So I got this gogoal cam last Tuesday and figured I’d share how I set it up. Wasn’t too bad once I got rolling, but man those instructions? Total garbage. Let me walk you through what actually worked.
Unboxing chaos
Ripped open the box and dumped everything on my kitchen table. Found the camera itself, a power adapter, this little mounting bracket, and like seventeen different cables. The quick start guide showed just three parts though. Already confusing as heck. Took me five minutes just to match the cables to the right ports.
Power struggle
Plugged it into the wall and waited for the blue light. Nothing happened. Jiggled the power cord – still dark. Then I noticed this tiny switch on the adapter itself. Flipped it and boom! Light came on. Why don’t they mention this in the manual?
Phone app nightmare
Downloaded their app and created an account. Tapped “add device” about twenty times before it actually showed the camera. Had to hold my phone weirdly close while it made these alien scanning noises. Thought my neighbors would call the cops. Eventually got a green checkmark after the third try.
Mounting mayhem
Decided to put it above my garage door. The screws they included? Too short for my wall. Ended up using some old drywall anchors from my toolbox. Took three attempts to get the angle right – first pointed at the sky, second at my shoes. Finally got it aimed down the driveway properly.
WiFi wars
Here’s where things got ugly. The app kept saying connection failed. Restarted my router twice. Walked around my house holding the camera like some tech wizard ritual. Finally noticed my 5GHz network was the problem. Switched it to the slower 2.4GHz band and suddenly it connected. Why don’t they warn about this?
Total setup time? About two hours including coffee breaks and one minor tantrum. Moral of the story: ignore half the instructions, use your own screws, and always choose 2.4GHz networks. Now I’ve got crisp footage of squirrels stealing my birdseed!