Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
× Arlo End of Life Policy Notice
To view Arlo’s new End of Life Policy, click here.

Reply
Discussion stats
  • 6 Replies
  • 2328 Views
  • 0 Likes
  • 3 In Conversation
HoneyMarket
Guide
Guide

One of my Arlo Pro 2 cameras (14 months old - two months out of warranty) was not responding via the app or recording videos.  I could not connect to it and see its status or battery charge percentage through the app or website.  When I went to check it out, I noted it was continuously flashing Amber and Blue.  I understood this to mean it may be doing a firmware update.  I left it alone.

A few hours later, I went to check it again and saw that it was not blinking, nor could I access it from the web or app.  I assume the battery was discharged even though I recall it was roughly at 75% charge a couple of days earlier - this camera battery does not get much use and has probably only been recharged twice since I've had it.  I took the camera down and plugged it into its Arlo charging cord left it alone (it usually takes an hour+ to charge fully).

When I went back later to check on the camera (and hopefully see the blue light that it was fully charged), I again noticed it was just flashing Amber and Blue.  Again, I thought this meant it was doing some sort of update, so I left it.  An hour later, I went back, it was still plugged into the charging cord and still flashing Amber and Blue.

Now I was confused...  I could still not access the camera via the app or web.  I unplugged the camera from the charging cord and moved it close to the base station and figured I'd do the re-sync process.

(Note, the Amber and Blue light blinking sequence would go like this:  20 seconds - no lights and then 2min & 30 seconds of blinking Amber and Blue - Then it would repeat this sequence over and over).

I pressed the re-sync buttons on the top of the base station and camera during one of the downtimes when the camera was not blinking lights.  It did not matter, as in a few seconds, it began the blue & amber lights again.

At this point, I decided to remove the camera from my profile and re-add it in the app.  This did nothing, as I could not re-add the camera.  Finally, I decided to remove the battery and reset the camera - that did nothing either...and the amber and blue lights blinking continues when the battery is placed back in the camera or the camera is connected to the Arlo power cord.

I called customer support and they informed me that they believe the camera is defective and/or got bricked during the firmware update.  

I asked if there was anyway to reset the camera back to factory settings or manually do the firmware update via the Arlo USB cable and a PC.  They said there was not.

They did however recommend that remove the battery and plug the camera into the USB port on the back of the base Station (VMB4000) and the camera may get a new firmware update from Arlo during their 3am firmware updates. He said it may take a few nights???

I left my camera plugged into the Arlo base station this way last night...but nothing seemed to have happened...it's still just blinking Amber and Blue.

Has anyone else tried this?  Might it work?   Is there NOT a way to factory reset these cameras or manually upload a firmware update via the USB cable and a PC?

6 REPLIES 6
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Since you removed the camera from your account (and hence from the base), I doubt a firmware update would occur since it wouldn't be in communication with the servers in any way. 

 

If you remove the battery and run it solely off AC power, what happens? Can you resync it? What does the camera LED do?

HoneyMarket
Guide
Guide

IRT your comment about removing the camera from the account/base, that is my concern too.  I asked the tech that but he said it may update by being plugged directly into the USB??

 

I have been running it just off of the USB cable (Arlo USB Cable) without the battery.  No matter what I do, the camera will not sync.  As a matter of fact, it appears that the button on top of the camera does not do anything at all. I can push it down and it responds like a button depressed should but no lights change on the camera.  It either blinks amber and blue for a length of time...and then no lights for 20 seconds....before the amber and blue lights start their sequence again.  The lights do their own thing and do not respond in any way to re-syncing the camera.  I've even tried following along in the app to re-add the camera.

 IRT the camera being removed from my account.  The tech knew of the name of the camera and he was able to look up its serial number and he too knew when it was added to the account.  I asked him if he could just re-add it to my account but he said he could not.  So, Arlo does have a log of sorts...of the cameras that have been attached to your account along with their identifying info.

HoneyMarket
Guide
Guide

Has anyone been able to upload firmware directly to a camera??

 

 

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Since pressing the sync button on the camera doesn't cause a slow blue blink, either the camera is dead or the button has issues (can you feel a click or anything that would seem to indicate that the button is actually causing the switch underneath to be activated?). 

 

Overall, I think the camera is dead, whether due to faulty electronics or a goobered firmware update. There's no way to fix that - a new camera is required. And, no, there's no way for consumers to manually install firmware.

HoneyMarket
Guide
Guide

So basically, I'm screwed because my Arlo camera probably had a hiccup during a patch update that they pushed out...and Arlo BRICKED on my cameras.  

Who makes a device that can't be reset in some way to just go back to factory settings??

I've seen bricked wi-fi routers be able to be reset to factory settings.

Dannybear
Master
Master
Regards to the question of resetting the camera to default, if this was possible outside of arlo then we would all be running about pinching each other’s cameras to build up our systems so would suggest it is a security feature.
Also I am not aware of any way to upgrade camera firmware via a PC or by plugging it into the base station which is intended for smart drives only.
Although you have already mentioned doing this I would suggest you put the battery back in the camera, plug in the arlo supplied USB power cable from the arlo charger adapter and leave on for the next firmware update to be pushed through in the future.
Discussion stats
  • 6 Replies
  • 2329 Views
  • 0 Likes
  • 3 In Conversation