Adding 3rd Camera to Arlo 2 System VMS4230P

[Harold13]

Love my Arlo 2 System VMS4230P.  System came with 2 cameras which I have been using since May 2020.  Would like to add another camera to the System.  Do not see the Arlo 2 cameras for sale.  Will another camera work?

[StephenB]

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@Harold13 wrote:

Do not see the Arlo 2 cameras for sale.  Will another camera work?

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Yes, though a newer camera will need a subscription to get cloud storage.

[Harold13]

Not using Cloud Storage.  Have external hard drive connected.  Usually delete at end of month.  Would another Pro camera other than Pro 2 work?

[StephenB]

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@Harold13 wrote:

Not using Cloud Storage.  

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If you have a VMB4000 base (which is what I see when I look at the VMS4230P on amazon), then you are using cloud storage.

The Pro 2 cameras include 7-day free cloud storage, and all the recordings you see from the app and browser with the VMB4000 base are stored in the cloud.

To see the local recordings, you need to remove the disk and connect it a PC.

[Harold13]

I choice NO Plan.  Therefore NO Cloud Storage.

Without a service plan, your Arlo device will continue to have the following features:

• Live Streaming
• Push Notifications
• Two-way Audio
• Auto Zoom & Tracking*
• Local Storage Recording*

*Auto Zoom & Tracking and Local Storage Recording are not available for all Arlo devices.

Note: Without an Arlo Secure plan or trial you will not have access to features such as Activity Zones, Cloud Recording, Smart Notifications, Alarm Detection, etc. For more information, visit: What are the available Arlo subscription plans and how much cloud recording is available?

Now back to my question on what camera with work as a 3rd add on with this system.

[StephenB]

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@Harold13 wrote:

I choice NO Plan.  Therefore NO Cloud Storage.

Without a service plan, your Arlo device will continue to have the following features:

• Live Streaming
• Push Notifications
• Two-way Audio
• Auto Zoom & Tracking*
• Local Storage Recording*

Again, that applies to newer camera models.  But the Pro 2 cameras in your VMS4230P bundle have 7 days of cloud storage, even if you choose "no plan".

See the "No plan" section here:

• https://kb.arlo.com/88/What-are-the-available-Arlo-subscription-plans-and-how-much-cloud-recording-i...

Camera Model		Number of cameras supported	Cloud recording	Person, Vehicle, Animal, and Package Detection	Smoke/CO Alarm Detection	Cloud Activity Zones	Interactive notifications	Live Streaming	Emergency Response
Ultra Series Pro 3, Pro 4, Pro 5S Pro 3 Floodlight Essential Series Video Doorbell Series		Unlimited	None	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Arlo Wire-Free Pro, Pro 2 Q, Q+ Go Baby		5	Up to 1080p (Rolling 7 days)	No	No	No	No	Yes	No

My previous answer was the correct one.  If you want to see any recordings in the app or my.arlo.com, then you will need a subscription for any new Arlo camera.  Your base doesn't support direct access to local storage, so the only way you can see local storage is to remove it from the base and connect it to a PC.

[Harold13]

It looks as if I am only getting a Non answer to the question I asked.  I have been using my home system for almost three years.  I know what I can and cannot do with it.  I try to delete all recordings before end of month.  If there is one I want to save, I download it.  The external hard drive is so the base does not try to use cloud storage.

My simple question was what model camera will add to the system I have in use.  Then I would research the needs of that camera.  Then I would do a yearly cost analysis of which camera to purchase/add or NOT.

I will just add another camera to my existing cell cameras.  They do not need home Wi-Fi to work and report directly to my cell phone.  They have no glow flash and build-in GPS if stolen.  I live in a Rual Area back in the woods and have a lot of wildlife, especially deer on my land.  I build battery boxes for these cameras, so I do not have to touch them for months.

[StephenB]

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@Harold13 wrote:

My simple question was what model camera will add to the system I have in use. 

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Cameras that are compatible with your base (VMB4000) are listed here.

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062284/Arlo-SmartHub-and-Base-Station-Compatibility

Newer cameras can also be connected directly to your home wifi.  So essentially any Arlo camera can be added to your system.

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@Harold13 wrote:

The external hard drive is so the base does not try to use cloud storage.

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You are definitely mistaken on this.  Any recordings you see from the Pro 2 cameras in the app or my.arlo.com are retrieved from the cloud, not the local external hard drive connected to your VMB4000 base.  I'm tagging the Arlo mods ( @JamesC and @ShayneS ) to confirm this for you, since you obviously don't believe me.

So you will need a subscription to see your recordings in the app for any current camera that you add.  The only ways to avoid that are to

1. purchase a used Pro or Pro 2 or
2. upgrade the base to a VMB4540 or VMB5000 and use direct access to local storage