Five 9s Communications · Field Service

IP PoE Camera
Troubleshooting Checklist

SAIA Trucking — Salt Lake City, UT · Warehouse & Perimeter Cameras
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CAM-1 Warehouse / Loading Dock Camera ▼
📍 Camera Identity & Location
Record camera make, model, and serial number
Note mounting location and cable run path (dock # or bay reference)
⚡ PoE Injector — CAM-1
Locate the PoE injector feeding this camera — record make, model, and age if known
⚠ Verify injector wattage meets camera's minimum PoE requirement
Inspect injector LEDs — Power LED and PoE output LED status
PoE LED off with Power LED on = injector output failed or port fault
Test injector output with a volt meter — measure voltage on DATA+PoE port pins
Low voltage under load = injector degrading. 0V = injector dead.
Swap injector with a known-good spare — does camera come online?
If camera comes up with swap → bad injector confirmed. Replace.
📷 Camera Health — CAM-1
Inspect camera status LED (if accessible from ground/lift)
Off = no power reaching camera. Blinking = booting or fault mode.
With power confirmed good — try to ping camera IP from laptop on same network
No ping with power present = IP conflict, camera reset to default, or firmware crash
Attempt to access camera web interface via browser
Check NVR / VMS for CAM-1 — what status does the recorder show?
CAM-2 Perimeter Fence — Pole-Mount Camera ▼
📍 Camera Identity & Location
Record camera make, model, and serial number
Note pole location, approximate run length, and conduit/cable routing
Longer runs to exterior poles are higher-risk for damage and water ingress
⚡ PoE Injector — CAM-2
Locate the PoE injector feeding this camera — record make, model, and age
Outdoor pole cameras often require 802.3at (PoE+) — 30W — confirm compatibility
Inspect injector LEDs — Power LED and PoE output LED status
PoE LED off with Power LED on = injector output failed or port fault
Test injector output voltage on DATA+PoE port
Swap injector with a known-good spare — does camera come online?
📷 Camera Health — CAM-2
Inspect outdoor housing for physical damage, water ingress, or impact
Outdoor cameras on fence lines take more weathering, UV, and impact than indoor units
Inspect conduit and cable entry point at pole base for water intrusion or damage
Water wicking up the cable and into the RJ45 connection is a common failure on perimeter runs
With power confirmed — ping camera IP from laptop on same network
Check NVR / VMS for CAM-2 — status shown on recorder
CABLE Cabling & Connector Testing ▼
⚠

Cable testing should be performed on both runs before replacing hardware. A failed injector swap that doesn't fix the issue points to the cable. Perimeter pole runs are the highest-risk for damage.

🔌 Physical Inspection — Both Runs
Inspect RJ45 connectors at injector end — CAM-1 and CAM-2
Green tarnish, spread pins, or cracked plastic = re-terminate before further testing
Inspect RJ45 connector at camera end — look for corrosion or water damage
CAM-2 (pole mount): water at the camera end is common and often causes intermittent / no-link faults
Walk accessible portions of both cable runs — check for physical damage
Loading dock areas: look for cable abrasion from dock levelers, forklifts, or staples through jacket
🧪 Cable Tester Results
Run continuity / wire map test on CAM-1 run (Klein VDV or Softing)
PoE uses pairs 1&2 and 3&6 — a fault on either of those pairs kills power delivery
Run continuity / wire map test on CAM-2 run (perimeter fence)
If cable fault found — document fault distance (TDR reading) for locating the fault point
TDR distance helps decide: re-terminate vs. full cable replacement
If cable tests good — try a short test jumper directly from injector output to camera with known-good patch cable
Bench test with a short patch cable eliminates the entire run and points to injector or camera
🔧 Patch Panel & Punch-Down Inspection
⚠

Wire map showing an open on pins 3 & 6 (blue pair, T568B) with a good-looking field run is a strong indicator of a bad punch-down at the patch panel — not a damaged cable. Always inspect the panel before pulling wire.

Locate patch panel — identify the port(s) serving CAM-1 and CAM-2
Visually inspect the punch-down on the back of the patch panel — check all 8 conductors are fully seated in the terminal block
Look for wires that are resting in the slot but not fully cut/seated by the punch-down tool — common on original installs done in a hurry
Check pair color code order against T568B standard at the panel — confirm no mis-seated or swapped conductors
T568B order (left to right): W/O · O · W/G · BL · W/BL · G · W/BR · BR — pins 3 & 6 are the green pair (W/G and G)
Re-punch all 8 conductors on the affected port(s) using a punch-down tool — use the correct 110-type blade with the cut side oriented outward
⚠ If conductors are too short to re-punch cleanly, the field run will need a new termination or a short extension run to the panel
Re-run wire map test after re-punching — confirm all 8 pins now pass
Fault cleared on re-test = bad punch-down was the root cause. Document and close. Fault persists = the break is in the field run itself — proceed with TDR and cable replacement planning.
Verify camera comes online after patch panel repair — confirm on NVR and via ping
NET Network & NVR / VMS Connectivity ▼
Confirm NVR / recorder is powered on and accessible — log into NVR interface
Check NVR camera channel list — confirm both cameras appear (even if offline)
Missing from channel list entirely = NVR lost its camera config (check after any power event or firmware update)
Check network for IP address conflicts — scan subnet for duplicate IPs
Use arp -a or Angry IP Scanner to check. IP conflicts cause intermittent camera drops.
Confirm cameras are on static IPs — not DHCP-assigned (risk of address change on reboot)
Check NVR event log for camera offline/disconnect events and timestamps
With camera powered and connected — run a continuous ping to watch for packet loss
ping -t <camera IP> — watch for intermittent drops (cable / injector issue indicator)
Intermittent drops under continuous ping = marginal cable or failing injector under load
INFRA Switch & Infrastructure Notes ▼
💡

Client has been using individual PoE injectors instead of a PoE-capable switch. Document injector history and present the cost comparison to support switch upgrade recommendation.

🔌 Current Switch & Injector Inventory
Document current non-PoE switch make, model, and port count
Inventory all PoE injectors on site — how many in total, ages, and any previously replaced
📋 PoE Switch Upgrade Recommendation
Present PoE switch replacement cost estimate to client
PoE budget: a GS308P delivers up to 62W total PoE across ports. Confirm total camera wattage fits.
Calculate total camera PoE wattage requirement and confirm switch budget
⚠ Outdoor PTZ or IR cameras can draw 25–30W — a standard 802.3af injector (15W) will fail under load
Client decision on switch upgrade — document response
INFO Key Contacts & System Info ▼
SAIA Trucking — Facility / Maintenance Contact
NVR / VMS System — Admin Credentials (stored securely)
Camera manufacturer tech support (if camera hardware is suspect)
SIGN-OFF Client / Security Team Verification ▼
📋

Before closing the work order, have the client contact or on-site security team confirm all cameras are operational and undisturbed. This protects both the client and Five 9s in the event of any dispute after departure.

📷 Camera Operational Verification
Client / security team confirms CAM-1 (Warehouse / Dock) is displaying a live image on their monitor or VMS viewer
Have them view the feed from their normal monitoring station — not just the tech's laptop
Client / security team confirms CAM-2 (Perimeter Fence) is displaying a live image
🎯 Field of View & Focus Check
Client / security team confirms CAM-1 field of view is correct — loading docks and coverage area appear as expected
Compare to any reference photos or prior NVR snapshots if available
Client / security team confirms CAM-2 field of view is correct — perimeter fence line and warehouse are visible as expected
Client / security team confirms image focus is sharp and acceptable on both cameras
Auto-focus cameras may need 60 seconds to settle after power restoration before focus is judged
Confirm NVR is recording both cameras and retention / schedule settings are unchanged
Check that motion detection zones and recording schedules were not reset during any NVR reboot
✍ Sign-Off
Obtain verbal or written confirmation from client / security team that the system is accepted as operational
For larger accounts with a formal security team, note the name and badge / employee ID if provided