Do Eufy Cameras Need HomeBase?

By Trae Jacobs,

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External cameras are great for your home to help you monitor your surroundings and know when criminals are trying to break in. HomeBase is a WiFi repeater that is useful in transmitting signals through long distances and tight corners. Many potential Eufy camera buyers want to know, “Do Eufy Cameras need HomeBase?”

All external Eufy Cameras need HomeBase to work correctly. The only exceptions are Eufy Indoor cams, baby monitoring devices, and wired doorbells. All other Eufy devices must use HomeBase or they won’t be able to function properly.

There is an important reason why WiFi extenders like HomeBase are required for all Eufy Cams. Read on to find out what WiFi extenders help with in-home security, why HomeBase is needed for all Eufy Cams, and how to set them up in your home.

What is HomeBase?

HomeBase is a WiFi repeater (also called WiFi extender or wireless range extender). The main job of a WiFi repeater is to extend the distance your WiFi signal can travel.

So if you have security cameras scattered all over the building, the HomeBase WiFi extender can extend the WiFi signal from the router to all the cameras.

HomeBase is a device created by Eufy to work with all Eufy cameras, except the indoor cameras. If you would like to learn about Indoor Eufy cameras, check out this article.

Why are WiFi Extenders like HomeBase Needed for External Cameras?

When placing external cameras all over the house, you need a wireless signal to transmit all images and videos recorded to a safe storage device, so that you don’t lose them even if someone takes them down.

A regular router could work, but depending on the size of the house, it might not go far enough. Also, some cameras might get hidden behind walls, and wireless signals cannot penetrate. WiFi extenders help increase the wireless signal range so that cameras all over the house can connect to the WiFi and transmit the required data smoothly.

HomeBase Saves Power & Strengthens Connection

There is a good reason for this. eufyCam tries to reduce power consumption by using proprietary power-saving WiFi and low-frequency wireless protocols to communicate.

If they decide to use high-frequency wireless protocols to communicate, the power consumption would be too much, and devices using batteries wouldn’t last long. Using proprietary power-saving WiFi also means that connecting eufyCams to a regular WiFi network is not efficient enough to establish a secure connection.

The solution? WiFi repeaters. Eufy HomeBase makes it possible for you to establish a secure wireless connection even with low-frequency wireless protocols. All Eufy cameras are compatible with HomeBase and HomeBase 2, except the indoor cams.

What Eufy Products Must Be Used With HomeBase?

Eufy specifically states on their website that these products must be used with Homebase:

eufyCam
eufyCam E
eufyCam 2
eufyCam 2C
eufyCam 2 Pro
eufyCam 2C Pro

This means that no external camera would work without first connecting to a HomeBase or HomeBase 2.

How to Connect Eufy HomeBase to WiFi

To connect your Eufy HomeBase to a wireless router, there are a few steps you should follow. They are explained below.

Connect the HomeBase using the Ethernet Cable

You can use an Ethernet cable to connect the HomeBase to the router and use clips to hold the cable in place to the wall or ceiling. Here’s how:

Take your HomeBase power adapter and plug it into the HomeBase.
Connect the other side to your wall socket.
When the LED light comes on, it means the HomeBase is turned on.
Plug the Ethernet cable into the RJ45 plug on your router. It is usually located at the back of the router.
When you have connected the ethernet cable to your router, connect it to your HomeBase too.
When your HomeBase light turns white, you can connect it to your phone through the Eufy Security app.
You can pair your phone with your HomeBase by selecting the HomeBase device on the app and connecting your phone WiFi to the same router you connect the HomeBase to.

Now, let’s move on to connecting the Eufy HomeBase without an ethernet cable.

Connect Without the Ethernet Cable

Now that you’ve set up the HomeBase through ethernet, you can get rid of the Ethernet cable and connect it to the WiFi. Here’s how:

Go to the Eufy app and click on “Connection.”
The app will say “Ethernet Connected.”
You can connect your HomeBase to the WiFi by clicking on WiFi setup in the connection settings.
Enter your WiFi password and connect.
Your HomeBase is now connected to the WiFi.

When this is done, you can unplug the HomeBase from the wall socket and move it to another location. The device will tell you that it is now in WiFi repeater mode and running on the backup battery.