Troubleshooting Alarms

This guide provides troubleshooting steps to resolve issues when no alarms are received from a camera integrated with GC Surge.

Symptom: No Alarms Received from Camera

If GC Surge is not receiving alarm events or video clips from a configured camera, perform the following troubleshooting checks in order:

1. Check if motion events are enabled Verify that motion detection is active on your camera's administrative interface. Make sure the motion detection zones are correctly configured and that sensitivity thresholds are high enough to trigger events.
2. Check if SMTP credentials are added and valid GC Surge often relies on SMTP/email alerts sent by the camera to ingest alarm events. Check the camera's SMTP settings. Verify that the server address, port, email address, username, and password are correct. Run a test email from the camera interface to confirm.
3. Verify camera network connectivity Ensure that the camera has internet access and can reach the external SMTP/API server. Check DNS configurations on the camera so it can resolve external domains.
4. Verify alarm schedules Check the schedule settings in the camera's configuration. Ensure that motion events and alarm transmissions are scheduled to run 24/7 or during your desired active shifts.
5. Inspect camera system logs Access the camera's log section and look for any SMTP connection errors, authentication failures, or event trigger failures. This can provide specific error codes for further troubleshooting.