Arlo Q and Smart Hub vs. WiFi

[rsteinberger]

What are the advantages and disadvantages of connecting Arlo Q (and other) cameras to the Arlo SmartHub (VMB4550) versus a direct connection to WiFi? Sometimes my Arlo Cams lose WiFi connections, so I'm wondering if the SmartHub offers a more reliable connection?

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@rsteinberger wrote:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of connecting Arlo Q (and other) cameras to the Arlo SmartHub (VMB4550) versus a direct connection to WiFi?

You can't connect the Q to a base station or smarthub.

With other cameras

• a base can provide a local backup for recordings (and a smarthub will let you see local recordings in the app).
• with a base/smarthub, the base mode controls all the cameras simultaneously (confusing for many, but also a plus in many situations).
• connecting to a base can give you a bit better battery life and sometimes a more stable connection.

The downsides of a base are

• that a wifi mesh generally has better range than a single base/smarthub
• it's one more piece of equipment that you need to purchase (and which can fail).