Critter Cam Troubleshooting

We’re sorry Critter Cam isn’t currently working for you! There are a number of reasons why you may not be able to see one – or all – of the webcams at the Wildlife Center. There are a few steps you can take to determine if the issue is between your computer and our network, and if that can be resolved.

Which Cams are Down?

Test all three Critter Cam channels. If only one specific Cam is down, the issue is likely on our end. Sometimes we have issues with a particular camera, or we need to reset the computer that hosts each camera feed.

If you’re unable to see one Critter Cam [but can see the other two], simply leave a comment in the moderated discussion with information on which cam is down, along with the date and time. We won’t publish your comment, but that will inform the outreach staff to check on a particular camera or cam encoder when we see multiple comments about the same issue.

If you’re unable to see all three Critter Cams, it may be due to one of a few reasons.

  1. The Wildlife Center may have lost power. Even if the power comes back on, we may need to reset all the computers that host the Critter Cams; simply leave a comment in the discussion with the information that all cams are down, along with the date and time. This will inform the outreach staff of a problem, and we can check on our system if we see many of the same comments. Be patient as we resolve our issue!
  2. Occasionally, our content delivery network (Edgecast) may experience some service issues at specific locations.  This means that the Critter Cams may be down for you, but not others. In these situations, we all just have to be patient and wait for Edgecast to resolve their service issues. They are typically quick to resolve problems.
  3. The issue also may be the connection between your computer and the Critter Cam network. In these cases, all three cameras will be down for you, but not others. There are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot your connection.
     

Troubleshooting Your Connection

If you’re unable to see all three Critter Cams, there are a few steps you can take to help isolate and fix the issue.

1.  Check your browser compatibility. The cams are compatible with most mobile and desktop web browsers, including:

  • Safari for iOS 8+
  • Chrome 34+ for Android 
  • Firefox 41+ for Android
  • Chrome 34+ for Desktop 
  • Firefox 42+ for Desktop
  • Safari for OS X 10.10+ (Yosemite or newer)
  • IE11 for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
  • Edge for Windows 10
  • Opera for Desktop
  • Vivaldi for Desktop

If you are currently using an older version than what’s listed above, please try upgrading or switching to a different web browser. Otherwise, check for updates to ensure you are using the latest version of your browser, clear your cache, restart your browser, or even restart your computer/device. Older computers and devices may also not have the processing speeds to properly display the videos.

2.  Check your internet connection. The videos may not stream over slow Wi-Fi or cellular connections. If videos from other sites like YouTube do not play on your browser, then our Cams may also not be able to stream to you. If these steps don’t help isolate the problem, please email outreach@wildlifecenter.org with details of the issue, your browser, operating system, and any other details you have so we can look into the issue. Again, please only email if all three cameras are not connecting for you, but do seem to be able to be viewed by others. We ask that you please don't call with cam connection issues, so that we can keep the lines open for wildlife emergencies. 

Thank you, and happy Critter Cam watching!