Arlo Pro 2 - external wired

[Finodriscoll]

Motion zones and continuous recording are only available when the camera is powered to the mains. However, the external power cable for the arlo pro has been recalled. The solar pannel has not been recalled but uses the same connector.

What are the options for powering a camera which is placed outside?

Is there a date for a new external cable to be released?

Do the Motion Zones work with the solar panel?

[Eric182]

Look up Wasserstein cord on Amazon. It's not a netgear brand, but I've heard that it works great.

Netgear will tell you that is not officially supported blah blah blah but if you want to external cord, that is what you would use.

[Finodriscoll]

Thanks Eric. I have looked into them but they have got some bad reviews, sample below:

Cable doesn't work with Arlo Cameras. False advertising. netgear support advised there are no known outdoor cables that work at present.
Get error: Cable not supported, and camera stopped regarding completely when plugged in at one point.

[jguerdat]

To answer the original question, the solar panel is not a replacement for AC power since it doesn't supply enough current to do anything but charge the battery. Hence, zones and CVR won't work when using the solar panel.

[steve_t]

Sadly, we're all just patiently (very patiently) waiting for the replacement outdoor solution. It would be great if we at least had some sort of ETA on it

[SpaceBear]

Does anyone see an issue using the cord that came with Arlo and sealing around the USB connection with some waterproof caulk?  Seems like this would be an acceptable way to waterproofing the connection for outdoor use.  The power supply should of course be plugged into a GCFI outlet with a waterproof cover.

[JamesC]

SpaceBear,

The AC Adapter and charging cable that comes with your Arlo camera is not designed to be used outside. Neatgear advises against this as doing so could result in damage to your camera and void the warranty.

JamesC

[SpaceBear]

Thanks James.  So would you recommend then the Wasserstein cord on Amazon?  Its important that my outdoor cameras (Arlo 2 Pro) have continuous power so that they can use the advanced features.

[JamesC]

SpaceBear,

We do not recommend using any third-party solutions for charging your camera outside. We are currently working on an outdoor charging solution and will make an announcement when an accessory is available.

JamesC

[Mutsfire]

Thats great but its too late

I orderd a two 3rd party cables and will use my plumber skills to secure it vs water what whatnot

My arlo pro 2 is not working properly until i have cables into them (zones and 3 sec playback)

They start too late and really dont detect me until i passed by 😞

[steve_t]

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@Mutsfire wrote:

My arlo pro 2 is not working properly until i have cables into them (zones and 3 sec playback)

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By design, you only get these features if you have the cameras under AC power. It's not that they're not working properly

[Mutsfire]

I disagree
They are not up to my exceptions atm, seems like netgears Arlo department expanded to quickly and missed key elements like this

Once ITTT(or what it's called) start working, that will fix the rest of our problems

[steve_t]

Then your expectations are unreasonable. The only way to get 3s lookback is to have the camera recording all the time. The only way to allow a camera to record full time is to have AC power constantly. If you left the camera on battery power and had it recording full time, your battery would be dead in a few hours and then we'd all be complaining about battery life

[jasonx101]

It's not unreasonable to expect a motion activated camera (whether battery or main powered) to actually capture motion while it is in view, and not after the person or animal has passed out of view of the camera. Other cameras can do this, so we expect a premium priced product to do it.

[jguerdat]

It's all in the system architecture. The camera has to detect motion and create a connection all the way to the server. It can then stream. That's why positioning is so important - get the detection as early as possible. A 2-3 second lag is the best you can expect from a wireless Arlo camera. Others may or may not be able to change this based on their architecture, such as camera buffering or not being cloud-based.

[f0rsfed]

I've been using the Wasserstein cord hooked to my Arlo Pro camera outsude for over a year with no problems. I recently added two of the Arlo Pro 2 cameras and again ordered the Wasserstein cord from amazon for both cameras which both will be outside. They both have been working perfectly and I also subscribe to the CVR recording for both and have not had problems. I'm able to use all features. I'm sure there are some bad reviews and there will always be, however I've personally not had any problems with using these cables. I hope this helps.

[SpaceBear]

Thanks.  So it seems like the Wasserstein cord works fine.

Its dissapointing and frankly a bit unacceptable that Netgear does not have an approved accessory to provide power outdoors to enable the advanced features while simultaneosly cautioning us that third party solutions would void the warranty.  The advanced features are a big reason why I bought these things.  This seems like a big miss.

[f0rsfed]

Yeah its unfortunate that they don't, but honestly the 3rd party is cheaper and I feel like a lot better design than what netgear previously put out and recalled. If warranty is what you are worried about and depending on when bought the system. You could either buy the insurance that the retailer like BestBuy offers on the cameras, or you can buy a warranty through squaretrade.com. I realize this is not the optimum solution, however it is a work around. Personally I’m not at all worried about my cameras not working or messing up due to the 3rd party cables.

[MickwNC]

I am considering purchase of Pro 2.   I see there is an issue with the video playback not capturing the first few seconds due to startup and latency to capture.   Like the other comment suggests, other solutions can do this better and Arlo is a pricy soluiton... so a quality experience is more than just desired.  

To Arlo Product Team:  in order to solve for this issue... I would expect that a small buffer of video is always being recorded and can be used.  However this would have a power draw impact and potentially heat impact on the device.   Is it possible that a Software upgrade could be provided to enable this functionality at a later point? Is this something that Netgear's Arlo team has prioritized to ensure this product is competitive?

[Paul_FCCL]

I thought that (three-secs) was one of AP2’s feature when on a/c power. Are you saying it’s not there and there actually is a recording delay?

Based on all the reported users experiences, I can’t understand your statement. You may have the wrong info.

[f0rsfed]

3 second look back is definitely there when plugged in to AC along with zones.

[steve_t]

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@f0rsfed wrote:
3 second look back is definitely there when plugged in to AC along with zones.

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I also have a camera under AC power and it has the 3 second lookback and motion zones

[jguerdat]

The reason for the 3 second lookback is due to the camera always being on and streaming, just as with the Q cameras. A battery-operated camera simply can't do this without a huge battery. This streaming is also how you get CVR capability.

[Electric_8453]

lol...I disagree to your disagreeing....The product is substandard.  I bought ARLO 2 PRO because it was advertised for colder climates, however, it routinely fails (but that is something you discover after you've installed the product.)  Mine routinely drops signal when it goes below 20 celsius - displaying a message that it's too cold for the Arlo.  It directs you to look to ARLO for a solution - the website/forums suggest purchasing the winter package / hard wire package, only to find out it's been recalled, and there is no solution.

I've been left in the lurch too many times by Netgear...this will likely be my last purchase.  Always lacking support, or they bring their products to market before they are fully developed.

[steve_t]

20 degrees celsius? It's hardly more than 20 degrees celsius here except in the height of summer. It was -2 recently and all 18 of my cameras functioned with no temperature messages or problems