Looking to Upgrade my Arlo Pro Cameras-Outdoor

[davyt]

This is a great forum to learn about Arlo products from experienced users!

I installed 3 Arlo Pros back in 2017. Since then I added 3 more. I had hardware and other problems. But these cameras are old and I believe are EOL. Most of them work OK, but they don't pickup all the motion events. Camera hardware version range from H8 (2), H11 (2) and one each of H14 and H15. They are all external powered-no batteries.

I am thinking of upgrading. Reading thru some posts, I am conflicted if I should choose Essential, Essential XL or Pro4 to be equal to or better than what I have. Some questions

- would any of these co-exist with my Pro cameras or do I have to completely replace?

- Do any of these new cameras need base station or do they connect directly to WiFi. Does the signal level have to be strong?

- I can externally power them?

- subscription would still be needed if I reduced my camera count to 4?

Thanks!

[StephenB]

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@davyt wrote:

- subscription would still be needed if I reduced my camera count to 4?

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Unlike your Pro cameras, none of the current models are sold with 7-day free cloud storage.  So you will need a subscription for the new cameras to get that (along with activity zones and smart notifications).

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@davyt wrote:

- would any of these co-exist with my Pro cameras or do I have to completely replace?

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They all can coexist with your existing cameras.

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@davyt wrote:

- Do any of these new cameras need base station or do they connect directly to WiFi. Does the signal level have to be strong?

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All the models you are considering can connect directly to your home wifi. You want at least 2 mbps upload speed from each camera location.  You can measure that using the speedtest (free Ookla app) on your phone at the camera locations.  Make sure you turn cellular data off, to be certain you are testing the wifi speed.

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@davyt wrote:

- I can externally power them?

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Essentials are sealed, and the battery cannot be removed.

That said, Arlo sells outdoor chargers and panels for both the Pro 4 and the Essential cameras.  So you can power them.  Personally I do have a couple of AC powered cameras, but I leave the batteries in (so they will continue to work if the power fails).  Note my base, router, etc are connected to a UPS, so they also continue working when the power fails.

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@davyt wrote:

I am conflicted if I should choose Essential, Essential XL or Pro4

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Although the Essentials are less expensive, there is a downside.  You can reboot a Pro 4 by removing/reinserting the battery.  It's not possible to reboot the Essentials.  If that is needed, you need to do a full factory reset and reinstall the cameras.

One potential downside with the Pro 4 is the audio.  Many people report static/clicking sounds from the mic.  If you use the two-way talk feature, that could be a big problem for you.

If the bigger battery in the Essential XL is of interest, you can get the XL upgrade kit for the Pro 4.