Arlo Ultra Pro won’t work outside

[Snowy101]

i bought two arlo cameras in late 2020 . At first I used them outside , but they would barely ever work , I called arlo and they simply said that I should get a router extension box for the wifi to reach them , but that did not work . I then found the cameras unnecessary but recent events had made me think otherwise . Could it really be that the wifi doesn’t work out in my parking lot ? How do I resolve this problem , I don’t want to get better wifi plan just to find out they still won’t work outside . 

[jguerdat]

You reference "Ultra Pro" cameras but that doesn't exist. Exactly what cameras do you have? If necessary, remove the battery from a camera and look at the inside label for VMCxxxx.

Ultras can't use a WiFi extender except to be able to move the hub that the Ultras connect to. Ultras only connect to a hub  while certain Pro cameras (Pro 4 and 5) can connect to your home WiFi, hence the need for the exact model of the cameras.

In either case, the signal strength and quality are the typical issues for poor performance. This can be due to distance from the hub or router, other wireless devices that interfere with the signal, house construction (stucco, brick and stone seem to be the worst), etc. Also, regardless of how the cameras are connected, use out in your parking lot may be the issue. While the spec is for 300 feet, that's in a perfect world for any WiFi-enabled device. In the real world, 30 feet can be problematic for a wide range of reasons. The only way to attempt to fix this is to get the source of the connection (WiFi or hub) to be as close as possible to the cameras. The use of a WiFio extender may be the solution but only testing would tell.

Tell us complete details of your environment and maybe we can come up with a solution that works for you.

[Snowy101]

Yes I have an arlo ultra . My wifi router is connected to the base in my living room . It is about 38 ft away from my door to go outside . It will have to pass 6 walls . And then 80 feet to go to my preferred spot in my parking lot .

[jguerdat]

It would seem to be a signal strength issue. Each wall and anything inside them degrade the strength and the overall distance is typically excessive, especially considering everything else the signal has to contend with. Likely the best you can do is to place the hub as close as possible to the exterior wall closest to the parking lot location.

An alternative could be the Go 2 camera which uses cell service (WiFi can be used, too but it would seem to still be a problem) as its connection.