Lights not recording anything and not wire-free? Light only comes on for 30 seconds but no alert?

[Inkling13]

What is the point of the Arlo Security Light?   Why can't they just be a wire-free battery-operated motion detection light?  Why do they have to be connected by WiFi?  They aren't recording anything,  They aren't able to be moved where I need them because of their limited WiFi range.

My Arlo cameras work fine, I love that they are weatherproof, battery operated, and let me know when someone is on my property.  My camera pack came with Arlo Security Lights.

Now I'd like to use the lights in my backyard to startle visiting raccoons.  My backyard is only 25 feet deep.  The pests in the garden at the furthest spot from my structure.

I live in an older home, brick.  Few outlets.  There are only two outlets in my home above counter height.  Both are 20 feet from my desk where the Arlo router is connected to my computer.  Bridge is is operating.  In my backyard, less than 10 feet from my house,  I can manually turn on the motion light.  Step out 5 more feet, now it's offline.   I have to re-sync which means many trips back and forth. 

Trying to use the light within range, the light only comes on for about 30 seconds.  Meanwhile, my phone keeps alerting me that there is motion.  Just not enough to trigger the light????  

I have outlets in the garage.  Could I move the bridge further from the router?  

Does anyone have any success with these lights?

I'm ready to purchase a hardware store motion detector light and throw these three away.

[michaelkenward]

Sounds like you bought the wrong thing. The point of the security cameras is that they talk to your cameras and other stuff.

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@Inkling13 wrote:

Why do they have to be connected by WiFi?  They aren't recording anything, 

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In my case, the lights use the wifi to communicate with cameras that record what is going on on the other side of the building.

The "remote" cameras can also turn on those lights. It is all part of an interlocking system.

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@Inkling13 wrote:

They aren't able to be moved where I need them because of their limited WiFi range.

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The lights do not talk to your system through the wifi. They use low energy bluetooth to talk to the hub. The "bridge" then talks to your router's wifi.

In my case, the bridge is in a socket in my shed. (I also have a conventional floodlight with a PIR inside the shed.) You should try your garage for the bridge.

My bridge is about 25 feet from the router, and the lights are also up to about 20 feet further away. (They can stretch further, but the locations meet my needs.)

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@Inkling13 wrote:

Now I'd like to use the lights in my backyard to startle visiting raccoons. 

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Good luck there. People sometimes post movies here of raccoons preening themselves in front of Arlo lights.

We have deer. They seem to like have their pictures taken. I did have an Arlo camera with an audible alarm on it, but it had no effect on the deer and kept my wife awake.

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@Inkling13 wrote:

I live in an older home, brick.  Few outlets.  There are only two outlets in my home above counter height.  Both are 20 feet from my desk where the Arlo router is connected to my computer.  Bridge is is operating. 

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How far is the bridge from the lights?  The bridge doesn't need to be above counter height, so if you have an outlet closer to the lights you should try that.  

But I agree with @michaelkenward that the racoons likely won't be deterred by the lights.

[Inkling13]

Thank you for helping me to better understand.  

[Inkling13]

ha, that's cute.

Thank you for helping me to better understand.  I'll stop my ranting.