Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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arlosp
Apprentice
Apprentice

I have the Arlo Pro system with 2 cameras.  The firmware is 1.092.0.24_985.  One of the cameras is online, no problems; the other recently has been displaying the message: "This Arlo device is offline.  Please make sure it is connected to the internet". This camera has a fully charged battery and also has a wired Arlo power lead.  There is nothing wrong with my internet connection.

 

The Arlo base station appears normal, with 3 green lights displayed, and as I said, it's obviously working correctly because my other camera in online and working.  The version is 2.12.2_6. 

 

I am very annoyed with this situation, and this problem has happened before for no good reason.  If your solution is to remove the camera from its location, then this IS a problem for me, requiring the use of a ladder every time!

 

Please explain what I should do.

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StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@arlosp wrote:

 

Incidentally, could you remind me of the procedure to get the camera back on line.


You could try removing and reinserting the battery.  If that fails, remove the camera from the account and then resync it.

 

Perhaps swap the camera positions while you are at it.

 


@arlosp wrote:

  The base unit is right next to the modem router and I would say is roughly equidistant (about 17 ft) from both cameras, with roughly the same house structural material to penetrate.

 


So the distance is certainly ok.  You could try moving the base as far away from the router as the cable will reach (as there could possibly be some WiFi interference).

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StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@arlosp wrote:

 

I am very annoyed with this situation, and this problem has happened before for no good reason.  If your solution is to remove the camera from its location, then this IS a problem for me, requiring the use of a ladder every time!

 


Generally speaking, this issue is either because the camera is defective, or because the wifi signal to the camera isn't solid enough to make a reliable connection.

 

How far away from the base is this camera?  Have you tried swapping the two cameras, and seeing if the problem moves?

 

If the problem doesn't move with the camera, then the issue is the signal quality at that location.  You could try moving the base station closer.  You will need to get ethernet to the base though - one way to do that w/o running an ethernet cable is to use powerline networking. 

 

If the cameras are far apart, then one base might not be able to reach both. If that's the situation, you'd need to get a second base that you can place close to the problem camera.

 

arlosp
Apprentice
Apprentice

Steven B,

Thanks for the reply.  Just to answer your points, yes, I have swapped the 2 cameras over previously but that was for a different reason.  At the time of swapping, they both worked.  The current suspect camera has been working satisfactorily in its location for many months, so it seems doubtful if there is a wifi problem.  As no doubt with many properties I have one of the cameras facing outwards from the front and the other (now suspect) facing outwards from the back.  The base unit is right next to the modem router and I would say is roughly equidistant (about 17 ft) from both cameras, with roughly the same house structural material to penetrate.

 

Incidentally, could you remind me of the procedure to get the camera back on line.

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@arlosp wrote:

 

Incidentally, could you remind me of the procedure to get the camera back on line.


You could try removing and reinserting the battery.  If that fails, remove the camera from the account and then resync it.

 

Perhaps swap the camera positions while you are at it.

 


@arlosp wrote:

  The base unit is right next to the modem router and I would say is roughly equidistant (about 17 ft) from both cameras, with roughly the same house structural material to penetrate.

 


So the distance is certainly ok.  You could try moving the base as far away from the router as the cable will reach (as there could possibly be some WiFi interference).

arlosp
Apprentice
Apprentice

StevenB

 

As you suggested, I removed the battery and the power supply to the suspect camera without moving it (distance from base station ~ 17ft), then checked the devices on my mobile, and the same 'offline' message was still showing.

 

I then pressed the sync button on the camera to get the blue flashing light, and followed the standard instructions, and shortly the camera was working again.  So, problem solved apparently, but I'd appreciate your thoughts on why it was NOT necessary to bring the camera close to the base station,  nor press the base station sync button?  Thanks.

StephenB
Guru Guru
Guru

@arlosp wrote:

but I'd appreciate your thoughts on why it was NOT necessary to bring the camera close to the base station,  nor press the base station sync button?  


I don't have a full explanation on this (Arlo doesn't provide all the details on exactly what happens during syncing, and the details might depend on the specific models of the camera and the base ).  But I've also seen this, particularly with resyncing. 

 

Both the base station and the Arlo Cloud have some knowledge on what cameras are (or were) synced to the base station, and sometimes cameras can be re-added to the base without pressing sync on both (and sometimes without pressing sync on either).  Also, if the standard instructions you followed were to add the device using the web client or app, then that usually doesn't require pressing sync on my base stations.

arlosp
Apprentice
Apprentice

Thank you.  I'll just keep my fingers crossed that this doesn't happen again, although more in hope than expectation.

Big_al62286
Aspirant
Aspirant
I experienced the same situation. Only thing I did was reinsert the battery and the camera worked fine....