Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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Maximus_0
Aspirant
Aspirant

Hello, I understand this might be a silly question but i can't find a clear answer to it: how does the camera connect to the base station? is it some special technology or simple wifi?

 

I want to put this camera about 11 yards (10 meters) away from the house and there's no wifi coverage.

8 REPLIES 8
brh
Master
Master

@Maximus_0 

The Arlo base station connects directly to your wi-fi via an ethernet connection. From there the base uses a special frequency to connect to the cameras. So, what you need to do is to position your base station as close to the camera as necessary with as little obstructions as possible. You may have to use a wi-fi extender with an ethernet plug that the base can connect to and a second base station, an inline extender or a mesh network with satellites that the base can plug into.

I am using a Netgear Orbi router in the middle of my house with two satellites - one at each end of my houuse - with an Arlo base station plugged into each for a total of three bases on the same account. All of my cameras have 3 bars of signal strength.

 

Brian

Maximus_0
Aspirant
Aspirant

thank you for a prompt reply brh, but there are too many contradictions in your message. If connection between the camera and the base is going through some special frequency, then why would you suggest a wi-fi extender? and what's the maximum distance between the base and the camera?

brh
Master
Master

@Maximus_0 

Sorry for any misunderstanding. What you are trying to to accomplish is to get the base station as close to the camera as possible for the strongest signal strength. So, if you only have one base and one camera and supposing your router was in your living room and your camera was about 10 meters away with only one wall or window between the base and the camera you might get the camera to work at that distance. But, if your base is located in the middle of your house to connect to multiple cameras and, say, you are trying to connect the camera outside on the other side of the house at ten meters and have several walls between the base and the camera, you will never get the camera to work.

The base stations must connect to the router through an ethernet cable. The connection between the router and the base is wifi but the connection between the base and the camera is not. Therefore, if your camera will not connect at a certain distance or keeps disconnecting, you have to get another base as close to that camera as possible. But, since the base must connect to the router through an ethernet cable, (not wirelessly), you have to get a wifi signal to the base for it to work. You can run a long cable to the base if you have enough open ports on the back of your router or switch, or wirelessly connect to a wi-fi device that has an ethernet plug available for the base to plug into.

Think of the base station as a bridge between your router and the camera. Wi-fi in - propriatary frequency out to the camera. The wi-fi extender simply provides a convenient way to get a wireless wi-fi signal to the second base that must have a wired connection to the wi-fi.

Hope this explanation helps,

 

Brian

brh
Master
Master

@Maximus_0 

Put another way:

If the Arlo base connected to your wi-fi wirelessly, we would not be having this discussion. But, it doesn't - the base must connect to your Wi-fi, (router or other Wi-fi device), through a physical connection, (ethernet cable). So you want to get a Wi-fi device close the base so that the base can connect through a wired connection to the Wi-fi. From there you want to get as strong a signal to the camera from the base as possible.

This is assuming that the location of your current base does not have enough signal strength to connect to your camera.

As far as distance goes, there are too many variables in construction materials, number of walls or other obstacles, etc. to give a precise measurement. I have some cameras that can only work 5 or 6 meters away from the base and others that can work 20 meters away. It just depends on how many and what type of obstacles are between the base and the camera.

 

Brian

TomMac
Guru Guru
Guru

From there the base uses a special frequency to connect to the cameras. 

 

As a PS;

there is no special frequency between the base and cameras... it's normal 2.4ghz  wifi ( matter of fact you can see the bases signal on any wifi signal app , android and ios both have a good one to check sig strength) The only diff is the cameras will only link to the base units due to extra protocals and there is no access into base ( pw )

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brh
Master
Master

@TomMac 

Thanks for clarifying that.

 

Brian

 

P.S. I must still be a little groggy this morning. I was trying to find a simple way to explain that if the camera will not connect well to the system, there are ways to solve that.

Maximus_0
Aspirant
Aspirant

thanks everyone for your help! i suppose i will have to test the wifi signal first and then make the decission. too ban Arlo cams don't support LAN wires.

TomMac
Guru Guru
Guru

look up this app... both android / ios and kindle too... works well for sig levels

Wifi Analyzer

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Morse is faster than texting!
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