To keep your home secure, having a smart outdoor camera is often one of the first things you should purchase. However, some smart cameras, like the WYZE Cam Outdoor, may require additional components (in this case, the Base Station) before they’re completely ready to monitor the premises. But is the Base Station required to use the WYZE camera?

Unless you plan to use the WYZE Cam Outdoor right outside your door, it must be connected to the Base Station to get the most out of it. The Base Station functions as a Wi-Fi access point that extends the range of the WYZE Cam Outdoor and binds it to the Base Station for security.

How WYZE outdoor cameras are used varies from person to person, but it will be important to understand how the WYZE Cam Outdoor works with the Base Station so that you can get the most out of the device.

Should I Use the Base Station with WYZE Cam Outdoor?

The important thing to consider before purchasing the WYZE Cam Outdoor with the accompanying Base Station is how you plan on using the device. If it is solely going to be used near your home, WYZE offers a host of options that may be better tailored to your usage.

If you plan to use the WYZE Cam Outdoor the way it was intended, in most cases, you’ll want to have it connected to the Base Station. The Base Station expands the versatility of the WYZE Cam Outdoor and allows users to have greater peace of mind about the security of their security camera.

What Does the Base Station Do for WYZE Cameras?

The Base Station allows WYZE camera users to connect all of their devices with one access point. Rather than connecting multiple devices to your Wi-Fi router, you can just connect all of them to the Base Station with an Ethernet cable (or via Wi-Fi).

From there, all that’s left is to set up your WYZE cameras and select the Base Station that you have connected.

As for the number of cameras that you can connect, up to four WYZE cameras can be connected at any time to the Base Station. According to WYZE, this is the largest number that provides a stable live-stream connection (Source: WYZE).

Once connected, the Base Station provides a wider range of functions for the WYZE camera owner to select from, including the offline video recording mode of the WYZE Cam Outdoor.

Benefits of Using the Base Station with the WYZE Cam Outdoor

So, if the WYZE Cam Outdoor can function with an offline video recording mode, why is there even a need for the Base Station?

Though the WYZE Cam Outdoor can function in offline recording mode without a Base Station (assuming you have a MicroSD for your device), users will miss out on many of the features that let the WYZE Cam Outdoor shine:

  • The Base Station provides a way for the WYZE Cam Outdoor to have a more reliable range, which allows you to be more flexible with camera placement. In offline mode, you lose access to the 24/7 streaming capacity of the device, but the Base Station increases your ability to monitor your premises.Since the WYZE Cam Outdoor is meant to be placed in more publicly accessible areas, there’s always a possibility of an unwanted visitor stealing your camera. Connecting your WYZE Cam Outdoor to a Base Station binds the camera to the Base Station and prevents it from being added to anyone else’s account unless the original user removes it from his or her account.Having the Base Station improves the offline features of the WYZE Cam Outdoor. The Base Station functions as a local backup for the recordings of the WYZE Cam Outdoor so that, in the event of a theft, you retain possession of all the footage captured on your device.In Travel Mode (which is part of the offline video recording mode for the WYZE Cam Outdoor), the Base Station allows you still have access to the live stream without internet access (Source: WYZE). This means that so long as your WYZE Cam Outdoor is powered and connected to the Base Station, you’ll be able to view the live stream with or without the internet.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re using the WYZE Cam Outdoor to monitor your property or for wildlife observation, it’s important that you have the Base Station so that you can access all of the camera’s features. 

It’s true that the WYZE Cam Outdoor has many offline video recording options and functions well in any type of weather condition (as long as it is connected to a power source). However, if you want to get the most out of this device, then having an extra layer of functionality from the Base Station would be wise.