Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras

Cams and system not working right after trial expired

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dagrev
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Previous owner left two Essential cameras, so I bought a hub and two Pro 3 cameras.  All worked pretty well until the trial of cloud storage ended, then I began having problems:

One: Library of timeline images no longer existed for two new Pro 3s –but they did for the two old Essential cameras in the back deck.  Why did/does their timeline/library still function but not the new Pros?  Are they not all going to the hub?

I don’t recall seeing that my timeline would disappear without Arlo Smart.  I just looked again and didn’t see this as a feature offered with Smart, but was seeing a message via the app (“Add CVR plan to your camera to use the timeline feature”); and that I needed a subscription to have a timeline.  Clearly not true of the two older cameras. 

 

I deleted and re-added them as new devices (more than once I think).  The timeline came back (and images needed to be downloaded since they are stored on the hub which is normal). Why this feature eventually came back I don’t know.

 

Now I am back to the cameras not picking anything up. I have restarted the hub, I have deleted and added the cameras again and I can walk in front of a camera and nothing happens. But it’s on and I can click live at any time and see what’s going on. But none of the cameras are now detecting anything.

 

Two: Message on porch cam: “AC power has been disconnected from your device.  Activity Zones are currently disabled.”   If I click OK the picture returns.  (This cam was never connected to AC power and the battery has plenty of power left.). This began about a week after trial ran out.

Everything was working well until the trial ran out, then all this began to happen--which seems really odd.

 

I am really frustrated after all the money and time I've spent on this thing.  Is there anything I’m missing?

Thank you for any insight that may be offered.

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dcfox1
Master
Master

For the new cameras, your Pro3 and Essential you need a Smart Subscription to view cloud recordings after the Trial expires. You can use local recording on you Smart Hub but has limitations. You were seeing the free 7 day cloud recordings on your older cameras if you did not have a sub for them. As for CVR you need that subscription no matter what model. 

What options will I have when the Arlo Smart 3-month trial plan ends?

StephenB
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@dcfox1 wrote:

For the new cameras, your Pro3 and Essential you need a Smart Subscription to view cloud recordings after the Trial expires.


Locally processed activity zones (processed in the camera) require AC power; cloud activity zones (processed in the cloud) require a subscription but work when the cameras are on battery.

 

@dagrev:  That  is why you started seeing the AC power disconnected message when the subscription ran out.

dagrev
Tutor
Tutor

Thank you.  I understand about the trial subscription expiring and no more cloud timeline. Now I am not understanding why in the world the cameras don't work at all.  Oddly enough after they worked for a few days and the timeline was available from my hub, with the limitations of downloading the images individually. Now my cameras are not detecting anything for some reason.

dagrev
Tutor
Tutor

Thanks, that makes sense.  I may be getting another AC cord for that cam as well.

dagrev
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And currently I'm not understanding why am no longer receiving notifications that someone is in the drive or on the front porch. I have reset everything as I did in the beginning and I am at a loss as to why I never get notified when there is activity nor is there any indication from the app that there has been activity.

Thanks,

Donnie

dcfox1
Master
Master

@dagrev wrote:

And currently I'm not understanding why am no longer receiving notifications that someone is in the drive or on the front porch. I have reset everything as I did in the beginning and I am at a loss as to why I never get notified when there is activity nor is there any indication from the app that there has been activity.

Thanks,

Donnie


Have you checked your rules under your modes to make sure the are still the same as before since you removed and added the cams. You should still get generic notifications even without a subscription but no cloud recordings. Also try deleting your activity zones to see if that makes a difference for now. 

dagrev
Tutor
Tutor

Have you checked your rules under your modes to make sure the are still the same as before since you   removed and added the cams. You should still get generic notifications even without a subscription but

no cloud recordings. Also try deleting your activity zones to see if that makes a difference for now.

 

Thanks for the suggestion on cams not working.  I confess stupidity here.  I "disabled" monitoring when it was picking up leaves blowing and must not have enabled them.  I thought I hit the button, but clearly did not.

 

Which brings me to why I disabled them in the first place.  Recently and for whatever reason, the camera on the driveway has been very sensitive and picks up things that I'm not sure what they are. I am assuming leaves or branches moving in the wind or possibly a yard flag that moves. I thought there was a setting when I initially set all this up to not detect such things and even animals.  Could you please refer me to where I need to go to stop these detections of motion that are not humans or cars?

Thanks again for your insight and patience!

dcfox1
Master
Master

@dagrev wrote:

I thought there was a setting when I initially set all this up to not detect such things and even animals.  Could you please refer me to where I need to go to stop these detections of motion that are not humans or cars?

Thanks again for your insight and patience!


For the smart settings go to settings then Smart Notifications to select or unselect but you need a subscription. You could adjust the sensitivity to see if that helps. You should reposition the camera to remove the flag from view if possible as it will cause a lot of recordings and adjust the Activity zones if you use it. Glad you figured the recording problem out. It usually is the small things. 

 How do I position my Arlo wire-free camera 

 

What are activity zones and how do I create them? (arlo.com)

 

 

 

 

 

dagrev
Tutor
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Thank you for the comments.  Everything seems to be consistently working now.  One aspect was me, but others seem to have been something odd going on with the system.  But all has been well now for several days.  Thanks again!

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