Quick answer: Download the app, connect to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, choose a placement with a wide clear view, then configure motion alerts — the whole setup takes about 10 minutes.
Most pet cameras only work on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, not 5GHz. If your router broadcasts both bands with the same name, your phone may be connected to 5GHz during setup and the camera won't find the network. Connect your phone to the 2.4GHz band specifically before starting the camera setup.
Mount the camera 6-8 feet high and angle it down to cover maximum floor area. Avoid pointing it directly at windows — backlighting washes out the image even on bright cameras. Place it where your pet actually spends time, not where you think they should be.
Set motion sensitivity to medium first and adjust based on how many alerts you get. Configure alert zones to focus on specific areas — a door, a couch — rather than the whole frame. Enable automatic night vision so the camera switches modes without manual input.
The 2.4GHz versus 5GHz Wi-Fi issue causes most setup failures. Get that right first and the rest is straightforward.