Infrared light comes on when camera is off causing rapid battery drain

[Shammy]

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

[Joeyy]

And your Arlo base was in Armed Mode when you saw this behavior? Interesting.

Could you also verify if the cameras are working fine, switched on and in a dark room?

[pc2k17]

I had no custom modes before the update (and many others didn't as well), so that's not the issue. Your IR lights probably seem normal today because you pulled the batteries and/or charged them. If you pull the batteries or charge the batteries the issue seems to go away, but only for a short time. Everything will appear normal then maybe later today, tonight, or tomorrow the issue will return. I saw this behavior over several days when pulling the batteries and/or charging the batteries. Thought the issue went away, then it came back. That's when I saw on here others had the issue as well. Thought it was my system at first.

Also a good way to test is to hold your hand over the camera to block all light then move it away. The camera will detect the motion and the light will come on for a moment.

If the issue doesn't come back in a day or two for you then let us know.

[pc2k17]

Support is useless. I highly doubt thousands of people had their base all of a sudden go bad.

[secaz]

There is something unholy about the modes and using them in schedule - when I went to look in Android app on phone, schedule had blown up... I use 24 hour clock for phone and also my workstations... but when I do schedules on my workstation, the Arlo web gui me use AM and PM... but on my Android phone, when I go to look at schedule, it I has me use 24 hour clock, which is fine becasue that's what I want and how my phone is setup... but when I use website to edit schedule times using AM/PM, then I go to look in Android app at schedule, the schedule has blown up AGAIN - will show only ONE DAY on schedule, not all 7 days... and typically will show on schedule for previous day but all other days are blank.

So - pretty sure this morning when I was doing cam maint after having setup a new NIGHT mode and added to scheudle, it must have been disarmed.  My new NIGHT mode I had added to schedule for ALL 7 DAYS using website, when auditioning in Android, shows only set up for MONDAY active for NIGHT slot, nothing for rest of week during that time.  How LAME is this?  When I edited schedle in Adnroid, and went back to web gui to look at shceulde status, it would say DISARMED, and then I would have to go into schedule via web gui, redefine my modes and times, then exit... THEN change to an actual mode, like DAY, then change back to SCHEDULE and finally in web gui it will display the correct mode running for schedule.

So, what is this sloppy mess?  

[secaz]

There have been multiple burps and hiccups since the update... it is extremely frustrating... and good thing I am self-employed and work out of my home, I can mess around with this stuff when I'm not working, but what about you people with JOBS?  Who likely made purchase of this camera system to keep an eye on things while you are away?  You can't be futzing about with this security system from hell while you are at work, and lord knows after a long day, you're not inclined to want to deal with it once you get home... its more important to spend quality time with your spouse or kids or play with your pets...

I just went made sure my schedule for DAY is actually in force right now and that it hasn't blown up again... then I turned off a cam, snagged it, walked into closet with it, and yeah - IR still comes on... so flase alarm previously, since earlier my schedule had blow up when I noticed IR was NOT coming on, just hadn't realized it at the time... and in my schedule when I afterwards reviewed the schedule, it showed no mode scheduled for today during that time slot.

If the code directs IR to stay OFF when camara is in DISARMED mode, then can't they change the behavior of IR when other modes ae in force?  I can't imagine its THAT hard to find it in the code... I am not a programmer but have picked through a lot of code in my day... cannot imagine it would take them a week to find the line with this directive...

[secaz]

BTW - there are people out there coming up with ways to do things outside of the standard Arlo interfaes...

https://github.com/jeffreydwalter/arlo

https://www.andreasjakl.com/using-netgear-arlo-security-cameras-for-periodic-recording/

.... personally, I would love to see custom firmware for Arlo hardware, something like open source DD-WRT firmware for routers... doubt there is enough interest in the open source community to create something like this for Arlo... but it would be fun.  You never know the power of your hardware until the imposed limitations are removed.  I use DD-WRT for my routers, its amazing what you can do with hardware once you install custom firmware... of course, its only for the brave, lol... I've been lucky, only bricked on router so far in all the years I've been using DD-WRT...

But to have more options for Arlo would be very cool... I hope more people are inclined to "tinker"... maybe even someone who can find the IR directives in the new firmware, lol...

[secaz]

You are correct - when Arlo works right, it IS great... but hasn't been great since last spring... think when I got my cams it worked awesome for about a month or two then the issues started, especially with Android app performance and I would have to keep reverting to older apk packages in order to have decent function on phone.  And I thought maybe the Arlo Android app just hated my Samsung S6 Edge Plus, but last summer when I got my Samsung S8+, no improvement, so apparently the app and not the phone...

And Netgear should interject here in this thread and explain themselves, and what is being done, and an ETA for fix, or if they intend to fix at all...

[pc2k17]

I bought my system in June of 2017. Didn't have a single issue until the database went down in January or February of 2018 (I forget which month) and I was only down for about 1-2 hours. Then after that the thumbnail too dark issue, then the missing mode tab issue, and now the IR lights/camera off issue. I know others experienced more issues but those are the only ones that affected me.

As for Netgear speaking up on this and other issues.......... I'm pretty sure no one from Netgear even reads or monitors these boards, except the community managers, but I'm not even sure if they even work for Arlo/Netgear.

Hopefully the fix is comming soon. I first noticed this issue on my cameras last Thursday so tomorrow will be a week....

[pc2k17]

@Wklovelace3

My battery icons seemed to have stopped moving as well, but if I click on the gear icon the battery percentage shown in there is moving and appears to be accurate based on my usage and past monitoring.

[Hatch9279]

I just got off the phone with tech support for the 5th time about this issue.   Each time they act like it is the very 1st time they have heard of this issue.   I told them about all the people complaining about this due to the lastest updates and to come read the comments in this page.    He could care less.    He kept telling me it is my wifi network that is bad.     This company support organization is a complete joke....  these are expensive cameras , I also pay for the premium service,  I get it there is going to be some hiccups along the way but at least let the customers know you are aware of it and working towards a solution !!!!!!        The camera system worked great for abot a year until the recent updates from the microphone not working to alarm banner in live video to now this !!!       Frustrating as hell.            I just don't know what to do about these!!

[secaz]

I also pay for Premium account - tech support could not care less if they tried, even for people who are paying for service.

I just found another disturbing BURP... get this... when I log into Android app - and this is using the LATEST apk... when I go to edit a mode the camera in the name of the rule does NOT match the name of the camera assigned to the rule, but when I log into the website THEY DO MATCH.  No joke.  So I am seeing different things via web gui and Android app.  And I clear cache and settings in Android before uninstalling apk, then I actually SHUT DOWN MY PHONE and turn it back on before installing new apk... and yet, cams in rules don't match the names of the rules... so, what is with the Android app that it is not reading the same data as via the web gui?  I have 2 basestations... is this now confusing the hell out of Arlo?  I don't even know where to begin with this issue - and naturally Netgear doesn't give a flying flip...

What do you make of this new oddity?  And this whole mode/rule/schedule thing with Android app started around same time as IR bug... this system is a mess right now, I'm surpirsed it works at all given the trauma induced by Netgear's latest update...

It is assurdely f***ed up...

[pc2k17]

@Hatch9279

The Arlo "tech support" is an outsourced call center that reads off of scripts. I guarantee they don't even talk to Arlo/Netgear. They probably have a ticketing system that they search keywords on to find issues, search the wrong words and you find nothing. How do I know this........ when my company was bought by a company in Spain, that's exactly what they did. They closed our local help desk, who had techs with 4-10 years experience in our environment, and a good relationship with my engineering team. They then outsouced the help desk to a company in Spain where they can pay the "techs" 10K per year. Here they made 30-40K per year. The new help desk is full of morons and I have never been contacted by a single one of them to ask me a question. You get what you pay for.

[pc2k17]

@secaz

My camera names match the names in my rules in the android app and on the webpage. And I just changed my names a few days ago when I changed my smartthings rules. The only thing I can think of for your issue is either it's on the Arlo side and there is database (account) corruption, or if you recently uninstalled the app and installed an older version and then went back to current version it's possible that the google backup and restore feature saved data and when you reinstalled that saved data was brought back making your app go wonky (that's technical term lol). If you want, try uninstalling the arlo app from settings > apps, then go into cloud and accounts > backup and restore and turn off automatic restore. Then restart your phone. Go back into settings > cloud and accounts > backup and restore, tap Google account and see if it did a backup again (you want a backup to occur with arlo gone). Once a backup is done, reinstall the app from the play store. See if that helps.

[secaz]

I started having various schedule issues with Android around the same time as the new IR "feature".  This new issue effects both custom and standard Alarm modes... and to be honest, I never had all that many mode/scheudle issues until I added a second basestation... which makes me wonder if this might be a factor... schedules tend to blow up... or get stuck... but since last week, having multiple problems...

Web gui is correct, so I will just have to make changes to rules via website.

I have a tablet with Arlo on it... same behavioral problem with rules/cams discraprancy as Android app on phone...

I contacted support, they will "look into it"... and are still working on IR bug, they said...

[secaz]

For the curious, with Android app and Google account, I disabled app sync, cleared cache and settings, uninstalled Arlo app, rebooted, added a different Google account to my device (one with which I have never installed Arlo)... installed Arlo... same issue with cams and rule names not matching... so... I'm inclined to think its something else?

[pc2k17]

I agree, sounds like something else. App issue, firmware, backend/database issue. Kinda seems like the name chnaged saved locally on the phone/app, but not on the server/database side (or vice versa).

[secaz]

At least I can log into the Arlo site from my phone and adjust the mode rules via Google Chrome... since the data in the rules in the Arlo Android app is garbage.

And every time I uninstall and reinstall the Arlo Android app, when I go to the mode tab, its displays that the active modes for each basestation is DISARMED... when it is NOT disarmed... the web gui will state the correct active mode, natrually... its just the Android app that's a mess...

[vint83]

Reopening 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo/Camera-senses-motion-even-when-Turned-OFF/m-p/1153558#M21819

This bug is back. Camera firmware 1.2.16720   (it was fixed in1.8.1_9169 and worked fine until recent FW was released)

SUMMARY: 

Camera senses motion even when Turned OFF.

Steps:

1. Set mode to "Armed"

2. Go to "Settings" -> My devices -> Pick any camera -> Toggle OFF "Camera ON/OFF" switch.

3. Confirmed that "This camera is currently disabled..." on Cameras screen.

Now if I walk in front of the camera i can see Infrared LEDs turn on for ~10 seconds.. Apparently camera is still somehow armed to sense the motion (even though is Inactive, turned OFF). But no events are generated and no video captured. 

It doesn't really affect anything except it can drain batteries much faster.

Expected:

If camera is Inactive/Turned OFF, motion/Nightvision should be completely disabled to save the battery.

@JamesC are you aware of this bug? Could you please escalate? 

[secaz]

I would blame the rule/camera name mismatch thing on a failing basestation, but I find it unlikely that both my basestations would fail at once... I do have a third one salted away for emergencies, but ask me if I'm inclined to play with this any more.  Every time I run into crap like this?  It's always on Netgear's end.  Always have to just suffer until they fix.

So - for now..,. I know my choices for IR bug... and since I work from home doesn't literally kill me (but could) chasing batteries around... will improve my ladder climbing skills... Netgear wants to keep us old folks on the move, I guess.  Its much easier to notice that I've forgotten to turn a cam back on than if I set to disarm... since I do frequent the devices tab a lot...

For the Android rule/camera name mismatch, on those deives I made a shortcut to mode tab in Google Chrome for arlo.netgear.com website and stuck it on the desktops of both Android devices... I will use the web browser to adjust rules when I am using Android devices since the Android mode data is bogus...

Using website is fine otherwise for my workstations... the web gui does report correct rule/camera name matches, and I tend to be sitting behind a computer more than anywhere else most all the day... so not a huge deal, I suppose, except when I'm outside or at night, but have my workaround for that...

And people wonder why I won't recommend the system to anyone... sheesh... can't say I dislike anyone THAT much...

So - every time I turn around there's some new little glitch with Arlo that I have deal with a work around, or just plain ignore and deal...

[secaz]

Funny you should mention the recording time - several months back I had something similar happen, but it was recording just one... extra... second... when I had them set to record for only 10 seconds.  Thought that was freaky, but I just went and deleted my custom mode and added it back... seemed ok after that... but it wasn't consistent, though, happened sporadically.  Stuff like that should NOT happen.  Also had a problem for a while where timestamps were wrong on one base station, by like a minute... so that a camera that got triggered first (drive by) was reporting a time stamp later than the second camera got triggered.  It is literally like a second when a car driving by hits the seoncd camera.  So  I unplugged BOTH base stations and restarted didn't make any diff, the problem "corrected" itself, though... which didn't give me a warm and fuzzy... why was it happening in their first place?

I think I figured out the strangeness with my Android app... and this makes me wonder how/why could happen... but... when I went and examined the modes more closely in Android, there was a camera DUPLICATED in a mode/rule... Had two different named rules with SAME CAMERA defined for each rule... so, data corruption somewhere, but you would think that when you load your Android Arlo app, it would pull the latest config from basestations.  Website reports correct camera for each rule, but Android, for BOTH basestations, had two rules in same mode with different names but same camera was defined in each.  I went and manually corrected modes/rules in Android... then went and made a change to a rule via website (chaged motion sensitivity) and then went back to Android to make sure the rule had updated.

I'll find out what happens next time I rename a camera.  I know that it was indeed updating in Android if I renamed cams via website gui, and if I renamed in Android would update in website gui... something got whacked somewhere.  And not sure, but think that started today, or I noticed today, anyway... and this morning when I did cams I got lazy and some I replaced batteries, and some I just plugged into chargers.  Normally I will replace batteries but had so many to do becasue of IR bug drain and I only have 2 spare batteries, so plugged some into chargers... 

Now - if there wasn't an IR bug, I wouldn't have to mess with batteries so much... so, back to original issue... fix IR bug so we won't give Arlo a headache replacing batteries and charging constantly...

[secaz]

Same here - got new Android update 2.5.1_21471 and things seems much faster, too, and you are right!  My problem cams read full strength - that's just freaky... before update, just an hour ago, those two cams were down a bar... and my cams are really close to base stations here it made no sense... but... with Arlo, what DOES?

lol

Time tells all tales... I'll check IR tonight when it gets dark and see if that's fixed, but doubt it sincerely...

[avalon94]

Worried that it took almost 2 months to fix last time, so far has been a week or so since the reported issues this time around.

[secaz]

Aside from perhaps an increase in speed on my Samsung S8+, the only thing the new Android version seemed to address was the mode tab and lack of verbiage when running a schedule to indicate current mode.

That being said, the modes in my schedule do not change at the time they are supposed to.  I have to manually change to a mode then switch back to using schedule mode in order for Android to pick up the correct mode that is currently in effect.  So - Android update didn't do anything wonderful... and I still have an issue where when I launch and Arlo video from my lockscreen, after entering my PIN number for phone, the video that starts to play, I get sound but the video itself is just black.  That's the least of my worries, though, with Arlo... just another annoying thing...

With IR, last night I turned off a cam outside then went out to see if IR would come on - IR still came on, so as of last night's test,  IR bug has not been fixed.

I have noticed I have different sensitivity experience with different cameras.  I have 10 and have bought them at different times throughout the past year... my initial system was 3 cameras.

I have one camera that is super sensitive... it picks up motion far away, its amazing... some other cams are poor detecting motion have to crank to 100%... and other cams fall in the middle range.  Probably from manufacturing variences, I assume... with sensor...

[JamesC]

vint83,

This issue has been escalated to engineering for further investigation. I will provide an update as soon as I know more.

JamesC

[secaz]

Have you tried changing out your cams?

I know here, at certain times of day/year, some of my locations, those facing southwest primarily, have a hard time picking up things depending on time of day, even things as big as a car.  I swap my cams around, that's how I noticed difference in motion sensing... so during spring and fall, I try to put the better cams out front which faces south/southwest... these two season seem to be the worst...

Also, have noticed at certain times of day, dusk and dwan, typically, regardless the motion setting or time of year, my cams have a hard time picking up red vehicles, or people walking by who are wearing red...