The ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera (wired) is powered by doorbell wiring and reaches your network over wifi, so offline problems are either power or connection. It has two LED lights, an indicator below the lens and a large loop around the button, and it plays a voice to help with setup and other processes, and ecobee's lights and sounds article maps each pattern to a state, including errors. Read the lights first: they tell you whether the doorbell has power, is connecting, has connected or has an error.
The checks in more detail
If the doorbell is dark, check power: ecobee's compatibility information says the transformer must supply 16 to 24 VAC with at least 10 VA, ideally 16 VAC 10 VA or 24 VAC 20 VA, so an old or weak doorbell transformer, a loose wire or a tripped breaker can leave it offline. If the lights show it is powered but offline, use the wifi steps: restart the router and modem, check signal strength where the doorbell hangs and move the router or add an extender, keep to a network the doorbell supports and retype the password.
The app can show the connection state and you can reconnect through the app. If you changed your router or password, connect again. As a last resort use the factory reset described in the lights and sounds article and set it up again. Contact ecobee support if it stays offline. Photograph the light pattern and note the time it went offline, since the pair usually names the state faster than any setting. If it drops only at night, check for a scheduled router restart or a change in a neighboring network.
Contact support with the model, light pattern and transformer rating ready. When several devices in the house lose wifi together, the router or provider is the cause, and when only the doorbell does, its position or power is, so count how many are affected before you change anything. ecobee's lights article maps each pattern of the indicator and loop to a state, so photograph the lights while the fault is happening, because a description from memory afterwards rarely matches the pattern the article lists.
Differential
Likely causes of “ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera is offline or unavailable”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A weak or old transformer
What separates it The doorbell has no power or is offline because the transformer is weak or old
How to confirm Check that the transformer supplies 16 to 24 volts AC and at least 10 VA, and replace it if not
- 2
A loose wire
What separates it The power to the doorbell comes and goes because a wire is loose
How to confirm Reseat the wires at the doorbell and at the transformer, and check that each one is correct
- 3
A weak wifi signal
What separates it The doorbell has power but is offline because the wifi signal at the door is weak
How to confirm Move the router closer, or add an extender or a mesh node near the front door
- 4
A changed router or password
What separates it The doorbell went offline after you changed the router or the wifi password
How to confirm Reconnect the doorbell through the ecobee app, using the new network name and password
- 5
A stuck state
What separates it The doorbell is unresponsive because it is stuck in a bad state
How to confirm Restart the doorbell first, and reset it only if a restart does not bring it back
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The voltage and VA rating of the transformer
- Any change to the router or the wifi password
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedRead the lights
ReversibleRead the lights, using ecobee's lights and sounds article, which explains what each pattern means.
Check the transformer
ReversibleCheck the transformer, which must supply 16 to 24 volts AC with at least 10 VA of power.
Check the wiring
ReversibleCheck the wiring at the doorbell and the transformer, so that every wire is tight and correct.
Check wifi
ReversibleCheck the wifi signal and password, and make sure the doorbell is joined to the right network.
Restart router and modem
ReversibleRestart the router and the modem, then wait for their lights to settle before you test again.
Reconnect in the app
ReversibleReconnect the doorbell in the app if it does not rejoin the network after the restart.
Factory reset
ReversibleFactory reset the doorbell only as a last resort, since it erases its settings and network details.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Wired
- Powered by doorbell wiring.
- Plug-in
- Can use a plug-in transformer without an in-home chime.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If it stays offline after wiring and wifi checks, contact ecobee support
- !If the transformer is the fault, have it replaced
- !If you are unsure about the wiring, hire a qualified electrician to check it
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Light and voice patterns.
Wiring.
Troubleshooting topic.
General ecobee wifi steps.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
What does it need for power?+
It needs 16 to 24 volts AC from a transformer that supplies at least 10 VA of power.
How many lights does it have?+
It has two lights, an indicator under the lens and a loop of light around the button.
Does it speak?+
Yes, it speaks voice prompts during setup and to tell you what it is doing.
Can the transformer cause offline?+
Yes, a weak or old transformer can cause it to lose power and drop offline.
Do I need wifi?+
Yes, it needs wifi for live view, alerts and recordings, so a loss of wifi takes it offline.
Is the ecobee doorbell wired or battery powered?+
The Smart Doorbell Camera is wired, so it needs power from an existing doorbell transformer or from a plug in transformer.
What transformer does it need?+
It needs a transformer that supplies 16 to 24 volts AC with at least 10 VA, which is the range that ecobee lists for it.
Does it speak during setup?+
Yes, it plays voice prompts during setup, which tell you what step you have reached and when it is connected.
What is Two-Way Talk?+
Two-Way Talk lets you speak to a visitor through the doorbell from the app, and hear their reply through its microphone.
What is an Activity Zone?+
An Activity Zone is a custom area of the camera's view where motion and people are detected, while the rest is ignored.