Camera(s) stops recording - reboot only solution

[Seattlegrunge]

I have had Arlo Wire-Free for several years, without any big issues. In February I bought Arlo Ultra with 3 cameras (appr. $1300 including mounts, outdoor power cables etc) and it worked fine in the beginning (except for the install, where the smart hub didn't connect/update so I had to perform the first install by my parents house). But since a couple of months ago the cameras stop recording/recognizing movements. Not all three at the same time, but one camera, or sometimes two. The only solution to get a non-recording camera to record is to reboot the smart hub. Then the camera works as supposed again - for a couple of hours or maybe up to 20 hours sometimes. Then it stops recording/recognizing movements again and I have too reboot the smart hub again. Very unreliable system!

It is not always the same camera. Sometimes it happens to the camera closest (6 feet) to the smart hub, sometimes to the camera furthest away (40 feet) and sometimes the camera in between (9 feet). When a camera starts recording/recognizing movements it doesn't show any live view. When clicking the play button the load icon starts spinning, but live view picture doesn't appear in the app. Terrible! Not acceptable for a system of this big sum of money! All cameras are in a Smart plan, so that is not the issue.

This unreliable behaviour (forcing you to reboot all the time, extra annoying when not at home for a trip) is not acceptable at all! There must be a fix to this huge problem. And I know that I am not alone, several posts in this forum is about the same problem. I also have several friends that have Arlo Pro 2 (on my recommendation) and they start to experience the same problem, but not as frequent as with Arlo Ultra.

Also the activity zones haven't worked for a couple of weeks. Thats leads to a big bunch of alerts (when the camera does record/recognize movements) that I have chosen to not get (alerts that are outside the activity zones).

There are so many flaws to this expensive system. I have recommended Arlo to other people for several years, I have been talking proudly of my good cameras/surveillance system to many people. My recommendations to other have given Arlo at least 6 new customers, probably more. I can't recommend Arlo anymore, not right now, with all these problems. And I am ashamed of my friends and family that now are having issues with their systems.

Get your expensive product working! It is that simple and plain.

[Kelso198325]

Same with me Arlo ultras shows the yellow light in the app as it detects motion. But it does not send a record of video to the cloud and my last few days are blank on the library. I have restarted and turned internet off and on but noting makes them record and I always keep my batteries charged. I have recently started paying by the month. I can also live stream and do everything as normal and the night light even comes on it senses I’m there and blinds me all the time lol but never records.

[jguerdat]

The motion icon remaining amber at all times is usually just a cache issue. FOrce stop the app, clear the cache and try again.

As for no recordings, it may be due to the Arlo Smart settings. If motion is detected, a recording is made but may not go into the library depending on how your Smart settings are configured. For instance, if only vehicles are selected for notification, a person walking up to the door won't get a recording in the library. However, if you have local storage enabled the recording will be there. This is because the recording is always made but Smart notification is post-processed by the servers.

[HazzMatt]

Many on here believe the problem came out of nowhere, and is related to th last couple firmware releases.

[Kelso198325]

How do I clear the cache? The smart notifications haven’t changed and the library won’t let me select the last week as there is nothing there to look at

[LandJS]

jguerdat,  my recordings all go to the cloud and always have, I just don't get a notification for anything not checked in smart

[dcfox1]

@LandJS 

Yea that is what I get and that is  how its suppose to do  according  to Arlo Website and confirmed by moderators. 

Recordings but no notifications on unselected category  on cloud. I have other motions off and the recording labels it as motion.  

[LandJS]

Kelso, that was the issue after the April 27th firmware update.  Live works, cameras trigger, you can even use the detection utility and trigger them but nothing in the cloud or SD.  The last firmware update was supposed to fix it but it's questionable.  After 5 tries using JamesC instructions I couldn't even get the update to load.  Spent 1 hour 40 mins. with support trying things until the no synced cameras pop up.  So it was back to remove the hub from the account, do a factory reset with the push button, start anew.  Install the hub and it gets the latest firmware, go around and manually re-sync all the cameras,  redo all your settings.  It has now worked for a week and I'm holding my breath.

[LandJS]

I should have mentioned the last firmware update would be 1.16.1.4_550_7655994

[LandJS]

HazzMatt, been off of here a couple days.  That was my intent, simply to answer your question, didn't think I would piss someone off.  Signal strength will vary by channel and if a weak one for your particular area is chosen by Arlo it can cause signal issues.  It can cause stop and start recording, very pixelated recording etc.  Since the hub is a client to the router by locking in a channel you can control what channel is being used.  Using a wi-fi analyzer app you can see what channel is being used by your devices including the channel Arlo is using, and your neighbors too lol.  If you lock in a channel and you run the analyzer you will see Arlo using the 2.4 and 5 ghz  you have chosen.   Now I'll get off the wrong topic.

[HazzMatt]

I've had the exact same problem, on and off for months. I've pretty much given up trying to figure out what causes it.

[n1976jmk]

@jguerdat 

@ShayneS 

@JamesC 

@LandJS 

@HazzMatt 

As Shayne knows my Ultra 2 cameras/Arlo audio doorbell/Arlo door chime had issues with no recordings from the previous firmware and had to hard reboot each time to get it working again (daily or multiple times a day).

With the latest firmware it has been so much better for me but still doesn’t seem like a 100% yet again.

*****Shayne/James*****- Please take note for the engineers, on the other day I had to hard reboot the base station because it was exhibiting the old offline behavior and not recording any motion even the base station light was solid blue but the app showed everything offline.  What I did observe when this happened the motion mortifications were high for me at 133 between the two cameras.  I’ve only had this occur that one time since the latest firmware update but if you want I will let the motion notifications grow again and see if I replicate the motion recordings stop and the base going offline.

Thanks!

Jonathan

[Scottfds]

I have 10 Arlo ultra cameras.  For 2 months now they have not been recording leaving my home and family at risk.  Arlo does not care one bit.  They acknowledged they caused the issues and it is an "ongoing problem" that their programmers are trying to resolve.  I spent countless hours with level 1 & level 2 support before they finally admitted the issue was of their doing.  Now all I get is excuses about how they are working on it.  They won't allow you to speak to anyone about your customer service concerns above a "supervisor".  I got the name of the supervisors 2 managers, but you are not allow to talk to them about your concerns.  I have over $2,000 in Arlo Ultra equipment and they could care less about my concerns.  If my company had systems issue affecting our customers people would be working on it non-stop and it would be resolved in a day.  I just want to make sure anyone visiting this forum thinks LONG & HARD before spending the kind of money these cameras cost.  I was their biggest fan until one day they all stopped recording.  Now 2 months later and I have $2,000 dollars of worthless plastic and microchips and can't keep an eye on my 12 year old during these scary pandemic times when my wife and I are fortunate enough to be working all day.  This will be discussed with the corporate office if I can find a way to reach someone, and will be the focus of my lawsuit if something isn't resolved soon.  If you buy this product you have been warned that someday you find that their firmware updates leave you completely vulnerable.  Check the forums, this is not the first time their firmware updates have left people stranded.  Apparently they don't do adequate testing of their updates, then can't figure out how to resolve the issues they create.  Wish I had looked at the forums prior to purchasing this product.

[jguerdat]

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@Kelso198325 wrote:
How do I clear the cache? The smart notifications haven’t changed and the library won’t let me select the last week as there is nothing there to look at

---

Assuming you're using the app, it's in the phone settings for the app, same place where you would find the Force Close button. Reinstalling the app would accomplish the same thing by brute force.

[jumbo469]

My 3 arlo ultra cameras have stopped recording and alerting me, then started again, then stopped again. reset / switched off and on several times, starts to work then stops again.... Useless really!! It seems like the system has continuous issues that wont go away, fix one then something else arrives, will be selling for something more reliable and will advertise the facts!!

[HazzMatt]

Sorry for your issues, I'm having similar issues. I can definitely say that I've been having various similar issues for over a year and just when things seem normal again, another firmware update comes out, sometimes in conjunction with a new device like the doorbell or floodlight. I cringe when I hear of a Firmware update for any reason because I wonder what will break this time. I hardly even bother contacting support or submitting trouble tickets anymore because I'm so tired of wasting my time. Sure, I'll do a reset here and there just in case it might work but with as many issues being reporting by others on this board, I just hope that someone else with more energy will carry the torch for the rest of us and we'll eventually get there. It's such a shame because I totally see the potential for a good product in Arlo, but they just can't seem to get things right. Good Luck to you.

[confused888]

I have followed the advice of many threads regarding my cameras not recording to my library. All have failed. These include starting with two of my six cameras:

• removed the cameras and added them again
• removed battery as per instructions during re adding 
• pushed reset button 
• the result being the cameras were not even added or detected to be added

Looking at my app the remaining cameras work on the app, detect motion and the LED lights activate upon movement. Great fun if I want to watch myself on my phone or PC, useless as nothing records into my library.  Worked beautifully until 10 days ago. 

[Jrocks]

We are having the exact same problem with our Ultra Also starting about 10 Days ago. At another location we use base unit with Arlo Pro and they are recording to the library as they should. We have tried the suggested fixes and none are working.

[confused888]

seems to be a common problem, except your other unit doesnt have it, no idea why it would be common but I have submitted it to support as a case which they state they will reply to in in two business days, this being by next tuesday in Australia. Will update you if I get it fixed.

[jguerdat]

I'd start with a total reset and start fresh. Remove all devices from Settings, My Devices. If you want, also hold the reset button until the LED flashes amber. Let the hub reboot. Claim the hub normally and then sync the cameras.

[confused888]

I have removed all devices including the base station. I reinstalled the base station then added four of 6 cameras, then the base station went offline. I tried to reinstall the base station many times including a reset but won't work. I am waiting on support who haven't got back to me.

The system worked perfectly until May 20th and the settings were the same when the recordings failed.

[Brandt651]

Jet alerts for motion but nothing in the library

[TomMac]

Are you using Smart/zones ?

[Brandt651]

@TomMac Yes

[A_Lauren]

Same problem. Hello, Arlo. I have two Arlo Ultra cameras. They were working fine. Now, one of them stopped recording. It still shows the live stream. But doesn’t record videos. The other one still records videos and show live stream. What can I do?