AVD2001 - Pixelated, Green, Jagged Videos

[ArloPost]

On July 12, 2023, video footage started to become highly pixelated, choppy, distorted, broken audio, and so on. I removed the device and added it back. I tried connecting it to Wi-Fi and back to the base station. It's wired. Maybe an update was pushed that's causing these problems? I would like it to work again because a lot of important things have been happening lately. It would be nice to rely on Arlo.

[jguerdat]

If you bring the doorbell indoors to be closer to the base, does it work better? Have you reinserted the doorbell battery?

[ArloPost]

Yes, I reinserted the doorbell battery and moved the doorbell indoors to be closer to the base, but it didn't improve the situation. However, today, I unplugged the base station for 5-10 minutes, and then moved the base station six feet closer to the doorbell, and positioned it five feet higher off the ground. After doing all that, the video quality improved. I don't know whether it was unplugging the base station that did it or moving the base station closer to the doorbell or both. 

[jguerdat]

Could have been either or both. Higher positioning generally helps because that tends to remove objects in the direct line of the signal path between the camera and hub. Moving it to the side can also do the same thing.

[ArloPost]

"Moving it to the side can also do the same thing." 

Like turning the wider side of the base station with the Arlo logo toward the camera? 

[jguerdat]

Could be but I don't know how the antennae are oriented and thus the signal propagation. It may or may not be that simple.

[StephenB]

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@ArloPost wrote:

Like turning the wider side of the base station with the Arlo logo toward the camera? 

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Orientation generally doesn't matter that much, as the antenna is omnidirectional.

But if there is something in the path (for instance in the walls) that blocks the signal, then moving the base to a different spot can help.

In my own house, there are some pipe chases that can block the signal (and the chimney can too).  Appliances on the signal path (microwaves, refrigerators, stoves with hoods - basically anything big and metal) can also block it.

If you have an Android phone you can install several free wifi analyzers that will give you the RSSI signal strength of the Arlo wifi connection.  You can run that app at the doorbell location to get some idea on how the RSSI compares with your home wifi signal strength.

[ArloPost]

After unplugging the base station and relocating it closer to the doorbell without anything to block the signal, it has been working without any problems for almost a week. So far so good.

It's cool to know that the antenna is omnidirectional. I'll definitely download one of those free Wi-Fi analyzers. I think the wired doorbell works better connecting to the base station instead of my Wi-Fi network. Any info on whether connecting to the base station or directly to the Wi-Fi network is better? 

[StephenB]

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@ArloPost wrote:

Any info on whether connecting to the base station or directly to the Wi-Fi network is better? 

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I don't think there is any real difference in range (though if you have a mesh system for your home wifi, then it likely will give more range).

Using the base might reduce power use - it certainly did when they first rolled out direct connection to home wifi, not sure if that is still the case.

[Ewiok]

Adding external antennas do Arlo basestation do help. Some people say it dont but I can say it really does. Antennas in basestation are very small. At least mount bigger antennas on the basestation or even big extermal antennas outdoors. People have done that and have reported it works much better.

Think there is how-to videos on Youtube on how to mount bigger antennas on Arlo hubs for better wifi range.