Arlo Essential Spotlight camera will not connect

[jghere]

I knew I was about to enter a nightmare when I upgraded my home network to a mesh system.  And of course it was.  Attempting to reconnect my three Arlo 4 Pro cameras to the network.  I've been through the process many dozens of times since I bought these horrible things and they still refuse to connect.  After failed attempts, I usually need to remove the camera from the system and start again with 'add new device'.  I enter the network data, finally get the chime from the QR code read (but not always), then endless waiting until it times out trying to connect.  I am just a few feet from the wireless hub.  After 20 times I was somehow able to connect ONE unit.  Going thru the exact process does not work on the others.  I put in fully charged batteries.  The blue light flashes (though sometimes it's amber, who knows why?), and then a really long wait holding the camera over the QR code on my phone.  Often that times out, too. Then it's remove and replace battery, remove the device from the list and again add it as new device. I've been at it for 2.5 hours and only have one camera connected.  What a colossal pain.  How could a company market ??  I just can't take it any longer. . I've wasted many hundreds of dollars.

[StephenB]

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@RustyScupper wrote:

Am having same issue with an eero mesh network.  The cameras are joined to the network, but i cannot add them to my account.  I've tried numerous times.

1. factory default

2.press and hold to get blue light

3.scan the QR, get the chime

4.arlo app times out.

This happens on an android, and a surface pro.  I confirm that I am on the 2.4g radio when I do this.

No luck.

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If you have "advanced security" enabled on the Eero, try disabling it.

[RustyScupper]

Advanced Security is not enabled(nor purchased).

[StephenB]

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@RustyScupper wrote:

Advanced Security is not enabled(nor purchased).

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Good to know - some others have found that advanced security interferes with onboarding.

The network encryption needs to be set to WPA2 (AES).  If you can connect the PC to the router with ethernet, that might also help.  If not, see if you can disable the 5 ghz channel during on-boarding.

Arlo also suggests turning off the satellites during onboarding - no idea if that helps with Eero or not (my own mesh is Orbi).

[RustyScupper]

Ok StephenB, thank you.  I tried your suggestions.

Brought everything down to where the eero hub/router is and got one of the cams connected, quite quickly in fact.

Same setup as above, android phone with arlo app, second cam will not onboard.

Tried my surface wired directly to the router, no luck.

WPA2/AES is the only encryption/cipher option.  There is no discernible way to shut the 5ghz radios.

I removed the satellites, no change.

These cameras are not even 3 months old yet and it is a shame, after having spent a good sum of money on these cams, to find myself having to resort to this as tech support(no knock whatsoever on anyone who is trying to help other frustrated users out).

Seems like the solution is to toss these brand new cams, leave specific lousy reviews of them in various places, and buy something else.

[StephenB]

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@RustyScupper wrote:

Same setup as above, android phone with arlo app, second cam will not onboard.

Tried my surface wired directly to the router, no luck.

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Did you try the reset procedure on the second camera?

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062438/How-do-I-factory-reset-and-re-sync-my-Arlo-camera

[RustyScupper]

Yeah, I did the factory reset several times. 😞

[ShayneS]

Please reach out to the Support Team to further investigate this issue you are experiencing. You can find several options for contacting support though the Arlo Mobile App by navigating to Settings/System/Support.

[MichaelNewman]

I have the same issue. 4 Arlo Pro 4 cameras that go off line all the time. I have a TP link mesh network with 5 stations at home with good wifi coverage close to the cameras. I wish I would have been a little less naïve when i bought these cameras and did some thorough investigation before. I deeply regret spending 600 bucks on something that isn’t working. 

[ShayneS]

Hey @MichaelNewman

Please reach out to the Support Team to further investigate this. You can find the support options in the Arlo Mobile App by navigating to Settings/System/Support.

[Longshoresam]

Did you ever get to the bottom of it? I'm super frustrated with the lack of ability to simply pair my brand new device. Ticking all the boxes you've listed through and I've also noticed that the blue LED turns off a few seconds after the chime but while the app continues to search. It located the camera once after about 10 attempts but then tried a firmware update and failed, then the camera couldnt connect anyway. I've factory reset a bunch of times and would say I'm pretty good with tech, so it's definitely not user error. 

[RustyScupper]

sadly no, Longshoresam.

I've been in IT for 30+ years and manage a campus wired/wireless network that has typically 5000 users per day, so like you, I know something about this stuff.  I got one to work, the other did more or less exactly as you describe, and after a while I determined that my time would be better spent finding another product(which i've yet to do).

I have to say that i found the suggestion to call their support line quite funny.  If you tried you'd know why - unless you have paid support, they direct you to this community for help.

Too bad.  It is a nice product, and I especially like the add on solar panel, but the cameras dont work in a mesh, so....

[18blackhawk]

Agree...I've not had the time to waste trying to make this junk work...when do we go class action? I'm supposed to takes hours and hours of my time to chase a problem I didn't cause, and ultimately be forced to start over with a new doorbell camera and system? BS. Time to get some lawyers involved. I want all my money back, even for the doorbell which functions fine, if I have to switch systems to get a product that works how I want it to.

[Longshoresam]

SO!

I thought if I had the energy to log in to the community page then I should have the energy to at least try to deal with support to troubleshoot my issue. The app sent me to support via. the chat function. After fighting through the chat bot I finally got to chat to a real person who made sure (again) that my wifi router was near and I had typed the correct password in etc etc. The thing they told me that was different was:

- to hold the sync button for 30 seconds. After about 10 seconds I got a handful of amber blinks (more than the three he told me I would get) and then regular flashing blue.

- Scan the barcode as normal, get the chime as normal, advance to locating/pairing as normal

- HOLD THE CAMERA LENSE AGAINST THE WALL SO THE SHUTTER ISN"T GOING OFF

- when the blue LED stops blinking, don't push the sync button again to turn it on, just leave everything (KEEP THE CAMERA HELD AGAINST THE WALL)

And I am now paired first try.

If you haven't thrown your cameras into the ocean yet, let me know if this works for you too?

[RustyScupper]

@Longshoresam Well, I called in a witch to burn some sage and clear out the demons and tried this trick.

It worked.  First try.  Painless.

Amazing.  Thank you for sharing.  

[BrendaPea]

I'm having the same nightmare.

I have 3 older cameras that have never let me down.

...bought a single Pro 4 spotlight which work great and goes into my library

Decided to vamp up the security so bought 3 more Pro 4 spotlight cams and none of them will stay connected or go into my library.

Tried all the steps including connecting to a different wi-fi provider and they still don't work.

Very frustrating and disappointing.

[BrendaPea]

I feel your pain.

I would never recommend this product to friends and neighbors

...very disappointing and after having 4 cameras that work fine, I feel that the last 3 cameras (purchased together) just leaves me stuck with 3 really expensive "duds".

[18blackhawk]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know why it took them so long to figure this out/tell someone, but I went through the steps and covered the lens with my thumb at the point in the process you indicated, and the thing was connected and had updated its firmware in less than 5 minutes, first try. 

It didn't need to be this difficult, Arlo people.

[18blackhawk]

Update: camera has been on the garage now...still full charge, and has experienced some lousy weather...works like a champ...hope to get the other one set up.this weekend on the back of our house.

[Longshoresam]

Good to hear 18blackhawk!

Update: Camera has been operating as it should, located outside about 15m and through a number of walls from the wifi router, still with strong signal. Have hooked it up to the Arlo solar panel which only sees about 4 hours of sun on a good day but is more than enough to keep it fully charged. No issues with tapping into it while I am away from home. 

[RustyScupper]

Yep.  Now that they connect reliably, they are very good cameras; I will buy more. 

Like you guys, the solar panel is a huge bonus for me - and they charge up pretty well.  Glad this is behind us.  It was very very aggravating.

Now they just need a cel version so I can put some out at the property edges.

[18blackhawk]

@RustyScupper For sure going to buy the solar chargers for the two I have, and going to look at a few more for outside, and maybe an indoor one as well. They are tip-top now that they work.

[Kingcangri]

Im having the same issue not connecting my arlo pro 4 after switching to t-mobil 5g. Did you figure it out

[18blackhawk]

@Kingcangri  This is the exact text from @Longshoresam post in this thread, and the extra step of covering the lens at the time he indicates seems to have made the difference for me and a few others having connection issues. Make sure your T-Mobile WiFi has a 2.4 GHz band, and make sure you are trying to connect to that first....the cameras WILL NOT connect to a 5 GHz WiFi setup.

Copied text:

SO!

I thought if I had the energy to log in to the community page then I should have the energy to at least try to deal with support to troubleshoot my issue. The app sent me to support via. the chat function. After fighting through the chat bot I finally got to chat to a real person who made sure (again) that my wifi router was near and I had typed the correct password in etc etc. The thing they told me that was different was:

- to hold the sync button for 30 seconds. After about 10 seconds I got a handful of amber blinks (more than the three he told me I would get) and then regular flashing blue.

- Scan the barcode as normal, get the chime as normal, advance to locating/pairing as normal

- HOLD THE CAMERA LENSE AGAINST THE WALL SO THE SHUTTER ISN"T GOING OFF

- when the blue LED stops blinking, don't push the sync button again to turn it on, just leave everything (KEEP THE CAMERA HELD AGAINST THE WALL)

And I am now paired first try.

If you haven't thrown your cameras into the ocean yet, let me know if this works for you too?

[Keeks]

THANK YOU!!

After pulling my hair out following the instructions I saw this and it worked first time!