Can you use cams without internet?

I literally could have sold 1000 of these once word got out how what I had in mind worked. 4000+ drivers in company.

2 Likes

TruckCamGuy,

If you decide to go the RTSP route, remember you’ll need to have a router somewhere in/on your truck for the cameras to connect to. You can view them offline/not connected to the internet via VLC app (on Android). I’ve yet to figure out an easy way to switch between cameras without having to manually type in the IP address for each one. For what it’s worth you could look into a mobile hotspot, and get one of the really cheap Pay-As-You-Go sim card packages. This would fill the gap/solve the problem of both needing a router and providing Internet for authentication. And it would also allow you to view them from your phone, from within the Wyze app (eg. functioning normally). Upshot too, is you could keep an eye on your truck/trailer from inside a truck stop if you were on break.

Thanks Rusty,
I do have 110v in truck and planned to run a router. I guess I’m looking at a cheap GoPro style cam I can monitor direct via WiFi now. The problem with those is the battery only lasts around 2 hours. Maybe I can extend that with a USB battery pack. I just thought these Wyze cams looked cheaper and more useful.
What really sucks is I’m on old VZ unlimited data plan, and was using my phone for all the Internet I needed for anything via tethering. To do that, the phone had to be rooted. I lost that phone in a parking lot somewhere about 3 months ago. Bootloader is locked on my backup phone, so no root, no tethering. I’m looking for a phone right now that I can get rooted.

Is being rooted a requirement of Android or something? I can offer a Verizon hotspot on my iPhone without extra charges or anything.

Wow, what a huge disappointment. I wish I would have found this thread before I bought these cameras. I live off grid and can’t set the cameras up. And even if I could, they’d shut down any time power was lost and not come back on.

My only internet is on a phone that doesn’t have a tethering option, and even if it did I wouldn’t want to or be able to have the internet on while absent from home. What a massive design flaw. This needs to be made more clear in your marketing. I can’t use your app, whose functionality was a big part of the reason I bought these.

At least there is an RTSP option but I will have to figure all that out now. Not as user-friendly as I was led to believe. The hype fooled me.

1 Like

I am trying to set up these cameras to be used using RTSP. I flashed my firmware successfully, but can only configure RTSP using an internet-connected LAN, which in this case is a neighbor’s wifi hotspot tethered to their phone. If I was using that same hotspot LAN offline, it seems that RTSP would probably work, because the IPs don’t change. But my home LAN does not have internet access, and that’s the offline network I would be using for my home security. But with the RTSP having been configured in the Wyze app on the neighbor’s network, the IPs would be different, and the existing RTSP config wont’t work. So the cameras are not truly offline capable, in my experience. Unless I am missing something, these cameras are proving to be useless.

1 Like

I actually posted about this. I set up my cams with rtsp which works great. I then blocked them from the internet and they eventually went offline, even the rtsp did. When reviewing network logs the requests were going to api.wyze.com. Once that connection established the rtsp feed worked fine. Not sure what it is calling, does anyone know? If anything I could spin up a vm to handle these requests locally but not sure what it’s calling? Or can wyze disable this?

1 Like

They should provide an offline operation mode, that would be great, the price point and the picture quality are excellent for the price, at least they provide the rtsp, but is not that intuitive.

2 Likes

Wyze should clearly state that the camera must upload video to the internet for viewing and cannot be viewed without an internet connection. What a great plan have your videos stored on the internet because you know it’s only safe place right? Hahahahahah! Wyze Sucks!!!

1 Like

please vote on this feature so it gets implemented:

6 Likes

So if your router is AP, you can access camera?

Few days ago, internet provider had major fibre damages. took few days to fix.

Cannot start Wyze App. only BLUE screen.
(you just can’t view files or realtime) … basically you are stranded.
After internet back on, there is no motion capture at all during period of no internet. yes, it has sd card.
(this camera software is not design for logical use)

RTSP is not usable as Wyze App will not bootup. only BLUE screen.

I don’t think a camera can talk directly to a phone, though I am not sure if this is purely a software thing, or if the hardware would have to be redesigned.

But, even if the camera could not have a software re-design to do this, there is definitely no technical reason why the set-up and daily use of the camera could not be done by using a router that is not connected to the internet. In fact, there are mini routers, powered by USB, that you could use.

I understand there are software features, such a motion detection, that cannot be handled onboard, without adding a special microprocessor onto the camera to handle that. That has to be a cloud-based process. But, as for just viewing the image, it is apparent that the manufacturer just wants to keep you connected to them. Most smart-device makers have the same demand. And if the manufacturer goes out of business, your entire collection of smart things is useless.

-Joe

1 Like

Usually small outfit like Wyze waits for a take over by big Corp.
Your entire collections will not be useless. just have to pay monthly fees sucking you bone dry.

My user expectation is that
I can use it without internet (WAN)
Need a Local net work (LAN) is ok.
Applications should not hang in BLUE screen because no internet (WAN).
Should be in WYZE product page Big warning to buyers that Internet is needed.

@WyzeJasonJ - the reality is that they are not marketed as security cameras because they do not want liability.
The reality also is that they want to monetize the camera owners and wink them in the future - even if they are not saying it loudly. But when they pitch to serious investors - I bet the wink is in the room.
We all are getting winked slowely on everything.

And many “big companies” will buy a smaller company and deep six the products : )

This page says otherwise:

…you can use a WiFi network connection to set up and configure your Wyze Cam in the Wyze app.

And a Wyze support person said this: "The cameras can be set up on a WiFi network with no internet connection. You will just lose some functionality like live streaming. "

So what is correct? And what about the Wyze Outdoor Camera? I have no chance of an internet connection although I have a wi-fi network.

You still need an Internet connection to boot a V2 cam, after which you do not need an Internet connection to continue to record to the SD card. After you lose power you will again need an Internet connection to boot a V2 cam. [edited to change WiFi to Internet, per @sodcam’s reminder below)

I just received my outdoor cam. I understand their operation is different, so will have to get back to you on that.

I agree with exactly what @Loki and @Newshound say. :+1:

That particular Wyze help page is currently outdated and INCORRECT as far as V2 cams are concerned. It really should be updated.

For V2 cams to boot up and authenticate, you must have not just a WiFi connection to a router, but more specifically a working WiFi connection to the internet.

More details and an excellent video by Lifehackster on workarounds in the threads below.

2 Likes

You are right, I will update my WiFi references to Internet.

1 Like

Try looking into Apple HomeKit compliant devices (Wyze is not) as I think you can do local access