Also Pro 2

[improve58]

I am searching for an Arlo indoor wireless camera system similar to my family member's Arlo Pro 2 system. 4 cameras as good as Pro2 or better, motion detectors, base station, no security account just free use of cameras and online account to check cameras from outside house. 

[StephenB]

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@improve58 wrote:

I am searching for an Arlo indoor wireless camera system similar to my family member's Arlo Pro 2 system. 4 cameras as good as Pro2 or better, motion detectors, base station, no security account just free use of cameras and online account to check cameras from outside house. 

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All currently sold Arlo cameras require a subscription to get cloud storage. (Your family member's cameras were sold with 7-day free cloud storage).

It is possible to use the "direct access to local storage" feature w/o a subscription, but there are several limitations that you'd need to know about.  To use that feature you'd need either a VMB4540 or VMB5000 smarthub (base station), and connect up storage - a USB thumb drive with the VMB4540; a microSD card with the VMB5000.  I recommend capacity in the 128-512 GB range.  Post back if you want more details on the the limitations of local storage.

The least expensive cameras are the Arlo Essentials.  There are indoor models that are wall-powered (no battery) and have a privacy shield that visibly shutters the cameras when they are disarmed.  You can also get the outdoor Essential cameras, the Pro 5s, or the Ultra.  

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Look at Eufy - they may be a good or better fit for what you're looking for. 

[improve58]

Thanks for your reply; I didn't see your reply do posted another series of questions. I would like to hear more of the limitations of local storage. I think the price advantage of the 'essential camera' might not be that great over the 5S.

[improve58]

Are Eufy systems (Simply Safe?) as secure as Arlo?

[improve58]

I gather that the most inexpensive Arlo subscription for multiple cameras is $17.99.month paid annually. 60-day memory with base station and ability keep batteries always charged with AC power.

[StephenB]

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@improve58 wrote:

 I would like to hear more of the limitations of local storage.

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Limitations include

• recording can only be seen from the app (not my.arlo.com)
• recordings can only be seen using the primary account (not shared "friend" accounts)
• no thumbnails, so recordings need to be downloaded to your phone before you can see anything
• no ability to make manual recordings or snapshots
• remote access requires router setting changes that some find difficult (and which do not work with some internet service providers).

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@improve58 wrote:

 and ability keep batteries always charged with AC power.

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This is not a subscription feature.

The subscription includes activity zones when on battery power, and and also the AI (smart detection) features.

[improve58]

Thanks. So since I've generally found Arlo systems easy to use and it seems they've corrected the various errors prevalent about 2-3 years ago, things look good for me to pick up the PRO 5S 2K and VMB 5000. 

1-Are these systems considered safe from hacking? (not connecting to a security system, just cameras). Some years ago when people were using simply-safe products for security, there were articles about how vulnerable they were to hacking. Is the system equally safe whether using a base station or not, with paid subscription or not, or whether directly downloading to/from router or computer? Assuming good passwords....

2-Do the PRO 5S cameras come with a battery charger? I want to keep the units always plugged in; you said this was not a subscription feature which I took to mean one doesn't need a subscription to have this. (family member with Pro2 has used this for years.)

3-I assume that sooner or later my relative's Pro 2 and VMC 4030 will become outdated and not work any more with Arlo's app.

[StephenB]

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@improve58 wrote:

1-Are these systems considered safe from hacking? (not connecting to a security system, just cameras). Some years ago when people were using simply-safe products for security, there were articles about how vulnerable they were to hacking. Is the system equally safe whether using a base station or not, with paid subscription or not, or whether directly downloading to/from router or computer? Assuming good passwords....

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I haven't seen any case where the cameras were hacked (unless the password was compromised).

If you don't have a subscription, then the videos would be stored locally on the smarthub.  Not sure that is more secure myself, but some do think so.

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@improve58 wrote:

2-Do the PRO 5S cameras come with a battery charger? 

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It comes with their magnetic cable, but the charger itself is not included.  A 5v/2a charger will do the job, so you might already have one you aren't using.

They do sell both indoor and outdoor chargers (the "cable" accessories on arlo.com are actually cables+chargers).

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@improve58 wrote:

I want to keep the units always plugged in; you said this was not a subscription feature which I took to mean one doesn't need a subscription to have this.

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No subscription needed.  Keeping them plugged in will give you the "Foresight" feature - often called "pre-roll".  This feature gives you about 3 seconds of video before motion was detected in the recordings.

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@improve58 wrote:

3-I assume that sooner or later my relative's Pro 2 and VMC 4030 will become outdated and not work any more with Arlo's app.

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They are already end-of-life, and users are beginning to run into problems.  For instance, many are reporting they cannot reinstall their Pro/Pro 2 cameras and their old base stations.

[improve58]

Thanks very much for this info. One question occurred to me: as far as you know would the Arlo cameras and base station interfere in any way with the signals of a standard branded security system with some doors hard wired and others on proprietary wi-fi motion sensors and Starlink? I'm not trying to integrate the cameras abd security system, but keep them separate.

[StephenB]

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@improve58 wrote:

Thanks very much for this info. One question occurred to me: as far as you know would the Arlo cameras and base station interfere in any way with the signals of a standard branded security system with some doors hard wired and others on proprietary wi-fi motion sensors and Starlink? I'm not trying to integrate the cameras abd security system, but keep them separate.

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The cameras will connect to the smarthub using a closed wifi system.  That will use the same WiFi channels are your main router.

You will need a way to connect the smarthub to the starlink with ethernet.

[improve58]

I think you misunderstood part of my question. My current security system including starlink does not connect with my personal internet, ethernet or wifi. I do not wish to connect any part of my security system to any arlo devices, which as I understand will connect with my personal internet. So, as you say if the arlo devices connect to the smart hub via a closed system, then the arlo system should not in any disrupt or interfere with my home security system, which is the way I prefer it. So is my understanding correct?

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Generally, local storage is slow to operate, with each video needing to be downloaded separately - no option for group download. Subscription is better in this respect.

There is no 100% hack proof system. If you're in the UK, you'll have heard about the most recent ransomware attacks on Marks and Spencer, Co-Op and others, though hackers managed to get in by impersonating a member of staff to contact the Help desk to  obtain passwords, or rather by requesting to have them reset (like a temp. password). Eufy had security issues, but so did Arlo, when it was discovered that the password used to link a base station with a camera consisted of three words that could easily be re-generated. But, the crucial part is whether a company addresses these. Eufy/Anker was slow to admit but addressed the issues in the end, and Arlo addressed them, too. On the other hand, if your cameras are outside, facing a public road, and so in the public space, though, not sure that that is that important. Inside or a private garden - a different story altogether. 

Your Arlo system will require a constant internet connection. It can't be isolated from others (like on a guest network or something similar) because you won't be able to access recordings, unless you log into that (guest) network to access them.

Also, ensure that you check the differences between Pro 2 and Pro 5. In many ways, the Pro 2 was a better system than the pro 5, as there are some problems reported on this forum about events being missed by the Pro 5 (my Ultra misses events and doesn't always record them in their entirety, regardless of the distance and position of the moving object).

[StephenB]

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@improve58 wrote:

I think you misunderstood part of my question. My current security system including starlink does not connect with my personal internet, ethernet or wifi. I do not wish to connect any part of my security system to any arlo devices, which as I understand will connect with my personal internet. So, as you say if the arlo devices connect to the smart hub via a closed system, then the arlo system should not in any disrupt or interfere with my home security system, which is the way I prefer it. So is my understanding correct?

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To clarify - it sounds like you are saying that you do NOT consider the Arlo cameras to be part of your "home security system".  Is that correct?  

The Arlo system won't interfere.  But access to local storage does depend on how you are connecting the smarthub.

The cameras connect to the smarthub, and the smarthub has to connect to the internet to reach the Arlo Cloud.  If you want to access local storage in the app, then either

• your phone needs to be connected to the same network as the smathub or
• You need either port forwarding or a home VPN server deployed so the phone can reach the smarthub.

[improve58]

Thanks, yes you got it. And of course I think we all  understand that anything that connects to any internet service is never infallibly safe with that service. My relative has had the Pro 2 and hub for years and as far as I know no hacking. I think the base station connects to the cameras with its own proprietary wifi.

But good to know that generally the Arlo camera system and base station will not interfere or mix signals with a separate home security system. I have seen advice that when people opt to install their own security systems––maybe in order to save money--those systems can be vulnerable to hacking. 

Thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Not sure what you mean by "mix signals". Arlo follows the WiFi channel(s) of the router. By design. And there is no way to switch that off, despite the community having requested that feature millions of times since really the product's inception.

[jguerdat]

In a sense, you can change the Arlo base/hub WiFi channel by moving them away from the router using a longer Ethernet cable. Not always desirable but the increased distance allows the base/hub to choose its own channel.

[StephenB]

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@jguerdat wrote:

In a sense, you can change the Arlo base/hub WiFi channel by moving them away from the router using a longer Ethernet cable. Not always desirable but the increased distance allows the base/hub to choose its own channel.

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If I understand @improve58 correctly, there are two internet feeds at the home.  One is starlink, and used exclusively by the primary home security system.  The other is for normal internet use.  The base would be connected to the normal internet router (not the starlink).

The goal would be to keep the base wifi from using the same channel as the starlink wifi.  The base wifi will follow the strongest wifi channel it sees.  So the correct strategy here is to make sure that is the home router wifi.

You can do that by first making sure the starlink router and the home router are using different wifi channels.  Then create some distance between the two routers.  When the base is closer to the home router, it should then match its channel, since the home router signal will be stronger.  (Note you do not want the base to be right next to the router, it should be ~5 feet away - as far as the Arlo supplied cable will reach).