Arlo Chime vs Arlo Chime2. What's the difference?

[dougblair]

Arlo has just announced a new accessory, the Arlo Chime2. The brief description says that it is compatible with all Arlo Doorbells, Floodlight and Cameras (except Go) and that it connects directly to my local WiFi. I already have an older Chime, and it works fine, and it connects to my existing Arlo Base Station (a VMB4000). Before I purchase this for the back hall I need to know

• Does the Arlo Chime 2 require a paid subscription and if so can it be added to an existing plan? Does it count as a camera device or infrastructure like a base station?
• Can the Arlo Chime 2 connect to an existing base station, such as my VMB4000, where most of my other Arlo devices are connected? 
• Does the Arlo Chime 2 work in the absence of an internet connection back to the Arlo servers? Both the chime and the base station are on the same local network, but what happens when my ISP is down or they're working on my cable?
• My local WiFi network uses an extra layer of security, WPA2-Enterprise. This requires that you select an SSID, and supply a network user name and a network password. Does the Chime2 support this kind of WiFi network login? 

Thanks for your answers!

[JamesC]

dougblair,

Q1: Does the Arlo Chime 2 require a paid subscription and if so can it be added to an existing plan? Does it count as a camera device or infrastructure like a base station?

A: Arlo Chime 2 can be added to an account without requiring any subscriptions or counting as a "camera" for purposes of an existing subscription of camera limit.

Q2: Does the Arlo Chime 2 work in the absence of an internet connection back to the Arlo servers? Both the chime and the base station are on the same local network, but what happens when my ISP is down or they're working on my cable?

A: All Arlo systems are cloud based designs, meaning they require an internet connection to utilize all features. However, there are some exceptions. I will follow up with the development team to find out what the expected behavior is in this specific scenario.

Q3: Can the Arlo Chime 2 connect to an existing base station, such as my VMB4000, where most of my other Arlo devices are connected? 

Q4: My local WiFi network uses an extra layer of security, WPA2-Enterprise. This requires that you select an SSID, and supply a network user name and a network password. Does the Chime2 support this kind of WiFi network login? 

A: Chime 2 is designed to connect directly to your WiFi network rather than a Base Station or SmartHub. 

You may also find the information in this Chime 2 FAQ helpful: https://kb.arlo.com/000062573/Arlo-Chime-2-FAQ

JamesC

[StephenB]

@dougblair  wrote:

Q4: My local WiFi network uses an extra layer of security, WPA2-Enterprise. This requires that you select an SSID, and supply a network user name and a network password. Does the Chime2 support this kind of WiFi network login? 

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I don't think this will work - at least other Arlo wifi-connected products don't support this.  

[DavidRR]

Most important question, James... when will it be available in the UK?