VMB5000r6 stuck on old firmware

[bobben1no]

My VMB5000r6 seems to be stucked on old firmware 1.19.0.3_1237_68a8e53.

When I click on the firmware version in the android app v3.8_28488 I get a message that no firmware update is available.

I have connected three Arlo Ultra Spotlight cameras with firmware 1.070.52.1_32_1bdb65f

and two Arlo Pro 2 cameras with firmware 1.125.17.11_1_de8490d

I can not access local storage via VPN even though the VMB5000 reply to ping and I can access all other devices in my  VPN network. I hope later VMB5000 firmware can solve that issue.

[jguerdat]

Have you rebooted the hub?

[bobben1no]

Yes it is rebooted by a smart plug every night.  I also gave VMB5000 one extra reboot now but it makes no difference.

[jguerdat]

I see a new firmware was pushed to the VMB5000 - does your hub show this?

https://community.arlo.com/t5/Firmware-Release-Notes/Arlo-SmartHub-VMB5000-1-20-2-1-1355-3673353-9-N...

It's possible that you will need to remove all devices from your account and start fresh to clear out any weirdnesses.

[bobben1no]

I did not get that firmware but the reason may be that this firmware is not available in my region. 
But there are newer firmware version than the one I have in my VMB5000 that is not tagged with "This update may not be available in all regions.".

I will try to remove all my cameras from the VMB5000 and factory reset it.

[jguerdat]

Where are you? We don't know what regions may be blocked at the moment for the latest firmware but you should be able to update to a newer one than what you have.

[bobben1no]

I'm located in Europe.

Today I have factory reset the VMB5000r6. Before I added any cameras I checked the firmware version and it was still stuck on the same firmware version.   I also tested factory reset and search for the VMB5000 via VPN connection from my phone and that worked well. I could also add cameras via the phone VPN connection but it is still impossible to access local storage via the same VPN connection.  

[jguerdat]

Where is the VPN connection to? Is this just to view local recordings?

I'd think Europe would be at least near top of the list for getting updates but privacy laws may be blocking (until certified?). No experience with that at all so it's just a guess. It appears that you should at least be able to get 1.20.0.3 since there's no note about a slow release but maybe that note wasn't included for some reason. Any newer firmware has the "Note: This firmware may not be available in all regions" statement but doesn't specify where it is or isn't available. Unfortunately, it appears you'll just have to wait.

[bobben1no]

This is what Arlo writes about Direct Storage Access:

After you enable Direct Storage Access, your recordings are accessible when you are on the same LAN as the SmartHub. To access recordings when outside the LAN, we recommend enabling VPN on your router and mobile device to establish a secure connection to your SmartHub. Please consult your router manufacturer for specific configuration details.

So I am using a OpenVPN connection that gives the phone IP address in the same local LAN where my VMB5000 is connected but direct storage access is still not working.  Hope it is a fix for this in firmware. 

I can even ping the VMB5000 from my phone so it is not a problem with the network connection. 

[StephenB]

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@bobben1no wrote:

So I am using a OpenVPN connection that gives the phone IP address in the same local LAN where my VMB5000 is connected but direct storage access is still not working.  Hope it is a fix for this in firmware. 

I can even ping the VMB5000 from my phone so it is not a problem with the network connection. 

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Are you using an Android phone or an iPhone?

Also, I am thinking you can use direct access when you are home - is that the case?

[jguerdat]

On Android, OpenVPN is an issue to remotely view local recordings. I have the same issue. Right now, port forwarding is the "fix" although is not as secure as a VPN would be.