Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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After a successful installation, how do I reinstall from the beginning?

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Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

I had my Arlo system (model VMB3000) operational for maybe 9 months but got messed up after removing a Netgear Nighhawk router (AC1750 Model: R6700v2) three weeks ago and then trying to reinstall it yesterday. Arlo stopped working. I tried to remove the cameras from the system and then add them back. The cameras are not added. The camera light is amber. How do I start from the very beginning and reinstall my Arlo system?

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Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

That did it folks. Even though the screen message suggested that something went wrong, I noticed that the internet light on the base was green and I was able to add a camera. Everything is now restored. The essential advice that made it all work was to remove the base. I thank you all for your help. And I'm going to print a copy of this discussion for future reference. Thanks again!

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14 REPLIES 14
brh
Master
Master

@Zoghasfallen

Usually when you chane your wifi or router, if you power off the base and then power it back up, it should automaticaly detect the new wifi or router. But since you removed everything and started fresh, can you log into your account on the app? If so go to Settings > My Devices and see if you can see the base. If so go to the Devices screen, Select Add Device, briefly press the sync button on the base then briefly press on the sync button on one camera. The camera light should blink blue slowly at first followed by rapid blue blinking. Don't do anything until the blue blinking has stopped. If the camera is updating firmware it will blink amber then purple for a few minutes. DO NOT REMOVE POWER to the camera or do anything else until this blinking has finished unless it continues for 20 to 30 minutes or turns solid amber which means the firmware update did not take.

Then repeat the sync processs with the other cameras one at a time.

 

Brian.

Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

Hi Brian,

 

I tried that several times. I press the SYNC button, the camera icon on the base station flashes green, then I press the SYNC button on a canera and I get the rapidly flashing blue light. Then the camera icon on the base station goes from green to amber. I don't have an app. I just log into my account and see that the camera wasn't added.

brh
Master
Master

@Zoghasfallen

The amber led on the base after the rapidly flashing blue lights on the camera means that the cameras are not able to sync to the base. I will research this further but in the mean time try moving the cameras closer to the base and try again and try moving the base as far from the router as possible.

 

Brian

brh
Master
Master

@Zoghasfallen

What is the camera LED doing while this is happening?

You might need to do a factory reset and start again from scratch.

Also, I made a mistake in my previous post. Firmware updates will cause the LEDs in the camera to flash alternately blue then amber, not purple.

 

Brian

Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

Brian,

 

The light on my camera only flashes blue. And just as soon as it begins to flash rapidly, the light on the base unit for the camera goes from green to amber. My original question was about doing a factory reset. I did hit the reset button on the base unit several times in the hope that I could start all over but, as far as I could tell, it did nothing.

brh
Master
Master

@Zoghasfallen 

When you try syncing a camera, does the camera LED flas blue slowly for a few seconds and then start flashing blue rapidly for a little bit then stop? The rapid blue flashing indicates that the camera has synced to the base. Also if the camera did not flash amber after the rapid blue flashing, then that is another indication that the camera is synced. I cant view all the previous posts while I am posting this, but if you are logging in on your app, try going to your pc and use Chrome or Firefox and go to https://arlo.netgear.com/#/login.

See if the base and cameras show up there. If so then the base LED for the cameras is defective. If not it could be a defective base.

BTW to do a factory reset and start over you have to push the little reset button with a paperclip or something similar until all three base LEDs flash Amber. You might have to hold it in for ten or more seconds. 

Doing a factory reset should only be done as a last resort as it will remove all the cameras, bases, modes and rules that you have set up.

But, if we can't find the solution to your problem, you might have to go ahead and do it. If all else fails, contact Customer Support. Follow the banners at the bottom of these pages until you get to a page that has the support phone numbers.

 

Brian

brh
Master
Master

@Zoghasfallen

OK, I see now that you do not have the app.

Once again one of my posts did not go through. 

The rapidly flashing blue light indicates that the cameras are synced. Secondly, if after the rapidly flashing blue light if it was not followed up by a flashing amber light on the camera, that is also an indication that the cameras are synced.

Don't know why the camera light on the base goes back to amber. Defective base station?

If you go to Settings > My Devices are you seeing the base station and the cameras or only the base?

To perform a factory reset, hold in the tiny button on the base with a paperclip until all the base station lights flash amber, (10 to 15 seconds of holding the button in). That will reset the base back to how it was when you first bought it. Your base station, all the cameras along with any modes and rules you have created will be removed. Only do this as a last resort.

Since your system should still be in warranty you might want to contact Customer Service at the banner near the bottom of this page, keep clicking on the banners until you get to a page with phone numbers for the country you are in.

 

Brian

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

If I read this properly, the issue is that the Camera LED is solid amber. That means the base has to be claimed. You MUST do this first before syncing cameras. I would reset again (remove any devices in Settings, My Devices if they still exist) as well as pressing the base reset button until the LEDs flash amber. Then claim the base before you do anything else.

brh
Master
Master

@jguerdat

I read it differently,and I may not have understood what he is saying, but I think he was saying that after the rapid blue flashing on the camera, the camera LED on the base was turning back to amber.

 

Brian

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

That's the point - if the Camera LED on the base is ever solid amber, the base needs to be claimed. If the base is claimed but no cameras are synced, the Camera LED would be off, not amber.

Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

Right now, the only thing I have listed under My Devices is Security (the base). How do I claim the base?

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Punt. Remove the base from Settings, My Devices (and any cameras that may be there). Hold he reset button until the LEDs flash amber. Claim the base using the Add Device button on the Devices tab (web) or + (app). Sync the cameras. Update firmware if prompted as you go.

Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

I have made some progess. I removed the base from the My Devices list and then reset the base.

By following the online directions, I quickly got to this message

 

"We have discovered your device. Make sure the info below is accurate before continuing."

 

I confirmed that the info (including the serial number) was correct. I then hit the Continue button and got this message:


"Please make sure your device is powered on and connected to the Internet, and make sure your devices is connected to the same WiFi network. As a last resort, you can reset your device to factory defaults and try again."

 

Continuing to press the Continue button did nothing.

 

I thought the reset button I pressed at the beginning resets the device to factory defaults. What's going on now?

Zoghasfallen
Aspirant
Aspirant

That did it folks. Even though the screen message suggested that something went wrong, I noticed that the internet light on the base was green and I was able to add a camera. Everything is now restored. The essential advice that made it all work was to remove the base. I thank you all for your help. And I'm going to print a copy of this discussion for future reference. Thanks again!