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?

[Manole831]

How do we get some love from Netgear support on this thread? I’m dreading calling support and being on hold for 20 min, getting some generic help that’s not applicable to this, all while this is a widespread issue.

[brh]

@Manole831

I doubt if Support will know what is going on. Post a message to @JamesC to be sure he knows about the problem and forward it to engineering.

Brian

[Manole831]

Thx Brian

@JamesC can you help escalate this?

[jguerdat]

I don't know that it's a huge battery drain unless there's constant motion. I just tried it and see that the LEDs indeed come on even with the camera off. The camera obviously still has to be alive so you can turn it back on but there doesn't seem to be a reason for enabling the LEDs when the camera is off. It would seem to be a relatively simple fix but have no idea what would be involved.

[JamesC]

I've escalated this topic to engineering. We're currently investigating several reports of this. I'll provide an update when I have more information.

JamesC

[pc2k17]

Wow, just saw this as I was going to post a new topic about this issue as I am having the same issue. I did extensive troubleshooting, here is what I have......... @JamesC hopefully this helps when relaying this issue to the engineers.

Cameras off, still detecting motion, IR lights coming on

Starting on the same day that the missing Mode tab fix was implemented, I noticed an issue with my cameras. I used smartthings to turn the cameras on/off and always left the Arlo Mode in Armed. I did it this way because it was a convenient way to control the cameras by turning them on/off using a smartthings widget on my home screen.

The issue I noticed was while the cameras were turned off (disabled), they were still detecting motion and turning on the IR LED lights, which ended up draining the batteries. (no video was recorded because they were off) When the cameras are off they shouldn’t do anything. I had batteries go from 50-60% to below 5-10% in just a couple of hours.

When I saw this happening, with the cameras off (disabled)……….

1. I rebooted the base twice, didn’t help.
2. Put the Mode in disarmed, which I thought stopped the motion detection, but all it did was stop the IR led lights from coming on. In fact, motion was still detected no matter what mode I was in when the cameras were off.
3. Created a custom mode so only the camera in the garage recorded. The camera in garage is on all the time. Switched to that mode and turned the other cameras off. They still detected motion.
4. Pulled the batteries and put them back in on 3 cameras and the issue stopped on those cameras. Two days later when I used smartthings to turn the cameras off the issue returned. Pulled the batteries again, issue went away, 1 day later when I used smartthings to turn the cameras off the issue returned.
5. Thought maybe smartthings was causing the issue. Turned the cameras on from the arlo app, set mode to armed, rebooted base, turned cameras off from the arlo app, issue returned. IR led’s weren’t coming on, but cameras were still detecting motion because the batteries drained 5%-10% in less than 2 hours while they were off.
6. Created a custom mode so only the camera in the garage recorded. The camera in garage is on all the time. Switched to that mode and left the other cameras on this time. Issue is gone. Cameras working normally. Cameras without a rule in the custom mode appear to be disarmed, as they should be, and the batteries are not draining. I am currently using this method now.

Conclusion………. Either a bug was introduced when the missing Mode tab fix was implemented that affected cameras when they are turned off, making them detect motion when off, which drains the batteries. (If others have the issue they may not notice if their cameras are outside and don’t have constant motion like you would indoors where my cameras are)

Or something happened to my system when the fix was implemented causing the issue.

Or it was a coincidence that the issue started at the same time the fix was implemented.

[Shammy]

Virtuoso.........I removed the batteries from my cameras.....removed them from the system, installed the batteries back in them, re-synced them to the system, and the problem still persists.  This all happened after a scheduled maintenance that Arlo did at the end of April.  Beforehand, everything was fine.  Not sure what to do with these now.  It really has disappointed me with this camera system. 

[pc2k17]

@Shammy

Check out point #6 in my post just before your post. Setting up a custom mode and leaving the cameras on is a work around for now. Mine are functioning normal setup that way.

[Wakey]

Hi

I turned my Arlo Pro off today in the back garden as my wife put some washing out and it was flapping around causing it to record and I wanted to preserve battery- big mistake. It was 87% when I turned it off, and when I  turned it back on a few hours later it had dropped to 75%. Very strange I thought.

Then my kids had friends over, so they were going in the back garden again, and I switched it off again. Upon switching it back on 2 hours later, its dropped from 75% to 68%.

Up until I switched it off I had been running it for 5 days and it had only dropped to 87%. A lot of this drop was on the first day setting it up and then looking at it a lot the next day. 

I am quite perturbed how power is sapping from it when switched off and seems to be some power drain bug- its sapping power a lot quicker off than on- very strange.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks

[TomMac]

The question is how did you turn it off...in settings or disarmed ?

Both should put it into a very low power usage.... the only thing i can can is to reset the camera ( pull battery and reinstall ) and if that doesn't work then Remove device for that camera and bring back as new

[Wakey]

I've turned it off. I've just seen another thread below dealing with the same issue, saying there's a bug and when turning off, infra red is coming on and detection. It's actually more than that because it's also triggering an ultra fast battery drain as reported in that thread. I've resolved by creating a custom mode just for the cameras I want to record in this scenario and not putting the back garden camera on that mode, then it just doesn't record or do anything, and no battery drain.
Netgear need to get this major new bug sorted. An electrical item rapidly draining when switched off is not expected behaviour!
I suspect everyone's cameras currently do this- turn one off and try!
Thanks for your reply BTW.

Regards

[pc2k17]

There is an issue currently when turning the cameras off. Check this post:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Pro/Infrared-light-comes-on-when-camera-is-off/m-p/1570006#M36...

Read the post by me on the second page and all the things I did to troubleshoot this issue and the workaround that's working for me now.

Arlo is aware and investigating.

[Wakey]

Yes thanks I'd spotted your post and did as suggested, setting up a custom setting with the cameras I didn't want recording not listed. This has the same effect without switching them off.
There's going to be a lot of people with low power today. I hope Arlo get this sorted urgently, not sure how this bug could make it through testing.

[Manole831]

The problem with that work around is you can’t use SmartThings to enable and disable cameras. For my particular setup, this is a huge problem. I have various routines controlling the cameras that are now useless.

[pc2k17]

@Manole831

I also have (had) several routines in smartthings that turned the cameras on/off that I couldn't use anymore. I had widgets running those routines which was very convenient. I decided to just change my routines, for the time being, and use the Arlo app to change modes. It's a PITA, but it's just a workaround for now, until they fix the actual issue. For now, as long as my battery usage has gone back to normal and the cameras inside the house are disarmed when I want them to be I'm ok with it for now. (if this issue goes months like other issues have.... that, I won't be ok with)

[pc2k17]

Testing? Lol, I think that's the problem, they don't do thorough enough testing. When I deploy a piece of software, patch, update, etc.... I test every scenario I can think of, even if only a couple people out of the 30,000 employees fit into that scenario. Seems to me Arlo engineers / devs don't go that indepth when testing. Hopefully they are learning some valuable lessons from all the issues that have surfaced in 2018 so far.

[Manole831]

This is true - I’m worried as well that it’s going to take months to fix a seemingly easy regression defect. If IFTTT integration had the ability to set custom modes instead of just Arm/Disarm it wouldn’t be so bad, but that path is a dead end.

[Loddie]

I too have experienced the bug! The microphones aren't functioning on all 5 cams and IR lights come on for 3 of the 5 cameras while off and disarmed draining the batteries indoors in 2-3 days. Nothing seems to work and I can only assume since I'm not the only one, that the firmware needs to be fixed and updated. Reboots and resets are of no help!!!

@JamesC. I've seen that the "engineers" are working on it in previous posts but no updates for fix ETA or other solutions

Bought this week and glad I didnt install outside yet, if no fix by tomorrow, i will be returning these and buying a different brand.

[Shammy]

Thank you everyone for your advice and comments.  Not sure what I'm going to do with mine.  I may just eventualy get rid of them for another Brand.

[Retired_Member]

I've been using the Arlo Pro VMB 4000 for eight days now with no actual problems.  Firmware vs 1.1.0.4-20963.

Windows 8.1.

I read the following:  Arlo Wire-Free and Arlo Pro batteries last approximately 3-6 months with average use.

Does this mean the charge might last 3-6 months or the actual battery itself might last this long.  Replacing the battery after 3-6 months would not be an option for me.  Just need clarification.

Thanks

[TomMac]

No the battery will just be due for a new recharge.... they are Li-ion packs which normally can do about 200+ recharges.

Charge life may be shorter than you listed, it all depends on amount of use / drain on battery

[KimberlyB]

Yeah good luck with Netgear, they couldn't care less.  Had me on hold for over 2 hours (no not kidding).  Said that their "engineering" people would push out a fix - nothing.  Said they would email me with an update - nothing.  Really not happy and will not be buying the five Arlo Qs for inside the house like I planned.  This is simply unacceptable.

My workaround fix for the issue is twofold: I disabled night vision on all cameras.  This works for me, because I do not leave them on at night.  But, I know for other people this will not work.  I had actually started leaving them on all night right before this stupid glitch and liked knowing it was catching events around my home.

I plan to buy multiple other Ring cameras now for outside; customer service is excellent and cameras work flawlessly.  I am done with Arlo.  Not fixing this is really really BS

[KimberlyB]

What is causing it is that for the last week or so, when the cameras are off, the motion detection is still on.  But...since the camera is off, it does not send notifications (as it should not since the camera is off).  So, people only notice an issue when the night vision comes on...which it did not before when cameras were off.  Right now, only way to fix this is either to turn off night vision, or, disarm the cameras in the "mode" when you are not using them.  I always used to leave it "armed" rather than "disarmed," and then i would simply shut individual cameras on and off.  Now I eithe rneed to leave all cameras on and armed or off and disarmed.  No ability now to have some cameras on and some off because the ones that are off WILL continue to detect motion and drain the battery.

Spent 2 hours on the phone with Netgear talking to someone in a foreign country who barely spoke English and I felt were quite rude, still not solution for the problem.  So, for now, will jsut keep them all on or all off, and fo rinside cameras if you do turn off but have the system "armed"  because you have outside cameras on, turn off night vision on your indoor cameras and it will not drain your battery.  Right now that is the only way to have some cameras on outside and some inside without the battery draining.

[KimberlyB]

@JamesC I am glad to see this issue is elevated.  Keep a few things in mind.

Cameras worked great until a week or so ago when these complaints started coming in.  Keep in mind, not everyone has "smartthings" and people use cameras differently.

WHat I can tell you is that I have one camera indoors and 4 outside.  Typically, I always have the "mode" in "armed" but then I turn the cameras on and off as I desire.  I started noticing the night vision coming on for my interior camera last week even when the camera is off.  I thought it was the camera so I went through the whole battery of troubleshooting (new batteries, remove device and resync, etc.).  Kept doing the same thing.  Then I tried all the other cameras - same thing was happening. 

Bottom line is that as of May 17th, what is occurring is that motion is being detected even when the camera is switched off.  This has not been an issue during the day because it does not record motion and does not trigger infrared lights if the camera is off.  BUT at night, even when off, the infrared will still come on and drain the battery.  SO, what I have been doing is  1) keep all cameras off and disarmed when I do not need them, or 2) if I need some cameras on but not others, I disable the night vision and that way the cameras that are off do not drain battery by still detecting motion and turning on infrared.

Hope this helps your troubleshooting.  The bottom line is Arlo/Netgear did something in the week or so prior to May 17th (had to be firmware update) that messed up all these cameras.  Should be able to neve rhave to worry about arming or disarming, but when cameras are off they should be OFF for all purposes.

Please fix!

[pc2k17]

@KimberlyB

You can still have some cameras armed and some disarmed even with this issue. Until they fix it, you just need to create a custom mode, then in your custom mode create a rule for only the cameras you want armed. Any other cameras not in that custom mode rules will be disarmed and will not be affected by this isssue. Leave all the cameras on, just set a custom mode to arm only the ones you want. So for example if you want outside cameras armed when your home, but inside cameras disarmed, create a custom mode that has rules only for the outside cameras. Switch to that mode and the inside cameras will be disarmed and not affected by this issue. It's a work around to turning on/off until they fix this issue. Once I set up a custom mode the cameras act nrmally and battery drain is the same as it's always been.

Also in this post check out post number 30...... I did extensive troubleshooting and hopefully JamesC will pass that along.