Arlo Pro 5S - (missing events, taking snapshots). Pro 4 in same location works fine.

[chicane]

I've had ongoing headaches with my Pro 5S cameras not detecting events or taking snapshots instead.

Today I did a side by side test with a Pro 4 camera in the same location. Both devices are on 2.4GHz and connected to an outdoor Ubiquiti AP (great signal strength for both). I did try the device on 5GHz and found it to be similarly flaky so reverted to a hopefully more stable 2.4GHz connection. Unfortunately not.

Since I have done this side by side test, the Pro 4 is detecting every event (and recording a video). 

The pro 5 recorded video once, completely missed one event and recorded a snapshot instead for the third event. With the video was choppy and audio partially missing at the start, while the Pro4 was smooth and had audio for the full clip.

Both devices are active under my subscription, set identical under the routine (to record video), and smart notifications set the same.

I've had this replaced with a new sealed unit by support for the second time with the same outcome.

Are these devices inherently faulty? anyone else experiencing similar?

[BrookeN]

The firmware has started rolling out. It should be completed within the next week. As soon as that is fully rolled out the behavior you are seeing will be resolved. 

[BrookeN]

I have this escalated to the engineering team. I will update the community as soon as possible. 

[roundball]

@a102768 

FWIW…in case this might help:

“motion detection sensitivity” comes set at only 50% by default.

Might want to check the new one if you haven’t already done so…

[a102768]

Thanks for the suggestion. I go through all of the settings when I add a new device so that is set to 100% already.

It is odd that the new camera drops offline for hours then recovers all by itself. It was alive at 18:22 last night because it recorded my wife leaving the house at 18:23 but missed her coming home at 20:47. I noticed it was showing as offline in the app when I checked it before going to bed so it must have dropped off some time before 20:47.

The old camera was triggered 5 times overnight but nothing on the new one until 06:09 so it must have sorted itself out some time before then. It did something similar the night before so I might try getting my ladder out and powering it off and back on again to see if it is any happier after that.

At this point though, the old camera is more reliable!

[roundball]

@a102768 

“…It is odd that the new camera drops offline for hours then recovers all by itself...”

Had that same strange occurrence on a 5s Cam or 2 this week…( never happened before )…would suddenly notice that they had become “disabled”…had to “enable” again.

They’ve upgraded the UI a couple times in the last week - 10 days…don’t know if there’s something being caused by UI interaction with the subscriptions or what.

Its really amazing how continuously unreliable the 5s Cams are…

[a102768]

I have just checked and the replacement camera is offline again and didn't capture my wife coming home at 17:23 so must have gone offline before that. The others are all still operating and I presume this one will miraculously recover and be back online in the morning!

[BrookeN]

@chicane this thread was for taking snap shots instead of recordings, that has been resolved. For those still seeing the having missed recordings have been reached out to directly as well. You are more then welcome to continue the dialogue, but we'd like a new thread to be opened because this one started with a bunch of different information that is no longer relevant to the current issues and version they are testing today. That is why I had stated if you are still seeing behavior with the Pro 5 to create a new thread, so we can have current and relevant information within the new post. 

@a102768 I will reach out to you directly. 

[StephenB]

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@BrookeN wrote:

That is why I had stated if you are still seeing behavior with the Pro 5 to create a new thread, so we can have current and relevant information within the new post. 

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@chicane - given that this discussion thread has 880 posts going back to March 2024, I think it does make sense to start over.

[roundball]

@a102768 @BrookeN   FWIW, just had another 5s missed event.

Drove out to an appointment, then drove back in afterwards.
5s Driveway Cam recorded both events perfectly.

Couple hours later, Amazon delivery truck pulled in and the driver walked down the driveway but the same 5s Driveway Cam didn't record either of those activities.

Then when the driver carried the package across the sidewalk to the front porch, that was all recorded properly by the 5s Front Porch Cam.

[Edinburgh_lad1]

Sorry @StephenB but closing any topic would be tantamount to accepting that the issue described in it has been resolved; clearly, it hasn't in this case. 

Also, it's about continuity. It's been more than a year since the topic was opened and clearly no solution in place yet. It's embarrassing for Arlo, but let's hope it forces them to address the issue(s) pronto. Also, it's a forum where things get discussed - as long as there is an appetite to continue discussing the issue and the discussion is not dead yet, which it isn't, I see no reason why this topic should be closed. Finally, it's up to @chicane , ultimately, though whether to accept what's been written as a solution, as they're the one that started the topic.

[chicane]

I’ve unmarked the post by @BrookeN that they marked as the solution. 

Two issues reported in initial post.

One fixed (snapshots taken instead of video), one has not (missed events). 

Until the latter is resolved this thread will remain open.

@StephenB i hope you understand while this thread maybe negative PR for Arlo, how do you think we all feel having flawed products?

[StephenB]

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@chicane wrote:

@StephenB i hope you understand while this thread maybe negative PR for Arlo, how do you think we all feel having flawed products?

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First, they aren't deleting the thread, and they aren't saying that the issues are all resolved.  I don't agree with the assertion that closing the thread suggests otherwise.  Discussion threads here are not trouble tickets, and @BrookeN did suggest that you restate what your current issues are in the new thread.

And while my own Pro 5s happens to be working well for me, I am not saying that it is the case for you.  I do understand what you are feeling and I do hope Arlo manages to resolve the issues you are having.

All I am pointing out (as someone who has followed this particular discussion thread from the beginning) is that very long threads become very difficult to wade through and analyze, and that sometimes it is better to close them off and start new ones.  If nothing else, that allows Arlo management to re-focus on what is still wrong (hopefully they will).  

In any event, @BrookeN has not actually blocked replies - not sure if she will do that or not. 

[roundball]

FWIW:

I suspect many (most?) 5s users.....being away at work, etc.....probably may not even know they're intermittently missing events.

I suspect many (most?) 5s users aren't even aware of / use the 'Community Forum'.

[StephenB]

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@roundball wrote:

I suspect many (most?) 5s users.....being away at work, etc.....probably may not even know they're intermittently missing events.

I suspect many (most?) 5s users aren't even aware of / use the 'Community Forum'.

---

I agree. 

[roundball]

@a102768  @Edinburgh_lad1 

Another thing I’ve noticed now this spring is the apparent reduced sensitivity of 5s cams after the various firmware changes:

used to be whenever it was breezy enough to sway leafy tree limbs, their shadows moving on the concrete driveway would trigger 5s cams & record.

But with spring leaves fully back out now I’ve watched the shadows moving back & forth from high wind and nothing gets recorded.

( motion sensitivity on 100% )

[a102768]

@roundball , that is a good point, actually as the sun sets on the same side of the house as my drive and camera and the long shadows from the plants used to trigger alerts for a while when it was windy but that doesn't happen anymore.

I also accidentally factory reset the replacement camera yesterday while trying to move it to a different WiFi network and haven't set zones up yet. There is a shade sail and plants, along with swirling leaves in the drive as it is Autumn here, and I haven't had anything triggered other than a couple of courier deliveries and my wife leaving to go to work.

In theory that is good news but I wonder what else is happening that I am not get alerts for!

Presumably you have this setting that is buried deep in the camera set up set to all motion as well?

[roundball]

This is my set of detections for all cams:

 

[chicane]

Image shows an error (yellow triangle) @roundball.

[roundball]

@chicane 

?????

I have to sign on for it to appear.

if you sign on but still can’t see it, I don’t know what to say.

 

[GeneralMeow]

the site for some reason shows the image for like an hour, then its gone forever.  Happened to me before in another thread.

I have been logged in the whole time.

[roundball]

@GeneralMeow 

Dunno…just signed back in and the photos are all visible.

Bottom line is my cam settings have all these detection options turned on:

People

Package

Vehicle

Animals

Fire

All Motion

[roundball]

@a102768 @GeneralMeow @chicane @BrookeN  and all...

Been over 2 weeks now and no posts...was wondering if:

1) Anyone has received any 5s replacement cams ?

2) If so, did they solve your problems ?

3) And / or...has a new thread been started ?

Thanks

[GW1a]

@chicane no still waiting for my replacement camera to arrive, will update when received and tested.

[GeneralMeow]

@roundball 

Nope, I gave my contact info and asked a question about are the new cameras the same hardware rev or not.  Haven't gotten a reply for weeks.

So I doubt replacement cams at the same hw rev will work besides placating us to stop the revolt.

[roundball]

@GeneralMeow @chicane @GW1a @a102768 @BrookeN

More missing events:

A big school bus drove past and was not recorded…but later 2 different Trash trucks drove by and were both recorded;

A UPS truck came into the driveway and the driver walked carrying a package…neither were recorded;

[jguerdat]

What was the distance to the missing vehicles? Was the sun out at the time or not? As for the UPS driver, what would the typical motion be, at the camera or across the FOV?  Screenshots of the camera view(s) may be useful.

[a102768]

Since factory resetting my replacement camera and adding it to the 5GHz WiFi, it has stopped dropping offline overnight.

I think that generally things have improved. I get a lot more videos of the cat wandering at night on both the old and replacement camera, which had pretty much stopped when I swapped from the Essential to the Pro.

It may be a coincidence but both cameras also now transition to night mode properly. The old camera wasn't switching to infra-red mode at night so the live stream was very pixelated and pretty much black. I could trigger it to switch by turning the LED/torch on. Now it transitions properly.

I haven't noticed any missing events recently but haven't been too focused on it.

My main issue is the lack of images in the notifications on the Basic plan. I am currently on the trial plan that came with the replacement camera so am getting them but that finishes next week so I will find out if it has been fixed yet. I suspect not.