Arlo Baby frequently disconnects every 30 minutes

[Megannolet12]

My Arlo Baby monitor has been displaying the message that it is no longer connected after about 30 minutes of being displayed on the tablet. It used to disconnect every now and then but would immediately reconnect and start streaming again. Now it will “disconnect” and will not start streaming again until I exit the app and re-enter it. I know it is not an internet issue because I can stream it on my phone even though it’s saying there is no connection on the tablet. I am preparing for baby #2 and would love to get another Arlo but do not want to waste my money if this issue is not fixable.

[StopTheCrash13]

Yes

[StopTheCrash13]

Ok I will try to create a WiFi5 connection today.

[StopTheCrash13]

So that’s very interesting. We had the 30min timeout happen once in a blue moon. But the continuous reconnecting started last fall/winter and has continued through the latest firmware updates

[frfg]

Things get a bit better when I have only the main router plugged in. But I still have connection issues and from time to time the app doesn't understand it is in the same network as the devices I'm using to live stream to. Also, i don't think it makes a lot of sense for the Arlo baby not to function properly in a mesh network. It was a smaller issue when there was no time limit to the live stream to begin with. Now, if Arlo i doesn't reconsider a decision that clearly hurts their clients, the best scenario is that they will be trying to solve a problem that they just created.

[ShayneS]

Hello all,

I am investigating these reports and have an additional question. May I ask which Router/Mesh system you are using when you are experiencing these disconnects?

Thank You

[frfg]

Sure, this is my router Nighthawk Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh System: https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/mesh/mk62/

[Psomaggi]

Having the same problem with our Arlo Baby and the Google Mesh Wi-Fi. Unbelievable.

[TwinCitiesJHawk]

I am using eero pro 6 mesh system with the cameras being within 10 feet of a node.

I also tried using the linksys atlas max 6e mesh system and camera pause/disconnect issues were happening with this system too.

[pakamitch]

@Psomaggi 

I also use the google wifi.  Hopefully this helps a little but i had a terrible experience with this camera. 

So my first call to Arlo customer support they blamed my internet provider.  Only through Comcast, NOT Arlo support, did I find out that the arlo baby can only operate on 2.4g, not 5.  Unfortunately google wifi doesnt let you choose, it decides automatically.  The workaround is to set up the Arlo baby to the "guest" network, since that one is only on 2.4g.  That gave me a stable fix for when I had to complete delete the camera from the app, but not the constant connection issues.  It amazed me that i had to find this out by my internet provider who has nothing to do with these cameras, and when I called back Arlo support had no idea about this. 

Maybe that will help but I continued to have issues with this over the next year.  I dont think a night would go by without be having connections issues.  Either the app would have to be closed and started back up, or the constant power cycle in the middle of the night.  SOOOO many issues with this camera AND no support.   It hurt the wallet but just replaced mine with a Baby sense system.  Sucks that i only had this $200 camera for about a 1-1/2 and now its useless.  Funny how I have documented calls with this same issue but was never issued a warranty replacement while i was within the year.  Now that I am out of the warranty period they cant do anything for me.   

[ShayneS]

Hi @pakamitch 

Thank you for your feedback. I am looking in to these reports regarding the disconnect issues you are experiencing. I also wanted to note that the Arlo Baby can connect to your 5GHz Network you can change between networks by navigating to your device card > Device Settings > Connected to > Change Network. Please make sure your Phone/Tablet is connected to the same network you would like the Arlo Baby to connect to. 

[pakamitch]

@ShayneS 

Thank you for your response.  When did this change, or was it always capable to be on either network?  During my most recent issues and call into support I was told/confirmed that it needed to be on a 2.4ghz network.    

[Tiwiliger]

Reading this forum finally enlightened me as to why, after 3 years of relatively smooth operation, suddenly started to disconnect and not reconnect (after much trouble testing network and switching routers etc) . This 30min time limit is ridiculous and downright dangerous for a baby monitor. Using the app on my phones and iPad, the app does not reliably detect home local streaming or not. But honestly that should not matter., home streaming or remotely. If i forget to turn off the stream and use all my data, that is my problem. The arlo baby is not a security camera..... It is a baby monitor. Remove the time limit. What a joke.

[Cal1210]

I don’t think Arlo gets how disruptive this is. We bought two of them, one for our main home and another for our vacation home. Two different networks both with string WiFi. Both locations and cameras disconnect constantly. My wife and I are loosing sleep worrying we won’t hear the baby. We should either be walked through a fix or give new equipment that works or a refund. I’d like to hear from someone to help me actually resolve the issue. Anyone have any luck?!

[RegretBuyingArl]

We solved our problem by getting a Wyze camera ($30). It doesn't have temperature, music, or a air quality sensor but it stays connected, and allows us to sleep.

[ShayneS]

Hi @Cal1210

Does the wifi/home icon appear in the top left corner when you enable your live stream. If your network drops or switch to mobile data, you will lose the ability to continuously live stream due to being off your local network. 

[Cal1210]

Where would I see this? In the app, on my iPad, full screen or not and before I press play or after?

Why would I lose my wifi if all other devices remain connected and it’s happening without it being moved and even next to the router multiple times per hour? Thanks for replying.

[Tiwiliger]

Finally figured this out (in my case anyway). The Arlo Baby will only stream non-stop if connected on the home network (once again this is ridiculous, it is a baby monitor for crying out loud, tell the team to change this or at least to give the user an option whether they want 30min disconnects for remote viewing). The way to tell is, as mentioned, where the red dot with the "live" text is on the top left corner of the video feed, there has to be a little house icon with 3 tiny bars within it to indicate that it is a local connection. Now where the geniuses at Arlo failed to understand, whatever method they employed to detect this local connection is useless.

In my case, with my iPad, every time I start the Arlo app and connect to my Arlo baby, IT WILL NOT show that the connection is local even though I am on my in house wifi. Now the workaround I have discovered is to get out of the Arlo app by pressing the home button and then going back into the app where it will now show the video feed with the little house icon next to the red dot and will not disconnect any longer (well it does disconnect here and there but reconnects immediately). Let me emphasise, this works when you only swap out of the Arlo app to the home screen and then back again straight into the Arlo app, DO NOT CANCEL the app as it will not work and revert to remote viewing again where it disconnects after 30 mins. My android devices are a bit more reliable at detecting the home network....but all this trouble is not something we should have to deal with. Fix it Arlo!

[Cal1210]

Thanks for the tip but I tried it and I don’t have a house or anything next to the live red dot

[Cal1210]

It doesn’t. How can I fix this?

[Tiwiliger]

Sorry to hear that, not sure what else I can say. As I mentioned, in my case, when starting the app on my iPad it never shows the little house icon until I do the app swap in out procedure. If you're on the home network, make sure the device you're viewing on and the Arlo Baby are connected on the same network i.e. both on same network SSID and both on 2.4ghz or both on 5ghz. If all those are aligned, then it's further proof of how Arlo has screwed everybody over with these unnecessary and dangerous changes.

[ShayneS]

Hi @Cal1210

Make sure your device is connected to the same wifi network name.

[Knitknit31]

This doesn’t work for me. I am connected to the same wifi network on the camera and the phone. I have two issues. First is that I have the video live stream up and it turns off (while I’m sleeping which is a huge problem and defeats the purpose of using this as a video monitor). I don’t see the little house and need guidance as to how to resolve this. Secondly, if I switch to another app or lock my phone the audio turns off also rendering this useless as a baby monitor. Can someone please urgently advise as to how resolve both these issues? I am going to need to start using a audio only monitor that stays on all night and then turning on the video if I hear something?? This is ridiculous!

[Knitknit31]

Hi! This doesn’t seem to work for me but wanted to confirm. Is all that is required to have both the camera and phone on the same network? I have them both on the same wifi network and stil cannot seem to get this to work even with the work aroind…

[RoGi01]

I have had the same issue for a long time, where local streaming would not work. My workaround was to start the app (it would always start with internet streaming), select another tab (Library or Mode) and then go back to the Device tab. This always made local streaming work and would show the little house icon. 

 But since the app was updated to 3.2.1 (same problem with 3.2.2), this no longer works for me. Whatever I do, it will just default to internet streaming, with a 10 sec ~ish delay to everything happening. 

I have to say, of all the connected devices at home, the Arlo Baby Monitor is only one that is constantly having different issue. Since we got the Monitor in early 2020, it just seams to be more and more issues with every software update. I have just simply given up on most of the annoying once. Reading the support forum, just confirms that I´m not the only one.

But not being able to locally connect to my Baby monitor and live with a time limit of 30 min AND a delay of watching the stream, just makes this device useless in my opinion and not suitable as a Baby Monitor.

[ShayneS]

@RoGi01 @Knitknit31

Does the wifi/home icon appear in the top left corner when you enable your live stream. If your network drops or switch to mobile data, you will lose the ability to continuously live stream due to being off your local network.