Arlo Q not detected by Arlo App or Web

[JohnnyFRX]

I'm gonna SNAP here! I have tried every tip under the sun in the KB here and nothing works. 

My Q was connected for a year with no issues. I had to temporarily disconnect power for 1 week. Upon reconnecting the power, neither the App or the Web will sync it. 

I know the Q connects to my WiFi just fine, I see it in my ACL and even manually added its MAC to the Allow list just in case. I can ping the Q fine with Fing. So...IT IS THERE and ALIVE!

If anyone has any other creative ideas to get the Q back online with the Arlo App/Web...please let me know.

Just to restate the steps I have completed thus far:

1. Factory Reset.

2. The Q DOES read the QR Code just fine and chimes.

3. It does connect to my WiFi...Verified!

4. I have placed it within inches from the router. I have stood on my head. I have done the hokey pokey and shook it all about TOO! HAHAHAHAH

PLEEEEASE HELP!!!

[Dr_S_HG]

I have exactly the same issue - tried 3 different wireless networks, router shows connection to Arloq, but both app and web interface say "no device detected"... very frustrating

[Dr_S_HG]

I just spent two hours with support, but in the end nothing helped - the camera connects to the router, but no device is found in the app...

[JohnnyFRX]

This is fricken insane! I have been pretty pleased with the whole Arlo system since I first setup with a hub and single original Arlo WireFree back in 2016. You would think that they would have figured out what is causing this issue with the Q, considering the fact that it seems like quite a few users have had similar or IDENTICAL problems to this one.

[Whitney100]

I recently changed internet service and router. Have have tried several times to reconnect my Arlo Q, each time I get the device not discovered message. I have unplugged the unit each time, I pressed reset several times. I finally resorted to removing the device from the app and started over with adding a device. Still didn’t work! My home router recognizes Arlo as being connected to the WiFi and shows the signal strength is strong.

[TomMac]

When you say you 'pressed' reset,  did you hold it for ten secs till the led flashed??

Also verify the SSID does not have any strange characters in it.

[jguerdat]

My son is currently struggling with this, too, and I suspect it's the use of the router's Smart Connect where both bands are using the same SSID. I suggested setting up a guest network that only uses 2.4GHz and/or setting the phone to use the 2.4GHz band for setup. It seems to be an issue with the setup device being on 5GHz while the Q uses only 2.4GHz.

[Datsyuk]

I’m ready to smash this piece of junk.

[Dr_S_HG]

I spent 2 hours chatting with support and testing every option under the sun - result was always the same: camera shows up in router device list, but app tells me that no device can be detected. 

They offered an exchange, new hardware is supposed to arrive today - will let you know if this helps

Best regards,

Sascha

[asrjcb]

Hi - I'm having a semi-common issue with my Arlo Q.  Trying to add the camera; I get the blinking blue light, show the QR code, it chimes, but the camera is never found.  I chatted with Arlo support tonight and got very frustrated.   After all the normal resetting, power on/off,  de/install app, and it still not working "Karen Lochi" said "...I can assure you that once you contacted your ISP and request the non-overlapping channels your device will work perfectly."   Is this true.  Now to re-connect my Arlo Q camera, that worked perfectly for the last two years on the same network, I need to have my ISP change something in their software setup?  Any other ideas?  I find this hard to believe.  I've seen other causes such as firmware, or "something arlo did on their side", but not calling your ISP.

[asrjcb]

Sorry, I think I just posted about the same thing just now.  

I'm having the same exact issue.  Ready to smash the thing. Unfortunately, I bought my camera 3 years ago and the support person never offered anything.  Anyway, arlo support said I needed to contact my ISP and request the non-overlapping channels for it to work.  I'm assuming this is bull.  

[SeattleTechFest]

Exact same issue here and also Arlo support has been utterly unable to help.

So frustrating that the app shows the camera as being discovered, my router shows it, and then it just never appears in the app after.

Tried changing ssids too, moving closer, connecting via the mobile app or the web app. Nothing works.

[Dr_S_HG]

The new hardware did the trick for me; new camera is hardware version 6, not sure which version the old one was

[jguerdat]

Are you sure you were talking to the real Arlo support? The Contact Support link at the bottom here is the one to try, not from a Google search which too many people use.

The "overlapping channels" issue is bogus. Have you tried logging out of the app and logging back in to see if the camera is really there? I've had that happen here for whatever reason.

ALso, have you changed your WiFi somehow, maybe using the same SSID for both the 2.4 and 5GHz channels? Is your phone on the 2.4GHz band when trying to set the camera up?

[john5577]

I'm having same problem described by everyone else.  I'm trying to get a formerly working camera (I only have one) to connect for the first time since Arlo told me to upgrade my IOS app. 

I wonder...Did Arlo just obsolete our VMC3040 cameras that used to work.  

[Whitney100]

Update- Thank you for the suggestions on how to get my ArloQ recognized by the App. I finally got it working properly!!! I have Verizon Fios- two issues with the network 1- the network name contained a symbol (-). 2- Self-assigning network (SON) was enabled. Once disabled, I had visibility to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and changed the name on both (side note, I initially changed the name on the guest network and tried connecting to that, it didn’t work. ). Then connected with the SON still disabled. After it connected, I enabled SON and so far the camera is still working.

[JohnnyFRX]

Glad to hear that solution worked for you. I have 40+ devices connecting to my router (which does have a (-) in the name). Many of those devices are Arduino coded ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontrollers that I've built over the years and are installed ALL OVER our house. The thought of having to recode them with a new SSID to make this one single solitary camera work... KILLS ME! Arghhhhhh!!! 😵

[Messenger1915]

I have been using my Arlo Q with no issues and orginally installed it easlity - recently upgraded the router and now it will not connect - I have reset it - unplugged it, removed it and tried to 'add new device' - I have to type in the network manually - I scan the Q Code and then it just goes to Amber again. I have plugged in my old router and it won't work on that anymore either.  Old router is 2.4 freq and new is either 2.4 or 5. 

Really frustrating. 

[jguerdat]

Is the new router using the same SSID for both bands? If so, temporarily separate them so the camera and router are talking only on 2.4GHz. I'd also suggest making sure that your phone is also on the 2.4GHz band. Once set up, you should be able to go back to combining the bands into the same SSID again and allow your phone to use whatever the router wants.

[Krizrand]

My Arlo Q's will not sync or connect to the google wifi, i'm IT worker so for sure nothing i'm doing wrong.

The Google wifi combined 2.4ghz and 5ghz SSID's it doesn't separate these. From my research this means Arlo Q gets it's knickers in a twist and won't connect at all.

This is super annoying as every other device works absolutely fine - even my regular Arlo devices.

During sync the process fails with that error sound it does.... I have searched this forum people have the same issue but no solutions provided? please help me so I can get rid of my other wifi access point that i'm currently only using for these two ARLO Q cameras!

[StephenB]

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@Krizrand wrote:

The Google wifi combined 2.4ghz and 5ghz SSID's it doesn't separate these. From my research this means Arlo Q gets it's knickers in a twist and won't connect at all.

---

Is it possible to temporarily turn the 5 Ghz radio off?

Also, are there any unusual characters in the SSID (including spaces)?

[Krizrand]

Hi

No possible way on Google wifi to turn off the different bands.

I used a trick I found somewhere else, basically I renamed my google wifi from WIFINAME1 to WIFINAME2

I created another WIFINAME1 on a different router and used only the 5GHZ band.. I then reconnected the ARLO Q's to this and it worked fine. I then turn off this secondary router and went back to the google WIFINAME2 and changed it back to the originally name. Obviously you must have both passwords the same etc.

It worked magically and they've been connected for over a week to google wifi... Real pity though that netgear couldn't tell me this and I had to work it out myself.