Does Arlo Pro use 802.11 standards?

[rottielover]

So after a snafu with Amazon I am currently on my way to the local Best Buy location to pickup my Arlo Pro 4 pack with base station.  After even more reading I'm left a little confused..

Folks are talking about using "normal"  wifi range extenders with these camera's but the Netgear video's made it sound like you had to get a 2nd base station?

Last week I replaced my ASUS router with an Amplifi High Density mesh wifi system, and now I'm wondering what the camera's are actually looking for...

Is this a case of the camera's using a different radio and freq range, or are the camera's going to use the closest AP and pickup a DHCP address from my main server?

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

Answer to question YES, 802.11, normal wifi on 2.4ghz for Arlo / Arlo Pro, the Q cameras can use 5 ghz too.

The cameras ONLY connect to a base unit. The base hooks into a router or switch to get internet connection. The base then sets up its own wifi network to talk only to the cameras.

The distance , tho max is 300ft, is ALWAYS limited by what building materials the signal has to go thru... so it can be a lot shorter just like any other 2.4 wifi.

Since the cams ONLY talk tothe base, the base is the center of its range, the only way to maximize your coverage in a home is to centrally locate the base

You can use a wifi extender ( with etherent port ) to move the base to the best location for coverage (or ethernet cable up to 100m.)

In a large area with more than one access point, you can add a second base ( on any level service, bases are no extra fee ) which would give you a larger coverage ... in reality it's the only way to extend the range/coverage area of Arlo. One thing of note is that with 2 bases, exch base is it's own system and must be armed. scheduled , separately.... tho the cams an bases will all appear in the same prgm/app.

hope this helps

[rottielover]

Wait. So what your talking about is power line adapters and simply moving the base because the cameras do not adhere to standards. They use a proprietary method of communication?

Here is what I mean. The camera radio only links to the radio in the base? I think I just started regretting this purchase before I even picked it up from the store.

It would be one thing if the cameras were a node on the subnet and used the base station as a central controller, but what's being described sounds like interference with existing 2.4 or 5 ghz systems is now going to be a factor as well??

So on top of that, if you get a 2nd base unit it's now two systems at one location. 😞

I guess I'll read Best Buy's return policy very closely before I take this home.

[TomMac]

YES... the cameras DO NOT LINK TO YOUR HOME WIFI , ONLY THE BASE using 802.11 at 2.4ghz

( only the Q cameras work/hook directly and they are indoor only rated )

Extenders can be used to centrally locate a base for best signal to cameras around home

The base sets up on the same channel as you router is placed close to it... Netgear engs say less collisions this way and they prob know more than me.

I'm running 12 cams right now and the base is 6 feet from the router, no problems with the othe 12+ wifi devcies in teh home

if you have ? ask now

[rottielover]

I picked them up. Skeptical but I'm going to try

[TomMac]

let me know how it pans out...

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rottielover wrote:
I picked them up. Skeptical but I'm going to try

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[rottielover]

Wow. I was completely shocked when I was walking around my house with these. To set the scene, I have a 2 story home approx 2,400 sq ft I placed the Arlo base on the 2nd floor next to my main AmpliFi router.

Anywhere I walked around the house I got the feed.

Tomorrow it's off to the hardware store to get some better mounting screws and some clear silicone, looks like these are keepers !!!

Poking around my front porch I'm thinking that I'm going to end up supplementing with a Ring doorbell as well, but I'm still going to have one of these guys watching the overall scene.

Time for a battery charger extra battery's and might even pickup a couple more camera's.

Tom are you running 12 cams off of one base or multiple bases?

[TomMac]

Right now 12 on one Arlo base, sometimes when testing I run the Pro base at the other end of house off an Orbi satellite... The Q is direct on 5 ghz to the Orbi main router

Yes, the bases do put out a good signal level