information about verifying the trouble conditions on an account, see View a customer's trouble conditions.

Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard

The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard trouble condition indicates that there is trouble recording data to the microSD card with an active schedule, so the camera is currently not recording to the microSD card.

Automated Recovery

Automated Recovery for Onboard Recording is a feature that periodically checks for microSD card issues. If an issue is detected during an 8-hour check-in, the system will attempt to recover the continuous recording function up to three times. If the recovery fails after three attempts, we recommend the customer replace the defective microSD card.

Note: For more information about Onboard Recording and cameras compatible with this feature, see Onboard Recording (SD card) with Smart View for video devices.

How it works:

If a microSD card is not recording due to corruption, it will be automatically recovered by reformatting the microSD card so the camera can resume recording. Once the card recovers, the Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard trouble condition will be cleared.

If the recovery attempt fails:

  • The System will attempt to recover the continuous recording function up to three times within a 30-day window, starting from the first recovery attempt to reformat.
  • If recovery fails after reformatting, the Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard trouble condition will remain active, and the system will try again during the next scheduled check.
  • If recovery is unsuccessful during the periodic check, the system will try again during the next scheduled check.
  • If the card fails all 3 recovery attempts within the 30-day window, automatic recovery will not be attempted again until the window resets, and the Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard trouble condition will remain active.

Note: The ADC-V523X, ADC-V723X, and ADC-V724X require firmware version 0.6.6.770+ to display this trouble condition.

How to resolve:

The Camera Unexpectedly Not Recording - Onboard trouble condition can be resolved by deleting and recreating a recording schedule using the Alarm.com customer website, or by reformatting the microSD card using the Alarm.com customer website.

Verify microSD card compatibility

Verify the microSD card is compatible. For more information about compatible microSD cards, see Onboard Recording with Smart View for video devices.

Delete and recreate a recording schedule

Deleting and recreating a recording schedule can help re-establish an active schedule between the camera and the microSD card.

  1. Log in to the Alarm.com customer website. 
  2. Click Video.
  3. Click Recording Rules.
  4. Click Local Recordings.
  5. Click Delete next to the desired schedule to delete it.
  6. Click Add Schedule, and recreate the schedule. For more information about how to configure an Onboard Recording schedule, see Onboard Recording with Smart View for video devices.
Reformat the microSD card

The microSD card can be formatted using the Alarm.com customer website.

Caution: Reformatting the microSD card permanently removes all existing stored footage. If any footage needs to be saved, download it prior to reformatting the microSD card.

  1. Log in to the Alarm.com customer website.
  2. Click Video.
  3. Click Settings.
  4. Using the Video Device dropdown menu, select the desired device.
  5. Click SD Card Information.
  6. In Reformat Card, click View.
  7. Click Reformat.
  8. Click Reformat to begin reformatting.
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  1. Article type
    Troubleshooting
  2. Tags
    1. A_ANY_troublecondition
    2. failure
    3. record
    4. restoral
    5. video