Camera recording but no video on portal - New thread

[pjama]

I'm starting a new thread for missing videos but more specifically when I know they're being recorded but they aren't being uploaded to the portal as well as no notification.

I've reported this problem before in the no video threads but I think it's a similar symptom in that there's no video on the portal but different in that I KNOW the camera is recorded either because of the video being on the SDCard when I checked or the IR lights were on and visible.

I noted the latest firmware VMB5000-1.12.3.2_134_185068d has been installed on my base station and rebooted it but this issue is still happening.

Yesterday there were 2 instances on one camera at about 5pm and one on another camera at 11pm that I know recorded but there was no notification and no video on the portal. There were recordings about 1/2 hour either side of the 5pm events that did upload. I KNOW the cameras recorded because the recordings were on the SD card. If there was no SDCard this would obviously manifest as no recording at all.

My network is fine as far as I know, it's gigabit throughout and 20Mbps upload to the internet. On one instance when videos weren't getting uploaded, I tested and could ping google with no problems. That's obviously a bit different to uploading a multi MB video file but connectivity to the internet was there.

Can this be looked at by Arlo? My feeling is it's a capacity/availability problem at the upload server and/or the base station gives up to easily when testing availability to upload. Perhaps Arlo is a victim of it's own popularity and needs to upgrade capacity?

[Wembo]

I’m having exactly the same issues.
Dreading going through the pain of contacting support so interested to hear how this plays out

[MMcV]

I can confirm the problem discussed here after changing to the Android Arlo app 2.8. Videos that did not cause a Smart Notification exist on the SD card, but are not listed in the library view as they were previously. All cameras are setup with activity zones so there are critical areas to trigger notification and therefore some "just motion" videos are created.  I have not deleted/recreated any devices or activity zones. All detected motion is recorded (SD card) and sent over the network for possible Smart Notifications, but the library view only lists those that generated notification. This is not my desired behavior.

I have removed the Arlo 2.8 app and reinstalled the Arlo "Legacy" app. All videos new and old are now listed in both the app AND web page library views. Even those from days ago after installation of 2.8. I know the legacy app is only supposed to work through Sept 30. I'll hope the new app is fixed by then.

[Kammfam]

This is still happening, and I can't take it any more. I am finally opening a case with support. Wish my luck on my hour-long phone call and weeks of back and forth emails.

[Kammfam]

After my hour-long phone call with Arlo Support (most of that time sitting on hold waiting for the rep to talk to their senior technician), I was told that my case would be escalated and someone would get back to me. I haven't heard back yet, but I have since received an RMA email with instructions on returning my base station, which isn't even something they mentioned on the phone. Is that how they're fixing this issue? Just replacing base stations?

@pjama - have you heard back from support with any type of solution yet?

[aname]

---

@Kammfam wrote:

After my hour-long phone call with Arlo Support (most of that time sitting on hold waiting for the rep to talk to their senior technician), I was told that my case would be escalated and someone would get back to me. I haven't heard back yet, but I have since received an RMA email with instructions on returning my base station, which isn't even something they mentioned on the phone. Is that how they're fixing this issue? Just replacing base stations?

Very good that you have the patience to take this up with support.. :). But wow, just wow.. I really hope that is not their "solution" because it's most definitely not a hardware issue. I think everyone have this problem but they might not notice. It's hard to know that you're missing recordings I guess if you don't have a SD-card to compare with. I notice though :).

@JamesC Please tell me that you (Arlo) are actively working on finding a SW solution to this problem? The most recent base station update did not solve the problem completely, just made it a bit better (storing SOME videos).

[pjama]

@Kammfam No I haven't heard back from lwvel 2 support yet. I did hear from Level 1 asking if all was ok now though. I replied "no".
So still waiting on resolution.

[pjama]

@aname I think if arlo solve this problem, they'll solve a lot of the missing video problems.

[aname]

In other threads discussing this problem a suggested solution is to remove all cameras and power cycle base station and add all cameras again. I wasted an hour yesterday trying just that... guess what? It didn't work. Videos still missing (completely random) in cloud.... snapshot updated in app though to really rub it in.

Meanwhile, all threads about this problem is conveniently ignored by Arlo representatives..

[Kammfam]

I got a call and an email the other day saying my case had been updated, so I finally called in this morning (because I haven't had an hour to sit here on the phone), and nothing has been updated. They're asking me for all the same information I gave the first time! And the rep has no idea why I was sent an RMA email for my base station. Arg!!!! SO tired of all the issues with these cameras!!!!

[pjama]

Update: I've been away for 5 days but for the last 9 days before during and after that away time I can say I've only had one lost video that was on the SD card but not in the library and that was probably genuinely because of no internet access (I was messing with my router).

Ten days ago I had 205 videos on my SDcard for the day but 204 in the library. I haven't gone through and compared to find the one video that is the difference but even that is a great improvement on previous bad days. That's as far back as I've checked.

I'm not sure what has changed but can assure you it's nothing on my end (no recent ultra firmware updates either) so suspect Arlo have done something with server/cloud availability. Can others confirm if last 10 days have been any better?

On the other hand... I've been waiting for Arlo support to get back to me as I've supplied data several times and updated whenever asked. As far as I was concerned, they were looking into the issue and were going to get back to me. As mentioned previously, I got an email asking if "everything is all set" and if not to provide an update which I did. Today I get another email saying they are closing the case due to inactivity.... shesh. Arlo have provided absolutely no information on if or what they are or were doing to fix this issue at any point during the process nor advised that it's fixed which it seems to be (at the moment). Arlo could and should pick up their game here.

[aname]

@pjama: I think you are just lucky at the moment :). At least I am still missing a lot of recordings. It is either;

A) Timestamp and screenshot updated in app clearly showing the object triggering the camera but no notification and no video.

B) I get a notification and if I enter the app I can see the yellow icon for recording, but no recording is ever stored in the cloud.

[Kammfam]

Yep, same as aname here. Still missing videos every single day. And it's on ALL of my Ultra cameras, but none of my Pro2's that are connected to the same base.

[pjama · Accepted solution]

Reposting this as it seems to have disappeared:

Update: I've been away for 5 days but for the last 9 days before during and after that away time I can say I've only had one lost video that was on the SD card but not in the library and that was probably genuinely because of no internet access (I was messing with my router).

Ten days ago I had 205 videos on my SDcard for the day but 204 in the library. I haven't gone through and compared to find the one video that is the difference but even that is a great improvement on previous bad days. That's as far back as I've checked.

I'm not sure what has changed but can assure you it's nothing on my end (no recent ultra firmware updates either) so suspect Arlo have done something with server/cloud availability. Can others confirm if last 10 days have been any better?

On the other hand... I've been waiting for Arlo support to get back to me as I've supplied data several times and updated whenever asked. As far as I was concerned, they were looking into the issue and were going to get back to me. As mentioned previously, I got an email asking if "everything is all set" and if not to provide an update which I did. Today I get another email saying they are closing the case due to inactivity.... shesh. Arlo have provided absolutely no information on if or what they are or were doing to fix this issue at any point during the process nor advised that it's fixed which it seems to be (at the moment). Arlo could and should pick up their game here.

[pjama]

ahhh. my bad. A refresh revealed it and now I've gone and hit "accepted solution" accidentally (although it does seem solved for me)... I'll just back away from the computer now.

[aname]

After being very annoyed after yet another base station update that did NOT solve the problem I did some testing yesterday. I cannot say for sure but it seems like there's a much higher risk of missed recordings if the camera records a long clip. I normally set all my cameras to record for 120s and a lot of these recordings are missing in the cloud. When changing this setting to the default setting (only record when sensing motion) I have a much higher success rate.

@Kammfam @pjama @JamesC any thoughts? Do you also set your cameras to some predefined record length?

[Kammfam]

Nope. I have mine set to record during motion. I have seen it miss motion when something goes by the camera right after it records, like while it's still processing the video... but that's a different issue.

[aname]

@Kammfam yeah.. so much for that theory.. I just had another missing clip myself. Let the frustration continue! I realize now that the quote "Enjoy total peace of mind with the ultimate home security camera" on Arlos web is not aimed at the owner of the camera but instead to everyone that does not want to have their activities recorded.... if you see an Arlo camera, you know you're good to go!

[Kammfam]

After 2 more hours on the support over the past week, I'm told "the engineers are working on it" and I should expect to hear back from them when there's an update. HA.

[Thoradin]

I have two cameras that use the CVR feature, and those two cameras are the only ones not sending me notifications or taking recordings. 

[Kammfam]

Well, I finally got a response from support, and they have "narrowed down the problem to a hardware problem" with my VMB5000 base station, so they are again sending me an RMA to return my base station. I'm not going to pay (again) for shipping to return a faulty product and have them send me out a refurb to replace it (or the other option is sending my system in first and waiting for a replacement- so having no cameras for who knows how many weeks), so I will probably just return the system to Costco. Thank goodness for Costco and their generous return policies.