Troubleshooting Why Video Lag, Frame Drops, or Delayed Recordings Occur When Switching Camera Storage to Tapo Hub
After changing your Tapo camera or doorbell's video storage path from the microSD card to a Tapo hub, you might notice some anomalies, such as delayed recordings, playback lag, frame drops, or missing video segments. In this article, you will learn why such things occur and how to locate and resolve the abnormality.
These anomalies are often attributed to the stability of the device connection. Unstable network connection could interrupt the video transmission from the camera to the hub. Depending on the camera/doorbell models and the configurations, there are three connection points that can be checked:
- From the camera to the hub
- From the hub to the router
- From the camera to the router
Based on the current settings of your Tapo camera/doorbell, you can find the corresponding troubleshooting suggestions.
Case One: Camera Not Using Tapo Hub as a WiFi Backup
Try connecting the Tapo hub to the router via Ethernet and monitor whether the camera continues to record the same types of videos.
If the same situation persists, then the problem is likely related to the connectivity between the router and the camera. In this case, you will need to check the camera's signal strength. How to check and improve the network connection stability of Tapo smart devices
*As the signal strength may fluctuate, we recommend checking this several times at different intervals to ensure accuracy, especially if you notice longer loading times during operation.
Case Two: Camera Use Tapo Hub as a WiFi Backup
Confirm camera's current network source: go to camera Device Settings page, click Network Connection, check what is displayed in the Current Network: WiFi (router), Ethernet (router), or Hub?
On the product settings page, in the Network Connection section, clicking the WiFi icon on the right shows the camera's current signal strength (RSSI value). How to check and improve the network connection stability of Tapo smart devices
| Signal Strength Value Reference | |
|---|---|
| Strong | more than -50 dBm |
| Good | among -70 dBm to -50 dBm |
| Poor | less than -70 dBm |
- If the camera is currently connected to the router (whether it is through WiFi or ethernet), please refer to the suggestions mentioned in Case One.
- If the camera is connected to the hub, compare the video quality recorded by the camera under different connection methods -- Tapo hub's connection: wired vs. wireless.
- If the hub has been using a wired connection, switch it to WiFi and place it midway between the router and the camera. Monitor for new changes on the recorded video afterwards.
- If the hub has been using a wireless connection, switch it to a wired connection and Monitor for new changes on the recorded video afterwards.