What should I do if Tapo smart devices keeps losing connection or going offline?

Introduction

There are some circumstances that Tapo smart devices do not work stably or lost connection from time to time, this could be due to the network environment or some other reasons, and this article provides some helpful tips to fix the situation.

Troubleshooting

Step 1. Check the camera power supply

• Ensure that you are using the original power supply provided with the camera. Third-party power supplies may not provide the required voltage or current for optimal function.
• Try a different power socket to rule out the power instability.
• An additional power extension cord may also cause the camera instability. You can temporarily remove the power extension cable and check if the camera becomes more stable. If your scenario requires an extension cord, please choose one that meets the Cam’s power specifications, with a sufficiently thick gauge and good shielding, etc. We are not responsible for troubleshooting the extension cord issue.

Step 2. Ensure both the camera firmware and Tapo App are up-to-date.

Step 3. Ensure the router is working properly. Reboot the router and Tapo device, and see if the smart device reconnects.

Step 4. Ensure the Tapo smart device is receiving a Good Wi-Fi signal by checking RSSI. If you have multiple cameras, try swapping the locations of the unstable and working cameras. If the problem is related to the environment rather than a specific camera, it is recommended to optimize the network environment.

Step 5. Optimize Device Placement. Position the smart device closer to the Wi-Fi router, avoiding obstacles like walls, furniture, or appliances that can obstruct the Wi-Fi signal.

Step 6. Expand Wi-Fi Coverage. Consider a Wi-Fi Range Extender or mesh network to improve the signal strength throughout your home.

Step 7. Reduce Wi-Fi Interference. Keep the smart device away from potential sources of interference like microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, USB 3.0 devices, or baby monitors.

Step 8. Contact the support of your router to optimize your network stability based on your network topology. Example:

• Change the wireless settings on the router for the 2.4 GHz. Such as set the channel width to 20MHZ, set the password authentication method to WPA2/WPA3-Personal, and manually fix the channel. 1, 6, or 11 are non-overlapping channels, which may effectively reducing signal interference. Of course, specific wireless interference conditions depend on the environment. You can use tools like the WiFiAnalyzer APP to check the channel graph and select the most suitable channel.
• Turn off Advanced Wi-Fi settings on the router, like Smart Connect, Wi-Fi Optimizing, or ‘Channel optimization’, etc.

Step 9.(Optional) Try to configure the smart device to another router’s 2.4G Wi-Fi or a mobile Hotspot Wi-Fi to verify whether this issue is related to the specific router.

Step 10.(Optional) Remove the SD card to check if stability improves. If so, try replacing the SD card according to the compatible list.

Step 11.(Optional) If you are using the camera with third-party software such as ONVIF software, NAS, etc., temporarily disconnect the connection and observe whether it becomes more stable.

If the issue is still the same, contact TP-Link technical support and provide the information below for our support to look into further:

• LED status when the smart device is offline, e.g. red/green blinking/green steady, etc.
• MAC address of the device
• TP-Link ID email address
• When an issue occurs, does smart device work in the local network? For a test, connect your mobile device to the home Wi-Fi network at that time and see if Tapo device is still accessible in the local network?
• The model number Wi-Fi router and your network topology. E.g. ISP Spectrum-Archer C7 router<Wireless> Tapo device
• How often does this problem occur? How do you restore the connection, such as restarting the smart plug or rebooting the router?