Reolink Camera IP Address Keeps Resetting: How to Fix It for Good

A Reolink camera whose IP address keeps changing or resetting is almost always a router-side DHCP issue rather than a camera fault, since the camera itself doesn’t randomly reassign its own address. Here’s how to diagnose it and lock the address down for good.

Why the IP Address Keeps Changing

• Most home routers assign IP addresses dynamically via DHCP, and a lease can expire and reassign a different address after a router reboot or extended downtime
• If the camera’s Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection drops and reconnects, it may rejoin the network and receive a new address from the DHCP pool
• Some routers reset DHCP leases entirely after a firmware update or factory reset, affecting every device on the network at once

Fixing It With a DHCP Reservation

The most reliable fix is reserving a fixed IP address for the camera’s MAC address in your router’s settings, so it always receives the same address regardless of DHCP lease cycles.

1. Find the camera’s MAC address, either printed on the device or visible in the Reolink app’s device information screen
2. Log into your router’s admin panel and find the DHCP reservation or “Address Reservation” section
3. Add an entry pairing the camera’s MAC address with your chosen fixed IP address
4. Restart the camera so it picks up the reserved address on its next connection

A DHCP reservation is almost always the better fix compared to setting a fully static IP directly on the camera itself — it keeps the address consistent while still letting the router manage the network normally, and avoids IP conflicts if you later add other devices.

Setting a Static IP Directly on the Camera

If your router doesn’t support DHCP reservations, you can instead set a static IP directly in the camera’s own network settings within the Reolink app or web client.

• Choose an IP address outside your router’s DHCP pool range to avoid conflicts with other devices
• Match the subnet mask and gateway address to the rest of your network
• Double check no other device on the network is already using that same address

Other Things Worth Checking

• Weak Wi-Fi signal at the camera’s location can cause frequent disconnects that look like IP resets
• Router firmware bugs on some models occasionally cause DHCP tables to reset unexpectedly; check for a router firmware update
• If using an NVR, confirm the NVR itself isn’t reassigning camera addresses on its own internal network

For camera-specific network settings, see Reolink’s official support center.

How to Find Your Camera’s Current IP Address

Before setting a reservation or static address, confirm what address the camera is actually using right now. Open the Reolink app, select the camera, go to Device Settings, then Network Information, and note the IP, subnet mask, and gateway listed there. If you use a desktop, the Reolink Client software shows the same details along with the camera’s MAC address, which you’ll need for the router-side reservation.

You can also check directly from your router’s admin panel, usually under a “Connected Devices” or “DHCP Client List” page, which lists every device on the network along with its current IP and MAC address. Matching the MAC address shown there against the one in the Reolink app confirms you’re looking at the right device, especially useful if you have more than one camera on the same network.

Preventing the Problem From Coming Back

Once the address is locked down, a few habits keep it from drifting again. Avoid factory-resetting your router unless necessary, since that typically clears all DHCP reservations at once and forces you to redo them for every device. If you replace your router entirely, plan to re-enter the camera’s MAC address reservation on the new hardware rather than assuming it carries over automatically, since most routers don’t migrate these settings during a swap.

• Label your DHCP reservations clearly with device names so future changes don’t accidentally overlap with the camera’s address
• Keep a written note of the camera’s MAC address and reserved IP somewhere outside the router itself, in case you need to reconfigure after a hardware replacement
• If you use port forwarding rules tied to the camera’s IP, recheck them after any router firmware update, since some updates reset forwarding tables alongside DHCP leases

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a static IP break remote access through the Reolink app?

No, remote access through Reolink’s Cloud/P2P relay works independently of whether the camera has a static or dynamic local IP.

Does this issue mean the camera hardware is failing?

Rarely; changing IP addresses is almost always a network configuration issue rather than a hardware problem.

Can two devices end up with the same IP address?

Yes, if a static IP overlaps with the router’s DHCP pool, causing conflicts; always choose an address outside that range.

Does this affect NVR-connected cameras the same way?

Cameras connected directly to a PoE NVR typically get addresses from the NVR’s own internal network, which behaves a bit differently than a standard home router’s DHCP.

What happens if I forget to reserve an IP before a router reset?

The camera simply receives a new dynamic address from DHCP, and you’ll need to look it up again in the Reolink app or router’s device list before re-creating the reservation.

Conclusion

A Reolink camera’s IP address resetting is almost always fixable with a DHCP reservation on your router, which is more reliable long-term than a manual static IP set directly on the camera. Once locked down, port forwarding rules, NVR configurations, and any other IP-dependent settings stay stable going forward.