What to do when Alarm.com camera is not recording

There can be quite a few reasons why video recordings are not being triggered. A video camera requires a strong network connection, the correct service plan, proper configuration settings to record clips and upload them to the Alarm.com account.

1. Verify the network connection is strong

The video device needs a consistent internet connection that meets its bandwidth requirements.

  • Check to ensure the Video device is connected to the network, typically this is indicated by a solid green LED on the camera, but the camera models specific means of indication may vary.
  • Verify the video device’s network is fast enough. To perform an upload speed test you can use a tool such as:
    • Speedtest.net
    • M-Lab

2. Verify that the recording rule is not paused

If an account reaches its maximum upload limit, the recording rule(s) automatically pauses. You can pause or resume recording rules using the Alarm.com Website or mobile app. For more information about recording rule storage, see this page here.

3. Verify the clips are not filtered out of search results

It can be helpful to verify what types of clips are being filtered if some of them are not appearing while searching.

The Saved Video page filters out video clips labeled as Other automatically. Video Analytics recordings are sometimes classified as Other because the system could not identify what type of object was detected. More informaiton on Video Analytics can be found here

4. Verify clips can be requested

If the camera has live view, try manually triggering a clip.

If the camera records a clip

If the camera records a clip after one is manually triggered, the recording rule that should have been recording clips but is currently not may need to be reconfigured.

For Video Motion Detection rules

If the camera records a clip when one is manually triggered and the live view is working, then the Video Motion Detection (VMD) windows or recording rules most likely need to be adjusted.

For Video Analytics rules

If the camera records a clip when one is manually triggered and the live view is working, the Video Analytics recording rule may need to be reconfigured or recalibrated.

If the camera does not record a clip

  1. Remove and reapply power to the video device
  2. Request another clip.

If the camera still does not record a clip when manually triggering one and live view is working, then there may be a firewall setting that needs to be adjusted. Alarm.com cameras require the following ports to be open for outbound traffic:

  • 80 (TCP)
  • 21 (TCP)
  • 123 (UDP)
  • 443 (TCP)

5. Delete and recreate the recording rule

If the camera is still unable to record, delete the recording rule and recreate it using the Alarm.com Website.

To delete/recreate a video recording:

  1. Log into the Alarm.com Website.
  2. Click Video .
  3. Click Recording Rules .
  4. Click Trashcan icon for the recording rule to delete.
  5. Click Yes on the Delete rule pop up window.
  6. Wait about 5 minutes
  7. Click + Add New Rule to recreate the recording rule.
  8. After a few minutes of saving the new rule, test the camera recording again.

6. Power cycle the video device

If the camera is unable to record after deleting and recreating the recording rule, power cycle the camera locally by unplugging the power

7. Factory reset the video device to its default settings

If the previous steps fail to resolve the behavior, resetting the video device to its factory defaults can bring the device back to a workable state. You will need to wait a few minutes after factory resetting before re-pairing the camera. Be sure to delete the camera from Alarm.com after a factory reset before attempting to re-pair.

To delete the camera, login to the Alarm.com website, navigate to Video > Settings > Video Device Info for the desired camera then click the Delete Icon.