Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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dkbyardley
Aspirant
Aspirant

Arlo Pro geofence is erratic and the app for android does not update status.  As I understand the geofence option, it should "automatically" arm when outside the fence and disarm when inside the radius. The phone app should also show the changes in status.  After leaving the house and fence today, the system armed but the app did not show the change.  When returning home, the system remained armed. But after about ten minutes, it disarmed but the app showed system was armed.  Have tried just about everything including reinstalling the app, reinstalling the base, changing geofence radius, turning off cell power saving and contacting support (of no use). The cell is a Samsung S6 and the Arlo release date is 10-23-18. The base is VMB4000 which was not available in drop down.  The only solution I have found for the phone to update status is to log out and log back in.  I'm not sure if these are Arlo issues or my phone.  Would appreciate any suggestions.

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pc2k17
Hero
Hero

IMHO, it's a general geofence issue. I have several systems that use geofencing and it doesn't work consistantly on any system I have. The reason is geofencing uses cell tower triangulation to find your location (not gps), which means it needs to contact 3 cell towers to determine your location accurately. Sometimes your phone can't make the required connections, then the attempt times out, then tries again later, which is why yours finally realized you were home after 10 minutes. Pretty typical, but it also depends on where you live, how many cell towers near you, how over loaded those towers are, and probably other factors too. For some geofencing works fine. I have a friend who lives in the city where cell towers are every where and his geofencing works pretty good. I'm in the country with far less towers and it just doesn't work well for me. at all. I just gave up on geofencing and found other ways to automatically switch arlo modes for me.

 

However all that said, if/when your mode switches when you leave/come home, the app should refect that mode change. If it doesn't you may need to uninstall and reinstall the app.

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10 REPLIES 10
Dr_Henning
Tutor
Tutor

Hi,

 

My Geofencing are not working anymore, if i turn geofencing on and are outside the area the app are telling

me that i´m now in away mode, but the cameras are still disarmed, so i need to turn i on manuelly..

If you dont know this, you think your cameras are recording motion, but in fact they are disarmed.. 

 

Anyone else got the same problem..?    

 

Please fix now..

 

Regards Henning

snip3rboy
Arlo Employee Retired

Hi @Dr_Henning,

 

I am assuming that in your geofencing settings...

When Away -> System goes to Armed Mode
When Home -> System goes to Disarmed Mode

 

Can you confirm that all checked Enabled Devices are in Away state when you see the system not getting Armed?

 

Also, can you post a screenshot of the Armed rules? Please PM me the screenshot if you prefer.

Thanks!

Dr_Henning
Tutor
Tutor

Hi,

 

I only have one device connected to Geofencing, and that´s my Iphone, i have made a screenshot

this morning of my settings.

Hope you can see it.. 🙂

 

I tried to Arme the cameraes manuel and changed it to Geofencing then i got a message i was i away mode

and it was armed, so maybe it´s only when i walk/drive out from the geofencing area it´s not changing from disarmed to armed, but still sending the message, i will try that when i come home today. 

  

Please notice i have removed my adress in the picture..  

 

Thanks..    

ShayneS
Arlo Moderator
Arlo Moderator

Hi dkbyardley,

 

Have you tried to update your Arlo Mobile App to the latest version 2.6.2/reboot your base station & test again?

pc2k17
Hero
Hero

IMHO, it's a general geofence issue. I have several systems that use geofencing and it doesn't work consistantly on any system I have. The reason is geofencing uses cell tower triangulation to find your location (not gps), which means it needs to contact 3 cell towers to determine your location accurately. Sometimes your phone can't make the required connections, then the attempt times out, then tries again later, which is why yours finally realized you were home after 10 minutes. Pretty typical, but it also depends on where you live, how many cell towers near you, how over loaded those towers are, and probably other factors too. For some geofencing works fine. I have a friend who lives in the city where cell towers are every where and his geofencing works pretty good. I'm in the country with far less towers and it just doesn't work well for me. at all. I just gave up on geofencing and found other ways to automatically switch arlo modes for me.

 

However all that said, if/when your mode switches when you leave/come home, the app should refect that mode change. If it doesn't you may need to uninstall and reinstall the app.

Dr_Henning
Tutor
Tutor

Hi,

 

I tested it this weekend, it dosent work, i got a popup message from the App that says it´s now is

in away mode, but when i look in the app the system are disarmed.. 

pc2k17
Hero
Hero

What base firmware do you have?

What camera firmware do you have?

Android or iOS?

dkbyardley
Aspirant
Aspirant

Everything has been reinstalled and updated twice.  I'm accepting the idea that geofencing is basically not reliable.   I see others with similar geofence issues and the problems don't seem to be new.  Assume a software issue would have been resolved by now, either Arlo base or the Android App.  Arlo should probably own up to the geofence shortcommings.  For now, my system will be manually armed and disarmed. Thanks for trying to help.

Dr_Henning
Tutor
Tutor

Hi,

 

Base Firmware are 1.12.0.0_27099

Camera Firmware are 1.092.0.19_26228

and IOS

pc2k17
Hero
Hero

Ok that's the latest firmware, so you're good there. I have read that the arlo app on iOS has issues with geofencing (some on android as well), so since your all updated I'm not really sure there is anything that can be done to improve geofencing from a end users perspective. Arlo needs to work on the geofencing function.