Connecting cameras to my WiFi network

[flydodo]

New buyer here and I'm afraid I might have to return this nice gear.  I think I made an error in buying my Arlo Pro 2 even after what I thought was careful research.  I understood that the cameras connect via WIFI but they ONLY connect via wifi to the base station and NOT my own wifi network. My home is pretty big and well covered by wifi with extenders and I don't mind the base station on the ethernet port but it seems it's also broadcasting a redundant wifi network I can't use due to distance and construction. The Arlo base station wifi has a much more limited wifi range.   

Is there no way to configure the cameras to connect to my own more robust wifi network?  

[VancouverBC]

I'm new to Arlo too. My understanding is Arlo uses a lower powered wifi to minimize battery consumption. If your house is big, you may need two base stations, the advantage is you'll get at least a couple more cameras too to add more coverage. Cost wise there aren't many better alternatives. A hard wired systems is expensive to wire (unlessy your house is under construction?) and decent resolution cameras that connect to your wifi network are not inexpensive so may as well go with Arlo. The less expensive network cameras have low resolution and lose the connection to the wifi frequently. 

[flydodo]

Thanks for the quick reply.  This system was too expensive to buy 2 of them to cover my home.  I'm definitely returning it. 

[brh]

Sorry to hear of your disappointment, but yes, the cameras do need a base station. Base stations are not that expensive and if you do not need an extra siren or two way audio the original base station will work with the cameras and should be a little cheaper. Just plug the extra base station to one of your extenders and sync one of your cameras to it. Seriously, although the Arlo system is expensive if you do a lot of research you will be hard pressed to find all the features that Arlo offers and free cloud storage for up to 5 cameras in another system. Of course the advantage of the cameras you purchased is to place them outside connected to Arlo's solar panel and forget them. If you are looking for indoor cameras there are plenty of alternatives although the Arlo Q or Q Plus cameras aren't slouches either.

Hope this helps,

Brian

[flydodo]

Thanks for the reply.  I did return the Arlo 2 as the concept of a proprietary wireless network in this day and age just did not feel right to me.  I only needed 2 outdoor cameras total and by the time I added up the cost for waterproof power cords plus another base statation the incremental add on cost felt unpleasant.   I agree that I need to always factor int he video storage fees which might in the long run make Arlo less expensive but the surprise add on costs just made me mad today. 

I wish the marketing materials had been more clear since to me as I thought I had researched this carefully before buying but I guess I missed key point.