This article explains the usefulness of multiple Blink systems with one Blink account.
Experiencing the security and convenience of Blink products may encourage you to grow your network of cameras to multiple locations. Blink devices work as part of systems and you can have multiple systems within an account. Blink Wired Floodlight and Mini cameras can create and manage their own individual systems, or can be added to a Sync Module-managed system as one of its devices.
Adding a Sync Module allows you to group and manage up to 10 cameras in one system. However, if you want to add more than ten cameras, or add cameras to a different location, you'll need to add another Sync Module to create a system for each group of cameras.
Using the Blink app, you can manage multiple Sync Modules and their connected Blink devices all from a single account. For more information on adding another Sync Module to your account see How to add a Sync Module.
To view additional systems on your account
After multiple systems are added to a single account, you can navigate between them by tapping on the system name at the top of the home screen. Additional systems can be found by swiping left on the system names at the top of the screen.
Why would I need another system?
Having multiple systems can be useful in a number of situations such as:
- You wish to monitor more than one property.
- You want to have one group of cameras operate on a schedule that is different from another group of cameras.
- Prolonging camera battery life by reducing the physical distance data must be transmitted to reach the network.
- Monitoring an entrance or driveway that is out of range for your primary wireless router.
- Segmenting the cameras into groups that better suit your needs.
You can increase coverage by adding to an existing system, rather than starting a new one. Blink Outdoor, Indoor (gen 2), Mini, and XT2 cameras are designed to recognize networks with wireless extenders, while Indoor (gen 1) and XT cameras must connect to the exact same network name (SSID) that the Sync Module is connected to.
Consider the following drawing of two residential plan views to understand better.
On the left hand side, a home Wi-Fi network with an SSID named "myWiFi" has a single wireless router with coverage shown in blue. Seven outdoor and three indoor cameras are part of this system, for a total of ten devices associated to one Sync Module. Three devices monitor an outbuilding at the edge of the wireless coverage. This scenario will function properly, but the batteries of the cameras in the outbuilding might drain faster than those in the home because they must transmit farther to reach the wireless router. Notice also that the wireless router is placed to reach the outbuilding, but leaving some of the other cameras potentially out of range.
On the right side of the image, three types of networks and systems are shown.
- A wireless router is in the main structure with SSID "myWiFi".
- A wireless network extender is in the outbuilding with SSID "myWiFi-ext".
- A wireless network extender in "repeater" mode is placed at the driveway entrance with SSID "myWiFi" also.
The low frequency radio (LFR) in a Sync Module has excellent range, but it only sends commands to the camera unit. Blink cameras and other Blink devices send their data to the wireless internet network in addition to the Sync Module. Ensure that all devices have at least three 'bars' of connectivity when viewed in the Blink App. Note that the Sync Module connectivity icon for signal strength does not indicate a camera's connection to Wi-Fi.
What is a Wireless Network Extender?
A wireless network extender helps expand the coverage of your wireless network. There are many extenders on the market. Often an extender shares the primary network and automatically self-assigns a network name (known as an SSID or service set Identifier) by adding "-ext" to the name. For example, "myWiFi-ext". Blink systems recognize an SSID with "-ext" or "-EXT" as identical to the main SSID when you are setting them up.
Other extenders can be set up in "repeater" mode that appears identical to the main network.
Note: The older cameras Blink XT and Indoor (gen 1) do not recognize an SSID with added "-ext".