I'd like to control my Nikon Z6 wirelessly but haven't had any luck.
The Z6 can connect to my wifi network - I see it in the router's admin pages, it's getting an IP address. Helicon Remote finds it as a Network Camera, but then says "the camera refused to connect" and tells me to clear all my wifi configuration in the camera, reconnect etc. But that doesn't help. I need more information about what's going wrong.
I don't see anything in the Z6 menu system that relates specifically to enabling remote control; it seems like connecting to wifi should be sufficient.
Ideas, anyone?
Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
As far as we know, this problem occurs when some other software already connected to the camera before Helicon Remote. The solution is to clear the settings so that Helicon Remote is the first to connect.
Can you try a direct connection instead of via your existing network?
Can you try a direct connection instead of via your existing network?
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
I'm bumping this because I'd really like to be able to remotely control the camera over wifi. A USB connection works, but it's too difficult for me to have a cable in my setup.
I've reset the network settings on the camera, re-added it to Helicon Remote. No other camera-related software is running on my PC. but nothing changes; HR still says "the camera refused to connect". I have no other information for troubleshooting, as far as I know.
It seem to me like this feature of HR just doesn't work, at least with a Nikon Z6. I basically want to know if I'm wasting my time trying to debug this.
Has ANYONE had success with a Nikon over WiFi?
I've reset the network settings on the camera, re-added it to Helicon Remote. No other camera-related software is running on my PC. but nothing changes; HR still says "the camera refused to connect". I have no other information for troubleshooting, as far as I know.
It seem to me like this feature of HR just doesn't work, at least with a Nikon Z6. I basically want to know if I'm wasting my time trying to debug this.
Has ANYONE had success with a Nikon over WiFi?
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Are you connecting through your existing Wi-Fi network rather than directly to the camera?
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Yes, or trying to. I enable wifi on the camera via "Connect to PC", it connects to my network. In the router's administration pages, I see the camera as a client with an IP. I open HR, and "add" the camera by IP, this appears to be successful. I then click "select a camera" and see Z6 as the only choice; I check that box, and then get the message that the camera refused to connect.
I have no other applications running on the PC; I guess it's possible that Windows has tried to access the camera, but I don't think I can prevent that.
The other Nikon option is "connect to smart device" - the camera then becomes an access point. But the interface in HR for adding a network camera expects an IP address. Am I missing something?
The "Help" for HR includes these instructions for Nikon wifi:
Clear the Wi-Fi settings in the camera body: menu -> Setup menu -> Wi-Fi -> Network settings -> Reset network settings. Then activate Wi-Fi (same menu -> Network connection: ON)
However those instructions don't correspond to the actual Z6 menu options.
I think there are some missing pieces to the puzzle; that's why I'm really just asking if anyone else is able to control a current Nikon camera over a network, by IP.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Exactly what Alvent said. Choose the "Smartphone" mode, do not add any thing manually. Check Tools - Network cameras, if the list is not empty - remove all the entries. Once you connect your PC directly to the camera, Helicon Remote will detect the camera automatically.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Sorry for the delayed reply - to try this, I had to actually add a wifi adapter to the PC I'm using with the camera. Having done that, I've gotten the connection to work, and HR can now control the camera over wifi. So thanks for the suggestion.
Here's some information that might help other Nikon users:
Nikon's networking terminology is unnecessarily confusing. The Z6 menu for networking doesn't have a "smartphone" mode. What it has, are 2 choices: "Connect to PC" and "Connect to smart device" . So if you're trying to control the camera from a PC, you might choose "connect to PC". But what these dumb labels really represent are "infrastructure mode" (camera becomes an IP client on an existing network) and "access point" mode (camera becomes a wifi access point, with a SSID).
It appears that HR can only use the Nikon remote API when the camera is in access point mode and the PC is connected to the camera's SSID. And that actually works.
Here's some information that might help other Nikon users:
Nikon's networking terminology is unnecessarily confusing. The Z6 menu for networking doesn't have a "smartphone" mode. What it has, are 2 choices: "Connect to PC" and "Connect to smart device" . So if you're trying to control the camera from a PC, you might choose "connect to PC". But what these dumb labels really represent are "infrastructure mode" (camera becomes an IP client on an existing network) and "access point" mode (camera becomes a wifi access point, with a SSID).
It appears that HR can only use the Nikon remote API when the camera is in access point mode and the PC is connected to the camera's SSID. And that actually works.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Thanks for trying that out and for the detailed explanation. Indeed, the naming of the modes is not the most precise.
We did try the infrastructure mode connection a while ago and it worked, but it's not something we test regularly or extensively. We will take a look. I understand very well that the direct "Smartphone" connection is quite inconvenient for a home or office environment.
We did try the infrastructure mode connection a while ago and it worked, but it's not something we test regularly or extensively. We will take a look. I understand very well that the direct "Smartphone" connection is quite inconvenient for a home or office environment.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Based on some posts I saw elsewhere, I think infrastructure mode ("Connect to PC") may require use of a Nikon utility on the PC side to validate the connection with a code provided by the camera. I guess the camera would then be accessible only to the validated PC. But I haven't tried this.
While connecting via wifi the access point is another hoop to jump, if you also have ethernet to your PC you can still access your home network, and the internet, while controlling a camera with HR. Windows supports 2 simultaneous network connections, via the 2 adapters (ethernet and wifi) and routes traffic to either, as appropriate. That's my setup, and it works.
While connecting via wifi the access point is another hoop to jump, if you also have ethernet to your PC you can still access your home network, and the internet, while controlling a camera with HR. Windows supports 2 simultaneous network connections, via the 2 adapters (ethernet and wifi) and routes traffic to either, as appropriate. That's my setup, and it works.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
It worked well - until one day, it didn't.
Today, HR stopped seeing the Z6. Just like that. I haven't changed anything, I swear. I tried everything, just like always - Z6 "connect to smart device", the PC sees the Nikon access point, wi-fi connects, the camera says it's connected, I can ping it from the PC.... but HR doesn't see it. Rebooted camera, rebooted PC, no other apps running, "network cameras" list is empty (as it should be), tried again, tried in different sequence, no luck.
Sadly, I fished out that long USB cable and was then able to shoot with HR.
Ideas, anyone? Does HR have some erroneous "memory" of the camera's network identity, that needs to be flushed? Maybe a Windows update knocked me out? I'm at wits' end.
Today, HR stopped seeing the Z6. Just like that. I haven't changed anything, I swear. I tried everything, just like always - Z6 "connect to smart device", the PC sees the Nikon access point, wi-fi connects, the camera says it's connected, I can ping it from the PC.... but HR doesn't see it. Rebooted camera, rebooted PC, no other apps running, "network cameras" list is empty (as it should be), tried again, tried in different sequence, no luck.
Sadly, I fished out that long USB cable and was then able to shoot with HR.
Ideas, anyone? Does HR have some erroneous "memory" of the camera's network identity, that needs to be flushed? Maybe a Windows update knocked me out? I'm at wits' end.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Please send a bug report (menu - Help - Report a bug) when the camera is connected (i. e. when your computer is connected to the camera's access point).
There is nothing that should be reset in Helicon Remote as you suggested. Once we see the report, we should be able to see what's wrong.
There is nothing that should be reset in Helicon Remote as you suggested. Once we see the report, we should be able to see what's wrong.
Re: Nikon Z6 over wifi?
Ok, thanks, I just did that. And here's some more information.Catherine wrote: ↑26.08.2023 19:56 Please send a bug report (menu - Help - Report a bug) when the camera is connected (i. e. when your computer is connected to the camera's access point).
There is nothing that should be reset in Helicon Remote as you suggested. Once we see the report, we should be able to see what's wrong.
In the HR session log, I see a lot of activity like what I've pasted below. Windows tells me that the Nikon AP has assigned my PC the IP address of 192.168.1.3 on wifi, and the default gateway for the wifi adapter is 192.168.1.1, which would be the Nikon camera itself. I can ping 192.168.1.1, but there's nothing at 192.168.1.2. HR seems to see the new IP for the PC, but then tries to connect to 192.168.1.2 instead of 198.168.1.1. That seems wrong.
:CServerList::checkWiFiNetworkDetected new IP address: 192.168.1.3
0:IP address = 192.168.1.3
6:CServerList::isNikonCameraConnected Ignoring connection with IP 192.168.1.3
5001:CHttpRequest::open : error connecting with remote socket( address = 192.168.1.2 : 49152 , sysError = 11001 , err = -1 )
0:CWftDevice::canonCanConnectWithAddress : error opening socket
4998:IP address = 192.168.1.3
4:CServerList::isNikonCameraConnected Ignoring connection with IP 192.168.1.3
5002:CHttpRequest::open : error connecting with remote socket( address = 192.168.1.2 : 49152 , sysError = 11001 , err = -1 )
0:CWftDevice::canonCanConnectWithAddress : error opening socket
105068:CServerList::checkWiFiNetwork current IP address = 0.0.0.0
70027:CServerList::checkWiFiNetworkDetected new IP address: 192.168.1.3
0:IP address = 192.168.1.3
4:CServerList::isNikonCameraConnected Ignoring connection with IP 192.168.1.3
5001:CHttpRequest::open : error connecting with remote socket( address = 192.168.1.2 : 49152 , sysError = 11001 , err = -1 )
0:CWftDevice::canonCanConnectWithAddress : error opening socket