Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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Jeremyinsf
Apprentice
Apprentice

Rare for me to buy something on 'day 1' but I've been waiting for these Ultra cameras for a while.

 

Anyway, I picked up today and want this to be a success - but I can't seem to get the cameras to stay connected, even when they are within a few feet of the base station.  Both the 'regular' live view and view to position the camera time out all the time... constantly.  The message I get is "The request timed out" or more often, "This Arlo device is offline

Please make sure it is connected to the Internet. Visit support.arlo.com for help." 
 
My Internet is fine.  Other stuff all working fine.  If I move the camera or even touch it, that seems to make it worse.  Seems to be the same issue if I try to view on web or on mobile App.  No indication that the base station is going offline.  
 
I allowed all the latest firmware to update on the Base and the two camera's I'm currently testing with, and it has no effect.  Camera is H6 v 1.060.20.8_30046.  Power management is "optimized".
 
I tried 10ft from Base and then maybe 75 feet.  Same thing.
 
Thoughts?  I really don't want to return them 😞
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

New firmware is available for Arlo Ultra and the Arlo SmartHub that resolves this issue. Please be sure you're cameras and base station are on the latest version. Take a look here:

 

Arlo Ultra VMC5040 - 1.060.20.10_30273 - 15th January 2019

Arlo SmartHub VMB5000 - 1.12.0.0_30255 - 15th January 2019

 

JamesC

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154 REPLIES 154
Ahwaldrup
Tutor
Tutor
Mine is doing the same thing. It seems the bugs aren’t quite worked out. I’m sure they will send another firmware update soon
Dukenewcomb21
Apprentice
Apprentice
Same exact issue here.
JamSam
Apprentice
Apprentice

Same problem, and even worse I have several events where I have waved my hands in front of a camera, the spot light comes on, but the recording never makes it to the cloud. I even have examples where a camera farther away and with worse signal records me jumping up and down in front of another camera, and that close camera captures nothing. I have no idea what events are being missed, and the cameras dropping off / not recording is unpredictable.

 

Absolutely terrible performance for security cameras. If this doesn't get fixed with an update soon, back to Best Buy they go.

Dukenewcomb21
Apprentice
Apprentice
I absolutely have the issue of the spotlight coming on but no recording.

Does Arlo monitor these forums? Really hope they see these comments and make quick updates to fix the problems.
Jaimeodannyarlo
Initiate
Initiate
Am sorry to tell you guy this!
I’m having the same annoying issue
I ended up moving my base to a more central location and it help but still get these time outs and recording issues.
JamSam
Apprentice
Apprentice
I wish this was a signal issue. All 4 cams are within 20 feet of the base, 2 are within 10..
Dukenewcomb21
Apprentice
Apprentice
My cams are sitting next to the base station and have the same issue!!!
Dukenewcomb21
Apprentice
Apprentice
My cameras also won’t live stream when I am not at home on the same WiFi. The Pro cameras that I have connected work with zero issue, but the Ultras will not currently stream unless I’m on my home WiFi. Very disappointed right now. Will give it a week or two and hope they push out updates before I return.
Jeremyinsf
Apprentice
Apprentice

Yeah, I didn't really think I was alone here.  I expect *some* issues when I buy something on day of release, but, this is pretty bad.  I did move my base station away from my wifi router but it didn't see to matter.

 

It's great to see it pan and zoom a person when it does connect, and I'm sure the potential is here with some of these other features.  I just hope this doesn't drag on forever.  I couldn't even mount them today because they wouldn't say connected long enough to even see if I had them positioned correctly.

DawnM
Arlo Employee Retired

Hello all,

 

Thank you for providing feedback with details on our new Ultra camera. It looks like some of you have confirmed it is not a range issue, which is the first thing we would suggest checking. There is one other case where we have seen not ideal connectivity behavior, and that is when you turn on auto track and zoom. If you have turned them on, we have confirmed that turning the camera off, rebooting bs and cam will usually resolve the issue. Engineering is aware and working on a permanent fix, but this work-around has been successful thus far. Let us know if you do have this turned on, and whether this work-around resolves your issue. If you are still having issues, please provide additional info such as the distance from the camera to the base station, whether you have more than one base station, how many additional cameras, etc. 

Jeremyinsf
Apprentice
Apprentice

@DawnM wrote:

Hello all,

 

Thank you for providing feedback with details on our new Ultra camera. It looks like some of you have confirmed it is not a range issue, which is the first thing we would suggest checking. There is one other case where we have seen not ideal connectivity behavior, and that is when you turn on auto track and zoom. If you have turned them on, we have confirmed that turning the camera off, rebooting bs and cam will usually resolve the issue. Engineering is aware and working on a permanent fix, but this work-around has been successful thus far. Let us know if you do have this turned on, and whether this work-around resolves your issue. If you are still having issues, please provide additional info such as the distance from the camera to the base station, whether you have more than one base station, how many additional cameras, etc. 


Thank you for the very quick response and suggestion.

 

I've spent the last 20 min or so 'playing' with them - I will tell you that turning that feature off does seem to help a bit, but for sure did not solve the problem  The still go in and out.  To answer your question, I have a four-camera set but right now I'm just testing with the first two, and both exhbit the same behavior.  I'm in my living room with the cameras and the base is currently about 10 feet away.  I already moved it to a different spot in the room so it wasn't near any other wifi routers.  This is my first and only Arlo setup and there are no other base stations.  Regarding your instructions, I rebooted the base more than once and I went as far as removing the battery from the cameras to reboot those (after making setting change).  

 

I'm happy to answer any other questions you have and try any other suggestions.

 

I've also found another bug I think - it seems some settings in the app do not download correctly (change) on the camera.  I turned off nightvision on a camera and it won't go off.  The two red lights still come on every time it's capturing.  This is all since I did the changes and reboots you suggested.

 

Lastly - battery life.  Very concerned about this.  But we can address that down the road a bit once the setup is stable.

 

Is there a timeline for new firmware that encludes enginnerings fixes?

 

Thank you.

michaelkenward
Sensei Sensei
Sensei

I know this is an off-the-wall suggestion, but I have found that things like adding hubs to a network sometimes benefit from a network reboot. In other words, restart the whole network – modem, router, hubs and other attached devices – in that order.

 

I said off-the-wall, but when you are desperate ....

 

 


Just another user
Arlo hardware: Q Plus, Pro 2 (X2), Pro 3 (X3), Pro 3 Floodlight, Security Light (X2), Ultra (X2), Doorbell, Chime
JamSam
Apprentice
Apprentice
Thanks. I do not have auto track and zoom on either. All cameras are within 20 feet of the station, but even those that are a few feet away lose connection. I have tried multiple reboots.

My biggest concern remains events that clearly were triggered by motion (spot light comes on), but literally there is no recording in the cloud or on the SD card. Again, in one area I have 2 cameras that should capture the same motion and I literally have a video from one camera of me waving my arms in front of the other camera. The one I am waving my hands in front of never records despite showing excellent signal strength. This is happening randomly with all the cameras, not just with one. I have a 100/100mb internet connection and Ring cameras and doorbells successfully running in parallel so I have pretty much narrowed this down to an Arlo issue.
brh
Master
Master

Cardinal Rule here. After firmware updates or bug fixes being pushed out, always power cycle your base station. Sometimes, simply rebooting does not do the samr thing that a power cycle does.

 

Brian

Jeremyinsf
Apprentice
Apprentice

@brh wrote:

Cardinal Rule here. After firmware updates or bug fixes being pushed out, always power cycle your base station. Sometimes, simply rebooting does not do the samr thing that a power cycle does.

 

Brian


Brian, I did that too.  In fact the device is now on a smart plug so I can do it "as needed".  

Cwmmmm
Luminary
Luminary
Please arlo team get onto this! I’m happy I didn’t pay extra to have the ultras come today and chose regular shipping for Friday, hopefully you guys push out an update by then to fix this connection issue! Best regards pleased customer (currently use 2 Arlo Pro and 1 Pro 2).
Manole831
Apprentice
Apprentice
Ugh, same here. Cameras disconnect consistently when trying to stream, night vision doesn’t come on consistently, spot light works sporadically and when it does it stays on indefinitely sometimes, quality of video seems only marginally better, doesn’t actively track objects. Pretty much useless as is so I’m going to return them unless a firmware update resolves all these issues over the weekend. Complete fail...
ItsPlayTime
Apprentice
Apprentice
Same situation here. Random disconnects. No camera is currently farther than 20 feet from base which itself is on a shelf about 7 ft from ground. Night vision won't stay off no matter how many times I change the setting. Adjusting any setting seems to make the camera(s) appear/go offline.

When they do "work" attempting to view 4k live stream in Android app on Pixel 3 XL (current stock firmware) in full screen landscape mode USUALLY (not always) results in Black screen with audio only.

I have a Gig up & down (950/950 usable) fiber connection that is exceptionally reliable & nothing else on my network is having any issues. Asus RT-AC3100 router with current stock firmware.

Arlo Pro cameras (4) still on separate base station.

On the clock for the 2 week return policy at best buy. I don't want to return them but I'm not spending >$1000 to beta test. I hope to see progress soon.

Tips/advice are welcome

Thank you

Edit Track & zoom not turned on.
I will happily provide any details I can to team in an effort to correct this. I really want to keep these but they must work as advertised.
dan801
Star
Star
Same here. . I’m totally at a loss how a company can sell a product that doesn’t work at all for ANYONE, You are a publicly listed company whose stock price went from $15 to $7 in one. month. Be interesting what happens in the next few days when media reports are released about this. Issue. Netgear should have never split the company.
michaelkenward
Sensei Sensei
Sensei

@dan801 wrote:
You are a publicly listed company whose stock price went from $15 to $7 in one. month.


We are a  bunch of fellow customers. This community is essentially a user-to-user venue with some input from a small band of Arlo techies who are probably spitting blood as much as you seem to be.

 

Most of the answers come from fellow users who have no connection with, or influence over, Arlo. They just have a lot of collective experience and are familiar with the sort of problems that turn up here.

 


@dan801 wrote:
Be interesting what happens in the next few days when media reports are released about this. Issue.


Something tells me that the media won't be wildly interested in teething troubles, no matter how severe, on a new product line.

 

 


Just another user
Arlo hardware: Q Plus, Pro 2 (X2), Pro 3 (X3), Pro 3 Floodlight, Security Light (X2), Ultra (X2), Doorbell, Chime
Dukenewcomb21
Apprentice
Apprentice
When I can actually get the cameras to connect, sometimes the “live” view is just a frozen screen shot of the last recorded thing. Very frustrating. They’re on the clock before I return. Don’t want to but they are not very useful right now.
ItsPlayTime
Apprentice
Apprentice
So after an afternoon of leaving 2 Ultra's up & running pointing at my street I have learned that only people are triggering any motion recordings. I left 1 Arlo Pro camera up & running & it has recorded multiple vehicles whilst neither ultra recorded them. Vehicles driving right in front of my house- 40 ft or so from the camera aren't triggering notifications or recordings. Here's hoping the team can figure & sort this out in a timely fashion.
Ahwaldrup
Tutor
Tutor
I purchased another set of Arlo Ultras for the office. They seem to work a lot better. Still buggy, but better than the ones at the house
JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

ItsPlayTime,

 

While at 40 feet, the camera may intermittently detect motion, this is outside the cameras range (up to 25 feet). This may be why the camera is not detecting vehicles at that range.

 

The development team is currently investigating some reports of connectivity issues with Ultra cameras. I will provide an update as soon as I have more information.

 

JamesC