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Camera Deployment

Learn how to prepare for camera installation and troubleshoot issues

During a hardware installation, you might encounter issues caused by the network, physical environment, component failure, misconfiguration, or improper installation techniques.

Use this article to solve and prevent installation challenges and complexities related to post-install troubleshooting.

Prepare Command for install

Create an organization and set up your Verkada Command account.

Organization requirements

  • You must have a Command organization to manage Verkada devices.

  • Each camera must be added to the organization.

  • The installer should be an Org Admin and a Site Admin for all sites containing cameras. This requirement allows the installer to confirm the devices are working and provide a support access token at the request of Verkada Technical Support, in the event there is a technical issue.

  • The installer can add the camera(s) to the org using their order number (found on the packing slip or in the order confirmation email).

  • For security purposes, ensure that all Verkada devices are added to the organization prior to installation.

Verkada Technical Support requires a support access token to troubleshoot Verkada cameras. This token can only be generated by users who have admin permissions in the organization containing their cameras.

Prepare the network

Network requirements

Verkada cameras require connectivity to the Verkada Cloud and Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers located on the internet. Without network connectivity, the platform has limited functionality and may report inaccurately in Command.

Before installing a Verkada system, the network environment needs to support the following protocols and services:

  • DHCP—Cameras receive their IP address and network settings via the DHCP protocol. A DHCP server must be present on the LAN to provide the cameras with an IP address, default gateway, subnet mask, and DNS servers.

Although DHCP is the recommended way for cameras to obtain IP addresses, static IPs are supported. If you would like to use static IPs for cameras see Configure Static IP Addresses for Cameras.

  • DNS—Cameras use the Domain Name System (DNS) to resolve Verkada URLs to their associated IP addresses.

  • HTTPS—Cameras communicate with Verkada Command using HTTPS over TCP port 443 and TCP port 4460.

  • NTP—Each camera is hardcoded with well-known NTP servers on the internet. NTP is used to sync the camera time so footage timestamps are correct. The correct time is also required for HTTPS to work.

Learn more about the required network settings for cameras.

Verkada Technical Support will ask to troubleshoot these services when there is a network issue. The troubleshooting process can require a packet capture of network traffic to analyze the root cause.

Cable integrity is important to supply Power over Ethernet (PoE) and data to a camera. Cable termination, interconnects, distance, and bends must all be considered.

Power budgeting

Each camera requires PoE power to function. Make sure your network switch has enough PoE power to support all of the connected cameras at full power draw.

Cameras use less power during the day. When cameras switch to night mode, the IR emitters activate to illuminate the scene for better visibility. The infrared (IR) emitters increase power draw.

If multiple cameras are connected to the same PoE switch, the PoE draw can increase significantly at night. If the switch does not have enough power to deliver to all the cameras, some cameras go offline. To determine if your switch does not have enough power, your cameras will go offline each night around the same time as other cameras on the same switch when entering into night mode.

An easy way to spec power on a switch is to multiply the number of cameras connected by 30W, which is the maximum power delivered by PoE+. For example, if you had 10 cameras, you would calculate like this:

10 cameras X 30W = 300W PoE budget on the switch

See the camera-model-specific data sheet to learn about the full power draw. Each switch port should be able to supply the maximum amount of power required by the camera.

Stage cameras before installation

Staging devices helps you to avoid the costs and difficulties of troubleshooting a faulty camera after it has been installed (such as needing a lift to physically access the camera).

Staging involves confirming the devices function correctly before they are installed at their intended locations. Once a camera is staged correctly, further troubleshooting can focus on the physical and network environments.

Stage devices as follows:

1

Connect each device to your PoE switch.

2

Allow the device to check in to the Command portal and update. If the device does not check in or update in 30 minutes, you need to troubleshoot.

3

Verify that you get a video feed in Command.

4

Verify that history is being populated in Command.

The plastic protective film on the camera dome should not be removed before installation at the actual end location.

Build a staging lab

Verkada Support recommends investing in a mobile staging environment to test and upgrade devices before installing them at their final install location. A mobile staging lab can be transported in a case and shipped to a site before installation.

The staging lab is made up of the following components:

  • Internet uplink

  • Managed PoE+ switch

  • Router (includes, DHCP, DNS)

  • Known good short ethernet patch cables

  • Computer with Ethernet adapter

  • PoE injector

  • 5G mobile hotspot router with adequate data plan (optional)

Typically your staging lab will use the customer network for internet access. It is good practice to include a 5G mobile hotspot router in your staging kit so the cameras can get internet access when the customer network is not prepared or is having issues.

Don’t use a firewall in your staging environment; blocking the camera’s traffic could result in additional troubleshooting. The staging lab should only contain what is necessary for the cameras to operate.

Install cameras

Once staging is complete the cameras should be ready to install in their intended locations. You can find step-by-step guides to installing each camera model here. When you install cameras be sure to take into account image quality during the day and night when determining orientation and placement.

Recommendation checklist

  • Use the Verkada Command mobile app during the installation process. You can see the camera stream on your phone, which allows more accurate placement and orientation of the device when installing it in its final location.

  • If IRs are reflected or obstructed they can cause glare in the image in night mode.

    • Ensure the IRs are not facing a white or reflective surface.

    • Ensure the IRs are not obstructed by camera housing.

  • Make sure outdoor cameras have a water-tight seal.

    • Confirm the cable gland is properly secured and the seal is properly tightened.

  • Make sure the desiccant pack is installed inside the camera case to prevent condensation buildup.

  • Do not remove the plastic film on the camera dome until you have positioned the camera properly to cover it until properly installed on location.

    • If a dome accumulates grime, it shows as glare in night mode. It may even make the image blurry in day mode.

  • Do not touch the inside or outside of the camera dome; fingerprints can cause glare when the IR illuminators are on.

  • If you remove the plastic cover, wipe down the dome with a microfiber cloth and rubbing alcohol to remove grime and fingerprints.

Finalize the deployment

The most important aspect of an installation is to provide a working solution to your customers so that they can maintain and get help when you leave. This means demonstrating to them that they have access to all of the devices they purchased and that the devices are fully functional.

Complete the checks below to demonstrate that the installation was successful before you leave the site.

1

Make sure the plastic film is removed from all camera domes.

2

Make sure at least 2 customer users are added as Org Admin and Site Admin for all sites.

3

Ask the customer to log in and confirm that they can see all of their cameras.

4

Check with the customer to confirm the expected number of cameras are added to Command.

5

Verify that IR glare is not present at night.

6

Check with the customer to confirm that each camera is live streaming in High Quality (HQ), Standard Quality (SQ), local streaming, and recording history, as expected.

7

Once you confirm that all cameras are working and accessible, ask the customer to remove your account from their org (if you are not going to manage their account on their behalf).

8

Confirm that the customer has access to the support page so they can leverage Verkada Support, if needed.

Troubleshoot deployed hardware

When installing cameras in production, issues may surface that were not present during staging.

Before contacting Verkada Support for camera-troubleshooting assistance:

1

Find the serial number on the back of the camera and ensure you can find that serial number in Verkada Command.

2

Have an active support token available for Verkada Support. If the issue involves live streaming or history, ensure that video access is enabled for the token.

LED status

Most issues yield LED behavior that suggests a probable root cause. Below are the LED statuses, their associated causes, and remediation steps. The LED is located on the front bezel of any Verkada camera. See also Camera-Led Status Indicators.

What if the camera worked in staging, but doesn’t work when installed in the install location?

  • If a camera worked in staging but not when it is installed, take the device back to your staging lab to see if it works.

  • If it does, you can show this to the customer and work with them to resolve the issue.

  • If the device does not work in staging, contact Verkada Technical Support so they can help diagnose the problem in the staging environment.

LED Status

Issue

Troubleshoot

Step 1

Troubleshoot

Step 2

Flashing blue

Network issue.

Connect the camera with a known-good short patch cable to a known-good switch port.

If the camera continues flashing blue, follow Troubleshooting network issues (below this table).

Solid orange

If the camera is solid orange for more than 5 minutes, it is not receiving enough power or the boot process has failed.

Connect the camera with a known-good short patch cable to a known-good switch port

If the camera remains solid orange, take the camera to the staging lab and contact Verkada Technical Support

Solid blue and the device shows offline in Command

The camera is not added to Verkada Command.

Confirm the serial number on the backplate of the camera matches the serial number of the camera in Command. If they don’t match, add the correct serial number and wait for the camera to check-in.

If the serials match, take a picture of the serial number on the device and contact Verkada Support.

Flashing orange

If the camera LED continues flashing orange for 30 minutes or more, it is unable to finish a firmware upgrade.

Connect the camera with a known-good short patch cable to a known-good switch port and wait 30 minutes to see if it clears

If the camera does not upgrade on the direct connection, take the camera to the staging lab and contact Verkada Support.

No LED

If LED is not illuminated, it is not receiving power.

Connect the camera with a known-good short patch cable to a known-good switch port. Try using a PoE injector.

If the camera LED does not illuminate, take the camera to the staging lab and contact Verkada Support.

​​Troubleshoot network issues

Try to eliminate the core network as the issue. With your mobile testing kit, you can test using your mobile hotspot, taking the customer network out of the equation.

Network diagnostic tests

This simple battery of tests uses your laptop and the IP address used by the camera to confirm the network is configured to work with Verkada.

1

Work with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server admin to get the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers for the camera. The camera can be identified on the DHCP server by its Media Access Control (MAC) address. You can find the MAC address on the backplate of the camera.

2

Disconnect the camera from the network. (This avoids an IP conflict when you configure your laptop to the same IP address.)

3

Assign your laptop the same IP settings as the camera.

4

Connect your laptop to the same cable used previously by the camera.

5

Verify that you can access the URLs in your browser:

https://api.global-prod.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://relay.global-prod.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://vconductor.global-prod.command.verkada.com/ping ​https://api.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://relay.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://index.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://firmware.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://update.control.verkada.com/ping ​https://time.control.verkada.com/ping

6

Verify NTP reachability for Verkada’s NTP servers:

  • For Mac users, open a terminal window and enter:

    • sudo sntp -sS time.control.verkada.com

    • sudo sntp -sS 34.216.15.26

    • sudo sntp -sS time.cloudflare.com

    • nc -zv time.cloudflare.com 4460

  • For Windows users, open a powershell session and enter:

    • w32tm /stripchart /computer:time.control.verkada.com /samples:3 /dataonly

    • w32tm /stripchart /computer:34.216.15.26 /samples:3 /dataonly

    • test-netconnection -hostname time.cloudflare.com -port 4460

If any of the above requests fail, work with the network administrator to permit the following outbound connections:

TCP port 443 to:

access.control.verkada.com

api.control.verkada.com

relay.control.verkada.com

Index.control.verkada.com

Firmware.control.verkada.com

update.control.verkada.com

Bidirectional UDP port 123 for:

time.control.verkada.com

time.cloudflare.com

34.216.15.26

TCP Port 4460 to:

time.cloudflare.com

Check network bandwidth

Run an internet speed test to confirm the network has adequate upload and download bandwidth. You should have enough upload bandwidth to support the number of cameras the customer plans to view simultaneously.

If all the above tests succeed, yet the camera LED continues to flash blue, contact Verkada Support.

Need more help? Contact Verkada Support.

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