base station/local storage

[UShome]

What is purpose of base station/local storage?  Neighbor bought pro 4, 1-2 years ago and has this included.

My pro 4 kit did not.  He is not clear on the base station usage etc. and is signed up for the Arlo Secure as i did earl

[StephenB]

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@UShome wrote:

What is purpose of base station/local storage?  Neighbor bought pro 4, 1-2 years ago and has this included.

My pro 4 kit did not.  

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Are you certain the neighbor doesn't have Pro 3 cameras?  The Pro 4 was introduced in Oct 2020. 

The Pro 4 can connect to either your home wifi or a base station.  The Pro 3 can only connect to the base.  The older Pro 3's appearance is identical to the Pro 3.

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@UShome wrote:

What is purpose of base station/local storage? 

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Local storage can be used as a backup to the cloud storage.  Also, there are some situations where a recording will be stored locally, but not in the cloud.  For example, if your internet drops (but the base remains powered).  You can connect the base to a UPS in order to ensure it stays powered even if your main power fails.

Some bases (VMB4540 and VMB5000) provide direct access to the local storage - allowing them to be viewed in the app.  Some folks use this instead of a subscription.  Local recordings still can't be viewed by the web browser (or by friend accounts), and manual recordings can't be made unless you have a subscription. You also lose thumbnails.  Personally I have a subscription, but still do have local storage connected to my bases.

Modes work a bit differently if you have a base.   Each mode controls all the cameras on the base simultaneously (with a rule for each camera that is enabled inside of the mode).  This can be more convenient (once set up) - you can for instance enable all outdoor cameras, and disable all indoor cameras by selecting one mode.  

The WiFi generated by the base is tuned to optimize power.  So if the cameras get enough signal, they should run a bit longer before needing recharging.  However, if you have a wifi mesh, you could find that you get better signal from your home wifi.