How to set up your Roku Outdoor Camera SE
Your Roku® Outdoor Camera SE delivers a Full HD image with great features like color night vision, instant notifications, two-way audio, motion and sound detection, IP65 weatherproofing, a rechargeable battery, and an intruder siren. Plus, if you purchase a Roku Smart Home Subscription, you also get secure cloud storage, instant recordings when motion and sound is detected, and intelligent person, pet, and object detection.
Your outdoor camera includes everything you need to get started including a base station, power adaptor, USB cable, Ethernet cable, and mounting hardware. Simply download and install the free Roku Smart Home mobile app and use it to connect your base station and camera to your network. You will be viewing the live video stream, receiving alerts, and personalizing settings in no time.
What you need for setup
In addition to your Roku Outdoor Camera SE, base station, and included accessories, you will need the following:
- Power: Your base station connects to a 12V/1A power outlet. To charge your camera, connect it to the USB port on your base station or a power outlet that provides 5V/2A. Alternatively, you can power your camera with a Roku Solar Panel.
- Wired network: To set up your outdoor camera, the base station must be connected to your router* using the included Ethernet cable. After you set up your base station using a wired connection, you can switch it to a Wi-Fi connection.
- Wi-Fi®: Your camera connects to your base station using a 2.4GHz wireless network connection with WPA/WPA2 security standard.
- Smartphone or tablet: You need to download and install the Roku Smart Home app for iOS® and Android™ to set up and control your outdoor camera.
Before you begin, familiarize yourself with your camera, including the location of the status light. It is also important to make note of each MAC address which is required should you need to contact Roku Customer Support.
Where to install your outdoor camera
Your outdoor camera can be installed outside anywhere there is a Wi-Fi connection with many uses, including:
- Security cam: Set your camera to record video any time sound or motion is detected.
- Pet cam: Keep an eye on your furry friends while you are at the office.
- Wildlife cam: Set up your camera to detect motion and capture wildlife around your home.
After you decide how you want to use your camera, be sure to choose a location on a flat surface or mount it in an unobstructed location. To get accurate notifications and the best battery life, choose a location that avoids direct sunlight, high traffic roads, and dense brush. For help attaching it to a wall or ceiling, check out some mounting tips for Roku Smart Home cameras.
- Tip: If you choose a ceiling location or another spot where your outdoor camera is upside down, you can flip the image after setup is complete. Simply select your camera in the smart home app and go to Settings
> Advanced settings > Rotate image 180°.
Getting started
For the best experience, charge your outdoor camera before you begin setup. First, plug your base station into a power outlet. Next, open the weatherproof cover on back of your camera and attach the small end of the USB cable to the micro USB port making sure not to force the connection. The connector is keyed to only attach one way. Finally, connect the other end of the cable to the USB port on your base station or a power outlet that provides 5V/2A. The status light on your camera will flash red while charging and turn solid red after roughly 4 hours when fully charged.
With normal use, the rechargeable battery in your camera will last 3 to 6 months. Here are some tips for better battery life:
- Limit how often you view the live video stream
- Limit use of scheduled recordings and time lapse videos
- Install your camera in a low-traffic area when motion detection is enabled
After your camera is charged, follow along with the tutorial video below, review the Quick Start Guide, or continue reading the remaining steps in this article.
Quick Start Guides
Roku Outdoor Camera SE with Base Station (model CW1000)
Roku Outdoor Camera SE without Base Station (model CW100CR)
What do the status lights mean?
Status lights are located on top of your base station and on the back of your camera. As you proceed through the setup process, it is important to understand what each status light means.
| Status light | Status |
|---|---|
| YELLOW - Solid | Power on and beginning setup |
| YELLOW and BLUE - Flashing | Pairing to base station |
| BLUE - Flashing | Connecting to Wi-Fi |
| BLUE - Solid | Connected to network |
| RED - Flashing | Charging |
| RED - Solid | Fully Charged |
| No Light | Powered off or sleeping |
Install the smart home app
The Roku Smart Home mobile app is a free application for iOS and Android that lets you set up, configure, and control your Roku home monitoring system, cameras, video doorbells, plugs, bulbs, and light strips. You can download the smart home app from the appropriate link below.
Connect your camera and base station
Before you get started, make sure your smartphone or tablet is connected to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network (e.g., MyNetwork_2.4GHz). Next, launch the smart home app and create a new Roku account, or enter the username and password for your existing account. After you sign in power on your base station and perform the steps below to connect your camera.
Your Base Station can support up to 4 Roku Outdoor Cameras. If you are adding an Outdoor Camera SE to an existing Roku Outdoor Camera system, skip to the "Outdoor Camera set up" section.
Base Station set up
- Add your base station
- Tap the plus sign
from the navigation bar and select Add device - Select Cameras & doorbells and choose Base Station
- Connect the base station to your wired network using the included Ethernet cable
- Check the box when the status light is solid blue and tap Next
- Tap the plus sign
- Finish base station setup
- The setup completes automatically, the status light turns solid and your base station is ready to use
- Name your base station and press Finish
Outdoor Camera set up
- Pair camera to base station
- Select Add Outdoor Camera or tap the plus sign from the navigation bar, select Add device, select Cameras & doorbells, and choose Outdoor Camera.
- With your camera no more than 6 feet away from your base station, open the weatherproof cover on back of the camera and slide the power switch to "On." When the status light is flashing blue, tap Next.
- To connect your camera to Wi-Fi, press the Sync button and you will hear "Pairing in progress. Please wait" as the status light flashes yellow and blue.
- For help, learn what to check if you cannot connect your camera.
- Select Add Outdoor Camera or tap the plus sign
- Finish camera setup
- When setup completes automatically, the status light will turn solid blue and your camera is ready to use
- Name your camera and press Finish
With the Wi-Fi connection, your camera can record videos to the cloud with your Roku Smart Home Subscription. You also get instant recordings when motion is detected, and intelligent person, pet, and object detection. Learn more about the premiere features available with your Roku Smart Home Subscription.
If your camera is installed where there is no Wi-Fi connection or the signal is poor, you can install a microSD card to record videos.
Using your outdoor camera and base station
When you want to learn more, check out some of the other great features your outdoor camera offers.
- Adjust motion and sound detection settings
- Use rules to automate your smart home devices
- Set up event video recording and scheduling
- Talk and listen with two-way audio
- Use night vision
- Group and sort your smart home cameras
- Set up a Solar Panel with your Roku Outdoor Camera SE
Troubleshooting
If you experience connection issues with your base station or camera, try the following suggestions.
Base station
- Check the status light to determine the current state
- Remove the power cord for a moment and then plug it back in to restart your base station
- Check the network connection
- Wired connection: Try removing and reconnecting the Ethernet cable on each end. If that does not help, try switching to another port on the router and/or use a different Ethernet cable.
- Wi-Fi: After you set up your base station using a wired connection, you can switch it to a Wi-Fi connection. If you encounter connectivity issues when doing this, check that there is a strong signal from the wireless router. If the signal is weak, try moving the base station to another location to help reduce interference.
If you continue to encounter connection issues with your base station, perform a factory reset by pressing the pinhole button next to the USB port with a paperclip (or similar) and then try again.
Camera
- Check the status light and identify the current state
- Charge your camera. The status light on your camera will flash red while charging and turn solid red after roughly 4 hours when fully charged.
- If the connection is dropping after the camera was set up, check the wireless signal strength on the Device info page in the smart home app. Try moving your base station and/or camera to another location to strengthen the signal and reduce interference.
Due to privacy and security reasons, your outdoor camera cannot be factory reset. However, you can restart it. Simply open the weatherproof cover on back of the camera and slide the power switch off, wait a moment, and switch it back on. This procedure does not erase network settings or remove it from your Roku account, but may help with troubleshooting
*A note on terminology:
To access your network and ultimately the internet, you will typically connect to a device called a router but it may also be referred to as a wireless router, wireless access point, home gateway or cable modem. In some cases, your internet service provider (ISP) may have provided you with a single integrated device that includes a cable modem and a router, or you may have purchased a stand-alone router from a company such as Linksys, NETGEAR, ASUS, Belkin or D-Link. In this article, the term router is used as a generic term to refer to the network device that your Roku device must connect to access the internet. For more information refer to the documentation provided by your ISP or router manufacturer.