Arlo Pro battery life

[Shammy]

Why does my camera night infrared come on when I have the camera set to off?

[secaz]

And - the signal strength is pitiful after I popped a new battery into it, and the basestation for this cam in RIGHT IN MY OFFICE only scant feet away!  SO, again, WTF with the signal strength?

[secaz]

Can understand wifi being iffy if battery is minimal, but I had just popped a fully charged battery into it, and got weak signal with basestation right next to me, 2 to 3 feet away - that makes no sense, you know?

Glad people are complaining to BBB... for all the good it will do...

My only hope with this thread (before Netgear decides to remove it) is that people considering an Arlo purchase and do research beforehand will see it and think twice about Arlo.  Its a real shame - Arlo had a lot of potential... and was great when it worked right... but hasn't worked right in months... just keeps getting worse...

[howangder]

I bought my Arlo Pro wire-free 4 camera kit back in December of 2016 and the batteries have been long lasting.I only need to recharge them couple times a year. I only turn them on during day time and when somebody is home, I turn them off. Starting about 3 weeks ago, all 4 batteries started draining very fast, like 10% or more per day so I've been recharging them a couple times already. I thought the batteries were getting old so I replaced one with a new one yesterday but it didn't fix the problem. This evening just about 30 minutes ago, I walked by one camera and I found that the Arlo camera's infrared LEDs were on even when the camera was turned off. I looked at the others and they all behavior the same. When I walked toward them, the red leds were on and when I stopped in from of a camera, red leds then turned off. I even took a picture of them. 

There were suggestions about updating the firmware manually for the base station and the cameras. But when I go to Settings -> My Devices and select either my Base station or a camera and then go to Device Info -> Firmware, I can only see the firmware version but there were no links for me to manually update the firmware. Can Arlo tech support of somebody in the community tell me what I can do to fix this problem? Below are my firmware info for the base station and the cameras if that would help you to identify a solution:

- Base station: HW Version VMB4000r3. Firmware 1.10.0.4_20963

- Cameras: HW Version H7. Firmware 1.092.0.13_19715

Thanks!

[howangder]

Hi JamesC,

It seems you are the right person we can count on to fix this problem. I just realize 30 minutes ago that I have the same problem. Here is my story and please tell me if there a temp fix. Thanks!

I bought my Arlo Pro wire-free 4 camera kit back in December of 2016 and the batteries have been long lasting.I only need to recharge them couple times a year. I only turn them on during day time and when somebody is home, I turn them off. Starting about 3 weeks ago, all 4 batteries started draining very fast, like 10% or more per day so I've been recharging them a couple times already. I thought the batteries were getting old so I replaced one with a new one yesterday but it didn't fix the problem. This evening just about 30 minutes ago, I walked by one camera and I found that the Arlo camera's infrared LEDs were on even when the camera was turned off. I looked at the others and they all behavior the same. When I walked toward them, the red leds were on and when I stopped in from of a camera, red leds then turned off. I even took a picture of them.

There were suggestions about updating the firmware manually for the base station and the cameras. But when I go to Settings -> My Devices and select either my Base station or a camera and then go to Device Info -> Firmware, I can only see the firmware version but there were no links for me to manually update the firmware. Can Arlo tech support of somebody in the community tell me what I can do to fix this problem? Below are my firmware info for the base station and the cameras if that would help you to identify a solution:

- Base station: HW Version VMB4000r3. Firmware 1.10.0.4_20963

- Cameras: HW Version H7. Firmware 1.092.0.13_19715

[secaz]

Pardon my French, but this is all bull**bleep**.  So long and nothing has been fixed.  If IR lights coming on all the time is a new Arlo *feature*, then Netgear needs to tell us so we can just get on with our lives and find some other system that does what its supposed to do.

This morning when I got up, I went to check my schedules - one of them, AGAIN, was disarmed for ONE day, got disarmed for Monday early morning time slot.  Other days for this time slot, this schedcule, this basestation, were all ticked, but Monday got unticked.  I had checked the schedules for all three base stations before turing in last night - and checked them first thing when I got up.  I sincerely doubt I got up and edited scheudles in my sleep.  What good is a system that aritrarily DISARMS my cameras?  And randomly for all base stations and their schedules?  And this *quirk*, as with the other issues people are experienceing, is not consistent... I can't find a pattern to it...

[ysu]

Hi, for your “skip Monday” problem, I saw the same and found a workaround. Try it (until netgear has proper fix)

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Pro/Schedule-always-skips-Monday-since-2-5-0-update/td-p/15761...

[secaz]

Can you please post a link for BBB where you went to file complaint?  Thx!

[secaz]

Thanks - I have already been down that road, but problem crops up again and again... I've done the same thing, have blown out schedules and added back with different boandaries making sure days don't overlap, tried with overlap and then back again to no overlap, tried setting up only from web interface, tried setting up only using Android interface... but it consistently comes back.  Every time I think its fixed, its not.   And ithappens with other days besides Monday, and more than just one time slot, too...

Have set another reminder for myself on my phone to check schedules at regular intervals... just one of many reminders I have set up to manage Arlo... it has become a VERY labor intensive system all the way around... fomr the physical aspect to the application aspect and all points in between... its more frustrating than useful... and totally useless for security...

[howangder]

I did try to disarm a couple cameras last night but the red infrared LEDs were still on when I walked by. Any idea?

[ysu]

Reading others workaround posts, I don’t think the standard disarm mode solves the problem. It is actually the problem. Disarm = IR always on = battery drain fast.

You need to create a new mode that basically does nothing and doesn’t mention any camera (except one trigger camera. Choose the one with least motion and easier reach). Then use this mode as your disarm. That seems to actually turn off IR

[JPC]

Looks like some of us are in a field test firmware.. Be ready with your warranty guys.. Possible "System Brick" is coming at you.. If not, you're out of luck and Arlo wins again with your money... And ofcourse, it's not Arlo's fault.. Goodluck to us all.. 

[secaz]

I've had so much inconsistency with all issues since update, its crazy - when things break, they shold stay broken, not change the state of their brokeness.  I have experienced IR lights NOT coming on when camera status is OFF, AFTER I had popped in a new battery... but then after turning cam back on and then AGAIN setting status to OFF, IR lights went right back to coming on.  The other day I took down a cam, set status to OFF, popped in new battery, and this time, IR lights came on after I put the new battery in.  Not like previous experience.

And since I have a lot of cams purchased througout the year, I am wondering if the latest firmware debacle behaves differently with differenet hardware versions... maybe there is something different about older cams vs newer cams... or older basestations vs newer basestations...

I've never seen anything like it - no consistency at all... the only consistent thing is that every thing is a mess...

[secaz]

My schedules blew up - AGAIN... different time slots, different days, deactivated.

I give up - going back to manually setting schedules on my three basestations.  Cannot rely on schedules.  I'll just use a reminder on my phone to tell me when to switch modes... another step back towards the stoneage...

[secaz]

I have had the same issue with cams randomly still showing motion when the motion is long since over and gone.  Will also  randomly show USB icon organge forever at times - I have large capacity drives inserted into each basestation and have the overwrite option enabled... and were's talking low-res videos of 10 seconds each.

Poor motion detection, too... at 80% sensitivity and a very short driveway that can barely accommodate a small pickup, garage cam missed a big car going by.  How is that possibe?  Yet it picks up a lizard or a bird or someone walking by way on the other side of the road, how can it miss somethiing as big asa 1980's sedan?  I only know becasue my OTHER cam I have set up FURTHER BACK from the house and behind my block wall where my garage ends and house begins, THIS cam which is farther away picked up the big sedan, but not the cam on the front of the garage.

[Hatch9279]

I've owned 7 cameras for about a year without any issues until the last couple months it's been terrible! The batteries drain fast (even when turned off), the signal strength isn't as good and nothing has changed in a year, there is an alarm banner across the top of the screen when in the live live mode on an IOS device. Crazy.       Please find a way to either fix or revert back to the older software versions (2.4.9 or earlier) !!  

     At least keep Alro users informed on what's going on....  tech suppport won't admit there is any issues.  A simple acknowledgement that you are aware and working on issues would be so comforting compared to being left in the dark waiting to see if a new App update might be coming out whenever! 

     These cameras aren't cheap....    don't make your support that way!!!

[crescentmotor]

I am disarming all my cameras when at home during the day in order to preserve battery charge.  At night I am arming selected cameras in my back yard while not turning on other cameras since I have a seperate security system around the perimeter of my house in addition to Arlo cameras so there is some redundancy.  When I leave the house all cameras are armed, live, and turned on.

Question:  During the day I have all my Arlos cameras disarmed.  Is there a way to select individual cameras to be put in disarm mode.  In other words, some active and some disarmed?

[FormerArloUser]

I've been disarming my cameras for the last week. This hasn't helped at all. I don't even arm them when I leave the house. Without phone alerts there is no reason to.

My batteries are now dead and there is no reason to recharge. I'll never buy another Netgear product.

[FormerArloUser]

Everyone has different symptoms because these cameras have been hacked. You're not operating them. Someone else is. Think about it. That's why netgear is ignoring this issue. 

[secaz]

Still have some problems with batteries draining in a few cams, other ones do seem to be behaving more as they should.  Or at least, the way they did - I never got exceoption battery life out of any of mine except a couple in areas where only birds might set them off.  Two cams, though, which had no videos at all overnight, battery dropped 2%...

And with motion, I know there are times of day where its hard to pick up motion - but the cam that missed the huge sedan was in the shade and closer, the one that picked it up was in the sun and further away.  Go figure.

Netgear is not doing or saying anything.  Anyone who reads this thread, though, in doing research - do not buy these cams.  You will have issues like this on and off, with either no resolution or having to wait forever for a resolution.  Do not buy these for security, they ae anything but secure... and IMHO, its false advertising for Netgar to call them security cameras... security cameras are reliable, these are not...

[secaz]

I'm of like mind about the hacking, too... when codes breaks things, its easy to reproduce the problem.  Here its too inconsistent to be one or two buggy lines of code... I can't find a pattern to any of this mess, and I'm done trying.  I am just glad I do not have any cams in my house... and its insane to have to run around and put paper over the lenses because we can't be certain if cameras are actually OFF when we TURN then off.  And its not less ludicrous to have to tape paper over the lenses so when we turn off cams the IR lights won't come on when something cruises on by.  Like I said, Arlo should not be marketed as a security camera, it is far from secure...

[Chet710]

I have had the Arlo Pro 4 camera system for 5 months. Worked great, no charges for 4 months. I have one battery that has been charged twice and now it will not hold a charge. It goes from 100% to 34% or less I soon as I unplug the usb arlo supplied charger. I have cleaned the contacts and have tried putting the battery in after the usb is plugged up. Nothing seems to work. I have charged it for over 24 hours. I have recommended this system to a couple of people now it is really starting to suck. Could the battery just crash like that? Any solutions please? I am reading how awful their support team is and do not offer any real solutions. 

[Frozeninalaska]

Arlo cameras go bad. Mine worked fine for two years. I bought first version. The older one will not stay connected and it doesn’t matter how close they are to your router. I have 5. After an update awhile ago by Arlo all they do is suck up brand new batteries and die after a day or two. Have tried at least 5 times all tech support. They don’t work anymore. Too much money for them to work 2 years. I’ve spent as much as the cameras in batteries.

[sassysmom129]

Going to try powering down and hope that works. Due to health reasons I can’t continue taking them down to recharged. Something needs to be fixed or I will have to find another camera that will not be doing this. My cameras worked perfectly until the so called upgrade. WTF!!!

[Bob_B]

Follow-up on powering down everything: I don't think powering down the base station and cam has helped much, if at all. My cam is still draining its battery at a rate requiring recharge once a week or more.

I don't have any suggestions, but hope Netgear fixes this obvious bug/flaw.

[secaz]

WhenI tried to post here today, got message that my email address had not yet been confirmed... um... I've posted numerous times to this thread, so... hackers again?