Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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jharj
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have tried setting up the Arlo Doorbell to my existing connections.  Like other users have stated, there's a constant buzzing on 1 and 3 with nothing on 2.  The solutions I've seen on here indicate a Traditional Chime toggle switch in the settings for the doorbell, which I do not have on my app. 

 

Under customize, I only have the Silent Mode option.  When that is active I get the Incoming Call option. 

Nothing I do brings up the Traditional Chime option. 

 

If I enter the device settings, the first section only has Battery, Connected To, and Device info.  No Traditional Chime option there either. 

 

Is there something I'm missing?

 

155 REPLIES 155
RTTKM
Aspirant
Aspirant

I've been experiencing the same.  Tranditional chime won't work; iOS app does not even show the option.  Desktop and Android show the setting, but it is disable and unable to toggle on.  So we have purchased a doorbell that doesn't ring.  Oh -- maybe that's the answer...Ring.....!

guyeccles
Guide
Guide

Please see my previous posts - the doorbell will not currently work with an existtng chime or with Aamazon Alexa in the UK. Netgear are fully aware of these problems but only seem to be interested in keeping comments off social media (you only seem to get a response if you post on facebook etc - tho' even then there's no sign of a solution).  It's really dishonest of them

Hotsparks
Apprentice
Apprentice

iOS will currently not setup the mechanical chime. You have to use Android.  In my case luckily I had an old Kindle laying around and that worked. I had a couple of people on here tell me that after I posted my problem. 

guyeccles
Guide
Guide
Android wouldn’t work for me and arlo tech help told me neither ios and android work now (this was last week don’t know if anything has changed in last few days).
Hotsparks
Apprentice
Apprentice

iOS will currently not setup the mechanical chime in the US. You have to use Android.  In my case luckily I had an old Kindle laying around and that worked. I had a couple of people on here tell me that after I posted my problem

guyeccles
Guide
Guide

I think geography matters.  Neither IOS nor Android work in UK but as Hotsparks has said it is different in US.  There's really no excuse for the total lack of transparency coming from Netgear 

Hotsparks
Apprentice
Apprentice

What gets me is I had called tech support and she was apparently front line support is unaware this was a known issue.  Didn’t even ask what OS I was using. She said she was escalating the issue. FYI Their escalation consist of an email reply.  However it’s been a couple of weeks, and I have yet to hear from them. 

 

Hotsparks
Apprentice
Apprentice

If you in the UK cannot use either OS, I’m guessing your just out of luck? I’m betting there not even giving you a price break on their chime. 

guyeccles
Guide
Guide

Nope.  And they continue to advertise on Amazon etc that the doorbell works with existing chime and with Alexa.  Completely misleading purchasers (like me!).  Then as you say the support process essentially just seems to be an acknowledgement process.  Couldn't be further from “Smart Home”

HakunaMatata
Initiate
Initiate

i found the Traditional Chime setting on the website (not the app) but it doesnt allow me to connect it, its stuck on disconnect... very frustrating. 

sergiomf
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have same problem

akathol
Tutor
Tutor

I got my Arlo Audio Doorbell installed today, but the doorbell does not work with my mechanical doorbell. I have tried toggling the 2 and 3 but to no avail. I have read the troubleshooting posted here in the community and I am experiencing similar problems as others with regards to the app. I am unable to select traditional chime under settings of the Chime. You can't even click on the Chime and go any further with the app. Netgear please fix this. I then went on the www.arlo.netgear.com website to fix this problem and all I see is Traditional Chime: Disconnected. 

 

I know my existing mechanical doorbell chime works with the Arlo Audio Doorbell because I have heard the chime ring when I insert the doorbell button into the battery cover. I hear the "Ding" on the chimes and then when I barely pull the doorbell button out of the battery cover, I hear the "Dong". Therefore, this audio doorbell does not appear to be working with my traditional chimes, which is unfortunate because I would like to hear the chime, because sometimes I mute my Android phone and therefore, will not hear the doorbell call me if my smartphone is not within reach of me. Does anyone have a workaround solution to this problem or does Netgear plan to remedy this in the updated firmware? Please help.

 

 

guyeccles
Guide
Guide

Hi Akathol

I (and many others!) have exactly the same issues.  I am in the UK and believe this affects my problems so please bear this in mind regarding my response as follows:

  • I don't beleve there is any workaround currently
  • After much pushing Netgear have told me they are planning to release a firmware update either late July or early August.  
  • Netgear have known all about this for months.  The Support isn't effective at all in my experience.  The only time you seem to get through to Netgear is if you are in a public space like their FB page.  You then get told they "really care about this etc" and asked to go private to discuss.  Despite this however no practical benefit has emerged yet.  The lack of progress, continuing to advertise the product as working with existing chimes, and lack of any transparency to customers about what is happening so that we are left in forums like this to try and work/guess our way through is contemptible.
  • There is the same flaw in trying to connect the doorbell with Alexa (also advertised as a feature), which I was told by Netgear has been a problem for over 6 months but there is no fix for to date.  This indicates how important this is being taken...
  • All told this moves my trust in the Netgear brand from having been high based on using their security cameras which work well, to rock bottom (alongisde Ryanair)

Sorry to not have better news to convey but I hope this at least fills some of the communication void

jayhova1
Guide
Guide

I was finally able to activate my existing chime functionality by using the Android version of the app.  I'm not sure if this is working for everyone or not.   It still may not be working with Alexa however (it did before).  I'll have to double check that functionality.

 

The unfortuante thing is the Netgear support folks had no clue and I had to point them to this thread.  They still then proceeded to ask me the standard questions to troubleshoot while ignoring this huge bug... <sigh>

Hotsparks
Apprentice
Apprentice

That’s what I had to do, use an old kindle (Android) to set it up. I say that earlier in this thread. However front line support was not aware of this issue. They said they were exculpating it but have yet to here back in 3 weeks. However two people that did get a response from an exculation showed that they were aware of the problem. 

RTTKM
Aspirant
Aspirant
FIXED!
Downloaded Arlo app onto Chromebook. Kept hub and camera up and running, but removed doorbell. Factory reset doorbell. Reinstalled via app on Chromebook. All synced up and manual doorbell now works!
Plainfun3
Initiate
Initiate
I can 100% say the android trick does work.

I spent the last two hours trying to figure out why it was not working.

How to make it work. Remove device from you’re system in the app. Download the app on a android device, and login.

Go to add device and take the doorbell and hold the sync button by the batteries for about 10 seconds. It will flash rapidly.

Once the device is added go through the same setup as before but using the android. And magically
My traditional chime
Works.

I even deleted the app off my android and only have it on my iPhone and it’s still working correctly.
guyeccles
Guide
Guide

Are you in the UK?

Lecorps4fun
Aspirant
Aspirant
Thank god! For the community. Got my mechanical chime working today. Hopefully Neatgear does not break it with future updates.
akathol
Tutor
Tutor

No. In the USA. I have an Android Samsung S6 Smartphone. Does not work on the smartphone app or online when using Google Chrome. Doorbell feature does not work with a traditional doorbell. Sad because I would like to hear my doorbell in case I have my smartphone on vibrate or silence. You pay over $60+ taxes and you don't get what is advertised.

 

akathol
Tutor
Tutor

I did exactly what you did.

 

1) I deleted the app on my Android smartphone, then re-downloaded the app on my smartphone.

2) I reset the doorbell to factory settings by pressing the sync button for 10-seconds (located between the batteries)

 

Conclusion: Did not work. 

 

You were just lucky I guess to get yours working.


Here is the problem: there is no way to select a traditional doorbell.

akathol
Tutor
Tutor

I did exactly what you did.

 

1) I deleted the app on my Android smartphone, then re-downloaded the app on my smartphone.

2) I reset the doorbell to factory settings by pressing the sync button for 10-seconds (located between the batteries)

 

Conclusion: Did not work. 

 

You were just lucky I guess to get yours working.


Here is the problem: there is no way to select a traditional doorbell.

Toketa80
Initiate
Initiate
I found a solution:

I had purchased the doorbell this Monday and have been trying to get it to work since then but ran into the same problems as all of you. I even chatted with Arlo for an hour and they kept asking me random questions that had no bearing on the real issue (what is the voltage of my mechanical doorbell). As you work through the troubleshooting on why it doesn’t trigger, they ask you to make sure the silent mode is turned off. But this is the exact solution actually resides. Turns out they have MOVED the mechanical trigger toggle switch to a subheading UNDER the silent mode and is only seen when you enable the silent mode. Once you enable silent mode, toggle the incoming call and the mechanical chime and it will work. Hope it works out for you as it did me.
mwcruise
Aspirant
Aspirant

So I tried setting up through both the hard sync (pushing buttons) as well as through the iOS app. 

 

The mechanical chime will not work. 

 

When I look at the doorbell though the website it says:

Traditional Chime - Disconnected

 

how can I change this? Similar to others, setting 1 and 3 yields a constant buzzing sound from the mechanical bell, but on setting 2 there is no sound from the mechanical bell. 

 

Interestingly the Traditional Chime line is on the website interface but on the iOS app. 

DMBATIN
Initiate
Initiate
FIX* Same prob with iOS setting up. IOS mobile phone with apple is a slightly different app then on ipad, the ipad version allows you to select tradition chime and gives you the option, the phone version does not. The setting on the actually doorbell was set on #2., #3 caused a grinding motion on the actual door bell chime mechanism in my closet.