Issues with Dahua Cameras

[JPlendo]

I have two of the following types of Dahua POE Cameras

Device Type IPC-HDBW4433R-ZS

System Version 2.621.0000.28.R, Build Date: 2017-09-12

Both cameras have Ethernet cables (100 ft is longest) run back to the POE Switch.

1 camera has been ROCK SOLID for 6 years now. Never an issue. Its always on and accessible

The second camera, or camera location, has been a nightmare and hoping someone might have an idea of what is going on. I have had two of the same camera types up there as I thought the first one was bad, but the second does the same thing. The camera just drops offline and doesnt come back sometimes for weeks / months. Its really hard to get to the camera due to needing a high ladder, so only really accessible in summer. No rhyme or reason. Some other details

• The first camera ended up having corrosion in the ethernet port on the camera.
• Second camera that is there now I made sure the weather protector is on like fort knox and still the camera will come on for a few days then disappear for a long while.
• I have replaced the 100 ft cat 6 cable twice. The first two times were cables I made, the third time (now) there is a pre-bought 100 ft outdoor cat 6 cable run to it.

When its on, its fine....its just off most of the time......

Anything I can check on the camera when its on?

I have the same camera on the other side of my house that has same weather protector on it and is in teh same elements outside and its NEVER not worked. I replaced everything on the second side and still have same issues.

 

[Arjun]

I have two of the following types of Dahua POE Cameras

Device Type IPC-HDBW4433R-ZS

System Version 2.621.0000.28.R, Build Date: 2017-09-12

Both cameras have Ethernet cables (100 ft is longest) run back to the POE Switch.

1 camera has been ROCK SOLID for 6 years now. Never an issue. Its always on and accessible

The second camera, or camera location, has been a nightmare and hoping someone might have an idea of what is going on. I have had two of the same camera types up there as I thought the first one was bad, but the second does the same thing. The camera just drops offline and doesnt come back sometimes for weeks / months. Its really hard to get to the camera due to needing a high ladder, so only really accessible in summer. No rhyme or reason. Some other details

• The first camera ended up having corrosion in the ethernet port on the camera.
• Second camera that is there now I made sure the weather protector is on like fort knox and still the camera will come on for a few days then disappear for a long while.
• I have replaced the 100 ft cat 6 cable twice. The first two times were cables I made, the third time (now) there is a pre-bought 100 ft outdoor cat 6 cable run to it.

When its on, its fine....its just off most of the time......

Anything I can check on the camera when its on?

I have the same camera on the other side of my house that has same weather protector on it and is in teh same elements outside and its NEVER not worked. I replaced everything on the second side and still have same issues.

Check for moisture presence in the ethernet connector. Also check to make sure moisture is not present within the camera housing. A camera with corrosion in in the ethernet port can be repaired (by simply cutting the end off the connector, using spare keystones or in-line couplers and heat-shrink tubing for a secured fit). Check to make the ethernet being used has been terminated properly. Check to make the PoE switch / injector / splitter is not faulty. Most IP cameras are designed to function for 5-6 years before finally crapping out.

 

[wittaj]

For future reference use dielectric grease on the connectors.

Deoxit can do wonders on connection points at removing corrosion you can't see. It has brought many cameras back to life here.

 

[Arjun]

For future reference use dielectric grease on the connectors.

Deoxit can do wonders on connection points at removing corrosion you can't see. It has brought many cameras back to life here.

I'm going to try Deoxit the next time one of neighbors asks me to come over to check one of their cameras, lol

 

[JPlendo]

For future reference use dielectric grease on the connectors.

Deoxit can do wonders on connection points at removing corrosion you can't see. It has brought many cameras back to life here.

That camera was replaced though. The one up there is solid tight with the weather protector and the ethernet isnt corroded....still drops out for weeks....I cant get up to it to see what is up, but I see its connection dropped, the port is active but no connection.

My front camera is the exact same setup and is fine.....obviously that camera is easy to get to and the troublesome spot is really hard to get to.

Both have cat6 connected with weather protector...cat6 runs about 1 foot and then goes into the crawl space where it runs along the floor over to where I drop it down behind the wall to the storage room, then run across downstairs to the POE switch. Both the same...

Unless where that camera is gets pounded with more weather than where the other one is....

 

[Arjun]

That camera was replaced though. The one up there is solid tight with the weather protector and the ethernet isnt corroded....still drops out for weeks....I cant get up to it to see what is up, but I see its connection dropped, the port is active but no connection.

My front camera is the exact same setup and is fine.....obviously that camera is easy to get to and the troublesome spot is really hard to get to.

Both have cat6 connected with weather protector...cat6 runs about 1 foot and then goes into the crawl space where it runs along the floor over to where I drop it down behind the wall to the storage room, then run across downstairs to the POE switch. Both the same...

Unless where that camera is gets pounded with more weather than where the other one is....

I wouldn't make the connections "too tight" as that can create resistance as in anything electrically-speaking. Have you drilled holes on the junction boxes themselves to promote water egress?

 

[wittaj]

We have seen many people coming here talking about how water tight their connection is and the connection never gets wet, which may be true....but there is water in our air and too tight of a connection has trapped the water and as the connection rests and cools from use and daily temperature fluctuations, corrosion occurs.

Once they reluctantly agree to try deoxit, the camera starts working.

May or may not be your issue, and your issue could be a tight turn or connection too tight.

Are you sure there isn't an IP conflict with problem camera. Weeks on end sound more like that and maybe a device rebooted and changed it's IP and that is why you see it again for awhile until another reboot of the router or devices.

 

[bigredfish]

^^^^
This

If you’re fairly certain the cable and connections are good, I’d look at an IP conflict.

Is the camera connected to an NVR or a switch? If a switch, login to the camera and give it a static IP different than what’s currently there.

I use a simple free app on iPhone called Network Analyzer to see the devices on my network.

You could also bring it inside and connect with a short 3-6ft cable to test

 

[CamCrazy]

I have seen this with two of my cameras, or very similar at least. Works for weeks or even months, then dropped for days or weeks, before finally coming back again! Both cases were corroded network connectors, replaced the network tail end and all was good. As @wittaj noted above, dielectric grease is the way forward on all future connections, I learned the hard way. You can get away without if your camera is sheltered and air moisture content is sensible, but not worth the risk.

We have IP cameras which have been in service for 10 years now from Dahua and still running just fine, one got slightly cranky onboard mic but otherwise all good.

 

[JPlendo]

We have seen many people coming here talking about how water tight their connection is and the connection never gets wet, which may be true....but there is water in our air and too tight of a connection has trapped the water and as the connection rests and cools from use and daily temperature fluctuations, corrosion occurs.

Once they reluctantly agree to try deoxit, the camera starts working.

May or may not be your issue, and your issue could be a tight turn or connection too tight.

Are you sure there isn't an IP conflict with problem camera. Weeks on end sound more like that and maybe a device rebooted and changed it's IP and that is why you see it again for awhile until another reboot of the router or devices.

100% certain no IP conflicts. the cameras are on a isolated VLAN with only them, the POE Switch and the Zoneminder Server

I rebooted the camera yesterday and it was fine. So I put a daily 4 AM reboot on it. Came in this AM after the reboot and there is still an ethernet connection as I see activity, but I couldnt access the camera via Zoneminder or via direct IP of the camera. This is 2 hours after the reboot. Pinging the camera gives a reply followed by a time out followed by a reply, repeat. Switch shows activity on the port as well

 

[JPlendo]

I have seen this with two of my cameras, or very similar at least. Works for weeks or even months, then dropped for days or weeks, before finally coming back again! Both cases were corroded network connectors, replaced the network tail end and all was good. As @wittaj noted above, dielectric grease is the way forward on all future connections, I learned the hard way. You can get away without if your camera is sheltered and air moisture content is sensible, but not worth the risk.

We have IP cameras which have been in service for 10 years now from Dahua and still running just fine, one got slightly cranky onboard mic but otherwise all good.

Why is my front camera, installed the same way with same weather protector, never had an issue? Bad luck?

I guess I can get up there in the spring and do it again with some dielectric grease.

 

[Arjun]

You can also try hard resetting the camera

 

[JPlendo]

I can report that this AM....there is an ethernet connection, pings are spotty, replies then timeouts. I can hit the direct IP of the camera for a few min then it drops again..comes back later. The camera goes active in Zoneminder for a few min before it drops off again. Its been doing this on repeat this AM. Guessing my connection is bad again....son of a B....

 

[Arjun]

I can report that this AM....there is an ethernet connection, pings are spotty, replies then timeouts. I can hit the direct IP of the camera for a few min then it drops again..comes back later. The camera goes active in Zoneminder for a few min before it drops off again. Its been doing this on repeat this AM. Guessing my connection is bad again....son of a B....

Pinging -t helps - good thing you checked
Replace the connector and use a keystone or coupler

 

[bigredfish]

FWIW - No offense but the HDBW4433R-ZS is an old 1/3 cmos camera that is quite outdated and not made any longer.

For the time and money, once you verify your connections arent the problem, Id take the opportunity to upgrade to something more current.

 

[weigle2]

I can report that this AM....there is an ethernet connection, pings are spotty, replies then timeouts. I can hit the direct IP of the camera for a few min then it drops again..comes back later. The camera goes active in Zoneminder for a few min before it drops off again. Its been doing this on repeat this AM. Guessing my connection is bad again....son of a B....

I would eliminate an end to end ethernet cabling issue before doing anything else. Serious question, when the ethernet was done, was a tester of some sort used to verify the pinouts and POE power? If so, and the POE power is good, move on to the ethernet connector on the camera itself. If POE power at the camera end is marginal then a POE injector should resolve the issue. But, based on your ping results, POE shouldn't figure into this. Hopefully, CCA wire is not being used for ethernet. I would re-test the ethernet cable end to end to verify it. Just some suggestions.

 

[Coldair]

I have that problem with 2 cameras that are running off a netgear 8 port POE switch

one camera needs its own POE injector like this one poe injector

 

[weigle2]

I have that problem with 2 cameras that are running off a netgear 8 port POE switch

one camera needs its own POE injector like this one poe injector

I like how that POE Injector has LED's for how much power is being used.

 

[JPlendo]

I would eliminate an end to end ethernet cabling issue before doing anything else. Serious question, when the ethernet was done, was a tester of some sort used to verify the pinouts and POE power? If so, and the POE power is good, move on to the ethernet connector on the camera itself. If POE power at the camera end is marginal then a POE injector should resolve the issue. But, based on your ping results, POE shouldn't figure into this. Hopefully, CCA wire is not being used for ethernet. I would re-test the ethernet cable end to end to verify it. Just some suggestions.

I've tested the cable that is there now and all 8 wires show good.

To get to the ethernet connector on the camera (where the issue happened with the last camera) I need to get way up to the side of my house, which I cannot do in the winter...will have for spring to get it down and look at it again. Its been up there since August 2025 and was fine until a month ago when this on and off stuff started.

The first camera I had up there (same model, same camera) had similar issues with disconnected, but it eventually stopped connecting, due to issues in the ethernet connector on the camera. But as others have stated, could be same issue again, at which point I need dielectric grease.

 

[Chase]

Always use dielectric grease on connectors, then Scotch 2228 Moisture Sealing Electric Tape, followed up with 3M Electrical Tape.