Connecting different cam types to VMB5000

[Box22]

Have been trying to sync/connect two VMB3010’s  & a VMB5000.

3010 supports five cams each. The 5000 handles more cams but not quite sure how it works. Presently have five PRO4’s connected.

3010’s need to update to new app to share with the 5000 and one did but the other will not. Now all three accounts are separate and have to log into each one to see anything. Have contacted tech support and have been unable to get them both working.

I just discovered I can take one of the older cameras VMC3030 and it will connect to the VMB5000.

Just assumed everything was not compatible.

The question is can all the cameras (ten VMC3030’s & five Pro4’s) connect to the 5000?

I know I can probably just try it but would save a lot of time and uninstalling and reinstalling if someone knows the answer.

[StephenB]

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@Box22 wrote:

The question is can all the cameras (ten VMC3030’s & five Pro4’s) connect to the 5000?

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They are compatible The compatibility list list is here:

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062284/Arlo-SmartHub-and-Base-Station-Compatibility

15 cameras is a lot to connect to single base station though.  It is spec'd to handle 5 simultaneous streams - so if multiple cameras trigger at about the same time, then some recordings will be lost.

If you are going to get a multi-camera subscription, then you can just put all the cameras in a single account - no need to use the friend account trick, since Arlo Secure covers unlimited cameras at a single location.

[Box22]

Have three Pro4’s connected. Started connecting others. Had five “old” ones connected OK. All visible on one app eight total.

All working.

That’s it. I can continue to connect additional cams but the video is not visible on the app. They show blank and a message comes up and says you need a paid subscription to view them. Also tried another Pro4 and it does the same.

However they will work when motion activated and the video does appear in the feeds.

Requiring a paid just to view the cams? Thought that was just for cloud storage.

Kind of right back where I started. Would need all three bases working to view everything.

Since at this time eight appear to work on the 5000 base probly going to just do one other base with five for thirteen total on two base stations.

[DannyBearAgain]

While the arlo wire free cameras still retain the 7days free cloud storage you are limited to five cameras per account without subscription.

So for your ten wire-free cameras you need two arlo accounts with a Base station installed on each.

As your pro4 cameras need to use the 5000 base for local storage access without a subscription, this account would need to be your working account with the other two accounts friend sharing to the working account to have access to all cameras.

[Box22]

Have 8 cams on the 5000. All viewable and recordings are stored.

i can continue to add cams but they are not VIEWABLE. 
however they work and recordings show on feeds.

Don’t know exactly how many can be connected to the 5000 base.

Since they weren’t viewable I removed them. May be able to set up all of them and they will record.

Have also tried SEVERAL times to try to get the 2 accounts to share so they can all be viewed on one app.

Cant get that to work either. Each account says the invite is pending.

[DannyBearAgain]

To clarify a little further, the arlo wire-free cameras have 7days cloud library built into the purchase price but are limited to a max of five cameras for a single account.

When you try to add more of the same camera you will get the subscription required message so your unable to live view them. 

The wire free cameras when purchased would have been bundled with a base station VMB3xxx that had no local storage capability as it was not needed with the free cloud storage feature.

The pro4 cameras require a subscription plan regardless to be able to record to the cloud library.

Remember that you can only share the cloud library to other account users.

The VMB5000 has local storage capabilities that can be accessed via the mobile app only ( no web ) and not shareable to other users.

To have all fifteen cameras on this Base you would need a multiple camera subscription.

The pending status for granted access suggests that the invite has not been activated by the granted users account. Use a pc to access the email invite link to open a web browser to login to accept the invite.

There is also an additional hurdle of app UI type incompatibility to throw a spanner in the works.

Any new arlo accounts created forces you to get pushed into upgrading to a dis functional app version to add the headache of rebuilding everything again, learning anew and what has gone missing. All this to get granted access working.

[StephenB]

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@Box22 wrote:

Have three Pro4’s connected. Started connecting others. Had five “old” ones connected OK. All visible on one app eight total.

All working.

That’s it. I can continue to connect additional cams but the video is not visible on the app. They show blank and a message comes up and says you need a paid subscription to view them. Also tried another Pro4 and it does the same.

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What subscription (if any) do you have for the Pro 4s?  If you have Arlo Secure Multicamera, then you can put all the legacy cameras into the subscription plan.

[Box22]

No subscription. I got the 5000 because of the local storage. Cloud is nice but I don’t need it if vids are stored. I get notifications and can view them.

According to tech support you should be able to view everything from 1 app  & different based if shared.

[Box22]

I have had the wireless (older) for several years. I am aware of 5 cams each. Have 2 bases. Each account could view all ten.

The cloud service is nice but I prefer not to pay a monthly charge.

That is why I got the 5000 base because of local storage.

I was talking (chat) with tech support 2 times and they were saying the 3010 base’s & 5000 could be shared and all viewed from one account. They said I needed to upgrade the 3010 accounts to the new app by trying to install a Pro5 and it would update. One account updated no problem. The other will not. Tried MANY times.

Can you explain on the 5000 base why I could install 5 wireless but also 3 Pro4’s, 8 total all working, all viewable?

Then I removed 1 wireless and installed another Pro4 to see what would happen and it could not be viewed live.  Removed it and reinstalled wireless. Now it can not be viewed live. Still works when activated and sends notifications.

Now have 3 pro 4’s & 4 wireless working on the 5000. Fifth one can’t be viewed. Was viewable before.

I have attempted to share all accounts several times. Invites sent and accepted. Permission’s granted, etc. everything looks good but won’t go beyond “pending “.

Based on what I’m seeing a 3010 base and 5000 base are not compatible in that either account can see cams from both accounts but supposedly you can.

If you can I must be doing something really simple or stupid the wrong way.

About the only thing left to try is remove all cams from all accounts and start reinstalling everything like it is the first time.

Not going to do that at this time.

[StephenB]

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@Box22 wrote:

I was talking (chat) with tech support 2 times and they were saying the 3010 base’s & 5000 could be shared and all viewed from one account. They said I needed to upgrade the 3010 accounts to the new app by trying to install a Pro5 and it would update.

 It is true that all the accounts need to be either showing "Feed" or "Library".  If the new VMB5000 account was showing "library" then there was no need to change migrate anything to Feed.

But once done, you are stuck with Feed.

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@Box22 wrote:

I have attempted to share all accounts several times. Invites sent and accepted. Permission’s granted, etc. everything looks good but won’t go beyond “pending “.

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Do this on a PC, not the phone.  Click on "create account" in the invite email there, and it will open the browser to "my.arlo.com".  Just log into the account, since it already exists.  Then confirm that the invite shows as accepted.

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@Box22 wrote:

Can you explain on the 5000 base why I could install 5 wireless but also 3 Pro4’s, 8 total all working, all viewable?

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Nothing to explain there, since that is how it is supposed to work.

I am confused on whether you want to preserve the 7-day cloud recording on the old cameras, or whether you want to drop it.
 

[Box22]

When setting up the 5000 I don’t believe there was a choice between feed or library? I think library looks nicer and easier to find vids because the whole screen is full of videos and with feed there is a single column on the right side of screen.

As long as vids are stored and I get a notification and can view them when set off “feed” is fine.

Also said I was probly doing something simple or stupid wrong.

Tried resending invites and finally noticed at top of screen there is a drop down and you have to select which base you want to view.

Didn’t know about that. In the past ALL cams were visible at the same time.

I think that is now working. (On one account only. Second will not update)

Again the 5000 had five old plus three new pro4’s total 8 all viewable but when one was removed and reinstalled it doesn’t show live, now only 7 viewable.

Do you know how many cams can be directly connected to the 5000 and be viewable? 

What I am thinking at this point (it’s a bit more than I want to do right now) is put both 3010’s back the way they were with 5 cams each.

All 10 viewable on one screen from either account.

On 5000 have 5 cams and share with ONE other account.

If I choose the 5000 base I see 5. If I click 3010 I should see 10?

But then again I have been only able to update ONE of the older accounts.

[StephenB]

Please slow down.  It's difficult to understand exactly what you are seeing from your posts, and you are trying to cover multiple topics at once.

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@Box22 wrote:

Again the 5000 had five old plus three new pro4’s total 8 all viewable but when one was removed and reinstalled it doesn’t show live, now only 7 viewable.

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Can you be more clear by what you mean by "viewable"?  Are you saying that:

• the 8th cameras doesn't show up on the main screen at all?
• that it shows up, but cannot be livestreamed?
• that it shows up and can be livestreamed, but there are no recordings?
• something else?

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@Box22 wrote:

When setting up the 5000 I don’t believe there was a choice between feed or library? I think library looks nicer and easier to find vids because the whole screen is full of videos and with feed there is a single column on the right side of screen.

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Ultimately, you won't get a choice.  Arlo at some point will shift everyone to "Feed".  This is still a work in progress.

But there is a catch in this transition period.  Shared access only works if all the accounts either show "feed" or show "library".  If you have a mix, then the sharing doesn't work.  

Please tell us whether the VMB5000 account is showing "Feed" or "Library".

[Box22]

“Viewable”, cam shows on app with a picture. You can click and get live view.

“Not viewable”, cam shows installed but no picture, gray, blank, red spot in center. If you click it you get message paid subscription required.

I have made some progress so here’s what is happening at this time.

The one account/base that would not update, I did a factory reset on the base and opened a new account.

This worked. Now all accounts are the same, new updated, or whatever.

All accounts now show “feed”. I just need to set up new one to share.

From what I see now, I should be able to log in any of the accounts and pick which base, camera group you want to view.

Would still like to know why I was able to have 8 viewable on the 5000 but now 7.

[StephenB]

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@Box22 wrote:

“Viewable”, cam shows on app with a picture. You can click and get live view.

“Not viewable”, cam shows installed but no picture, gray, blank, red spot in center. If you click it you get message paid subscription required.

Would still like to know why I was able to have 8 viewable on the 5000 but now 7.

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Not sure, as you should be able livestream unlimited unsubscribed cameras from one account.

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@Box22 wrote:

From what I see now, I should be able to log in any of the accounts and pick which base, camera group you want to view.

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Correct. Or see them from one account if the cameras are shared.  It will be a bit awkward - the cameras for each account will be shown as different locations.  But you can name the locations to make it less confusing.

[Box22]

Went to log into the new google email account and I lost the password.

Now I have to get another one and reset the base, reinstall cams, send invites.

 I think I’m burned out on this whole thing for now. Going to just let it sit for a couple days. 
Thanks for the assistance. I believe I can do everything now but will be back if something new pops up.