Arlo Pro cameras won't sync to base station VMB3500. Tried on VMB4000 Base Station too.

[Pete3066]

First off, let me say that I've owned 5 ARLO (non-pro) cameras for 4 years and had NO issues. Because everything has been going well, I decided to upgrade my system to ARLO PRO 2 cameras in Jan 2020.  I gave my old VMB3000 and three cameras and they are working great. I recommended it all the time to my friends.....but......

I purchased the following from costco.com:

1 ARLO PRO Base Station VMB3500 with 3 Camera bundle

2 Individual Add-On PRO cameras (for 5 total) and I'm using the free "BASIC" 5 camera plan.

I installed everything was working great even with 2 old Arlo camera.

It came with the low cost base station so I decided to upgrade to the VMB4000 hub to get the alarm and usb ports.  I removed the old Hub and removed all of my cameras from my Arlo account.  I charged up all the batteries and installed the new hub to my account.  The hub connected up great and the new PRO base station install setup worked fine.  I then went to install the cameras.  One Pro 2 camera hooked up great and the rest would not. After hours of trying different things I decided to just go back to the old hub.  

I turned off the VMB4000 and I set up a second account and installed the old hub.   I then tried to then connect the cameras to the  VMB3500.  I pushed the sync button and it would only blink blue 3 or 4 times and go out.   No matter what I would do the VMB3500  would not sync to any of the cameras.   I went back and forth several times to the other hub but nothing worked.

It looks like some kind of conflict, I just don't know what. 

Help Please.   Ready to return it all. 

Peter F.

[TomMac]

First I think ( IMO ) the 4000 base is better....

Try and sync the cameras directly ( after the internet led go green ) but quick press of the base sync button and then the camera  ( don't hold )

Fast led blue flash means it worked

[Pete3066]

Thanks for responding so quickly.

Not to be demeaning but I have been trying to set up the cameras for 2 weeks.  I tried several ways.  Quick push long push, through the phone app, my Arlo with my PC, reset base station.  It all just does not make any sense.  I shut everything down last night took the batteries out (hoping to reset everything) and it came down to the 4000 booting back up and going back to that ONE Pro 2 camera. 

Before trying all of this I have reset the VMB4000 4 times and adding it back to the account and then trying to add cameras.  Everything was working with the VMB3500 hub (even the old Arlo cameras) and seems trying to go back to the VMB3500 was not an option.  It's strange how it blinks 2 or 3 times and goes out not giving the chance to sync with the cameras.  I have the hubs on 2 different accounts but not turned on at the same time.

I gave my son my old arlo setup (working good) and will try tomorrow to sync some of my cameras to his.  

Is there a way to reset the cameras?  that would seem like a solution. 

It also went haywire after the software updates.  Anyway to revert back to the old eprom/firmware software?

Thanks for your help.  Really.

Pete

[TomMac]

Reset of the camera is by pulling battery....

No, there's no way to go back to an earlier fw.

Got nothing at this point to help you sorry.

[Pete3066]

TomMac,

Occam’s razor states that the simplest explanation is preferable to one that is more complex.

I have ethernet cable running to every room in my house from a comms closet.  Never thought of 2.4Ghz RF interference from other electronics until now.  In that closet I have multiple devices that control the heating/air, the lights, several appliance hubs, garage door hub, lock controls. Never had a problem before with the 2.4Ghz.  I also have a Ubiquiti  24 port switch a 15 port power strip, SONIT firewall and Ubiquiti  Advanced Gigabit Ethernet Router. 5 GbE router.  Three 802.11ac Wave 2 MU‑MIMO access points where the antennas are located located outside the comms closet in other parts of the house where they should not interfere with the Arlo 2.4Ghz freq.

I relocated one of the Hubs VMB3500 to another part of the house, let it boot up and tried to add cameras.  Low and behold the cameras connected.  I removed all the cameras from the VMB3500 and I relocated the VMB4000 to the same area.  Sure enough the cameras connected one by one.

I moved the VMB4000 back into the closet and had no problem keeping it connected to the cameras.  So my conclusion is if your having trouble connecting the cameras to the Arlo hub relocate the hub to a different area for syncing the cameras.  If you don't have ethernet cables running everywhere run a long cable to another area just to sync the cameras.

Hope this helps.

Pete