VMS5240-200NAS Record to local storage after trial expires and auto start of siren upon detection

[stefanobonifazi]

Hi,

I am looking to purchase a VMS5240-200NAS bundle (2 Arlo Ultra 2 camera + VMB5000 Smart-hub).

What is concerning me though are the comments of some people in the amazon reviews for this product stating that after their trial period expired they were unable to record anymore in the local storage.

I do understand that you need a monthly paid plan for having cloud storage, but having to pay monthly for being able to record locally seems outrageous considering the very high price of this bundle and the fact that without a plan they disable already most of the features (that other vendors give by default instead).

In the same Amazon product page, Arlo "Manufacturer" states instead that:

"However, without a service plan, your Arlo camera will continue to have the following features:
- Remote and local live streaming
- Push notifications
- Auto Zoom and Tracking
- Two-way audio
- Local storage recording

Arlo Manufacturer · January 4, 2021"

Hope anybody here can confirm what is true before wasting such amount on this product (that would be useless for me if local recording stops working without a subscription).

I would also like to know whether there is an option for triggering the siren automatically on detection or the user is supposed to push manually the button after receiving the notification (again useless if you don't see the notification - eg while sleeping).

Thank you very much in advance!

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@stefanobonifazi wrote:

I would also like to know whether there is an option for triggering the siren automatically on detection

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There is.  One thing you should be aware of is that the siren isn't very loud.

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@stefanobonifazi wrote:

Hope anybody here can confirm what is true before wasting such amount on this product (that would be useless for me if local recording stops working without a subscription).

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Local storage doesn't require a subscription, but it does have some limitations you should be aware of

• Recordings are only available in the app, not the browser
• Recordings are only available in the primary account, not "friend" account
• Manual recordings or snapshots cannot be made
• No thumbnails
• Remote access requires router settings changes that some find difficult (and which aren't possible on some networks - for instance Starlink or T-Mobile's broadband internet).