Arlo Essential not recording

[T_her9761]

Hi All,

after 8 years of Arlo ownership, i have come across a problem i can not solve. With my mode set as either schedule or armed my two Arlo essential cameras will not record. I have 5 other arlo pro also connected to my base station and they will record and function as normal.

i am however getting a message of motion detected. 

by way of trouble shooting i have undertaken the following;

Checked for firmware updates on base station - is up to date

Deleted and reinstalled the camera device- no improvement

It seems isolated to the two essential spotlight cameras and therefore wonder if it is an Arlo issue? 

[dcfox1 · Accepted solution]

Did your 3 month trial runout in the Essential cams? The older cams still have 7 day cloud recording but for newer cam like the Essential need a subscription for cloud recordings. 

[T_her9761]

you are right, yes it did run out as i thought all the cameras had a 7 day cloud recording. I have even trying installing a USB into my hub.

So if you are right this means that i have to pay for a subscription for x2 cameras, where as my existing x 5 remain free. Regretting my decision to purchase these cameras now!

[dcfox1]

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@T_her9761 wrote:

you are right, yes it did run out as i thought all the cameras had a 7 day cloud recording. I have even trying installing a USB into my hub.

So if you are right this means that i have to pay for a subscription for x2 cameras, where as my existing x 5 remain free. Regretting my decision to purchase these cameras now!

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You should still have the recordings on you hub unless you have them connected to your home wifi. The sub for cloud recordings  has been around since 2018.

[T_her9761]

thanks alot for your prompt response. I do have the camera's connected to my hub and therefore with that logic, it still should be recording?

[StephenB]

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@T_her9761 wrote:

thanks alot for your prompt response. I do have the camera's connected to my hub and therefore with that logic, it still should be recording?

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If you have a USB stick in the hub, it will record there.  But unless you have a smarthub (VMB4540 or VMB5000), you'd need to remove the USB stick, and insert it in a PC to review the recordings.

With a smarthub, you could see them from the app, but not from my.arlo.com.

[T_her9761]

I have had the cameras from sometime and it only stopped recording in the past couple of days. As mentioned all my cameras are connected to VMB4000 smart base.
The camera detect motion, however it no longer records the motion as it did previous.

[StephenB]

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@T_her9761 wrote:
I have had the cameras from sometime and it only stopped recording in the past couple of days. As mentioned all my cameras are connected to VMB4000 smart base.
The camera detect motion, however it no longer records the motion as it did previous.

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Which (again) requires a subscription for the Essential. 

Your VMB4000 is a base, but not a smarthub.  It can save recordings without a subscription only if you connect a USB stick to the VMB4000,- but the only way to view those recordings is to remove the USB stick and connect it to a PC.  They won't show up in the app or with my.arlo.com.

[T_her9761]

This is what I have read online

Does Arlo essential without a subscription?

Yes. You can use the Arlo essential without a subscription. The subscription is for premium services and advanced features. The free service is sufficient to record and store the videos on the local server. The local base station gives you access to the stored file. You can connect to the base station with the help of the Arlo app. 

The smartphone will provide you with access to locally stored files. 

You do not have to remove the external storage device and connect it to the computer to view the stored file. 

[dcfox1]

@T_her9761  Not sure where you saw that but again as @StephenB  said you need to pull the USB stick and insert in a PC to view the recordings. If you have a Smart Hub then yes you  can access them from the app on a smartphone but not from a base that you have. You can use the app to set up local recordings on the base. 

How do I set up local storage backups on a USB device using my Arlo base station?

[T_her9761]

Hi all,

Apologies i am a little slow to comprehend, however i am trying to work out the most cost effective resolution and i think you have answered it.

I will upgrade from base-hub 4000 to smartbase 4500 and then my essential cam will be able to record and view from my phone app (same as with all the other Arlo Pro2 cam i have, which currently work as such.)

[dcfox1]

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@T_her9761 wrote:

Hi all,

Apologies i am a little slow to comprehend, however i am trying to work out the most cost effective resolution and i think you have answered it.

I will upgrade from base-hub 4000 to smartbase 4500 and then my essential cam will be able to record and view from my phone app (same as with all the other Arlo Pro2 cam i have, which currently work as such.)

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The 4500 is still a Base. You would need the VMB4540 or VMB5000 Smart Hub to work like you want. With the limitations on Local recording vs cloud you see on the Pro2's a subscription may be worth it. It Is now Unlimited cameras and adds other options. 

[T_her9761]

Thanks a lot for your help dcfox1.

Would be great if Arlo would be this transparent with its product. After reviewing a number of product reviews, this is issue seems common and consumers would benefit to know that they do not require a subscription to view playback in the app if;

> They have a smart hub 4540 or 5000

> 7 day storage is sufficient

Again thankyou 

[dcfox1]

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@T_her9761 wrote:

Thanks a lot for your help dcfox1.

Would be great if Arlo would be this transparent with its product. After reviewing a number of product reviews, this is issue seems common and consumers would benefit to know that they do not require a subscription to view playback in the app if;

> They have a smart hub 4540 or 5000

> 7 day storage is sufficient

Again thankyou 

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Just to be clear you will not get the free 7 day cloud recordings like your older Pro2"s on the Essential W/O a sub

[T_her9761]

okay i have just purchased a 4540, can i view the recordings on the app with a sdcard/memory stick inserted in the smarthub?

[StephenB]

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@T_her9761 wrote:

okay i have just purchased a 4540, can i view the recordings on the app with a sdcard/memory stick inserted in the smarthub?

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https://kb.arlo.com/000062337/What-is-Direct-Storage-Access-and-how-do-I-use-it