SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS

SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS

SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS
SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS
2024-02-24 21:21:59
Model: Tapo C520WS  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.2.6 Build 231130 Rel.72992n

Hello! 

 

My C520WS was set to Smart Mode. 

An event has been detected, yet the camera remained on the IR mode. 

 

Smart Mode should automatically activate the LEDs for the Full Color whenever an event is detected. Is my understanding correct? 

 

I have motion, person & pet detection ON. 

Smart Mode ON 

 

Please refer to photos and video link:

 

https://youtu.be/pprA7VxPgxw?si=46fk3mW7bhnop3Vm

 

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#1
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37 Reply
Re:SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS
2024-02-26 11:12:04

  @Kartronics12 

Hi,
In this situation, please go to the camera's Live View page and tap the bulb icon when the camera works in the Night mode, then check if the spotlight on the camera turns on?
Best Regards

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#2
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Re:SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS
2024-02-27 03:20:42

  @Solla-topee Yes. It is turning on by tap button. 

 

Also, I have issue that my camera becomes stuck everyday around 10am-11am. By rebooting the device (removing the power), the problem disappears and camera works normally again. So I made scheduled reboot 10am-10.30am. However, after scheduled reboot the problem remained. Therefore, only manual rebooting solves the problem.

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#3
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Re:SMART MODE NOT FUNCTIONING IN MY TAPO C520WS
2024-02-28 07:11:56

  @Kartronics12 

Hi,
When did the stuck problem appear on the Tapo C520WS, such as from the start of using the camera?
What's the LED status on the camera when it is stuck, and does it show offline on the Tapo app?


Please reset the camera to factory default settings and then reconfigure it if you have not tried, and then check if the reported issues will be solved.

How to reset my Tapo camera?

How to set up the Tapo camera


Best Regards

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#4
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TAPO C520WS STUCK EVERYDAY
2024-03-06 06:49:58

  @Solla-topee 

The stuck problem happened a day after I have set up my camera. The LED status is green. It is ONLINE on my Tapo app. 

 

I have tried to reset to factory settings and after a week of testing & observation, the probem still remained. 

 

What I have observed is that during the stuck, the WiFi signal is weak (1 bar) in the camera settings.  But 100% sure it is not some router issues since it is placed near the router, and after reboot it again shows very good WiFi signal (full bars). My router is TP Link Archer AX55.

 

For your info I have turned on diagnostics mode today, in case you want to check what's happening on my camera. Else, I will ask for a refund from the store. 

 

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#5
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TAPO C520WS STUCK EVERYDAY
2024-03-06 09:39:56

  @Kartronics12 

Hi,
If the Wi-Fi signal strength of the camera changes significantly during the stuck, I'm wondering if there is an AP/RE that uses the same Wi-Fi name and password as the router, and the camera switches to the AP/RE's Wi-Fi thus the signal strength drops a lot. If there is an AP/RE or maybe another router, it's recommended to change their Wi-Fi name to a different one and check if the camera will work fine all the time.
By the way, after resetting the camera and reconfiguring it, whether the spotlight turns on when the camera detects an event in Smart Mode?
Best Regards

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#6
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TAPO C520WS STUCK EVERYDAY
2024-03-06 15:49:42 - last edited 2024-03-06 18:04:35

  @Solla-topee 

Yes, I have a range extender with the same WiFi name. I use TP Link RE550. However, they are configured in OneMesh configuration (via Tether app, together with my Archer AX55). 

Therefore, changing WiFi name will disable OneMesh, am I correct? And OneMesh should supposedly take care of switching between which AP/RE has the best signal, correct? As I have confirmed, yes the C520WS is switching to RE550, which is relatively far compared to my AX55.

Also it's a bit complicated to change WiFi name in my current home setup since I have lots of Tapo products (20+) connected to OneMesh. 

Now, we know where the stuck issue is coming. 

 

Regarding spotlight, it still does not turn on when an event is detected. 

 

Here is a video of me taking a video while I move around the camera. Spotlights are off the whole time. 

 

https://youtu.be/XFSu5zrvv8c?si=ZKvCMm8vLj2IKuIo

 

And yes, during Night Mode when I manually activate spotlights they work.

 

So, should I return the product?

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#7
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TAPO C520WS STUCK EVERYDAY
2024-03-07 07:16:02

  @Kartronics12 

Hi,
If you prefer to return the product, you can contact your retailer to check if you can return it.

 

If you are willing to continue the troubleshooting, please let me know, and I'll escalate your case to the tech team for further analysis.
Change the main Wi-Fi name on the Archer AX55 will disable OneMesh, however, you can try to create an IoT network and set a different Wi-Fi name for it on the router, then reset the camera and reconfigure it to connect to the IoT Wi-Fi network, then check if the camera will work fine. 

Creating an IoT network won't affect the main network usually.

 

Best Regards

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#8
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TAPO C520WS SPOTLIGHT NOT WORKING
2024-03-07 15:18:37

  @Solla-topee 

I am very much willing to continue the troubleshooting. I already made some modifications in my network, like you said and connected the camera to the IoT network. 

So the stuck issue is solved. 

 

However, what I want to solve now is the spotlights not working issue. Do you think you can solve it remotely until next week? If yes, I will not return it to the retailer, since I only have until next week to claim for refund/return.

 

Thanks a lot.

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#9
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TAPO C520WS SPOTLIGHT NOT WORKING
2024-03-08 08:44:08

  @Kartronics12 

Hi,
The problem with the spotlight is not a known problem on the Tapo C520WS, I can't promise it will be solved until next week. You can contact your retailer to return the camera or get a replacement for a try. On the other hand, I'll also escalate your case to the tech team to follow up, and you can decide whether to reply to the email to troubleshoot or not.
Best Regards

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#10
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TAPO C520WS SPOTLIGHT NOT WORKING
2024-03-10 10:04:40

  @Solla-topee 

Ok, let's proceed with troubleshooting. Please let me know of the steps. Thanks!

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#11
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