Reolink - 'Bad data Error'
Fitted a Reolink RLC-510WA at our second home yesterday, which is monitored remotely using a Mac mini at our main property. It is connected wirelessly to the router and works fantastically with the Reolink app at full resolution, 30fps, high bitrate (6k+).
However, when looking at it in the SS 5.5.11 app on the Mini (after the usual pain in the bits setup I seem to have when connecting remotely - not an SS problem just working out ports etc...) it flashes up an image then gives a 'bad data error'.
Reducing the frame rate to 2fps and the bit rate down to its absolute minimum solves this and I can view the camera but of course image quality is awful.
So, looking on here it seems SS throws a paddy after a few missed frames. The wifi indicator on the Reolink app shows only a single signal bar so I accept the camera is at the end of the range. Unfortunately, connecting via ethernet is not going to be a possibility so am looking into a range extender.
TLDR: would installing a range extender at the midway point between camera and router to boost the signal solve my problem and allow me to have high frame rate and bitrate through SS as I do through the Reolink app? I don't want to throw money away on something that isn't going to work! Or, even better, is there something I can change on SS so it isn't as sensitive, as I am surprised that its works 100% on the Reolink app yet has such problems on SS, although I do understand they are two very different bits of software with many differences - I have been a very happy SS customer for many many years so am not slagging it off...
Comments
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Forgot to mention - the error I get is:
'Error from camera "woodyCam", it will be closed. (Failed to decompress incoming video frame 22185,-12909 Image data decompression failed - bad data)'
One idea I have just had is to install a couple of powerline connectors (I have two lying around I don't use), one at the router, the other on the interior of the wall the camera is installed on - the second one has wifi capability so I could connect the camera to that over wifi, then it is power line to the router. The distance between the camera and the wifi point would be about 3 feet with one wall. I could of course connect the camera to the ethernet on the 2nd powerline to get rid of the wifi but getting the cable through the wall to it would be a pain.
Anyone think that would work - anticipate any problems with connecting over wifi to powerline?
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SecuritySpy tolerates around 10 frames in a row that fail to decode, but it will then give up an throw this error. If there are frequent missing packets in the data stream, then frames will regularly fail to decode, and this could cause the problem. With so many missing packets, it's going to be impossible to maintain a decent stream, and no amount of tolerance in SecuritySpy is going to help with this.
It's interesting that Reolink's own software seems to be able to maintain a good stream. What we have seen with Reolink cameras is that their RTSP stream (used by SecuritySpy) is often not as consistent as it should be. Their own software I believe does not use the RTSP stream - it has some other streaming method (either RMTP or some proprietary stream). Reolink RTSP has improved a lot in recent firmware versions, so the first thing to do is to make sure your camera is running the latest firmware. Then, I think the powerline solution you propose, with the WiFi point that is close to the camera, is a good idea.
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Thanks for the very quick reply, much appreciated as I really need to get the sorted! Unfortunately I am currently unable to upgrade the camera firmware as it says in the phone app that my firmware is up to date, even though when I go to the Reolink site it shows there is a newer version available. Also, I have installed the Reolink app on my Mac at our main location but for some reason cannot add the camera to it even though the phone app works 100%. Problems, problems...
But here is the interesting bit - when I looked at the release notes for the latest version it says...
- Solved the problem that the camera's mainstream disconnects from SecuritySpy automatically'
So, it looks like it may not necessarily be a network issue (although I am sure that isn't helping) but more to do with the firmware. I am going to take a trip out with a MacBook and see if I can connect the Reolink app over the local network and try to update the firmware that way.
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Instead of using the app, try using the camera's web interface to update the firmware (assuming it has one). Do you have access to this remotely? It would require port 80 to be open to the camera from the Internet.
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Success - took a MacBook round and the Reolink app connected straight away to the camera so was able to update the firmware.
installed the homeplugs with the WiFi extender one in a larder on the inside wall of where the camera is, now have a rock solid SS connection, highest resolution and bitrate at 30fps with no dropouts since it was set up at lunchtime.
thanks for the help, it definitely seems like a combination of poor WiFi and a problem that Reolink have addressed.
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Great to hear that!
Just as a general comment, I would suggest that 30fps is unnecessarily high for general-purpose CCTV. For lower network bandwidth usage and smaller captured files, we generally recommend something in the range of 10-15fps. But this is really up to you, and if it's working well at 30fps and that's what you want, then great.
