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I bought the outside nest cam but the connector is like 3/4 around. Trying to fish that through the soffit is quite hard. I’m pretty technical but cutting the power supply and repairing on a $250 camera seems somewhat risky if I mess it up. My question is on the line that is connected to the camera if I cut it is it easy to repair?

Hi, Depending on how unobtrusive you want the power cable entry to be, the installation video for the Nest cam outdoors says to use a 7/8" drill to get the power plug through the wall etc. OR As it is only a low voltage cable, (as the adapter from the AC outlet is connected to the camera power cable by what looks like a USB type connector), my suggestion is that you open the Nest Cam camera unit, take a picture of the power cable connections then un-solder/unscrew (not sure how it is terminated in the unit) and remove the power cable from the camera unit so that you can then feed the power cable from the inside through a smaller hole in the soffit by attaching it to a stiff length of suitably sized draw wire (straightened out coat hanger and electrical tape?)and pulling it through from the outside then re-terminate the cable back in the camera unit as per the picture you took earlier. You won’t have ‘cut’ the cable per se merely disconnected and reconnected it in the camera unit. No doubt doing this will probably void the warranty but cutting and splicing the cable most probably will as well. Here is a link the the Ifixit guide on how to replace the motherboard in a Nest Cam camera unit. Hopefully it may be of some help (given that it is the same as the outdoor unit) in showing how to open the camera unit so that you can gain access to the cable connections. Nest Cam Motherboard Replacement

Thought I’d add this to help anyone who is struggling to fit this stupid design of a plug through there wall. It is a rediculous idea to put a plug on if this size especially when 99% of people are gonna want push it through the wall. Your cams are the bollox. So, fitted my 3 outdoor cams today. Cut straight thought the wires! There a 4 wires. Two main power and two in the middle for video feed and sound. All colour coded so easy to put back together! The two middles are surrounded by an earth wrap. Just twist this up into a strand. Join everything together and use good insulated tape. All 3 of mine work fine. Yes they are now not warranted . They never break. Had my last 5 cams 3 years. On constantly. Hope this helps.

I had the same problem and decided to go for cutting the cable. I first bought an USB extension cable to test the procedure. And you know what? Nest Outdoor Cam only uses the red and black power wires and not the green and white data wires. So I cut the cable, drilled an 8 mm hole and inside the house joined the red and black wires again. The cam works like a charm!

Just cut the cable myself and only had to drill a 10mm hole and then used a wire connector for added safety. I’m a DIY novice and was a little nervous but can confirm it works. Be careful with the video and audio wires as there thinner so easier to cut altogether when you just want to peel back the plastic insulating.

image before I put the connector in the box that came with it, which I then screwed to the wall (98p from Screwfix). I’ve tweeted Nest with the issue, hopefully they’ll start to offer two cables in the future.

Yes, the large, permanently attached USB connector requiring a 7/8” hole is ugly and poor design practice. Also way off the mark is Nest’s idea of using a within-reach outdoor 120 volt outlet (unless the outlet is high up under an overhang). It’s also obvious that Nest’s engineers never owned a structure and realized one has to weatherproof exterior holes to keep out moisture, insects and other varmints out of structure walls. This method is for powering your camera from inside your house. It allows relatively easy removal/replacement of the camera without modifying the permanently attached USB cable and USB plug (and probably voiding your warranty). Admittedly, it’s UGLY but it does work effectively. Materials Needed (from any good hardware store): 1” PVC LB (aka “condolet”)Tapered rubber stopper to fit the bottom hole of the LB (like what you used in high school chemistry class).Silicon rubber seal (RTV) or siliconized water-clean up caulk (“Alex Plus”). RTV is better, but a mess to apply or clean up; “Alex Plus” works quite well and can be cleaned up with water. Method: Make a clean 1-1/8” hole in your exterior wall and line up a 7/8” hole in your interior wall. Make the exterior hole just large enough so that the LB fits very tightly into the exterior wall (you may have to use a hammer gently to insert the LB into the wall). When you are satisfied with the hole, remove the LB and apply the caulking around the outside circumference of the LB hole on the back side of the LB itself. Ditto to the inside circumference of the hole you just made in your exterior wall (an index finger work best).Using a sharp knife (or even a kitchen serrated knife), make a v-shaped slot in the “side” of the rubber stopper, just deep enough for the flat camera wire to clear the “edge” of the stopper.Insert the stopper into the bottom hole of the LB.One the camera is tested and exterior cable clamps are in place, you can cover the inside hole using a single-gang blank outlet plate. Simply file a small notch for the flat cable at the bottom of the plate. You can attach the plate to the wall using small sheet metal screws, or more professionally attach the plate to the wall, using a “single-gang low voltage box”: https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Betts-SC10…

I want to go through the wall and then extend the wire 200ft to the end of my yard. Q = Do you think there will be any issues with power that distance? Q= Would I be better putting some kind of car battery down there? for the power wires? Q = which 2 are the power wires? Obviously I also have to extend my wifi range… Thanks Ben Montclair USA.

Has anyone tried this method? It looks a little more complicated but the end result would be much cleaner? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQY4hHRP… This way you only need to drill a hole as wide as the width of the data cable and once you reattach the leads to the camera you can avoid splicing.

My Outdoor Nest Camera cutting and splicing 25 foot power cord to end up with 12 inch cord that Google can’t make!

I replaced the USB connector on a Nest Outdoor camera. You only need to splice the red and black wires. If it helps you, you can read through those steps here: Nest Outdoor Camera USB Cable Replacement