Do Blink Cameras Need WiFi?

Blink cameras are a revolution in the field of affordable home security system. They are highly reliable and have many features to safeguard your property, home, or office (wherever you install the device). If you have questions before installing the device, you must find your answers. 

This article will answer one of the most asked questions about Blink cameras: ‘Do blink cameras need WiFi to work?’

Blink cameras require a consistent WiFi connection to record and save camera feed. Although even without a WiFi connection, the camera will continue to operate, you won’t be able to access and view the live stream, hence, unable to see what’s happening at your property or inside the house.

To know more about features you can use if you do not have Wi Fi network connectivity and how to use a blink camera without a WiFi connection, read this article.

Can Blink Cameras Work Without WiFi?

Your blink camera will serve no useful purpose without a WiFi connection. You must connect the camera to a reliable 2.4 GHz wi-fi connection with an internet speed of at least 2 MBPS to access the livestream and other key features.

If you don’t have a high-speed and robust internet connection, you won’t be able to see the feed or receive an event notification when the camera sensor detects motion and begins capturing it. 

Additionally, when the device is cut off from WiFi, you won’t be able to use the two-way audio functions either. The two-way audio feature allows you to converse with the person on the camera through a microphone inside the camera.

Blink Features You Can Use Without WiFi

Even if Blink cameras are not connected to WiFi, the status light will show them as powered on and act as an inhibitor to anyone prone to attacking or intruding on your house.

The camera will continue to operate even if it loses its WiFi connection since it will remain switched on and show a status light.

Having a status light is important because even if you can’t see the video feed, the camera always gives off the impression that the area is being watched.

Blink cameras are powered by batteries that last for more than two years. Other manufacturers do not offer the same level of mobility and ease of installation. 

Due to how small the devices are, it is possible to install cameras in blind spots or open areas for the best sight.

Blink Features That You Can’t Use Without WiFi

Spending money on a reliable internet connection is worthwhile to feel the maximum safety. When the camera is cut off from WiFi, the live stream becomes unavailable, and the audio feature also stops working.

The camera sensor will still be active and keep looking for movement, but it won’t record anything or provide a feed to your mobile phone.

Furthermore, if the Blink camera is linked to WiFi, the camera and the Sync Module can get routinely published firmware updates.

Thus, if you are facing the problem of WiFi non-connectivity with Blink devices, you should quickly resolve it. 

You can do it by calling your internet service provider or installing a WiFi extender in your house. 

You’ll be able to sleep peacefully, realizing you’re fully protected if you keep your security cameras updated and operating.

How Do I Make My Blink Camera Work Offline?

Since the Blink camera sends its recorded data directly to the cloud, it needs access to the internet. 

Blink cameras offer no built-in storage, but the videos are saved in the cloud storage, and the video feed is not sent across wires. 

If you already own a Blink camera system but do not have access to the internet, you still have a few options besides using your home’s basic WiFi connection. (Check what to do if your Blink Camera is offline.)

Mobile Hotspot

When a blink camera is not connecting to WiFi, you can use your mobile hotspot or cellular data to ensure internet connectivity for your Blink camera. Be advised that you might not get the optimal experience using the hotspot.

While a mobile hotspot is a workable solution, it is not practical. It is impossible to continuously leave your phone’s mobile hotspot linked to your Blink camera. 

The alternate option you have is the mobile hotspot devices that cellular data providers frequently sell. Purchase one of such devices from your local internet provider, and you can leave that at home.

Data restrictions with the mobile hotspot are another issue. The amount of data Blink camera requires is relatively less than other wireless cameras, but it’s still significant when considering your monthly data allotment by the local providers. 

A Blink video clip size for five seconds is around 750 KBs. 

This means that if your Blink is continually sensing motion, you may anticipate data use to reach up to half a gigabyte per hour. 

Therefore data usage will be a major concern while using a mobile hotspot.

A way to make this work is to only use your hotspot while you are away from home or asleep. In this manner, you may watch over your house when you’re most likely to get unauthorized visitors without using up all your bandwidth.

When going outside, you can switch off your hotspot as Blink can be activated by your motion, wasting important data while recording. 

It’s also good to turn off the hotspot when your camera detects innocuous movement. 

Additionally, you may reduce the motion detection sensitivity on your camera to prevent things like wind-blown debris from starting a recording.

What Internet for Blink Camera System?

If you are looking for the best internet for your Blink cameras connectivity, you should go for DSL, cable, or fiber optic internet. These internet providers give Blink the stability it needs to function at its best.

Blink systems minimally require a connection with upload speed of at least 2 Mbps.

Although some claim that Blink cameras work just fine with slower upload rates, you should bear the minimum upload speed when choosing an internet service provider. This is particularly true if you plan to use one camera.

Though satellite internet can be one of the options, using a Blink camera system with satellite internet is not recommended as they are not unstable. 

Your security system might be disabled even with the slightest rain or cloud cover. 

Moreover, satellite internet has very high latency, occasionally resulting in delays of up to two seconds. Due to this, the Blink system’s live-watching mode and other functionalities can become inoperable.

Blink Camera Not Finding WiFi: What To Do?

A security camera is useless if it can’t record footage, provide a live feed, or alert you when it detects someone inside your camera’s view field. And this can happen when your Blink camera abruptly loses connection to your WiFi. So, what would you do in such a situation?

First, double-check your network and credentials, check whether your Blink Camera is still not connected to WiFi, and switch to your home network if you recently used a VPN. 

If you can still not connect to WiFi, toggle the WiFi setting on and off to make the connection.

Also, the Blink Camera must have three bars of signal strength to function properly. So, check the WiFi strength as well. 

If the signal strength bars are less than three, it will compromise the picture and video quality and can delay alerts.

Here are a few techniques I use to regain my connection back.

Restart the Router

You should start by restarting the WiFi router; this connects the camera to the network more easily. Additionally, you should review the router’s network settings as well.

If all this doesn’t help, using a dual-frequency splitter may be wise, based on your router’s frequencies. 

A splitter will enable both channels if your router operates at 5GHz and the Blink Camera attempts to connect to a 2.4GHz network.

Factory Reset

You can reset your blink camera to eliminate any glitch that prevents it from connecting to WiFi. You will lose any saved data if you do a factory reset, which will reset the camera to its factory default settings.

To reset the camera, press and hold the reset button until the camera blinks red. You may use a paperclip or another sharp tiny item for this. 

As soon as the camera is reset, the light will change to blue and green, and you can try connecting the router to the Blink camera again.

How To Connect Blink Camera To WiFi?

Here are steps to connect Blink camera to WiFi:

• Install the Blink App on your smartphone and then register for an account.
• Fill in your email address and password after choosing your country and region.
• Enter your phone number and confirmation code.
• Connect your Blink Camera to your Amazon account. You have the option to skip this step if you want.
• You’ll be requested to create your Sync Module account immediately.

Now follow the steps below to set up the sync module:

• Open your smartphone, and tap the Plus symbol after launching the Blink App.
• Scan the QR code on the back of the sync module or manually type in the Serial number.
• Hit Next after selecting a name for the Module. (The distance between the Module and the Blink Camera should not exceed 100 feet.)
• Hold on until the green light changes to blue.
• To join, tap “Discover Device.”
• Enter the details for your WiFi network and tap “Done.”

When your Blink Camera and Sync Module are configured, your device name should display at the screen’s top, indicating that both are synchronized. 

Conclusion

You need a working and steady Wi-Fi connection to use Blink cameras to safeguard your house in the best possible way. Even without WiFi, the Blink camera will still project a threatening presence on any aspiring invaders. 

However, it won’t let you view the camera stream, taking away one of its key features, and you won’t be able to track the cause if anything unfortunate happens. Thus, there’s no point in having a camera installed with no robust WiFi connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Blink work with cellular data?

You may use cellular data for the App, but the Blink camera must always have access to a high-speed wireless network. 

If there is ever a lag in internet speed or an outage, you risk losing connection to your Blink camera. 

Do Blink cameras work without a subscription plan?

Although Blink cameras can work without a subscription plan, there’s only a limited number of features that you can access. Your Blink system can only deliver motion alerts that direct you to a camera’s Live View in the Blink App if you purchase a subscription plan or use the free trial.

How much does Blink cost per month?

A Blink subscription plan costs $3 to $10 monthly. The Basic plan comes at a monthly cost of $3 and gives 60 days of video storage and sharing features along with the standard features of the Blink camera. The Plus subscription plan costs $10 monthly and provides warranty coverage as long as the subscription plan is active.

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