New Arlo Ultra / Base Station setup not found

[MKwong123]

Hi, I have been using my Arlo Pro security camera for close to 10 months. However 2 days ago it lost connection to the ethernet.
I have done the following but the base station is still not connecting and cannot be detected by the app.
1. I have reset my routers IP address
2. I have changed another LAN cable
3. I have reset my base station as well well removed it from my app to restart the pairing process, but it is not working still
4. The base station continue to blink in red light despite my attempts above

Please kindly advise how can I repair my base station and my cameras..appreciate the kind effort.

[Goosefudge]

@ShayneS  thanks for the advice. 

I am not going to have access to an alternative ISP in the immediate future due to covid-19 related restrictions, but i will contact Arlo support as soon as I am in a position to do so.  Thanks for the help.

[YKM2]

Hi royyksi,

May I know how you contact the arlo contact to get the date and time to push the new firmware in the base station. I have been going thru many exchanges with their support but always end up answering mostly repeated question and useless instructions. 

[Nickjazz]

Hi all,

Updated.
Yesterday, I have done the hard reset and connected the base station to M1 router, redo the entire setup flow, updates the firmware and reconnect the cameras. Then connect to the orbi router (Starhub isp) for few minutes, the base will blink Amber for appx 30sec to 1 minute before turn into full blue. It is working again!

[royyusi]

Hi YKM2, I actually create a ticket in May when this problem happen. So the first 2 times, they requested a lot of information but once they have a fix, Arlo Customer Support from US gave me a call on my mobile and work with me what they need to do.  Maybe you can inform them about my ticket number, 41645372, so that they know you have the same problem as mine?

[needhelpplease0]

Hi,
Can I check if the update is pushed automatically? Also, may I know what the firmware supposed to be after update? My base model is VMB4500r2
Thanks!

[royyusi]

Firmware should be 1.16.2.1...For me, Arlo customer support did a firmware push for me. But other people have managed to do it by removing the base station from the app, do a hard reset on the base station and add the base station back in the app...

[YKM2]

Challenge is to find a place where I have access to router of non Starhub ISP to save my bricked base station, in this covid situation.  😞 

[needhelpplease0]

My firmware is 1.16.1.3_3305_1a608c1 (this is the latest firmware for the VMB4500 according to the release notes) and unfortunately it still doesn't work. I'm trying to get the device updated to 1.16.2.xxx. 

[sotong1977]

My Smarthub offline after firmware update in late April. Tried all means of resolution found online but doenst worked. Contacted chat support and the 'expert' asked some rudimentary questions and then concluded that thw smarthub was faulty and told me to change it with Harvey Norman! What a laughable response.

[Feiwen]

Hi,
I am a Singapore user and have exactly the same issue.
Can i confirm that we need to call Arlo helpdesk in order to push the new sofware after plugging into the router from another ISP (non SH)? Or can it be updated through the app as normal?
Appreciate any advice.

[needhelpplease0]

I contacted arlo support and requested for help to push down the relevant update but I received this response.

‘We apologize for the late response. We would like to inform you that our engineering team will be releasing an update to fix this. However, we are not yet inform for the time of arrival. Kindly check the forum for the release of the update. Also, we will be updating you once we have receive any information for the release. I am sorry for the inconvenienced that this has caused you.’

For my base station I believe that the latest official firmware release (which I’m on) still has the bug that is causing the StarHub problem. I’m waiting for them to release the official updated firmware to fix the problem.
I think it may be possible to contact arlo to arrange some beta (non-official) firmware push. But I’m taking a break from customer support for now. been a painful 2 months.

[JayZJohn]

Hi All,

After 1 month, my pain was resolved.  Arlo has a support centre in China who reached out to my via email and via a call.  The good news is they have identified the problem which is Starhub.  I had a second mobile line under Singtel hence via a Zoom call they guided through the fix through hotspot via a laptop.  And all my problems were resolved yesterday.  Once the firmware was pushed through the hotspot connection, my base station went online again through Starhub connection.  You will need alot of patience.  Now all my cameras are up and running.  The downside is you will need to raise a ticket or call the Arlo support to insist that you will need someone from Asia Service Centre to contact you and their operating hours are 9 to 5pm.  The folks in China were very helpful and you need to be very patient with them too.

Alternatively, there is a local service centre in Singapore - Kaira Technologies located in Paya Lebar.  Contact them at 64944879.

[jjongkp]

This is interesting. How did you connect your smarthub to your hotspot. I thought you need a wired connection to set up the base station?

I'm asking because I also have a Singtel mobile line, just in case this issue surfaces again.

I note that there is a new firmware update 30 Jun. 1.16.2.4. Really hope there won't be a similar problem going forward.

[ItsNotReallyMe]

After 2 months I finally got mine working again.

I had performed a reset on my base station but still couldn't connect.

A power outage took everything offline at the same time (Arlo, Starhub, and every other device on the network), and after rebooting was able to reconnect to my base station and firmware has updated. All my cameras now back in action.

[needhelpplease0]

quick update
After 2 months of headache, my StarHub problem is finally resolved. The most recent firmware release (couple days ago) appears to fix the issue. I connected my base station to another ISP and the update was automatically pushed. The updated base station currently works with my home network i.e. StarHub. My current firmware is 1.16.2.3xxxx, model number VMB4500r2

[YKM2]

Hi needhelpplease0,

I passed my bricked VMB4500 to my friend whose ISP is Singtel to test. According to him, the Blue light was maintained for 20 minutes after connecting to his router. He also did a reset and waited for another 20 minutes with the blue light consistently on. However, the base station still showing flashing Orange light  when I brought back home and connect to Starhub. Apparently, the new firmware was not uploaded to the base station.  Any trick that I can learn from you?

Last resort is to bring it to local Kaira Tech. Thanks.

[needhelpplease0]

hey,

My firmware was updated after I tried to setup the new base station using Singtel. 

i.e. I reset the base station, connected to Singtel's router, added device using the arlo app. Upon successful detection of the base station, the app will scan for a firmware update and perform the update. I then used the app to check the firmware version of the base station, before trying on my home network

Hope this helps. 

[YKM2]

Hi,

Appreciate the instruction. I probably miss that step of asking my friend to connecting to app, thinking the base station will be smart enough to update the firmware by itself  :-(. Will try again. Thanks.

[Chichgar]

I purchased the unit recently from the “official Arlo store” on Lazada and am have same problem.
The irritating things in this episode :
a) Helpdesk is close to useless. If you manage to get through (via chat) they don’t even know if this issue.
b) listed telephone number for SG gives a voice recording that unit is shut (during office hours)
c) you try to return the unit and the same comes back again stating packaging opened
d) finally someone on Facebook page got a service person from China to send in steps on how to patch the firmware.
Question is if this is known, how is the official store still selling unpatched units without warnings of challenges of using with Starhub ?
Does it not fall foul of Lemon law in Singapore ?

[sotong1977]

Do u have the facebook link for the firmware patch steps from China Support

[Chichgar]

https://arlo.zoom.us/rec/share/tOxOI5jT-XhJTYXz2mL0Q-kqOob8T6a81yQX-aIFmRw29J8zVlbR9e2nZT76YHV9
Password: 9h*%&035


The above is the link to a video provided by them.

I found it simpler to use a mobile router with a prepaid Singtel SIM card ( assuming you can lay your hands on these).
A)Plug in the base station into the mobile router with the LAN cord.
B) switch the mobile to the Wi-Fi network of the mobile network
C) start the app and install (assuming it’s first time around like mine was) . If not I think (not sure) you may need to reset the base station before doing an install .
d) once that’s done, it prompts for firmware update . Do that and you are good to go.
e) switch back to your normal router and reinstall. It then works on Starhub all right .

[Goosefudge]

My issue is now resolved - the Arlo support showed me how to tether my base station via my laptop over 4G signal, and the base station automatically updated the firmware. 

The video in the following link is the step of how to connect base station to your laptop (Win).

https://arlo.zoom.us/rec/share/tOxOI5jT-XhJTYXz2mL0Q-kqOob8T6a81yQX-aIFmRw29J8zVlbR9e2nZT76YHV9

Password: 9h*%&035

Thanks for the help and support

[Goosefudge]

My issue finally fixed, basestation firmware updated after connecting the basestation to a laptop with network cable and using laptop connection to ISP via 4G hotspot.

Arlo support provided a helpful video explain.

Thanks for all the help !!

[YKM2]

My issue was also fixed, after struggling for 2 months with the clueless Arlo support. The process is actually quit simple, thanks to Needhelpplease0 instruction. (1) Find a network that use ISP other than Starhub, (2) Connect BaseStation to the router (2) Re-establish the BaseStation connection using the app, (3) Wait for the firmware to be updated to 1.16.2.3_????_ . After that, the base station shall have no problem connecting to Starhub network again. 

Still very very disappointed with Arlo to leave their customers to go thru all these with no help, not even announced the availability of the new firmware that will solve our problem.   

[sotong1977]

I agree. The chat support from arlo is bad. Lead me on a wild goose chase despite me telling them (yes them because i contacted the arlo support multiple times and was served by different persons) beforehand that I already tried all the methods that were written in online forums by users with this issue. Can even suggested to me that my router and ISP were the problem when before the firmware update in late Apr 2020, my set was working perfectly fine! The best part was one of them suggested that my base station was faulty and to bring it back to Harvey Norman to exchange it one year after I bought it. That customer support must be thinking harvey norman is stupid to let any customer exchange a product in which the warranty is offered BY ARLO and which already expired!

During this period that issue couldnt be resolved, i had turned to another product that cost less than 1/10 the price that I paid for my Arlo Pro 2. This product has all the features of Arlo and more!