Dec 2nd firmware update

[Dbensette]

Is anybody having problems with the most recent ultra base station firmware?

I noticed my cameras which were connected to the ultra base station didn’t have any recording and kept going offline for some reason. I narrowed it down to only happening since the dec 2nd firmware update, and after some testing I realized that the base station will go online but goes offline as soon as any camera is triggered to record.

This is completely the opposite I would like a security camera to work. Why would I want a camera to go offline as soon as it’s triggered. Then no recording is saved afterwards?

I have been having geofence issues which I have relied on for over a year since iOS 13 and I am told it is being worked on and should be fixed in the next app update. Now, they have another “update” which is another step backwards.

Anybody else having this issue with the ultra? My arlo pro base is still working as expected, minus the geofence issue...

[aw092000]

JamesC, your firmware update affects all ultra users. Drawing the conclusion ‘small number’ means you assume the only ultra users in the world are those who are registered on this page....well 100% of those registered are having problems. Either get it fixed, give us the option to roll back to previous version or send us a refund get so I can invest in a serious camera system.

[RB321]

n1976jmk

Yeah, me too...thanks for the technical support!

Neither of those things actually did anything for me. I have my zoom and tracking enabled (and HDR). However, it did raise some interesting questions. In that video settings section of the web portal, the zoom and reset buttons are greyed out, so not accessible. When I turned my zoom/tracking off. the zoom "button" was then accessible. I could zoom a portion of the screen, but at no time did it give me full FOV. Also, it didn't actually fill the screen with the new zoom portion, just greyed out the portion I didn't want, so didn't actually zoom at all.

I saw this fault actually in the early days when I first got my Ultra system (added on to my Pro 2 system), now running side by side. Subsequently there must have been an update which fixed this issue...now its back, only its worse with the 1/4 FOV non prompted zoom problem!

[Gfdrhvdddfhhg]

Hi,
Is there any one, who has ever succeeded establishing 2-way communication through an arlo camera? When I press microphone button at the live view, it says “connecting” but nothing happens.

(I’m currently having all 3 problems that James mentioned at his last message, but I don’t have “zoomed view” issue)

[RB321]

Here is something else really weird, or maybe it might give the technicians some ideas....both of them! 🙂

My video web portal video setting is basically restricted to the top left corner (assuming it was devided into 4). If I rotate the view thru 180 deg (button option) I can then see the bottom right corner instead. So its not actually rotating what you are looking at, but gives you an entirely different picture instead!!

[Chrisk2]

This happened to 1 of my 4 cameras.  The community has a different thread on this.  If you spare time opening a support ticket to reiterate the problem will help.  From what I have read Arlo thinks these are isolated incidents and that will prioritize resolution.  So more support tickets will help.

[srandall25]

@n1976jmk neither of those suggestions work. Tried it.

[srandall25]

Yes.. crazy right? I have no clue why Arlo support acts like they haven't seen this, and now they say it's a very small number effected by the 1/4 zoom and base station offline issues... This can't be a small number. I bought my Arlo system 4 months ago. It's worked fairly good up until December 2nd. Then the base station wouldn't stay online and couldn't properly set the activity zone. After hours with Arlo tech support, they send me a replacement base station... which does the exact same thing. So an Arlo system purchased new from 4 months ago... and now TWO different new systems within the past week (one I purchased for my mom and the Arlo base station just sent to me)... behaving in all the exact same manner with all the same issues... This is not a small number of Arlo systems effected... This appears to me to be every Arlo Ultra on the market... if it's not every Ultra, then it's an awfully big coincidence that I received two new systems that behave the same (with the faults) as a system purchased new from 4 months ago.

[TheBoys7885]

Hi James, since the new update we are continuing to face geofencing issues, seemed to work for the first few days when we upgraded. We are running a iOS and android phone setup, we updated both devices to the latest app. Usually tells me that the Android galaxy is at home when it’s not. Any suggestions?

[srandall25]

Are you using the Ultra? Do you not have the bigger problem with the base station going offline as well?

[TheBoys7885]

Nah we have the pro2’s base station is working fine

[srandall25]

I had a feeling. Confirms my theory that every Ultra is equally effected by the latest firmware with base station disconnects and 1/4 screen issue.

[MFAMG]

My Arlo Ultras are finally recording again without kicking the base station off line. Got my first Front Door recordings this morning since the 2nd December and happy to see a new firmware version showing for my Ultra BaseStation. Not happy that it has taken so long but at least it is a step in the right direction.

[JJAdV]

What are your newer versions. Just want to compare to mine. 

[JJAdV]

Dont know if its related, but all of a sudden my cameras take ages, 3 to 4 minutes to connect..  Maybe it's time to return them and move on.. They are hardly fit for any purpose..

[53Crusher]

Woke up this morning to discover new firmware  1.15.0.4_297_aa40f04 had been pushed out to my base station! Hooray!

Checked to see if my cameras still prevent me from setting up activity zones due to the 1/4 zoom issue. Yep it's still broken. Can't do activity zones so I am still getting a ton of false motion events primarily from cars/headlights that would normally be outside my activity zones.

[MFAMG]

My SmartHub Firmware is now 1.15.0.4_297_aa40f04

[53Crusher]

It's still early, but I have also noticed that my SmartHub continues to revert back to blinking orange several times now since the 12/18 firmware release. My wife just went to work, I received no notification or video of the event. At this moment, there is no apparent improvement in today's firmware. I still have a non-functional system that was working relatively well until the 12/2 firmware update.

[srandall25]

This is the same version firmware that was released on December 2nd. What makes you think this is a new firmware? What was your old firmware version?

[MFAMG]

It's not the same version that was on my system yesterday (although I didn't write it down anywhere), and it's not the same firmware version JamesC listed on the Arlo release notes 

"Arlo SmartHub VMB5000 - 1.15.0.1_244_c345a43- 2nd December 2019"

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Firmware-Release-Notes/Arlo-SmartHub-VMB5000-1-15-0-1-244-c345a43-2nd-...

[53Crusher]

@srandall25  I posted the new version earlier this morning. What I show now on my SmartHub is 1.15.0.4_297_aa40f04 . Typically things like this roll out in waves not every device at the same time. I actually unplugged my SmartHub because it was offline again and I think when it restarted the new firmware was downloaded. Hope others have better luck than I seem to be having right now.

[Bobbzys]

Hi my version is 1.15.0.4_297_aa40f04

[srandall25]

Wow, apparently my base station firmware was updated without my knowledge to 1.15.0.4_297aa40f04. It amazes me that Arlo pushes these updates without any notification or public site listing the firmware version updates by date with release notes. JamesC is the only one I've seen listing these firmware updates on message posts with the standard release note "bug fixes and security fix".

On another note, the 1/4 screen issue is still present. I have yet to test to see if the base station stays online. Sure would be nice to know what the new firmware 'fixed'....

[JamesC]

There is still another firmware update on the way for Ultra cameras to address the other issues mentioned here. The firmware update that arrived this morning for the SmartHub addresses the crash issue that results in the SmartHub dropping offline. I will provide more information when the additional fixes are available soon.

JamesC

[RB321]

James

You keep saying that, but I don't recall any notification from you that last nights update was available, being pushed out, what the fixes were...nothing...it just arrived unannounced!

Are you actually typing that line yourself, or is it an automated response? You are treating us like monkeys.

[Chrisk2]

I see the base station firmware has been updated.  Unfortunately the update broke the activity window on a second camera.  Before the update 1 of 4 cameras and the top left window of activity now I have 2 of 4 ultra cameras.