Geolocation / IFTTT custom modes / improvements

[nickmobbs]

Hi,

I am genuinely excited to see geolocation and IFTTT has been implemented, and yes I know its still 'Beta' but while it is still work in progress i would like to suggest a couple of improvements....

1) You need to support multiple devices. it makes no sense to have the cameras arm as I leave for work, only to get tons of videos of my wife leaving 10 minutes later.

You need to check for all devices to be out of the area before arming the cameras.

2) It should be possible to schedule 'geolocation' control.

Currently geolocation cannot be included in the schedule, which means i need to change the mode manually if like me you set them on during the night when you go to bed.

3) IFTTT - support 'custom' modes.

Currently you can only choose the standard armed or disarmed modes, you need to include for custom modes as well as being able to select gelolocation mode..

This would mean you could use the 'do' trigger to change mode quickly, helping to ease the pain of issue 2.

Overall though i have to say i am impressed with the additional functionality, but please Netgear, keep us informed of what you are working on!!!!

Kind Regards

Nick

[shoustonnz]

Forget third party  this was suggested a while ago. 

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Idea-Exchange/Mode-activated-when-mobile-device-is-connected-to-w... by Dannyknight

Has been marked as "future consideration "

Think it will be way more reliable than a GPS satalite and battery freindly. 

Everyone's phone is constantly polling wifi anyway. 

[StretfordEnder]

Correct @ikanell 

Schedule mode kicks in early evening for “evening mode” and midnight for “in bed”. “Evening” mode returns around 6am for a couple of hours. Daytimes schedule is empty. Don’t want cameras on if either of isn’t home daytimes. So it works for us 

[XJW]

If other companies are able to code an effective IFTTT solution and Geolocation solution, then why cant arlo ?

Arlo put all their resources into developing new products rather than fixing the existing ones.  The result is brand damaging product reviews.  There are a lot of bad reviews out there. 

Arlo need to balance priorities more effectively.

Geolocation has been buggy for years.  The latest defect where activating Disarm will corrupt the Home and Away modes, looks like the programmers have confused Home/Away and Disarm/Arm.  Its easy to reproduce and should have been fixed 9 months ago.

IFTTT was a great example of "minimum viable product" in action.  Enough to claim IFTTT support but useless for many of us, as Arm and Disarm dont support the basic use case where you leave external cameras on.

Activating and deactivating the system requires that users trawl through menus and wait for servers to respond.  Its slow and tedious. I dont know if it is better in the U.S. but it is slow in Australia.  They should have developed a one touch widget years ago when it was requested.

This forum is near useless as the Arlo moderators are never able to provide any useful updates.   Arlo support are very poor as they dont provide updates or communicate at all.

There are many more Smart Security Systems out there and I am regretting my Arlo purchase.  I have wasted too much time trying to workaround the defects and limitations that should have been resolved years ago.

Once these cameras fail I will be buying something else.

In the meantime I will recommend that my friends and colleagues stay away from Arlo.

@JamesC  Do you have anything to say ?

[XJW]

I dont seem to be able to comment on this post.

[XJW]

Trying again.  The forum flags an error without telling you what it is.

If other companies are able to code an effective IFTTT solution and Geolocation solution, then why cant arlo ?

Arlo put all their resources into developing new products rather than fixing the existing ones.  The result is brand damaging product reviews.  There are a lot of bad reviews out there. 

Arlo need to balance priorities more effectively.

Geolocation has been buggy for years.  The latest defect where activating Disarm will corrupt the Home and Away modes, looks like the programmers have confused Home/Away and Disarm/Arm.  Its easy to reproduce and should have been fixed 9 months ago.

IFTTT was a great example of "minimum viable product" in action.  Enough to claim IFTTT support but useless for many of us, as Arm and Disarm dont support the basic use case where you leave external cameras on.

Activating and deactivating the system requires that users trawl through menus and wait for servers to respond.  Its slow and tedious. I dont know if it is better in the U.S. but it is slow in Australia.  They should have developed a one touch widget years ago when it was requested.

This forum is near useless as the Arlo moderators are never able to provide any useful updates.   Arlo support are very poor as they dont provide updates or communicate at all.

There are many more Smart Security Systems out there and I am regretting my Arlo purchase.  I have wasted too much time trying to workaround the defects and limitations that should have been resolved years ago.

Once these cameras fail I will be buying something else.

In the meantime I will recommend that my friends and colleagues stay away from Arlo.

@JamesC  Do you have anything to say ?

[StretfordEnder]

Incidentally, if you’re wondering why there’s so many updates to benefit the new Ultra range of products you might like to know Arlo are being sued by shareholders as Ultra was late to market and missed a key Christmas selling period, and share value plummeted as a result. Shareholders are suing Arlo for not revealing the issues and delays with Ultra and there are now class actions and what looks like individual actions going on from unhappy shareholders. Hence Arlo are keen to push Ultra fixes frequently and rapidly presumably at the expense of us mugs with older equipment who aren’t important. 

[XJW]

Rather than develop Ultra why not fix the existing products and develop a reputation for an excellent market leading brand. That builds market share.

The PRO2 Camera was a fairly recent update.  Why go to Ultra ?  And they released the doorbell and light !

Is this another example of a company that misunderstands Agile Development methodology and abandons all Standards ? 

Or naive product development that have over reached ?

[XJW]

If Arlo get enough negative reviews on tech and review sites, will they start to listen to their customers on this site ?

[ikanell]

@XJW, no, that will not work.  Netgear gets tons of negative reviews, and somehow manage to keep going.  Once I went to their headquarters in Silicon Valley, talked to someone high up in their customer service organization, who still ignored my simple request.  When I told him I was going to post my negative experience on tech sites, he said "go ahead, we get that all the time, we don't care".  And apparently they don't...

[XJW]

They can do a simple hardware replacement but not address software defects.

I have been dealing with Google and Sony on another defect and the communication has been very well done.

If enough people raise negative reviews about Arlo Support I think the manager you spoke to will be told to lift his game or leave.