How to Fix Night Owl Remote Viewing Not Working?

Wondering why is Night Owl remote viewing not working? Continue reading to know!

Night Owl security cameras allow access to remotely view the live footage on your mobile.

However, it is only feasible if your Night Owl camera and recorder are connected to the same network, hence the same router.

Let’s learn more about the essential requirements!

The Night Owl remote viewing is not working because the shared network is currently offline or a piece of the setup has been disconnected. The Remove Viewing might also be not working when the camera is not working or the connection to the DVR is interrupted.

Let’s learn how you can fix your Night Owl camera remote viewing problem in easy steps!

How To Fix When Night Owl Remote Viewing Not Working?

If the Night Owl Remote Viewing is not working, there can be a problem with the network or one of the devices.

All you need to do is identify from which side the issue comes, to be able to appropriately troubleshoot and solve the problem.

Let’s jump right in!

Solution #1 Check Network Connection

An internet connection is mandatory for Night Owl Remote Viewing. If your Night Owl camera is connected to WiFi then you can easily access remote viewing from the app.

When the mobile device used to host the Night Owl app is not connected to the same WiFi, it won’t work.

• Using the 2.4Ghz broadband of your router, connect both devices!

Simply reconnect your mobile, Night Owl cam, and recorder to the same 2.4GHz internet, but make sure of the availability of the network.

If you are accessing remote viewing on TV/PC, then make sure the ethernet cable is fine and connected properly in the port.

Tip: Reboot the WiFi modem by unplugging the device from the power for 20 seconds!

Solution #2 Use The Correct App

Using the correct Night Owl app for your camera model is very important. As there are many Night Owl mobile apps available in the App/Play Store.

It’s essential to download the app suitable for your Night Owl product, hence, the recorder.

These are all the Night Owl applications:

• Night Owl Protect App and CMS
• Night Owl Connect App and CMS
• Night Owl X/X HD App and CMS
• Night Owl HD App and CMS
• Night Owl Safe App

Tip: Visit Night Owl App and find the mobile application that works best for your product!

Solution #3 Inspect Network Speed 

If you are absolutely sure you are using the right app and that all of your devices are connected to the same internet, the network speed must be the culprit.

Even Night Owl has specified that only a certain network speed would be able to handle smooth Remote Viewing.

• Night Owl recommends having a 3 Mbps network speed for Remote Viewing!

Here is how you can check your network speed:

1. Open a browser on your PC or mobile.
2. Open a Free Internet Speed Test.
3. Tap on Begin Test.
4. Examine your network upload/download speed.

Note: In case your measurements show less than 3 Mbps, contact your ISP for help!

Solution #4 Check Device Compatibility

The incompatible device may affect smart devices’ connectivity even though this factor is ignored most of the time.

As remote viewing can be accessed on your mobile app from the recorder, so your mobile specification must be compatible with the Night Owl product criteria.

Here are some factors that can help you to ensure your device compatibility:

• Your local area must support 3G, 4G, or 4G LTE.
• Your mobile must support 3G, 4G or 4G LTE, and 5G.
• Night Owl mobile app must operate with the latest version.
• Your mobile device has the latest OS version as well.
• The cellular data is turned OFF on your mobile.
• Only use PC/Mac CMS to access Night Owl Remote Viewing.

In case you cover ALL of the criteria, but Remote Viewing is not working, keep reading!

Solution #5 Power Cycle Connected Devices!

It is common for smart devices to run into some system glitch errors.

There is a possibility that either of your Night Owl camera, recorder, or app has got an anonymous error that stops the device from accessing remote viewing.

This is why we need to perform a power circulation!

Here is how you can restart your Night Owl-connected devices!

Restart Night Owl App Mobile:

1. Press and hold the Power button.
2. Tap on the Restart button or slide left.
3. The device will restart/shut down.

Restart Night Owl Recorder:

1. Unplug from the power outlet.
2. Wait for 10 seconds.
3. Reconnect the power cable. (optional)
4. Plug it back into the outlet.

Restart Night Owl Camera:

1. Unplug from the power adapter.
2. Wait for 20 seconds.
3. Plug the camera back in!

Tip: Reinstalling the Night Owl app but will remove camera settings from the app!

Solution#6 Check For IP Settings

Night Owl devices need to be connected to the same network address and there is a possibility that the DHCP on your recorder TV is disabled.

Also, a static IP address may also cause connectivity issues and that’s why the Night Owl DVR remote viewing not working.

• Your camera and DVR IP address must be the same to access Remote Viewing!

Here is how you can check your IP address:

Check IP From App:

1. Open the Night Owl App.
2. Go to devices and tap on your camera.
3. Go to the camera Details and note down the address of the camera.
4. Go to Google and type “What is my IP address”.
5. Check that both addresses are the same.
6. If not, then edit the address from the app and check again.

Check IP From Recorder:

1. Go to 192.168.1.1.
2. Login by entering “Admin” and “Password”.
3. Go to Advance Setup.
4. Check Port Forwarding for a local IP address.

Important: Ensure that your IP address and the address on the router are exactly the same!

Solution #7 Update Camera Firmware

Outdated system firmware may cause many problems with the device itself and other connected devices.

So if you have already tried all the above solutions but are still unable to access your camera remote viewing on the app or TV, then your system needs an upgrade. 

• Night Owl systems do not update automatically, so you have to update it manually!

Here is how you can upgrade the Night Owl firmware:

1. Go to your recorder TV/PC.
2. Sign in to your recorder from the monitor. 
3. Right-click to navigate to the Main Menu.
4. Click on the Tool > System Info. 
5. Tap on About and check for Firmware Version. 
6. The recorder will automatically start searching for the latest version.
7. If there is any update available, the recorder will upgrade itself.

As the upgrade completes, then restart your monitor or app and try to access remote viewing, and check whether it works or not. 

In case you have experienced the same issue again, then it’s time to reset the Night Owl system!

Solution #8 Factory Reset Camera

Sometimes the Night Owl system needs to be reset to fix the problem when every method fails.

Resetting the Night Owl system will erase all its settings from the app, but your recorder will be set up on your TV/PC.

Note: Before going to reset, remove your Night Owl device from the app!

Here is how you can factory reset your Night Owl camera:

1. Go to the recorder monitor and right-click on the screen. 
2. Access the Main Menu.
3. Navigate to Advanced > Maintain tab.
4. Look for Load Default from the menu and click on it.
5. Select ALL and click Save to reset your recorder.
6. The system will automatically Reset > Restart.
7. Set up your camera to the app.
8. Now you can easily access Remote Viewing.

We hope that this helped so let’s next recap everything we’ve learned in this guide!

Quick Recap:

Hence, if your Night Owl Remote Viewing ever stops working, all you need to do is check your internet connection and whether one of the devices is disconnected. In case this doesn’t help, we’ll need to check the Night Owl device’s IPs and Reset our equipment.

Final Thoughts:

In this guide, we have discussed why Night Owl remote viewing not working and how to fix the problem in a matter of minutes.

In case the problem is persistent and nothing from this guide worked, you’ll need to contact Night Owl Customer Support for more help in Remote Viewing.