Brand new SmartHub - update failed and offline, over and over again

[Seattlegrunge]

Bought Arlo Ultra 3 cameras today. Started to install the SmartHub VMB5000 an hour ago, or so. The Arlo app (that I have since before because I have Arlo Wire-Free that are still installed and in use) finds the new SmartHub immediately. I give it a name and then it starts searching for updates. But the update process fails over and over again. "Seaching for firmware update failed" and "the server response time took too long, try again" (I translated from Swedish). Every search takes approximately 3-5 minutes and I have tried it at least 10 times. No luck.

When I go back to the Hub/base station page in the app both my old base station and the new SmartHub appears, but when I click the SmartHub it says it is offline. Although the LED is steady blue.

What is wrong? What can and should I do?

EDIT: I changed the Ethernet cable, just in case. No difference.

EDIT 2: I pressed the reset button and held it for about 20 seconds until the LED started flashing, then relesead the reset button. But the reset of the SmartHub didn't do it. Still get update failed and the SmartHub is offline according to the app. The LED is still steady blue.

[Seattlegrunge]

I give up! I have tried almost a hundred times now and can't get through the stage where the SmartHub wants to update (when installing it). "Update failed" almost all of the time. A couple of times the icon for searching was spinning and spinning, without saying "update failed". Once I waited for 35 minutes.
Nor able to update and the hub is offline, although blue LED signaling it has internet connection.

Have never ever had problems with my old Arlo VMB3010 base unit. But the Ultra SmartHub seems very unreliable. Perhaps I will return it to the store tomorrow, if you guys don't have a bright idea solving this issue

[Seattlegrunge]

Update:

Tried everything, still doesn't work.

I've been in contact with the support for guidance, no luck.

I have deleted the app from my phone, installed it again, created a brand new Arlo account, power cycled the Smarthub, power cycled my Asus router and disconnected every other unit connected to the router. I have also opened up ports that Arlo use, disabled firewall on router, no luck. Same annoying "update failed" over and over again.

I have tried at lest 200 times now!

This must be a joke 😞

[jguerdat]

Maybe there's a problem with the hub? Swap at the store.

[Seattlegrunge]

Swapped, but no luck!

I was thinking if there is something with the ports Arlo is using. On my Asus RT-AC3200 router I see quite many connections that have timed out and are unreplied. Could it be that, although my old base station (VMB3010) has worked for years. Or maybe a conflict between the two base stations? But my last attempt to get it work I factory reset my router and haven't connected the old base station yet.

The following is from my routers log. XXX.XXX.X.XX is my VMB500 base station's internal IP. 

Proto	NATed Address		Destination Address		State 
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:59969		52.16.93.0:443			ESTABLISHED
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46454		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46458		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46463		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46452		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46460		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46468		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
tcp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:46466		52.17.129.93:443		TIME_WAIT  
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:123		12.153.229.142:123		UNREPLIED  
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:60276		8.8.4.4:53			UNREPLIED  
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:123		209.249.181.91:123		 UNREPLIED  
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:60276		208.69.38.205:53		UNREPLIED  
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:60276		8.8.8.8:53			UNREPLIED  
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:123		206.16.42.183:123		UNREPLIED  

[JamesC]

Seattlegrunge,

Are you able to see the SmartHub online when usign the web client rather than the mobile app? If so, what firmware version is showing there for your SmartHub?

JamesC

[StephenB]

---

@Seattlegrunge wrote:

The following is from my routers log. XXX.XXX.X.XX is my VMB500 base station's internal IP. 

---

This part says that the base can't reach Google and OpenDNS servers:

Proto	NATed Address		Destination Address		State
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:60276		8.8.4.4:53			UNREPLIED
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:60276		208.69.38.205:53		UNREPLIED 
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:60276		8.8.8.8:53			UNREPLIED

If your router is set up to use DNS over TLS (DoT), then there are reports here that say that won't work with Arlo base stations.  So disable that and use ordinary DNS.

This says that the base can't reach the Arlo and Netgear NTP servers:

Proto	NATed Address		Destination Address		State   
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:123		12.153.229.142:123		UNREPLIED     
udp	xxx.xxx.x.xx:123		206.16.42.183:123		UNREPLIED

Note you can't forward ports to both base stations, so you should delete your forwarding rules.  You shouldn't need them forwarded anyway - the kb advice about that is more about business-class firewalls, and doesn't apply to home-class routers.

[MikkoHH]

Just bought the Ultra system and I am having the exact same problem. Smarthub led blue but the firmware update doesn't work. This is pretty ridiculous. It's probably been the worst onboarding experience for anything I've ever bought. @Seattlegrunge did you get your system working?

[JamesC]

MikkoHH,

The blue LED indicates the SmartHub as online. At what point are you seeing the firmware failed to update? Are you able to continue and sync cameras or are you seeing the SmartHub as offline within my devices?

JamesC

[MikkoHH]

The hub tries to update itself right after I add it the first time. Can't even continue to add cameras. The hub is showing as offline.

[Seattlegrunge]

@JamesC  @MikkoHH  

Sorry for late answer, been abroud most of the week.

I works now here, but I hade to bring the base station to my parents-in-law's house, they don't have an Arlo system (lika I do, the first generation Wire-Free) and there the base station could be updated. Then I brought it back home and the base station works on my network, since it has been updated with firmware elsewhere. That is crazy!

I think it has to do with my old Arlo base station (although it was disconnected). Hopefully it will work as a charm from now on... but what happens next time the base station WMB5000 wants to update the firmware, will my Arlo system go down then? It doesn't feel stable.

[MikkoHH]

I am having no luck. I've tried everything I can think of but I can't get the hub updated so I could continue with the setup. I'll probably just return the system and never look back. Worst experience ever with a camera system.

[Seattlegrunge]

Do you have the opportunity to connect your base to another network, like I did? A friend's, family member's or neighbour's network?