Arlo ultra not recording video and can’t view live

[Bill62]

Recently one of our Arlo ultra cameras has had issues.
It motion detects, sends a notification but only takes a photo (video is 0.0 seconds). If I try to log in live it doesn’t connect.
I’ve re-synced, same problem, removed the device and reconnect, same problem. It stalls at “video bandwidth- connecting” but it I click continue it says all is good. I’ve tried this a few times. The base station seems fine (blue and both blink when syncing). I have the camera adjacent to the base station. We have high speed internet and wifi (booster adjacent to the base station). All the other cameras are fine, as are other base stations. This just happened out of the blue. Suggestions?

[Carmine0110]

This is also happening to my setup as well. Any fix to the issue?

[JamesC]

Bill62,

If you swap this cameras location with a working camera, do you still see the same behavior?

JamesC

[Bill62]

Same issue. I think it’s a dud cam. We have another 16 of them. I assume there’s a “dud” rate. I probably just need a replacement.

[JamesC]

Bill62,

If the issue follows the camera, this could indicate an issue with the hardware. Please contact the Arlo Support Team to further investigate this issue. You will find several options for contacting support in the provided link.

JamesC

[SamuelR]

I'm also having the exact same issue. Brand new out of the box. Three of the cameras are working perfectly, fully charged over night, the fourth though can not connect to Live View, and it's recordings are only ever 0.0 seconds long. I swapped out the camera with the fault, with another of the working ones to check it wasn't just the signal being blocked by a certain wall/obstacle etc. even though the faulty camera has two bars of signal. 

The other camera that I replaced the faulty one with works perfectly in the same position. I can connect to Live View and the recordings are no longer 0.0 seconds long. So this leads me to believe I also have the same issue as the original poster, a faulty camera. Should I just go ahead and contact Support to try and resolve/organise a replacement camera? Or has there since been a fix discovered?  

Thanks

[SamuelR]

@JamesC 

A second camera has now gone down with the same issue. I can no longer access Live View, and recordings are 0.0 seconds long, it basically takes a picture when the motion is activated. This camera was working perfectly for the first two days since I took it out the box brand new and installed it.

Any help would be grateful, I'm beginning to think this is a bug within the firmware. Surely two out of four cameras aren't physically faulty. 

I'm going to try factory resetting the faulty cameras and see if that remedies the issue.

Thanks

[SamuelR]

@JamesC 

I appear to have resolved the issue for the second camera which stopped working. I followed the troubleshooting in the User Guide, opened ports 80 and 443 on my BT Router. I then restarted the Arlo Smart Hub from within my Arlo app. I'm now back up to three working cameras. I shall keep an eye on the second camera that stopped functioning properly, incase it goes down again. 

Unfortunately, the first camera that developed this fault, still wont connect to Live View or record anything longer than 0.0 seconds. The device 'fails to connect' when pressing the play button on the devices page of the app. I have already removed this camera from my hub and factory reset it. I then removed the battery. I added it again using the 'add new device' function, this worked fine, all sync'd back up to the Smart Hub with no issues. Still no joy with the functionality of the camera though. 

Does anyone have any other ideas I could try? 

Thanks

[SamuelR]

Ok...

pleasantly surprised, all four cameras are now back and fully functioning, literally as soon as I posted my last update, I was able to connect to the first camera that developed the issue straight away. I haven't been able to connect to it since it stopped working in it's first 24 hours out of the box, and I have been trying non stop to get it working again. 

Strange behaviour, hopefully it was the opening of the Ports and the Smart Hub Reset that got the bugs out of the system. I'll keep an eye on these two cameras and post again if I experience any more issues.

All firmware is up to date.

[SamuelR]

@Bill62 @Carmine0110 @JamesC 

Did you find a fix? 

The same two cameras have stopped working again. It seems like this is the same issue that appeared with the July 29th firmware update, was supposedly fixed with a newer firmware update in August. I'm having all the same symptoms that were being described by the people on this thread: https://community.arlo.com/t5/Arlo-Ultra/ARLO-ULTRA-MOTION-RECORDING-quot-GOES-TO-SLEEP-quot/td-p/17...

The supposed firmware fix was posted: https://community.arlo.com/t5/Firmware-Release-Notes/Arlo-SmartHub-VMB5000-1-12-3-2-134-185068d-19th...

I am on the latest firmware, yet still getting these issues. I'm going to get in touch with support to see what they say and try to find out if there's a fix. Failing that, I'll be returning the whole system as it's not fit for purpose. I'm trying to keep an eye on our property after a break in with one of our neighbours and reports of a lot of suspicious activity in and around our property, I can't do that with half of my cameras not working/recording/notifying me or having the ability to monitor what's happening with Live View.

[surfer1000]

It's the latest firmware **bleep**ed it up

[SamuelR]

@surfer1000 

Thanks for the reply. I literally got the system on Friday 6th December, as soon as I turned the hub and cameras on, they all updated to the latest firmware. So my only experience with the cameras so far have been since this latest update. The first camera stopped working on the 7th in the evening. Then the second stopped working on the 8th in the evening. After getting them both to work again, they then both stopped working again on the 9th in the evening. All roughly about 8pm-9pm here in the UK. That's the only coincidence I've noticed so far. They seem to stop working once it starts to get dark/evening time.

I've currently reset, removed and then added the two faulty cameras back on to the system and both are now working again. I'll see how long for this time!

Were they working ok before the latest update messed them up? 

[surfer1000]

Yes everything was good before latest firmware......the only complaint that was also happening to me with older firmware was the speed of notifications coming through or not at all until you woke your phone up!

[SamuelR]

Ok, hopefully there's another update coming!

Thanks for your info/help! 

[Teagueyubeauty]

Was there ever a fix for this issue? I’ve had my Ultra camera setup working perfectly for 3 weeks then after 2pm on 9th April the exact same symptoms are happening for my setup, both cameras not live streaming and taking what are still photos.
Very frustrating

[tsvbreedy]

The same thing has just happened to me but all three cameras went down, only one sort of works taking numerous still shots (send notifications of motion but only a still shot showing nothing); the other camera don't record anything. Can's live stream on any and two of the three cameras haven't taken anything in over 24hrs - great security!!!

I am currently 1500kms away from where my cameras are installed and will not be able to get back before October, anyone would have thought at the price you pay for the system they would be more reliable and capable.The only way I see that my system will be up and running during this period is if you guys come up with a firmware or software fix I can initiate online as I can't physically get to the cameras or base station so no point in talking to your support team.

Surely Arlo, you have a firmware fix in the pipeline for this and all the other problems that keep getting reported as they always seem to be the same problems with everyone and keep happening year after year with no solution or workable fix's, if you don't have fix's in the system what are you doing with all the imput that your users are telling you in this forum!! This supposedly security camera system with all its faults is getting very frustrating and at this stage I will be telling everyone thinking of purchasing it to stay away until you guys start getting serious about fixing all the faults that keep happening!!  Seriously, other companies tend to put out updates and fix's regularly while you guys put them out every now and then and then they usually seem to cause more problems than they solve.

[JamesC]

Teagueyubeauty, tsvbreedy

Check Settings > Subscription > manage cameras to make sure the appropriate cameras are active within your subscription.

JamesC

[Hybotec]

I have a similar problem. I have three cameras. One of the cameras stops. Can't get to live mode, doesn't record anything. Camera space when you look, then everything would be fine. It will be fixed when booting the hub unit. But this pleasure is short for about two days the same camera is again stuck. All firmware is new. This is repeated on the same camera. This is still the closest camera.  

[etathens]

I have 4 cameras that used to work; now they all have this problem.  Trying to get support is a joke; there isn't even a way to open a chat with a support tech.  Of course they say not to return the system without contacting support first...  This appears to be a common problem that they should have found a solution for by now.  I'm not at all happy with the customer service experience.

[ArloWatcher]

@JamesC 

My Arlo Ultra camera has been doing this for a while, was good before. I can't live stream anymore and when it records, I get the 0 second video. 

I went back and looked at video record length for my Ultra. Seems like back in the middle of April is when this started. It would record videos for a day or two and then the 0 second recordings for a day or two. By the end of April until now, all I get are the 0 second recordings.

Any ideas?

[ArloWatcher]

@JamesC 

I just noticed that this was released at the end of April. Could this be the cause of the problem?

Release Details:

Arlo SmartHub - VMB4540 - 1.16.1.3_495_1a608c1

Highlights:
• Bug fixes

[tejuse]

Same issue as everyone else. Woke up this AM to find all 8 ultras will not live stream now in addition to no notifications and video on motion.

So if I am under the 1 year warranty, could I get a full refund?

[JamesC]

Check Settings > Subscription > manage cameras to make sure the appropriate cameras are active within your subscription. If your cameras are participating in your Arlo Smart subscription and you're still experiencing an issue after following the basic troubleshooting steps mentioned here, please contact the Arlo Support Team to further investigate this issue. You will find several options for contacting support in the provided link.

JamesC

[Teagueyubeauty]

Apologies, i hadn't come back in to advise what fixed my issue so here it is now.

Support was pretty much useless, took ages to respond and in that time period of near two weeks between me posting the original message and them actually responding i had worked it out for me at least.

All i did was remove camera device and re-add the cameras - been working flawlessly again since i did this, this is obviously clearly of no use to those who have cameras setup in remote places but if they're near you then give that a try.

What is concerning however is it seems the exact same issue seems to popup around Easter every year from what i see in this thread and others, i think Arlo need to get a bit proactive and send a Hazard/Change notification to their customers to advise that an update is being pushed out as i'm very sure this again is what has caused the issues for some customers including myself. That change notification should advise what is happening/where to look for the firmware version in the app/who to contact if the cameras stop working post verification of the firmware update/links to typical troubleshooting knowledge articles to try before contacting support and actually divert resources to respond to customers issues as quickly as possible.

[ArloWatcher]

@JamesC 

@Teagueyubeauty 

Followed Teagueyubeauty's instructions and my Ultra is working again. Real question is why do I have to do this? They should work better than this for what they cost.