Kasa Camera Keeps Freezing Or Lagging During Recordings

Kasa cameras are some of the best devices to choose when it comes to smart home security because of their incredible clarity and convenient features on offer.

However, sometimes you might face some freezing or lagging issues, which can be quite a security issue. 

Your Kasa security camera might freeze or lag during recording due to several reasons, so don’t worry. I’ve compiled a detailed guide to troubleshoot and fix this problem step by step so your camera can function normally and secure your home. 

Why Does My Kasa Camera Freeze or Lag During Recordings?

Your Kasa Camera might freeze or lag during recording because of Wi-Fi interference, outdated firmware, overheating, storage issues, or even hardware acceleration settings. Sometimes all you need to do is restart your device, while some fixes take more time.  

Now before you start the next troubleshooting steps, I recommend restarting your Kasa camera by completely unplugging all power to it, letting it cool for a few minutes, and then powering it on again. This can resolve any temporary issues. 

However, if that doesn’t work, keep reading for a step-by-step breakdown. 

Detailed Breakdown of Kasa Camera Freezing and Lagging Issues

1. Connectivity and Wi-Fi Interference

Since most Kasa cameras run wirelessly, this is often the reason behind it lagging and freezing during playback, especially in the live feed. 

First, to check if this is really the cause, here are the common signs of Wi-Fi interference:

Wi-Fi Interference Signs

• Inconsistent camera live feed, with buffering or dropped frames. You may also notice a slight delay (latency) in the streaming.
• Frequent disconnections.
• Wi-Fi signal strength is too weak (less than -68 dB, or only 1-2 bars). You can download third-party Wi-Fi analyzer apps on your smartphone to detect your Wi-Fi signal strength; all you have to do is bring your phone next to where your camera is set up and check the reading.
• Materials like brick or metal can significantly weaken your Wi-Fi signals. If there are too many walls between your camera and your router, there could be a significant reduction in Wi-Fi signal strength. 

It’s important to note that Wi-Fi interference is a common problem if you live in a high-density area, like an apartment complex, where there are a lot of electronic and wireless devices all around. 

Solutions to Fix Wi-Fi Interference

If you’ve narrowed down the problem to Wi-Fi interference, troubleshooting is easy enough with these solutions:

• Sometimes the answer is as simple as moving your Kasa camera closer to the Wi-Fi router, or the router closer to the camera, if either one is portable. 
• If your router and camera both support it, try using the 5 GHz band. This can help bypass a lot of the interference common with the 2.4 GHz band. But note that the 5 GHz may also have a lower range. 
• If your Wi-Fi channel is especially crowded (you can check this in any Wi-Fi analyzer app), switching to another channel can lead to a clearer signal path. These apps can tell you which channels are free around your area. 
• Wi-Fi extenders are great devices that can boost your signal to make it stronger in areas with weak signals. If moving the router is not an option, consider investing in a Wi-Fi extender and placing it next to the camera. 
• Devices like microwaves and cordless phones can also interfere with Wi-Fi signals. If you’ve placed any near your Kasa camera, consider relocating these devices or the camera. 

The best solution for Wi-Fi interference is a hardwired network cable, such as Ethernet, if that’s possible in your setup. Going the wired route always gets rid of any connection issues, since Wi-Fi is inherently less stable/reliable. 

Also, make sure to check your internet bandwidth and transfer speeds. Are any other devices hogging the network? Are your upload speeds good enough? You should have at least 5Mbps of bandwidth to smoothly view a live feed, and preferably more if you’re using several smart cameras together. 

2. Outdated Firmware or Software

Think of the firmware as the mind of your Kasa camera. Keeping it up-to-date is crucial for optimal performance. An outdated firmware can cause freezing and lagging due to glitches and bugs.

Kasa’s developers (TP-Link) regularly identify and rectify any glitches that might be interfering with camera performance. Moreover, updated firmware will have security patches to keep your Kasa camera safe from unauthorized access. 

Even if you suspect firmware may not be the reason, it’s a good idea to check for firmware updates to avoid more potential issues. 

Steps to Update the Kasa Camera Firmware

Updating firmware is easy:

• Open the Kasa Smart app. Go to your account by clicking on ‘Me’, and click on ‘Firmware Update’.
• If your device is already updated, you’ll see a confirmation that all devices are up-to-date.
• If any updates are available for any of the devices attached to your Kasa app, you’ll see them here. Just click on them to start the update process. Remember to not power off or disconnect the camera during this operation. 

3. Camera Overheating

As with all other electronic devices, your Kasa camera is also prone to overuse and overheating, especially when the environment temperatures are high. Overheating could cause your camera to freeze, lag, or even shut down. 

It’s important to recognize signs of overheating and prevent it since it can cause a permanent reduction in performance and even device failure. 

Here are some simple steps to identify the problem and troubleshoot it:

Recognizing Camera Overheating

• Check if any part of the camera feels too warm to the touch. Hot enough that you can’t stand it. A little warm is okay; that happens under continuous usage. 
• Randomly shutting down and turning on is also a typical symptom of overuse and overheating.
• All gadgets have a lifespan. If your Kasa camera has been with you for a while, it might be more prone to overheating and reduced performance.

Solutions to Prevent Overheating

• Keeping your camera in a well-ventilated space where heat does not get trapped can help it stay cool and keep it running at its best. 
• Although it seems obvious, keep your camera away from constant and direct sunlight. Try and place it under an awning, or use shades and curtains. 
• Every once in a while, consider switching your camera off for some time. This gives your Kasa camera a desperately needed break. You can also schedule it to automatically turn off at a set time; preferably a low-risk time when you don’t need it. 
• Check for dust, dirt, and grime build-up. These can block vents around the camera and cause it to heat up more quickly. Don’t open it or use any liquids; just wipe it with a damp cloth to make sure it’s clean. 

Also an important note; don’t use indoor models as outdoor cameras. I’ve seen a couple of people try this, but the differences in design lead to increased problems and much lower lifespan because indoor cameras aren’t built to be as rugged or durable.

4. Storage Issues

Your Kasa camera needs enough storage space to store all its recordings smoothly. You may have set your camera to record continuously, which requires a lot of free space. Setting up to record only with motion detection can help save storage memory. 

Lag-free playback requires your camera to have quick access to stored data. The game-changer is cloud-based storage. With cloud storage, you don’t have to worry about physical storage limits, and your data is accessible from practically anywhere.

So if you don’t have a Kasa Care plan, getting one can be beneficial to help deal with these storage issues easily, plus it gives you more flexibility over your security. 

Clearing and Managing Storage

• More often than not, you will not require recordings from over two months ago. Do a periodic check of your Kasa camera’s storage, and delete any old recordings you don’t need to free up space. You may transfer them to a backup hard disk first. 
• Kasa cameras usually support microSD cards up to 256 GB, and sometimes more. Consider investing in a larger microSD if you can. 
• The Kasa Smart App will allow you to set preferences like recording quality or duration. You can set a lower resolution or bitrate if you don’t need high-quality video all the time. Adjusting these will help you manage storage effectively, and reduce any freezing or lagging issues. 

Advanced Troubleshooting

Disabling Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration allows software tasks to be offloaded to hardware components, optimizing performance. It’s normally turned off, but may be turned on in some updates, or even accidentally turned on by you. 

While this can be useful in some cases, it could also cause your camera to start freezing or lagging. The issue is that the hardware is not always able to encode and decode the video as efficiently as it should. 

Turning off the hardware acceleration is easy enough; navigate to the ‘Advanced’ settings in the Kasa Smart app and disable it. If you don’t find any option for this, then you don’t need to worry as it’s not enabled. 

Resetting the Kasa Camera

If none of the other troubleshooting steps work, it might be time to reset your Kasa camera. 

To reset your camera, follow the steps for your specific model on this TP-Link support page. Each model has slightly different steps, but the main thing is to look for a reset button, which is usually located in a small pinhole. 

Press this reset button with a pin for at least 15 seconds, and the LED lights should change color to orange or amber. This will reset the device to factory settings and delete any saved recordings, settings, schedules, etc. That’s why this is a last resort. 

6. Contact Customer Support

If you’re facing frequent freezing and lagging issues even after trying every step on this page, you might have a defective unit. It’s best to contact TP-Link customer support and let them know all the troubleshooting steps you’ve done so far.

Explain the issue as best as you can, so they can provide better assistance and you won’t waste any time. Have your device’s model and serial number ready so they can look up any helpful information. They might offer a replacement or refund. 

Best Practices for Preventing Kasa Camera Freezes

Dedicated Network:

If it’s not possible to have a wired connection for all your Kasa security cameras, the next best thing is to have a dedicated network. Consider a new router that can run a separate network (or subnet) that’ll only be used for your smart home devices; so your regular devices don’t hog all the bandwidth. 

Power Cycle: 

Regularly reboot the camera to clear any temporary glitches. Most Kasa cameras can be scheduled to reboot automatically at a specific time.

Test Before Permanent Installation: 

Before permanently installing the camera, test it in various locations to identify and mitigate potential issues like Wi-Fi dead spots or interference. 

FAQs

Conclusion

I hope this guide helped you resolve your Kasa camera’s freezing and lagging issues. Don’t skip any of the troubleshooting steps; sometimes the simplest problems can be overlooked. And remember, a little upkeep goes a long way in ensuring smooth, lag-free recordings.

By addressing these issues promptly and effectively, you ensure that your home remains safe and secure. Feel free to share any extra tips or feedback in the comments below.