Arlo Essential Spotlight Camera firmware issue

[Paluru]

Hello,

This morning all 5 of my Essential spotlight cameras quit alerting or responding. When I logged into the Arlo app (using iPhone 13 pro max) it said "update available". I went ahead and did the update.

All the camera's came back up saying "update available" again. It keeps repeating and the cameras don't function now.

Working with an Arlo support agent I did the following:

1. Forced update again (didn't work)

2. forced update with only mobile data (didn't work)

3. reset the cameras, removed the device and added back. It performed the firmware update and back to the same spot "update available"

I have performed updates almost 50 times today (at least 10 times with the agent on the phone).

Camera Model VMC2030 (Essential Spotlight)

The firmware release date is 7-20-2022

Firmware is  1.090.29.6 47 244fc16   

Please help....

Thanks!

[StephenB]

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@Paluru wrote:

This morning all 5 of my Essential spotlight cameras quit alerting or responding. When I logged into the Arlo app (using iPhone 13 pro max) it said "update available". I went ahead and did the update.

All the camera's came back up saying "update available" again. 

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I suggest waiting, and see if it resolves on its own.  I had a similar scenario with a video doorbell a couple months ago, and simply leaving it alone for a day or so resolved it.

Of course support might be able to do something remotely that will help.

[Paluru]

Thank you! Wise advise. I will wait and see for a day or two.

[Paluru]

Here is an update to how I RESOLVED the issue. It may be useful for folks who have encountered similar issue like mine.

First indication of problem: When the cleaners came home, the motion sensor never activated nor it did when they left. Out of curiosity I checked the app. The camera seems to be up but non-responsive. So I decided to reboot, and it came back up suggesting there is a firmware update available. I just click on the button to get started.....and all hell broke loose. The camera would come back up saying "Update Available" and nothing would work, but the camera was recognized by the Arlo app and would let me browse through the menu.

After a painstaking 2 hours with the arlo tech support, I decided to retrace every step they had suggested, in my mind. I realized they were trying to ensure my phone was NOT connected to my home WiFi and do the update.

It then triggered to me that although my phone was not on my WiFi, the camera was still on it and hence the issue prevailed.

I decided to connect the camera to my mobile hotspot and do the update that way. But the Arlo app wouldn't let me make a change to the WiFi since my phone was not on the same WiFi I was planning to connect the camera to.

So, I used my work phone mobile hotspot and connected my personal phone to it. Later I used the Arlo app in my personal phone to change the WiFi to the work phone mobile hotspot.

This certainly solved the update issue.

SO WHAT HAPPENED: I can think of only two things.

1. The Xfinity service made some changes that prevents the firmware update to occur

2. Arlo changed the method for firmware update that caused Xfinity to block that port(s).

I did notice the firmware update process would just timeout suggesting that either initial ICMP ping was blocked or certain ports required for the update were.

I did a port check to ensure 80 and 443 ports were open.

Thanks!