Pro 3 Camer local storage problem

[LML908]

Just set up 4 camera (Pro 3) with Smart Hub.  Everything seems to be working with cloud storage.  Added a 500 GB hard drive which had been erased and formatted.  Looking at local storage info on the app everything says "Good" and the usage shows 1.6 GB already stored.  I don't want to set up the port forwarding option at this time but want to view the local storage by being on the same local network.  When I use the app on my phone and my WiFi is using the same router as the Smart Hub I can choose local storage instead of cloud but I get a message that "videos on the local storage are not available".  Seems to be storing but can't view them this way.  Any suggestions??

[StephenB]

It's possible that the hard drive is too large, and creating some issues with the app.  You could perhaps try a flash drive, and see if that works differently.

[LML908]

Hello Stephen:  The manual for the Arlo Pro 3 and Smart Hub states "The minimum USB drive size is 16 GB and the maximum size drive that those file systems support is 2 TB. The SmartHub supports USB 2.0-compatible devices. Not all

HDDs are compatible with the SmartHub. If you’re not sure, consult the manufacturer of the HDD."

I have a Flash Drive which is 64 GB and USB 3.0.  I will try it.  The Hard Drive I currently am using is only 250 GB and I believe it is USB 2.0.  Any suggestions as to what would qualify any HD as "not compatible".

[StephenB]

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@LML908 wrote:

Hello Stephen:  The manual for the Arlo Pro 3 and Smart Hub states "The minimum USB drive size is 16 GB and the maximum size drive that those file systems support is 2 TB. The SmartHub supports USB 2.0-compatible devices.

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Understood, it was just a troubleshooting suggestion.  It potentially allows you to rule out the drive.

As an aside, 2 TB is a huge amount of storage for Arlo.  A 16 GB usb drive is usually enough.

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@LML908 wrote:

Any suggestions as to what would qualify any HD as "not compatible".

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USB hard drives and thumb drives often do have a separate small partition where drivers and security software is installed. If your drive(s) are set up that way, you will need to remove them (which is possible on a Windows PC using the disk manager). 

Even with a single partition, you might need to reformat on the base station if the drive is not formatted as FAT32.

Electrically, some drives might require more power than the base can deliver.   The USB 2 power spec is 500ma.  If you have the ability to power it separately, then you could try doing that.

[LML908]

Hi again:

Thanks for the thoughtful response.  The hard drive I have connected (250 GB) has its own power source.  The reason for the larger storage capacity is that I have set up the cameras around a condominium so there are multiple cameras with a lot of activity over the course of the day.  I wanted to have local storage available to view in case the cloud storage is unavailable.  Before I pursue this further I think the one big question I have is this.  The manual for the Pro 3 states "Video clips on USB storage devices don’t display in the Arlo app, but you can use a Windows-based or Mac computer to view the clips."  I understand that this requires ejecting the HD and connecting it to a computer.  However, I was also told by Arlo's tech support that if you are on the same router as the hub you could view the videos stored on the local drive directly without ejecting the drive.  This doesn't work for me.  When I use the Arlo app and try to view the library I can choose 2 options in the filter: "Cloud" or "Smart Hub".  If I choose Smart Hub there are no recordings and I get the message "Videos stored on the Smart Hub are not available.  Please check your connection settings."  I thought I only had to set up the router's settings if I chose to use the port forwarding option to look at my local HD.  Perhaps I misunderstood the support person.  If I don't set up port forwarding but have my phone (with the app) on the same WiFi as the Hub should I be able to view what is stored on the Hub's attached HD.  Not trying to be lame.  The previous answers to this question were unclear.  I hope my question is now better stated.  Thanks.

[StephenB]

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@LML908 wrote:

 I wanted to have local storage available to view in case the cloud storage is unavailable.  Before I pursue this further I think the one big question I have is this.  The manual for the Pro 3 states "Video clips on USB storage devices don’t display in the Arlo app, but you can use a Windows-based or Mac computer to view the clips."

However, I was also told by Arlo's tech support that if you are on the same router as the hub you could view the videos stored on the local drive directly without ejecting the drive.  This doesn't work for me.  When I use the Arlo app and try to view the library I can choose 2 options in the filter: "Cloud" or "Smart Hub".  If I choose Smart Hub there are no recordings and I get the message "Videos stored on the Smart Hub are not available.  Please check your connection settings."

It sounds like direct access to local storage is set up properly - and it should be working on your local wifi without port forwarding.  Double check that the phone/mobile device is connected to wifi - forwarding (or a VPN) would be needed if you are connecting over mobile data.

You might try ejecting the drive, and connecting it to a PC - and look for recordings that way.  Then reinsert it.  Occasionally I have needed to eject/reinsert the storage on my own VMB4540.  Restarting the base might also be worth a try.