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WiFi Hidden Camera Issue Support Page


  • This is a temporary page for an issue affecting WiFi Hidden Camera models.
    To return to the main support page Click Here

Latest Updates:

  • Our company has continued to receive information from multiple sources that this is a worldwide network outage issue affecting the vast majority of WiFi hidden cameras from almost ALL brands of WiFi hidden cameras purchased from Amazon and other companies worldwide.

    We also have received information that the main processor chip maker for all of these cameras and the main circuit board factories are attempting to find alternative solutions to remedy the issue however we have not been able to determine a timeframe of if or when it will be resolved yet.

    The most recent consensus from our overseas sources is that the main network outage issue will be resolved although the timing remains uncertain.

    UPDATE - SOME PREVIOUSLY AFFECTED CAMERAS ARE NOW ABLE TO BE VIEWED REMOTELY USING THE APPS AGAIN!

    During the last few weeks we have verified that some cameras that were previously affected by this issue are now able to be viewed remotely using the P2PLiveCam and other apps again. There does not seem to be any specific pattern about which cameras are still affected and which ones are not affected.

    We recommend trying to use the app to connect from a remote location to determine if your camera is still affected or not. Please note that cameras that are now able to be viewed remotely through the apps may take up to 10 minutes to connect to the camera during which time it will show "Logging In", then if successful it eventually will show "Online".

    The cameras that are still not able to be viewed remotely will show "Logging-In" then eventually will change to "Request Service" and/or "Camera Offline". If your camera works normally at the main camera location and you still experience these messages when you try to access it from a different/remote network then we would recommend trying to connect once per day to see if it eventually begins working again.

  • WORKAROUND INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE - READ INFO AND SEE LINK BELOW

    Our company has developed an IT network based workaround solution for many of the cameras that are affected by this issue that allows them to be viewable outside the local network and allows the recordings from the memory card to be played-back on computers, smartphones, and tablets using the web browser interface (instead of an app).

    To us it is worth noting that we are the only company who has developed a viable workaround for their customers that we are aware of. Going forward we are also continuing to work on other workaround solutions and if successful we will make them available too.

    • If you have a camera that is affected by this issue then we would strongly recommend trying a live demo of our company's workaround solution by connecting to our demo camera using the link below.

      After logging-in to this demo you can view a live camera in our showroom in Colorado Springs, Colorado using the workaround solution method.

      IMPORTANT: You can use any PC, smartphone, or tablet to view this workaround solution demo however every device experience is different.

      • The BEST workaround solution interface method (by far) is when using the "Internet Explorer" browser interface on a Windows PC. For the best experience it is very important to only use the "Internet Explorer" browser and that is NOT the same as the newer "Microsoft Edge" browser. Using the Internet Explorer interface with the plugins installed you will experience nearly full-motion video streams from multiple cameras, have full access to all the menu features, and the ability to playback recorded videos from the memory card.

        All of the other interface methods will work to let you view the live video however they are much more limited in video frame rate performance and other capabilities.

        The next best experience would be using Android smartphones and tablets using the MPEG option for non-IE web browsers.

        The most limited experience is when using the iPhone/iPad. For those devices after we tried every option from our testing the best iPhone/iPad experience is by using Safari then choosing the Mobile Phone option from the main menu.

    • To view this demo click the link below (again for the BEST performance if possible always use Internet Explorer),
      then when prompted log in using username "guest" and password "guest" (without quotation marks).
      http://palmvidserver.dyndns.org:2040/

    • If after viewing our demo you are interested in implementing the workaround for your cameras then please read the information and locate the link to the instructions below.

    • WORKAROUND INSTRUCTIONS:

    We are making the instructions for this solution available for FREE to our customers and others who can do the work themselves.

    This IT networking based workaround solution requires all of the following:

    • A Windows computer at the camera location (laptop or desktop) connected to the same local network

    • Administrator name and password user access to the router at the camera location

    • The technical ability to configure the camera(s) to a local static IP address plus the ability to configure the port-forwarding features and Dynamic DNS features of the router.

    • A public static IP address assigned to the router at the camera location. As an alternative the router can still use a dynamic public IP address provided that a free or paid 3rd party Dynamic DNS service will be subscribed to and configured on the router instead.

    After this workaround solution is setup correctly the camera will be viewable outside the local network on computers, smartphones, and tablets using the web browser interface (instead of an app).

    Please note this solution will work well for most users however it is more complex and not as user-friendly as the app so it is not recommended for everyone. It is also well beyond the scope of our normal free product technical support so we will not be able to configure this workaround solution for free. If you are not able to apply this solution yourself then it will require asking a family member or friend who is technical enough to help you, or you will need to hire an Information Technology (IT) expert.

    Customers not wishing to attempt this setup themselves may choose to hire our technicians to perform a remote PC support session to configure the router for the workaround solution. There are very limited number of slots available for this service on a daily basis so we will schedule them on a first-come, first-serve basis. PalmVID customers have first priority for the available slots and may schedule a remote PC support session for the reduced IT support rate of $25 per 1/2 hour (the IT support rate is normally $50 per 1/2 hour). Non-PalmVID customers who purchased items elsewhere can also schedule the same service charged at the regular IT support rate of $50 per 1/2 hour. Both customer and non-customer rates are billed in full 1/2 hour increments.

    • Click this link to download and view the workaround instructions: P2PLiveCam Workaround Instructions 091419.pdf

      This workaround solution will work for most WiFi hidden cameras that are experiencing this same issue that use the P2PLiveCam app as long as the camera model has the web browser interface as part of it's firmware. These workaround instructions may also work for many WiFi hidden cameras that cannot be viewed remotely when using mobile data or other WiFi networks if the cameras use similar apps including P2PCAMAP, iMiniCam, HDMiniCam, HDMiniCam Pro, BVCAM, HHMiniCam, Pro iCam, SotionCam, MUCam, CBHCAM, RMON, and other similar apps from the developer gang zhang (or gang.zhang)

Other information about this issue:

Our troubleshooting has determined there is not any direct issue with the camera hardware, software, or the app. This issue is directly related to the part of the internet that allows your phone or tablet to locate the camera when you are trying to connect from outside the local network. This means there is no problem with the camera hardware, software, or app itself that can be fixed.

We have also recently learned that this issue is not isolated. This issue is affecting many different models and brands of WiFi hidden cameras worldwide that are made by many different factories.

This is a very recent issue that has never happened before that is completely beyond our control. As a result we do not have an estimated time of when it might be resolved. That being said we have been in recent contact with several of the major overseas camera factories that we deal with. According to them this issue is being worked on and they do expect these cameras will start to be viewable outside the local network again at some point.

For customers experiencing this issue these are the current options the we can make available to you today:

  • Based on what the factories are telling us at this time we would recommend waiting for the network issue to be fixed. Until then the camera, software, and app features can be still be used normally inside the local network because there is nothing wrong with the device. That means the recordings will still be stored to the memory card all the time (if one is being used). It also means the app features of viewing live video, playback of the recordings, and all of the menu feature settings will work whenever you are inside the local network.

  • If you need a camera that can be viewed outside the local network as soon as possible there are very few hidden camera options right now because this is a very recent issue that is affecting almost all brands and models of WiFi hidden cameras. That means if you try to purchase one elsewhere it is likely you will encounter the same issue until this issue is resolved.

  • Our company has developed a workaround soultion to this issue that allows many of these cameras to be viewed and the recordings played-back outside the local network on computers, smartphones, and tablets using the web browser interface (instead of an app). A description and the link to the instructions is in the section above).

  • We DO have a limited amount of stock of WiFi hidden camera models that are NOT affected by this issue.

    As of today we have good stock levels of the following WiFi models that are not affected by this issue:

    • PalmVID WiFi-PIR Smoke Detector Hidden Camera with Adjustable View and 100 Day Battery Standby Time:
      https://www.bigsecurity.com/wifi-series-smoke-detector-hidden-spy-camera-smoke-wifi.html

    • All PalmVID custom-series "WiFi plus DVR" hidden camera models on the following web page are now available for order.
      https://www.bigsecurity.com/palmvid-custom-wifi-hidden-cameras.html

      The new custom-series models are not affected by this issue. The new models are assembled using the same enclosures using new camera hardware components that use different app software. Please note due to the recent spike in demand at this time supplies are limited and we are experiencing production delays for some models. Please email webstaff@bigsecurity.com for current availability and production times of custom-series WiFi models.

    • ALL of our custom assembled "WiFi plus DVR" and "DVR-only" models on the upper section of this page, plus many imported hidden camera models on the lower section of this page that are "DVR-only" models are not affected by this issue:
      https://www.bigsecurity.com/nannycams--and--spy-cams.html

    • We do expect more NEW imported WiFi models that are NOT affected by this issue to be in stock soon so keep checking this page for further updates.

We will continue to work with our contacts at the major factories and will provide more updates and options as they become available. We will post all updates to this page so keep checking back to this page for more updates.

Again please note the resolution of this issue is completely beyond our control. We are a 20 year old company that has always offered Free Lifetime Technical Support and we take pride in our ability to resolve any technical support issues very quickly so this is not a situation we are used to being in). We want you to know that we will continue to do everything we can on our end to find workarounds and other creative solutions to resolve this issue for our customers. In the meantime we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding!

As always our entire Colorado Springs staff is available to help in any way possible so please contact us if you need to order additional equipment, or need additional assistance with any other issues.

Home Page Link: https://www.bigsecurity.com