Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera- video is delayed and light does not turn on with Homekit

[Laz007]

I have an Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera connected to a base station and Apple HomeKit. It has been working perfectly for years. Recently, the floodlight stopped turning on for motion detection. I power cycled, removed/reconnected to HomeKit and charged up the battery, just to be sure. The base station is in my garage, directly connected to a mesh network satellite router. The camera is just outside the garage door. Less than 30 feet away. 

I can turn the light on/off using the Arlo app, it's VERY slow, but it works. It can take up to 30 seconds some times. If I try from homekit, it shows as on, but doesn't actually turn on. Here's where it gets really annoying. If I pull out the camera from the housing, and come within 6 feet or so of the base station, it turns on using homekit! I can even take it upstairs, and it works. Again, slow, but it works. As soon as I'm about 20 feet away, it's either painfully slow, up to a minute, or doesn't turn on at all. Also, if I turn it on in homekit (doesn't turn on) and leave it for a while, it shows as off in homekit. If I turn it on in the arlo app, I can turn it off in homekit.

[StephenB]

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@Laz007 wrote:

I have an Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight camera connected to a base station and Apple HomeKit. The base station is in my garage, directly connected to a mesh network satellite router. The camera is just outside the garage door. Less than 30 feet away. 

I can turn the light on/off using the Arlo app, it's VERY slow, but it works. 

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I'd restart the mesh router and the mesh satellite next.  After that, restart the base.

If that doesn't resolve it, then I'd try running speedtest (the Ookla app) on a phone at the camera location.  Put the phone in airplane mode, and then enable wifi to make sure you are testing the speed through the mesh.

[Laz007]

Thanks for the advice! I gave it a shot and still no luck. 🫤

I also noticed motion detection has stopped working through the home app too. But everything works fine through the Arlo app.

[StephenB]

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@Laz007 wrote:
But everything works fine through the Arlo app.

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You are saying that the Arlo app always works fine?

But homekit only works with the camera in some locations?

[Laz007]

That’s right. Everything works as expected through the Arlo. It’s just through Apple Home app that things fail. The camera live view works through apple home app, including the speaker. It’s the light and motion sensor that fail.

I tried removing the bridge from HomeKit and adding it back in but no luck.

I’m planning to do a full factory reset to the bridge next.

[StephenB]

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@Laz007 wrote:
That’s right. Everything works as expected through the Arlo. It’s just through Apple Home app that things fail. The camera live view works through apple home app, including the speaker. It’s the light and motion sensor that fail.

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I am thinking that the mesh might be part of the puzzle. That is because you are saying that Homekit fails when the camera is placed near a mesh satellite, but works when the camera is placed close to the bridge - which is presumably connecting to a different mesh element.

FWIW, I'd try turning the mesh satellite near the camera off, and see if it still has enough signal to work with the Arlo app.  If it does, then retest homekit.

[Laz007]

Thanks for the suggestion! I tried connecting it to the main router instead of the satellite. Still no luck. 🫤 everything continues to work fine through the Arlo app. I can only see/hear/talk through camera via apple home app. No light control or motion detection.

This set up worked fine for over two years. The issue only recently came up. It has to do something with apple software. I’ll try that full factory reset and report back.

[Laz007]

I factory reset the bridge and reset the HomeKit connection. The light now turns on and off! 😀 However, motion detection still isn’t working so HomeKit automations still don’t work. 🫤

I confirmed that both the Arlo app and Home app can now recognize and control all features (except motion detection) as expected. I also confirmed that the Home app continues to show the motion sensor as “no motion”.