| Important: The steps in this article have been updated to reflect app version 7.8.0, please update your app today for the best Canary experience. | |
There are a number of potential contributors to intermittent connectivity issues including, but not limited to:
- Issues with the Canary cloud
- Your router or modem
- Wi-Fi network configuration
- Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- Wireless signal interference
- Power outages
If your Canary intermittently disconnects from the internet, there are a few steps you can take to improve your connection.
Check Canary status
If you see a red banner at the top of the Canary app that says "Unable to connect at this time," your phone is having trouble connecting to the internet. Using your preferred browser, navigate to a webpage to verify that your phone is connected to the internet. Once network connectivity is verified, force close the Canary app and re-launch.
If you are connected to the internet, but still seeing the same error message, check the Canary system status page to see if there are any temporary service interruptions affecting Canary devices. If the status is "Operational" that means all things are normal with the Canary Cloud.
Restart your Canary
The first step in troubleshooting Canary connectivity issues should always be resetting your device by power cycling it.
To turn off Canary Pro and Canary View:
- Unplug the power cable from the back of Canary for one minute, then reconnect it.
To turn off Canary Flex:
- Hold down the back button for five seconds until you hear the shutdown sound and the LED ring turns off. To turn on Canary Flex, hold down the back button for one second until the the LED ring is white and spinning, then release.
Check the Canary lights
There are a variety of reasons why your Canary device may not be able to communicate with our servers. If you see a message on your Canary apps home screen that states "Canary is offline" your device could be unplugged, your location may be having a power outage, the camera may not be connected to the internet or the Canary cloud may have a temporary service outage.
Canary can communicate the reasons for an offline error by changing the color and behavior of the LED lights located on the device.
To troubleshoot light specific information from the LED, check the following:
- For Canary Pro or Canary View, visit Why is my Canary offline?
- For Canary Flex, visit Why is my Canary Flex offline?
Check your Wi-Fi connection
If your device is connected to the internet using Wi-Fi, there are a few quick steps you can take to improve your connection.
- Make sure you can see your Wi-Fi network in your phone settings and other devices on the same network can access the Internet. If you can’t get online using your other devices, there might be a problem with your router.
- Make sure your router is on and in range of Canary. If you're too far from your router you won't get a signal, so make sure you're within range.
We also recommend restarting your Canary, modem and router by following these steps:
- Disconnect your modem and router from power for 10 seconds.
- Re-connect your modem to power first.
- Re-connect your router to power.
- Make sure you can see your Wi-Fi network in your phone settings and other devices on the same network can access the Internet.
- Restart your Canary.
If all of the aforementioned steps don't work, there may be an issue with your ISP. Contact your ISP to verify there is not a service outage in your area.
Change your Wi-Fi connection
You can change your Canary’s Wi-Fi network in your Canary app Settings. You may need to do this if you:
- Move Canary to a new location
- Purchase a new Wi-Fi router
- Reset your router to troubleshoot your connection
- Are troubleshooting an existing connection
If you are looking for information on changing your Canary's Wi-Fi network, check the following:
- For Canary Pro or Canary View, How do I change Canary's Wi-Fi connection?
- For Canary Flex, How do I change Flex's Wi-Fi connection?
Reactivate your Canary
If your Canary device remains offline after trying the above steps, deactivating your Canary and setting it up again can also help resolve the issue.
On your Canary app
- Tap the gear icon at the top right of the screen
- Tap My devices
- Tap the name of the Canary you want to remove.
- Tap Remove device.
- Enter your Canary password.
Next we’ll need to set up the Canary device again.
On your Canary app
- Tap the gear icon at the top right of the screen
- Tap My devices
- Tap Add a Canary device
- Tap an existing address.
- Choose your type of Canary device.
- Next Add Premium Service or tap I don't want premium security.
- Plug in your Canary device.
- Follow the onscreen steps to pair your device.
- For the Canary Pro and Canary View, place your hand on top of the device for 30 seconds. For the Canary Flex press the button on the back of the device to.
- Tap on the serial number when it appears.
- Select your Wi-Fi Network.
- Enter your Wi-Fi password, then tap on "Next".
Once Connected to the internet your device will download the latest firmware and update. Please follow the onscreen steps to update the name of your device, and check the settings on the device. Your app will show when the device is fully updated and online.
Check for wireless interference
If you have other wireless products in your home, their wireless signals may interfere with your Canary’s connection.
Canary Pro and Canary view connect to Wi-Fi using the 2.4 GHz frequency, the same frequency emitted by devices including (but not limited to):
- Cordless phones
- Microwaves
- Bluetooth devices
- Wi-Fi enabled laptops, desktops, phones, and tablets
If your Canary is located near any of these types of devices, try moving Canary closer to your router, and test if connectivity improves or move other electronic devices away from your Canary device.
Canary Flex can connect to both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. If you're having issues on your 5 GHz network, try switching to the 2.4 GHz network.
Check your routers settings
Check the bands
Most Wi-Fi routers are dual band now. The bands can transmit on the 2.4GHz frequency, the 5GHz frequency, or both. While Flex can operate on both, Canary Pro and Canary View can only operate on the 2.4GHz band.
If you encounter any trouble connecting to your wireless network or downloading Canary’s mandatory firmware update your router may be broadcasting both frequencies under a single network name or SSID. If this is the case, we recommend separating the network so the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequencies operate under distinct network names. Additionally, this will allow Canary to operate on its own dedicated network.
Be mindful when separating Wi-Fi bands of requirements and supported channels for Canary and Flex.
Add a DHCP Reservation
DHCP Reservations are used to assign a specific IP address to your Canary device each time that device connects to your network and help with resolving any potential IP conflicts. Customers who wish to use DHCP Reservation on their home network will need to know the MAC Address for their device so they can allow their Canary to connect to the internet. A MAC Address is a unique identifier for network devices.
While the MAC address of your Canary is not readily available to you from the Canary app, customers can Open a Ticket with Canary support who can provide the device address to you. Please include the serial number of your Canary in your request. The serial number is located on the bottom of all Canary devices.
Update router firmware
To ensure router compatibility with Canary, please install the latest firmware updates for your router. The latest updates and instructions can be found on your router manufacturer’s website.
Note: If you need assistance with modifying these settings, please contact your router’s manufacturer or ISP.
Supported networks
For an optimal Canary experience, the following types of networks should be avoided, or might not even work with at all.
- Mobile hotspots
- Guest networks
- Networks that require a sign-in page, such as coffee shops, hotels or airports
- Slow networks, such as DSL internet services, with less than 2MBs of bandwidth
Mobile hotspots in particular are a method that some people use to connect to the Internet in their home, which are usually provided by cellular carriers. The way that mobile hotspots connect to the Internet is different than standard Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and while it may work, we don’t recommend that you use them with Canary.
Note: If you are looking for information on Mobile hotspots, visit Does Canary work with mobile hotspots?
| Important: The steps in this article have been updated to reflect app version 7.8.0, please update your app today for the best Canary experience. | |