Arlo Pro base station hacked and renamed.

[McBeth]

We were having problems with our internet being slow or inactive. The Arlo Pro was hardwired to our router/modem.

I then noticed a secured wireless available network show up under the name NetGear65 with a full 5 bars - so I knew it was in the house.

With the help of our internet tech we did a factory reset on the Arlo and modem/router, moved the Arlo base station so it is not directly hard wired to the modem/router.

When we reset the Arlo system up it came up under the name Arlo as an available wireless network.

I called Arlo and they told me our system cannot be hacked and the name cannot be changed BUT it was.

Has anyone had this issue?

[jguerdat]

It's a little difficult to say for sure from afar but generally what you saw is correct and is based on firmware changes. Since Arlo was (in reality, still is) a Netgear product, the base would display a Netgearxxxx SSID. After your reset and, I presume, a firmware update, an Arloxxxx SSID is displayed which is a result of the new firmware being altered as Arlo creates more separation from Netgear.

So, what you have seen is expected and correct.

[michaelkenward]

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@McBeth wrote:

When we reset the Arlo system up it came up under the name Arlo as an available wireless network.

I called Arlo and they told me our system cannot be hacked and the name cannot be changed BUT it was.

Has anyone had this issue?

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As @jguerdat says, no one hacked your system. You just changed the circumstances: the hub responded and "hacked" itself accordingly to create a wifi SSID/network for its own use so that it could talk to your cameras.

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@McBeth wrote:

With the help of our internet tech we did a factory reset on the Arlo and modem/router, moved the Arlo base station so it is not directly hard wired to the modem/router.

You do realise that the Arlo system will not work without a wired connection from the hub to your modem/router? That would also explain what you saw.

[McBeth]

Thank you for replying. I do realize it has to be hard wired. I do not thank you for being condescending.

[McBeth]

Thank you so much. That makes sense. I wish the support tech at Arlo had told me this.

The truth is my neighbor has an Arlo system and it was hacked. So my concern is legitimate.

I really wish Arlo would let us rename it. I do not like advertising we have a camera system as an available network.

Thank you again. You gave me more info than Arlo did. The tech I spoke to had no idea why the name changed.

[gremln]

I wouldn't  believe them the same thing happened to me . My base stations were renamed mimicing the names I gave them which was a hash nand the same thing with my cameras. Originally I named them for example.

EX.  123abc456dfe789 to find the were renamed...

EX.   123abz456dge729 

this was no glitch or accident but hack. Thebase stations were done the same renamed with but using deceptions like the capitol letter O replaced with thenumber 0. very sneaky and intentional.