Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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silverado44
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Motion worked great up till a few weeks ago now I have to be with in 10 feet for it to detect motion. I moved the sensitivity from 95% where its been for a long time to 100% and its still the same, the cameras have been in the same spot for over a year. What gives Arlo? It seems to me they did something to improve battery life which I didn't have the problem like everyone else on rapid battery drain.

 

What good is a security camera if you have to be with in 10' for it to detect someone?

14 REPLIES 14
JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

silverado44,

 

Arlo's motion sensor is much more sensitive to side-to-side movement across its field of view than to movement directly toward or away from the camera. The best area for motion detection is 5 feet to 20 feet (1.5 to 6 meters) from the camera position.

 

For best performance, take a look at the positioning tips in the following article: How do I position my Arlo Wire-Free or Arlo Pro Wire-Free camera?

 

JamesC

silverado44
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

I know that position plays a roll but like I said the cameras have been the same spot for over a year and never had a problem with detection up till a few weeks ago, something was changed in the last update. Come on now what good are the cameras if you have to be so close you can read the name on the camera for them to go off. 

 

We all pay alot of money for this sysyem and what we pay they should be performing better then this, I just want them to perform like they did when I purchased them.

pc2k17
Hero
Hero
Others have reported, including myself, that motion detection has degraded recently. I have to be 3-5 feet closer now, and cameras routinely miss my pets and my 3700 pound car 12 feet away.
pdurso
Initiate
Initiate

I'm having the same issue now too!!! It has been working GREAT but now it hardly detects movment, I have 3 cameras and they all do this now. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

silverado44, pdurso

 

If the troubleshooting above does not help, I encourage you to open a case with the Arlo Support Team to further investigate this issue.

 

The engineering team is currently investigating reports from some users experiencing degraded motion detection.

 

JamesC

silverado44
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Thanks for your response JamesC but like I said my cameras are in the same spot for over a year and always pick moving objects up at about 20-30 feet away at 90-95% sensitivity. I have moved the cameras up to 100% and today the mailman had a package to put on the porch it didn't pick him up till he was at the stairs which is about 5-6 feet away then all I got was the back of his head as he was leaving.It use to pick people up at about halfway up the driveway.

I feel bad because my neighbors in there late 70s wanted to get the system I had because I had good things to say about the system because its been great I showed to them and they loved it, I installed it and now they have the same problem I have and I feel like crap because I recommended it to them.

 

Also I have never had the battery problem as others have had.

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

silverado44,

 

I understand the frustration. The engineering team is working hard to understand why some users are experiencing these issues. I will provide an update as soon as I know more.

 

JamesC

davidrrogers
Guide
Guide

I have the exact same problem. Two cameras have been installed for 18 months and two for a year. They have never moved. The two driveway cameras used to detect each passing car in the alley, a distance of 25 feet. The front dor camera used to detect anyone on the sidewalk leading up to the front door. Also a distance of about 25 feet. The backyard camera used to detect anyone moveing almost anywhere in it's field of view. A distance of as much as 35 feet. A few weeks ago they all stopped detecting anything at a distance greater that about six feet. No camera or base station (router) parameters have been changed.

 

I brought a camera into the house and set up a test in our living room. All lights were turned on giving a very well lit area. The camera didn't alamr until the crossing subject was within 7-8 feet. All lights out gave the same results. 

 

The entire system is useless as it is. I am getting ready to 86 the entire system.

 

 

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Have you adjusted the sensitivity in your modes?

davidrrogers
Guide
Guide

No. The sensitivity is set at the factory default (80) just as it has been for the past 18 months. No parameters have been changed. The only thing that has changed is the cameras are not alarming. I am going to submit a ticket to support today.

ip9
Initiate
Initiate
Interested in seeing any updates here. I’ve just received my Arlo Pro 4 camera system and it’s very close to being returned at the moment as unfit for purpose.

So far, motion detection is very poor. The cameras are currently located just below an upstairs window (the idea being I can reach down to change batteries without needing a ladder, but they are still just out of reach from outside). At the moment you practically have to walk up to the camera and wave your arms around until it detects any motion.. my wife has parked her SUV on the drive (filling a good amount of the frame on live view) and sometimes even that is missed.

Motion detection currently set to 100% (I’m assuming moving the slider under ‘motion detection test’ setting actually increases sensitivity generally?)

I feel like these are completely useless at the moment, with a motion detection range of about 10’ max, nothing like the advertised range, spotty detection even when its comes to cars and I discovered that even when in range if you move very slowly it won’t detect either.

I’m hoping that this is a software issue, I really like the concept and would prefer to avoid a wired system.
pc2k17
Hero
Hero

@ip9 wrote:
Motion detection currently set to 100% (I’m assuming moving the slider under ‘motion detection test’ setting actually increases sensitivity generally?)

Changing the sensitivity under motion detection test is only for testing, thus the test in the name. To actually change the sensitivity you have to do it per camera, per rule. In other words, you set sensitivity for a specific camera in it's mode/rule. To do this.... edit your mode, edit your rule, edit the "detects motion" section, set your sensitivity there. You do this per camera, per rule. The same camera can have different sensitivity settings in different rules.

ip9
Initiate
Initiate
Ok, thanks I just doubled checked in there and that’s already set to 100% too when armed (at the moment I just have it armed 24x7, we have a fairly big property so not much fear of false alarms from the street etc), so either that’s the default or is already changed it and then forgot how to get back there.
davidrrogers
Guide
Guide

So with no response to my issues I have done some further digging. I completely reset my system and re-configured all four camers and the wireless router. Then when running the system in "Armed" mode the system works correctly and detects motion out to about 35 feet as it always did in the past. I ran the system this way for several days and all was well. Then I switched the system to "Scheduled" mode. The schedule armed the camers from 9PM to 6:30 AM. Running in the Scheduled caused the cameras to stop alarming until the motion was 5-6 feet away. So now I run the cameras only in Armed mode where it works fine.