Arlo Pro won't even detect firmware update is available

[jolieqe]

So frustrated with this system.

I've got an open ticket out but in case someone can reply faster to get it working. I know I need to update my cameras and firmware but it's still not detecting it.

I've taken out the battery, removed devices, setup new accounts and even did the 10 second yellow LED factory reset. Also tried with disarming the recording and just waiting for it to find an update now.

No matter waht the base station and cameras do not say an update is available.

Camera Firmware 1.085.0.0_8669/ HW Version H8
Arlo Pro base / HW version Version VMB4000r3/Firmware 1.8.2.4_10232 

[ysu]

Just checking -- anyone got update? I'm still seeing 9945 and no update.

Can we get a URL to netgear update server so we can test our network?

[pcuser12345]

No update still 9945, also I check on PC web browser there no check update manual also I go to device firmware version no update manual. i dont put high hope on auto update at night been waiting still no update. netgear doesnt have say check new firmware on basestation and camera total fail

[JamesC]

I will reach out in a private message to gather more information on this topic.

JamesC

[pcuser12345]

ok i got the message going to try it out

[ysu]

PROBLEM SOLVED! I got updates.

Netgear update server has some issue that Comcast's DNS 75.75.75.75 can't resolve it.

I temporarily changed my router to use 8.8.8.8 as dns then reboot base station. Now update shows up!

Netgear should fix the dns issue. Comcast is a major isp

[ysu]

Here's some info for Netgear network team to troubleshoot.

Using Comcast DNS, updates.netgear.com can't be resolved (but other hosts, such as community.netgear.com, work well. So looks like an issue with that particular host's registration):

$dig @75.75.75.75 updates.netgear.com

; <<>> DiG 9.8.3-P1 <<>> @75.75.75.75 updates.netgear.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

$ dig @75.75.75.75 community.netgear.com

; <<>> DiG 9.8.3-P1 <<>> @75.75.75.75 community.netgear.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 51231
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;community.netgear.com.		IN	A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
community.netgear.com.	153	IN	CNAME	ejquo23388.lithium.com.
ejquo23388.lithium.com.	398	IN	A	208.74.205.20

;; Query time: 18 msec
;; SERVER: 75.75.75.75#53(75.75.75.75)
;; WHEN: Thu Mar  9 23:02:35 2017
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 88

And if you use 8.8.8.8 (google public DNS), the updates host can be resolved:

$ dig @8.8.8.8 updates.netgear.com

; <<>> DiG 9.8.3-P1 <<>> @8.8.8.8 updates.netgear.com
; (1 server found)
;; global options: +cmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 57856
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 3, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;updates.netgear.com.		IN	A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
updates.netgear.com.	263	IN	CNAME	updates.netgear.com.edgekey.net.
updates.netgear.com.edgekey.net. 863 IN	CNAME	e70.g.akamaiedge.net.
e70.g.akamaiedge.net.	19	IN	A	23.5.216.84

;; Query time: 39 msec
;; SERVER: 8.8.8.8#53(8.8.8.8)
;; WHEN: Thu Mar  9 23:04:38 2017
;; MSG SIZE  rcvd: 129

That should be solid info for your engineers to troubleshoot.

One important info is that this seems to be broken recently. I bought the Arlo Pro set early Feb, and on my initial setup on the same network / same ISP, I got firmware update at that time, so unless Netgear changed the update host, it had worked early Feb, and stopped working recently. (And of course as a user who would change my router DNS every day for fun)

Given that Netgear is a network equipment company this really seems to be a mistake they shouldn't make 🙂

[pcuser12345]

it works i put 8 8 8 8 dns it work i can see it updatingo

[jolieqe]

I'm close! that 8.8.8.8 got me to load the fw page but how long does it take for updates to hit?

[pcuser12345]

have to reatart thr base station

[pcuser12345]

have to put 8 8 8 8 Dns on your router then u have to restart the basestation

[jguerdat]

---

ysu wrote:
PROBLEM SOLVED! I got updates.

Netgear update server has some issue that Comcast's DNS 75.75.75.75 can't resolve it.

I temporarily changed my router to use 8.8.8.8 as dns then reboot base station. Now update shows up!

Netgear should fix the dns issue. Comcast is a major isp

---

Really?  That's a Comcast DNS issue.  Netgear canpublish the DNS tables but Comcast has to make use of it.

In any event, that's a good catch.  I've used OpenDNS for years with no problems so never saw this.

[ysu]

Not Comcast issue IMHO. When a dns server cannot find an entry it goes to the domain's own name server to query it then cache it. In this case it could be netgear.com's own name server went down or didn't give proper result. Google dns worked because their entry hasn't expired. It worked for me last month because either the name server was working at that time or Comcast dns had a valid entry at that time.

But I could be wrong. I don't have in-depth knowledge about how this works.

[MarkC]

---

ysu wrote:
Not Comcast issue IMHO. When a dns server cannot find an entry it goes to the domain's own name server to query it then cache it. In this case it could be netgear.com's own name server went down or didn't give proper result. Google dns worked because their entry hasn't expired. It worked for me last month because either the name server was working at that time or Comcast dns had a valid entry at that time.

But I could be wrong. I don't have in-depth knowledge about how this works.

---

Not that this issue belongs here but out of interest how come it is only Comcast that has had this problem then? Would that not point more in the direction that it was more on their side irrespective if Netgear could have done something more to overcome the issue (which incidentally was not necessary for all the other ISP's to be able to see it). Just curious?

[ysu]

Here's my thought, which might not be correct -- after all Comcast DNS (and any other DNS) calls netgear's own registered name server to get IP address of xyz.netgear.com, which is the source of truth. Then these DNS servers cache it. The fact that www.netgear.com and community.netgear.com work on Comcast DNS but not updates.netgear.com, made me think the propagation chain is broken for that server, maybe rooted from netgear's own registered name server. The fact that google DNS works might be that google DNS caches it for a longer time. I can't think of how comcast would treat one host differently from others. It's more likely netgear configured updates.netgear.com differently because this host is fronted by akamai because it serves highly cachable static data (like firmware files).

Anyway, I probably should stop making unscientific assumptions about the root cause using my limited knowledge 🙂 Any other users with deeper network knowledge please feel free to give us some education. At this point the bottom lines are:

1. Workaround is to use 8.8.8.8

2. Netgear engineers should start looking into the problem. If it's Comcast doing something wrong, they need to contact Comcast.

[jguerdat]

It might be worthwhile reversing the direction of getting it fixed - the affected users may want to contact their ISP (Comcast in this scenario) and have them work it from their end. Opening​ a ticket with both ends would certainly produce a fix.

[pcuser12345]

Case is Closed

[jolieqe]

I can get to the fw page but after restarting the base station (and turning cameras on/off) still does find an available update. Am I missing a step or need to re-add the base and all cameras again? Tired of climbing ladders to get the cameras down 😉

[pcuser12345]

i just reboot the base station after change the DNS then i use a app it show dark screen and green button in middle say update i click update of each camera firmware update

[ysu · Accepted solution]

This is what exactly worked for me and I'm on 11011 now:

1. Change router dns to 8.8.8.8. Restart router.
2. Restart base station using the arlo app

As soon as it is back online the thumbnail automatically has an update button for each camera. I just tapped all of them. It took a few min for all of them to update.

No need to climb ladder or re add camera. I didn't do any of those.

[pcuser12345]

all i do i keep the 8888 for feature upate firmware

[JamesC]

jolieqe,

I will reach out to you in a private message to further assist with this issue.

Engineering is currently investigating and working on a long term solution, thank you ysu and pcuser12345 for confirming the workaround fix.

JamesC