Hooking your Lorex camera to your home network or DVR systems allows you to monitor your home’s security and receive motion detection alerts on the fly. However, this is tied to setting up the camera successfully via the Lorex Home app. As with all electronic devices, sometimes you can experience connection problems with your Lorex camera.
Most connection problems stem from your network settings or the camera. Once you have identified and fixed the issue, your camera smoothly connects to your network.
Why Won’t My Lorex Camera Connect?
Lorex camera won’t connect because you are using an incompatible network or the device isn’t properly powered up. When connecting a Lorex Wi-Fi camera, use the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network and disable the VPN on your mobile device.
Again, if it’s an additional unit for your DVR or NVR security system, ensure compatibility between the camera and your existing system.
Lorex offers various options with its security cameras – from complete DVR/NVR systems to single standalone wireless/wired cameras. Thus, the setup process depends on the specific model in question.
That said, there are a couple of reasons that could prevent a successful connection for Lorex Wi-Fi cameras;
- Connecting to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network. Confirm your camera’s compatibility or use a 2.4 GHz network.
- Poor Wi-Fi signal – insufficient to register and initialize your camera.
- Compatibility issues with your Lorex fusion NVR system
- Running a VPN or Ad-guard on your mobile device. This masks your device’s IP address; it can’t access other devices on your network.
- Router settings like MAC address filtering, Firewall, or Port blocking
- The camera isn’t within your network’s range
- Not allowing the necessary location or Bluetooth permission
- The Camera isn’t in pairing mode – the indicator flashes rapidly
- A faulty device
Lorex cameras connect to your network via the Lorex Home app or as an add-on unit to the fusion NVR system. Once connected, you can access the camera from the app or system. But first, you must get it hooked.
Lorex Camera Not Connecting – Troubleshooting
The connection process depends on the specific camera unit. If you have the base station wire-free cameras, the base station must be connected first before hooking your cameras.
While setting up, ensure the camera is adequately powered up. Use a working outlet – one that supplies the correct voltage. If you are using PoE, confirm that your Lorex camera and network switch support the protocol.
For Lorex battery-powered models, fully charge the battery before setting up and installing it.
Again, confirm that you are running on the latest version of the Lorex Home app. Check on your respective app for available updates.
Try these solutions to get your camera connected;
Check Your Network Settings
The network compatibility depends on your Lorex camera model. However, all models are compatible with a 2.4 GHz network.
Please check the connection and settings of your router before setting up your Lorex camera.
Check if your router broadcasts 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies under a single SSID to ensure compatibility. If it does, temporarily turn off the 5 GHz option in the router’s admin portal while connecting the camera, and then enable it again afterward.
Alternatively, you can separate the frequencies into distinct entities or make sure your Lorex camera supports the 5 GHz band.
While in your router’s settings, ensure that MAC address filtering is turned off. This option can prevent your router from assigning IP addresses to unrecognized devices, causing connection issues during the camera setup.
Keep your Wi-Fi network name and password under 31 characters. Also, avoid using special characters like “},” “$,” “*,”),” or “#” in your Wi-Fi password, as these may be interpreted differently by the app.
Set “WPA/WPA2” as your Wi-Fi security encryption. Some smart home devices may have difficulty decrypting newer encryption techniques such as WPA3.
Again, set your Wi-Fi network to channels 1, 6, or 11. If you have set it to auto, choose a specific channel and reconnect your camera.
Ensure your mobile device is connected to the network you want to add the camera to. Consider disabling cellular data to ensure a stable connection.
If you make any changes in the router’s admin portal, forget the Wi-Fi network on your mobile device, restart both devices and connect to the updated Wi-Fi SSID before attempting to reconnect the camera.
Before reconnecting the camera, test your internet connection to ensure it works properly. Power cycle your router to refresh and reinitiate the network.
Move The Camera Closer
Place the camera close to the router during the setup process for optimal signal strength. You can move it to the desired installation location after it is registered to your account and in communication with the cloud servers.
Ensure the installation points have a strong network signal to avoid offline issues.
Alternatively, consider upgrading to a mesh network topology or installing a Wi-Fi extender to boost your network.
Disable VPN And Ad Blockers
VPN and ad blockers can mask your mobile device’s IP address and put it on a separate network from your router’s local network.
This may result in the camera’s hotspot being blocked and not appearing in the list of available networks. Therefore, temporarily disable your VPN or Ad guard while setting up the camera.
Once the camera hooks to the Lorex Home app, you can enable your VPN.
Try A Different Setup Approach
The Lorex app offers a Wi-Fi or wired (ethernet) setup process, depending on your camera unit.
Switching from one setup method to the other could get your camera hooked. So, if you have unsuccessfully tried to connect the camera via the wireless method > Reboot your devices and refresh the Lorex app > Retry the setup with the Ethernet method.
Compatibility Issues
Lorex’s camera models are compatible with different Lorex DVR and NVR systems.
Once you have added the camera to your fusion system, you have an additional unit on your monitor.
Confirm with the Lorex webpage for compatibility issues. Ensure the add-on camera is compatible with your existing system for a successful addition.
Reset The Camera and Reconnect
If nothing gives, your last resort should be to factory reset the camera and reconnect anew. Factory resetting clears corrupt firmware files and restores the default settings.
Once reconnected, upgrade the camera to the latest firmware.
To factory reset your camera;
- Find the reset button on your camera model
- Press and hold the reset button for 10 – 15 seconds. You should get a chime sound.
- The camera resets and enters pairing mode with a flashing GREEN light.
After resetting, pair the camera to your home network via the Lorex app. Remember to use the correct network credentials.
Final Thoughts
Lorex cameras offer a decent option for local recording and subscription-less camera models. You save a couple of bucks monthly when you go to Lorex for home security. To enjoy the app and remote access, your cameras must remain hooked to your home network.
To ensure a smooth connection process while setting up your Lorex camera;
- Use a compatible Wi-Fi network – preferably set to a 2.4 GHz network band.
- Disable VPN and Ad guard software on your mobile device
- If the connection process involves connecting to the camera’s hotspot, turn off cellular data on your mobile device.
- Ensure the camera is adequately powered and in setup mode when pairing.
- Try a different setup method on the app or on a different mobile device to narrow down the source of the problem.
If nothing moves the needle, consider contacting Lorex customer support. It could be that we are dealing with a faulty unit.
