Arlo Security Lights Changing Camera Mode

[Luddy]

I have 5 Arl Pro cameras with base station for about a year now (previous VueZone user) and working just fine utilizing Geofencing (yes it worked).  I just added 3 Security Lights and things have gone bad.  I have all 3 lighst activated and on account.  

The problem is, if I leave the security lights configured as armed, do nothing, they still seem to trigger when I walk past them and the cameras then switch from home mode to armed mode because the Geofencing appears to change on the cameras once the lights come on.  I configured the cameras to trigger the lights depending on the Home / Away mode detected by geofencing.  

I am about to take the lights back if I can't figure this out.  It is driving me crazy getting all the alerts when I am home.

Hoping this is a simple rule setting or somthing I am missing but I've gone over it a ton of times and can't figure out what is causing it.

Please help.

EDIT:  I also tried using the Geofencing on the lights and that did not help and perhaps made it worse.

[jguerdat]

What happens if you disable GF - does everything work properly? If so, reenable GF and test again.

[Luddy]

Tried not using geofencing and it seems to be ok manually setting the mode.

I had both the cameras and lights in geofencing mode and things seemd to be ok while at home.  Both recognized I was home.  I tested one of the lights using the manual switch in the app on my phone to turn the one light on and then off.  As soos as I did that, the system thought I was in away mode (geofencing) triggering motion alerts etc on cameras.  I then have to manually use the app to change from geofencing to another mode then back to geofencing again to fix it otherwise the cameras keep alerting.  Ridiculous.

EDIT:  Even though I manually flipped geofencing off and on after cameras triggered, I just walked out in the kitchen and one of the cameras alerted again even though it said I was in "home" mode.

I even have the one outside camera trigger the light outside and inside via a rule if camera detecs motion and none of the lights in the rule even came on even though the camera deteced motion and alerted as it should.

[Luddy]

Ignore comment about lights not coming on in rules while in sepcified mode (not geofencing)>  I tested in the daylight and forgot lights wont come on but I did watch icon in app and they did show motion detected.  Will have to test that part at night.

[Luddy]

Basic conclusion is geofencing works on cameras but if any lights are triggered, cameras go into armed mode while still in geofencing and stay there.  In other words, unusable.

[Luddy]

In addition to what I mentioned/asked above, is it a problem having the cameras trigger the lights?  Maybe I am doing this backwards but it allows me to configure rules from having cameras a source or the lights.  

I have a light/camera outside front door.  I also have a camera and light inside the front door.  I have multiple other cameras in house and a light out the back door.

I am trying to accomplish using geofencing:

WHILE HOME:

Outdoor camera detects motion:  record view/alert, turn on outdoor light and turn on indoor light at front door.

Backdoor camera:  record/alert, turn on light at back door

WHILE AWAY:

Outdoor camera detects motion:  record view/alert, turn on outdoor light and turn on indoor light at front door and record from inside camera/front door.

Backdoor camera:  record/alert, turn on light at back door 

Other inside cameras if detect motion, record/alert turn on security lights

The cameras motion detection initiates action of lights.

[Luddy]

I decided to switch the rules from the cameras turning on the lights to the lights motion turning on the lights and still use Geofencing on both.  Seemed stable all afternoon until I realized I forgot to set the on time for lights to 30 seconds if they trigger.  Well after doing so, my Geofencing for just the cameras changed from home to away (armed).  Even logging into the app to check the lights FW version caused the cameras geofencing to change from home to away (armed)....WTH

Obviously Netgear has some work to do.  VERY disappointed.

Oh and BTW, the lights didnt receive the second firmware update yet and have been up and running since around 10:30am yesterday so 2 chances for them to update and nothing.

[Luddy]

These lights are going back.  What a  freaking mess Arlo.  Now the Android app keeps crashing when selecting the mode tab in the app.  This happened after setting off on of the lights via motion as a test since it is dark enough now.  Triggered motion, now cameras geofencing is set to armed/away and I cant get it to stop since the app keeps crashing...OMG

Maybe I should take my 5 camera system and the lights back all together and be done with Arlo.

[Luddy]

Rebooted Android phone, deleted app and reinstalled and it still crashes trying to access mode tab.  Mode screen displays and shows getting status and returns status of camera base but the bridgestatus kills the app. How nice.  Even unplugged the bridge for a bit and plugged it back in with no luck.  WTH changed?

[Luddy]

More testing.  Even with Lights in Armed mode not using Geofencing and having the base station/cameras using Geofencing (Home mode since I am home).  Triggering any lights causes the Geofencing to go to Armed/Away.  Come on now. Sooooooooooo frustrated with this crap.

Any ideas?

Camera rules involve no lights and light rules involve no cameras.  Each camera motion event triggers camera record/event/email notification for cameras and lights only turn light on and nothing else.  No event notification or email.  Basically camera rules are as they have always been and light rules just turn on light.  Can't get any more basic than that.

Adding lights breaks camera geofencing.

[Luddy]

Spent over an hour with live chat on this issue and it is still broke.

[JamesC]

Luddy,

From your private message, it sounds like you were able to resolve the issue by removing and reclaiming the bridge/lights. Please let us know if you continue to experience any issues.

JamesC

[Luddy]

I am hoping it is resolved.  The first time I readded the lights, the default rule for armed only had 1 of the 3 lights in it so I had to remove everything again and readd.  Now the bridge doesnt have a light on but I can't recall if it was always on or not.  I can't get 2 lights to trigger via motion even in a dark room when rule is set to turn on.  Will test tonight when dark. Also the 1 light during the inital "readd" of system wasn't detgecting the battery right so I had to readd it by itself then it worked.  That did not happen on the last readd of bridge/lights I did.

Fingers crossed.  The Arlo app on Android seems to have been fixed when I removed the entire light bridge/lights and then also worked after adding it back.  Geofencing seems fine at this point but I am hoping it doesnt break on base when I trigger light tonight like it was doing.