nest cam outdoor wired won't connect to wifi during setup, just keeps spinning and failing

Diagnosis

The "infinite spinning" or connection failure during the Google Nest Cam Outdoor Wired setup is typically caused by a handshake failure between the Google Home app and the camera's internal temporary setup SSID. During the provisioning phase, the camera broadcasts its own local Wi-Fi signal to receive your home network credentials. If your smartphone is configured to automatically switch to the "strongest" signal or uses "Adaptive Wi-Fi," it will detect that the Nest Cam's temporary network has no internet access and will silently jump back to your LTE/5G data or your home Wi-Fi, severing the connection before the credentials can be transmitted. Additionally, this failure is frequently triggered by 2.4GHz and 5GHz band steering. The Nest Cam Outdoor Wired requires a stable 2.4GHz connection for the initial handshake. If your router uses a single SSID for both bands (Smart Connect), the camera may attempt to authenticate on the 5GHz band, which has a shorter range and poorer penetration through exterior walls, leading to a timeout and the spinning wheel of death. You can confirm this by checking if your phone is on 5G/LTE during the setup process; if the phone drops the "NestCam-XXXX" connection immediately after the QR code scan, the OS is overriding the setup process.

How to Fix It

To resolve this, you must isolate the connection and clear the cached setup data. Follow these precise steps:

1. Perform a hard factory reset. Locate the reset button on the back or bottom of the camera. Press and hold it for exactly 12 seconds. You will hear a chime and the status light will pulse; wait until the light turns solid before proceeding.
2. Disable "Mobile Data" in your smartphone settings. This prevents the phone from switching to 5G/LTE when it realizes the camera's setup Wi-Fi doesn't have internet.
3. Go to your phone's Wi-Fi settings and "Forget" any network starting with "NestCam-". If you see one currently connected, disconnect it manually.
4. Force stop the Google Home app and clear the app cache (Android: Settings > Apps > Google Home > Storage > Clear Cache; iOS: Swipe up and kill the app).
5. Restart your router to clear the DHCP table, ensuring there are no IP address conflicts for new devices.
6. Launch the Google Home app and start the "Add Device" process again. When prompted to scan the QR code, ensure you are within 3 feet of the camera.
7. When the app asks to connect to the camera's Wi-Fi, accept the prompt and stay on the screen. Do not switch apps or lock your phone until the "Connecting to network" phase is 100% complete.

If That Didn't Work

• Separate your Wi-Fi bands. Log into your router admin panel (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and disable "Smart Connect" or "Band Steering." Create two distinct SSIDs: one for 2.4GHz (e.g., "Home_Wifi_2.4") and one for 5GHz. Connect your phone to the 2.4GHz network and attempt the setup again.
• Adjust the Firewall/DNS settings. Ensure that ports 80 and 443 are open for outbound traffic. If you are using a custom DNS like Pi-hole or AdGuard, temporarily disable it, as these can block the Google registration servers during the activation phase.
• Test with a Mobile Hotspot. To determine if the issue is your router or the camera hardware, set up a mobile hotspot on a second phone using the same SSID and password as your home Wi-Fi. If the camera connects to the hotspot, the issue is your router's security settings (likely WPA3 encryption, which some older Nest firmware versions struggle with—switch to WPA2-AES).
• Check Power Delivery. Ensure the camera is plugged into the original Google power adapter. If you are using a third-party PoE injector or a long extension cable, the voltage drop may be enough to keep the camera powered on but not enough to maintain a stable Wi-Fi radio connection during the high-power setup phase.

Heads Up

• Avoid using special characters (like !, @, #, $) in your Wi-Fi SSID or password, as this can cause authentication loops in the Nest Cam's firmware.
• Ensure the camera is not mounted directly against a metal surface or siding, as this creates a Faraday cage effect that severely degrades the Wi-Fi signal.
• Keep the Google Home app updated to the latest version; Google frequently pushes "invisible" patches to the setup flow to fix these exact connectivity bugs.
• If the status light is blinking red during setup, it indicates a hardware failure or a power surge; unplug the device for 60 seconds before attempting another reset.