MaxRanger4K™ Camera Signal Strength Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing a low signal strength issue with some or all of your cameras, even when the cameras are only a few meters away from the Power Hub or Base Station, the troubleshooting steps below can help identify the problem. Please select the option based on the type of issue being experienced.

TIP: Before following the troubleshooting steps, please perform the preliminary checks below and observe the issue. Only proceed with the troubleshooting steps if the issue persists.

Troubleshooting Power Hub or Base Station

1. Keep your Power Hub or Base Station and cameras in close proximity for easy troubleshooting and to avoid obstacles that may affect reliable signal operation.
2. Reboot the entire system
   • For Power Hub or Base Station, there are few ways to reboot:
     • Open Swann Security app, go to Devices then choose your Power Hub or Base Station. Go to Advanced Setting (Android) / Advanced (iOS) then choose Reboot
     • Unplug its power adapter and removing its battery, wait for few seconds, then insert the battery and plug it back in.
     • If you have a Power Hub connected to a monitor and mouse, it can also be rebooted by accessing the Menu > Shutdown > Reboot
   • For cameras or doorbell, follow the instructions in this article.
3. Check the antenna connection—ensure that the antennas connected to both the hub and camera are firmly connected.
   • Tighten the hex nut on the back of the Power Hub or Base Station (as shown below) to securely fasten the antenna mount and screw in the antenna without applying excessive force, as doing so could damage the pigtail, the wire connecting the antenna mount and the Hub motherboard.
4. Leave the antenna in a vertical position for best reception.
5. All your cameras are paired to your Power Hub or Base Station—If not yet paired (e.g. you bought an additional camera), pair the camera or doorbell first.

Troubleshooting the Cameras or Doorbell

All the cameras have very low or no signal

If all of your cameras have very low or no signal regardless of its distance from the Power Hub or Base Station, there may be an issue with the its antenna or the pigtail may have broken off.

1. If you have the MaxRanger4K™ Solar Camera (camera with built-in solar panel), try swapping its antenna with the Power Hub or Base Station's then observe the signal quality.
   • If other camera's signal improved, it means that the previously connected antenna to the hub is faulty. Contact our Tech Support team for a replacement.
2. If the issue persists, the pigtail inside the hub could be damaged. The additional step can be performed to fix the issue before contacting our Tech Support team for further assistance. 
   • Take note of the firmware version of the Power Hub or Base Station by opening Swann Security app then going to Devices and choose your hub or station, then go to About Device (Android) or Technical Details (iOS).
     When there's a new update available, you should see a prompt in the app; update when necessary.
   • Factory reset your Power Hub or Base Station using pinhole by following this article.

Only some but NOT all cameras have low or no signal

If only some of the cameras are experiencing issues with signal strength when they're only a few feet or meters away from the MaxRanger hub, the problem likely lies with the camera itself.

Perform the steps below to isolate the issue.

1. Try swapping the antenna of the camera with the low signal to one of the other cameras with good signal quality and observe the signal strength. If the camera's signal has now improved, the antenna previously connected to the camera is faulty. Contact our Tech Support team for a replacement of the antenna.
2. If the issue still exists, troubleshoot the camera with the low or no signal further by doing the following steps.
   • Take note of the firmware version of the Power Hub or Base Station by opening Swann Security app then going to Devices and choose your hub or station, then go to About Device (Android) or Technical Details (iOS).
     When there's a new update available, you should see a prompt in the app; update when necessary.
   • Unpair then re-pair the affected camera/s. Keep in mind that you need to have the cameras reachable to set them in pairing mode.
   • If issue still persists, contact our Tech Support team for a camera replacement.