Home security: what still works during an internet or power outage?

List the devices required by each function: detector, camera, Wi-Fi access point or network switch, router, recorder, remote service and recipient’s phone. One overlooked intermediary can interrupt the chain even when the camera appears to work.

Reolink’s documented outage examples show different behaviour across devices. They illustrate the method: read the exact model’s documentation, then check it on site. They do not establish how another system behaves.

Losing internet access does not necessarily mean losing the local network. Depending on the architecture, devices may still communicate with each other or retain images while the remote app becomes unavailable. Also ask whether cloud-based analysis stops and how that status is reported.

A mobile backup connection can cover certain local failures. Check its activation, subscription, supported functions and the return to the normal connection. Test the switchover: a SIM card being present does not prove that backup is operational.

A regional outage is a different scenario. The operator’s communications may also be affected. DETEC describes a gradual improvement in mobile-network resilience; this is not a current guarantee of video transmission throughout every power outage. A test that only disconnects your fixed connection does not validate the regional scenario.

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) temporarily powers certain devices from a battery. Backup must be sized for the actual load and operating conditions. A camera, router and recorder do not consume the same amount as a detector alone.

Axis documentation on power consumption distinguishes typical and maximum consumption. Infrared illumination, heating and motors can change demand. Request a documented calculation followed by a test: do not infer night-time battery life from a daytime measurement alone.

• List devices with and without backup power.
• Specify the functions maintained and the assumptions behind the stated runtime.
• Plan battery maintenance and replacement according to the documentation.
• Check low-battery and mains-loss alerts.
• Describe restart after a complete discharge and the checks that follow.

Work on electrical installations and tests affecting them should be arranged with competent professionals. A security check must not disrupt other essential building equipment.

This My Robot Guard worksheet turns general promises into verifiable questions. Replace “to be checked” with a dated test result or documented limitation. If a test has not been performed, leave it explicitly outstanding.

Agree a time with the installer and alert recipients. Inform the monitoring centre if there is one. Define the exact test scope and any temporary protection needed. The interruption must not cause an unexpected call-out or remove an essential site function.

1. Record normal operation and generate a reference event.
2. Simulate one failure at a time within the authorised scope.
3. Record retained functions and messages actually received, with times.
4. Restore connectivity or power and check recovery, recordings and any delayed alerts.
5. Document discrepancies, the responsible person and correction date, then repeat the relevant test.

In a fictional example, the garage camera stays on battery power while the outbuilding’s access point switches off. Images may be recorded locally if the model supports it, but the remote alert is lost. The correction concerns the communication chain, not simply a larger camera battery.

A “system offline” alert needs a recipient and a defined next step. Depending on the context, this may mean contacting the supplier, checking a known outage or arranging an authorised site check. No message should not be interpreted as proof that everything works.

For a remote property, add technical unavailability to the alert-handling instructions. To compare possible connections, see our home monitoring options without Wi-Fi.

Acceptance of the project should lead to a simple statement: “In this scenario, these functions remain available under the tested conditions, these functions stop and this person is informed.” That description is more useful than a general promise of permanent protection.