Security Cameras Offline After a Router or Internet Provider Change: A Reconnect Checklist
The internet provider swapped the modem on Monday. By Tuesday your camera app says everything is offline. This checklist covers what to try first, and the point where it makes sense to hand it off.
Start by finding out what kind of cameras you have. Wired cameras (PoE, which means power and data over one network cable) get power and data from a switch or recorder, so they depend on that equipment more than on Wi-Fi settings. Wi-Fi cameras are tied to a network name and password, so they need reconnecting on site if the name or password changed. Give the network a few minutes after any restart, restart only the modem and router, and check each camera's light. If a camera is still offline, or you're heading toward a reset or router settings, that's the time to call PAX.
What you need
- A phone with the camera app, and its login.
- The Wi-Fi name and password of the new network, if you have Wi-Fi cameras.
- Access to the router, modem, camera switch, and recorder so you can see their lights and power cords.
- Safe reach. Only handle cameras you can reach from the floor. Don't use a ladder.
If you can't reach a camera safely from the floor, stop and call us.
Step by step
- Find out what changed. A new modem, a new router, a new Wi-Fi name or password, or a new provider can all do this. Ask whoever installed it.
- Wait. Reolink's support page says to wait five minutes after the router restarts to see whether the camera reconnects on its own. Give it that long.
- Check the basics. Is the new router powered and showing an internet light? Is the camera switch powered? Is the recorder powered? Look at the link lights where the network cables plug in.
- Check that the internet itself is working. Connect a phone to the same network and open a web page. If the building has no internet, cloud cameras will be offline for that reason alone.
- If the cameras are still offline after the wait, restart the internet equipment only. Follow your internet provider's instructions for the modem and router. If you have a combined modem and router, restart that one box. If it has no power button, you can unplug its power cord for about a minute and plug it back in. Then wait for its lights to settle.
A few cautions:- If the modem has a backup battery and its lights stay on after you unplug it, don't open it. Call your provider or PAX.
- Don't press any small recessed Reset button. A restart keeps settings, but a reset restores factory defaults.
- Don't restart, power off or unplug the camera switch or the recorder yourself. Call PAX instead. A switch can also power phones or door hardware.
- Don't open the recorder, the switch or any panel.
- Check each camera in the app. Note which are back and which aren't. Write down the names of the ones that aren't.
- Wi-Fi cameras that stay offline need to be reconnected to the new network on site. Brand-specific steps are below for Alarm.com cameras. For other brands, use that brand's guide for your model, or call us.
- Test. Open live view for every camera. Then confirm each one is recording, not just live. Open playback (not live view) in the app or on the recorder, pick the camera, pick a time from a few minutes or an hour ago, and see whether video plays. Check every camera, and check a time from before the problem too. Menu names differ by brand and system.
- Stop and call if a camera is still offline, if the only next step is a factory reset, or if you're about to change router settings.
If you have Alarm.com cameras
This section only applies to Alarm.com Wi-Fi cameras. Other brands differ.
Alarm.com's customer guide says that when your wireless settings or network equipment change, Wi-Fi cameras are still programmed with the old Wi-Fi information and drop off the internet. Once they have the new information, they can reconnect. It describes three ways to do that at the camera:
- WPS button pairing
- AP mode, which uses the camera's own temporary network
- A temporary Ethernet cable
Alarm.com's app and website also have a Video Troubleshooting Wizard that gives steps for your camera. It becomes available after a camera has been offline for at least five minutes.
The exact steps depend on the camera model, so use Alarm.com's guide for yours. All three methods need you to be at the camera. Alarm.com warns that holding a camera's WPS/Reset button too long (over 7 seconds) can reset it to factory defaults, and then it has to be removed and re-enrolled on the account. If you can't reach a camera safely from the floor, or you're not sure, stop and call us. Alarm.com also says cameras connected to an Alarm.com Smart Gateway stay connected when your network changes.
What the camera light means on Alarm.com cameras:
- Solid green: the camera is connected. Check that you can see live video.
- Flashing green: the camera can talk to the router but doesn't have a full internet connection. Check that the internet is working and restart the modem and router as in step 5. If it's still flashing after a few minutes, call PAX.
- Solid red: the camera can't connect to a wireless network. Double-check the Wi-Fi password. If you used WPS and it still fails, call PAX. Don't change router settings yourself.
- Alternating red and green: if it starts after you save Wi-Fi settings over Ethernet, the password may be wrong. If it starts after you hold the WPS/Reset button, the camera is resetting. Call PAX.
What the vendor guide skips
Vendor pages assume one camera and one router. A business has a recorder, a switch, and sometimes several networks.
- Footage may have a gap. If the cameras were offline, the video for that period may not exist. If you need footage from those hours, check what was recorded before you assume.
- Tell the provider's installer before they swap equipment. Ask them to confirm the cameras are still reachable before they leave. This is much easier than finding out Tuesday.
- New equipment can use different network addresses. A camera set to a fixed address can lose its connection if the new router uses a different address range, or if another device already uses that address. Axis explains that a fixed address on a different range, or one already in use, causes access problems. Fixing it means changing router or camera settings, so call PAX.
- Don't open ports. Port forwarding to reach cameras from outside is the wrong fix. Ask a pro for a safer way.
- Keep cameras on their own network. A shared office network can be affected by every router change. Our guide on separating cameras onto their own network explains the idea.
- Write down your settings. Keep a note of the Wi-Fi name, the router model, and which switch ports the cameras use. It saves an hour next time.
- Use the monthly walkthrough to catch an offline camera before the day you need the footage.
If you'd rather not do it yourself
If cameras are still offline, the recorder can't find them, Wi-Fi cameras need to be set up again, you can't reach a camera safely from the floor, or you want your cameras on a separate network, call PAX at (855) 440-5353 or email info@paxsecurity.com. You can also reach us through https://paxsecurity.com/contact-us.
Sources
- Alarm.com Customer Knowledge Base, How can a camera be reconnected to a Wi-Fi network if the router, network equipment, or wireless settings change?: https://answers.alarm.com/Customer/Website_and_App/Video/Video_Settings/How_can_a_camera_be_reconnected_to_a_Wi-Fi_network_if_the_router_network_equipment_or_wireless_settings_change
- Alarm.com Customer Knowledge Base, Video Troubleshooting Wizard: https://answers.alarm.com/Customer/Website_and_App/Video/Video_Settings/Video_Troubleshooting_Wizard
- Reolink Support, Reolink Camera Offline after the Router Resumes to Work: https://support.reolink.com/articles/35521052617113-Reolink-Camera-Offline-after-the-Router-Resumes-to-Work/
- Reolink Support, How to Playback Recordings via Reolink NVRs: https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/900006667166-How-to-Playback-Recordings-via-Reolink-NVRs-New-UI
- Reolink Support, How to Restore Reolink Products: https://support.reolink.com/articles/360003610473-How-to-Restore-Reolink-Products/
- Reolink Support, Differences between Reset, Restore and Reboot: https://support.reolink.com/articles/14781673342361-Introduction-to-the-Differences-between-Reset-Restore-and-Reboot/
- Axis Communications, How to assign an IP address and access your device: https://help.axis.com/en-us/access-your-device
- Axis Communications, AXIS I7010-VE, Reset to factory default settings: https://help.axis.com/en-us/axis-i7010-ve
- Microsoft Support, Fix Ethernet connection problems (modem and router restart steps): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/connectivity-networking/fix-ethernet-connection-problems-in-windows
- Accessed 2026-10-31 and 2026-11-02.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Restarting the modem and router and not waiting for them to come back up.
Expecting Wi-Fi cameras to find the new network by themselves.
Typing the Wi-Fi password wrong and assuming the camera is broken.
Factory resetting a camera as the first move.
Powering off or unplugging the recorder yourself.
Powering off or unplugging the camera switch yourself.
Changing router settings without a note of the old ones.
Assuming "live view works" means it's recording.
Moving a camera closer to the router without telling anyone, and changing what it sees.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I wait after a router restart?
Reolink's guide says five minutes. If a camera doesn't return, move on to the steps above.
Will my camera reconnect to a new router on its own?
A Wi-Fi camera may reconnect on its own if the new router keeps the same network name and password. If the name or password changed, expect to reconnect each Wi-Fi camera on site.
Do wired cameras need anything after an ISP change?
Often they don't, if the network addresses stay the same. If the router changed the address range, a technician may need to update the recorder. Call PAX.
Does a reset fix it?
It can, but it clears settings. Reolink says a reset sets a camera back to its defaults, including its password, and that a recorder on the network may have assigned the camera a password, so the login can fail after a reset. Recordings aren't deleted. Axis says a factory default also resets the camera's IP address. So the recorder may no longer reach the camera until it's set up again. Call PAX before you reset anything.
Not sure what your property needs?
PAX Security designs and installs security cameras, access control, intercom, and cabling systems for commercial and multifamily properties across the NY Metro area. Tell us about your building and we will give you a straight answer.