Arlo pro 4 - Do I have to have a subscription?

[X1deere0378]

I just ordered 2 arlo pro 4 cameras. I have a base station already due to having previous cameras but are 5+ yrs old and wanted to upgrade. I don't have a subscription with the old cameras. Do I have to have a subscription with these new ones?

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@X1deere0378 wrote:
Do I have to have a subscription with these new ones?

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Yes, the pro 4s will need a subscription if you want cloud storage.

[acmm]

can you buy a Arlo SmartHub or Base Station to avoid subscription with arlo pro 4

[StephenB]

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@acmm wrote:

can you buy a Arlo SmartHub or Base Station to avoid subscription with arlo pro 4

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A smarthub (VMB4500 or VMB5000) would let you use direct access to local storage.  Some folks do use that instead of a subscription, but there are several limitations:

• Recordings are only available in the app (not the browser)
• Recordings are only available from the primary account (not friend accounts)
• No ability to make manual recordings or snapshots
• No thumbnails, so you have to download the full video to get an idea of what it holds
• Remote access requires router setting changes that some find difficult (and which don't work on some networks)

A subscription also is needed for cloud activity zones (which is what you'd be using if the camera is running on battery).