Base station connectivity

[danglero]

Hello, I'm looking to purchase either the Arlo Pro or Arlo Pro 2. As near as I can tell, the cameras need to be within 300ft of the base station. This seems quite limiting in a large house. I have a mesh wifi network, so I have no problems connecting to wifi at any given location in the house.

If the base station plugs directly into the main wifi router, does the camera still need to be within 300ft, or does it use the existing wifi network to connect to the base station?

[jse1982]

I have the Pro 2 system. The cameras must by within range of the base station as they connect to it. Not the wifi.

[brh]

@danglero

The important thin here is that in IDEAL OUTSIDE situations the camera can work up to 300 ft from the base station, but inside the house and having the base inside while mounting the cameras outside, the range will be signifigantly reduced. I have a mesh network system with the router in the middle of my house, (with an Arlo base station connected to it), and two satellites at opposite ends of my house, (each with a Arlo base statin connected to them) for a total of three Arlo base stations. I have 3 bars of signal strength on all of my cameras by doing it this way. The cameras are synced to the closest base station.

[danglero]

Yes, this is want I don't want. I know 300ft is pretty far, but once you start putting walls, floors, etc. In the mix, this gets drastically reduced. I don't want extra base stations to ensure reliability. 😕
Thanks!

[brh]

@danglero

I don't know the frequency that Arlo is using for communications between the base and the cameras, but all these frequencies are probably on the hobby band so their range will be limited. I doubt if you will be able to find other wireless systems that will do any better. ?

[jguerdat]

Arlo wireless cameras use the 2.4GHz band.

[Dave1Law]

@danglero is correct.   That is the only way to handle it.   The 300ft connection distance promoted by Arlo is way overstated.  I'd say it's more like 100ft, even on the same level and without many walls or other obstructions.  I have two base stations (one Smarthub and one Pro hub) to handle my cameras.  Also, and in my experience, the new Smarthub has even worse connectivity than the old Pro Base and is probably limited even further to about 75ft max.  That's a real problem considering you cannot currently buy the Smarthub seperately as a stand alone base, which is the only base that works with the new Ultra Cameras.   Arlo really needs to develop some type of range extender.  Folks with large homes or properties will need multiple bases scattered all over the house.         

[elykoj]

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@Dave1Law wrote:

@danglero is correct.   That is the only way to handle it.   The 300ft connection distance promoted by Arlo is way overstated.  I'd say it's more like 100ft, even on the same level and without many walls or other obstructions.  I have two base stations (one Smarthub and one Pro hub) to handle my cameras.  Also, and in my experience, the new Smarthub has even worse connectivity than the old Pro Base and is probably limited even further to about 75ft max.  That's a real problem considering you cannot currently buy the Smarthub seperately as a stand alone base, which is the only base that works with the new Ultra Cameras.   Arlo really needs to develop some type of range extender.  Folks with large homes or properties will need multiple bases scattered all over the house.         

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so now i am confused... so the camera connects to the base on its own connection? and not on your wifi? so we dont even need a wifi connection to connect an outdoor camera?

[Dave1Law]

Base must connect to your WiFi through direct connection to your router, a satellite or an extender.   The base then connects to the cameras.  The cameras only interact with the base, not your WiFi directly.  Thus, if your base is too far from a Camera, then there is no connection.  This is true even if you have excellent WiFi coverage all over your home.  

[jguerdat]

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@Dave1Law wrote:

Base must connect to your WiFi through direct connection to your router, a satellite or an extender.

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A common misconception is that "your WiFi" is used when really your WiFi is just part of your router's capability. A lot of folks mention connecting to their WiFi when what they really mean is the connection to the router through the Ethernet cable. It's just a matter of using proper terminology to get to the basic understanding of what's in use and what's needed.  So, this response above is using incorrect terminology to get to the truth. Unfortunately, we won;t be able to get everyone on the same page so this will continue to be a topic of conversation.

The base then connects to the cameras.  The cameras only interact with the base, not your WiFi directly.  Thus, if your base is too far from a Camera, then there is no connection.  This is true even if you have excellent WiFi coverage all over your home.  

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This is the absolute truth, regardless of terminology.