Can I Run TWO separate Arlo Systems at the Same Location?

[larryc5a]

Three years ago I bought a 5 Camera Arlo Pro 2 system and I have been running it with just 3 of the cameras.  Works great.  I gave the other 2 cameras to my brother in another state for use as backups for his Arlo Pro 2 system.  

Last month I bought a different, older Arlo system...a VMS3230-100NAS at a local flea market.  It has the control and 2 cameras, and it appears to have been lightly used or perhaps never hooked up at all.  The cameras use 123A batteries instead of the square rechargeable Pro 2 batteries.  I have no way of knowing if this system was ever registered with Arlo or if someone else had an account for it.

I'm using my Pro 2 system to monitor my back yard and the side of my house.  I'd like to have 2 more cameras for the front yard.  So, I have 2 questions:

1.  Will those older cameras work with my Pro 2 system?

2.  If not, can I run the complete older system IN ADDITION to the Pro 2 system?  How would that affect my account?

[Dannybear]

Have you tried adding the extra cameras to your existing account?

You’re able to have up to 5 cameras per account without subscription.

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

[larryc5a]

Good.  Can I have two separate accounts without subscriptions.....that would be my original Pro 2 account and a new account with the other (older) system?

I have NOT tried adding just the new extra cameras to my account.  I was hoping someone would tell me if they're compatible.

[Dannybear]

Could this be the model for your older cameras?

The Arlo Wire-Free camera (VMC3030) uses four CR123 lithium 3-volt photo batteries.

Is the existing base station a VMB4000 or greater?

If so the article in my previous post says yes they are compatible.

This would mean that you should be able to add the old cameras via the existing base station into the existing account.

You can also add the older base station to your existing account and have the older cameras added via that base station although you would loose the USB backup storage feature because the older base station does not support USB backup storage.

Arlo documentation says you are not able to have multiple owner accounts at the same location although some suggest that you can.

Doing so requires the grant access feature be setup to point to the other account so you can have access to all cameras using either account login with some permissions limitation.

[StephenB]

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@larryc5a wrote:

I have NOT tried adding just the new extra cameras to my account.  I was hoping someone would tell me if they're compatible.

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Both the cameras and the base are compatible.  You can either add the cameras to your existing base, or you can add the old base and then onboard the old cameras to it.  Camera/Base compatibility info is here: 

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

Your older cameras would be VMC3030s - called "Arlo Wire-Free Camera" in this article.

While you can create two accounts, and use friend access to share the cameras across the two accounts, I don't see any reason to do that.  If you wanted to deploy more than 5 cameras, then it would be a way to avoid the subscription.  But you'd only end up with 5 cameras now, so a single account would be fine (and simpler).

You might want to look into using rechargable CR123 batteries.  Arlo had a partnership with Tenergy for a while, and AFAIK those batteries should still work well.

[larryc5a]

The extra Base Station is a VMB3000, by Netgear.  

The 2 cameras are Arlo VMC3030.

Do you still think the cameras will work with my Pro 2 system?

[StephenB]

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@larryc5a wrote:

Do you still think the cameras will work with my Pro 2 system?

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My answer stands.  If you get a newer camera, you will either need to also purchase a new base or you will need to get a camera that connects to your home wifi (Pro 4 or Essential).

Either way, the equipment can all be in one account.