wirefree doorbell and basestation

[gosugimoto]

I have gone through all the posts but am still confused.  Some people say it works, some people say it doesn't.

I'm hoping to get a wire-free doorbell and connect it to my existing arlo basestation4000 so I can use the drive attached to it to record - as opposed to a subscription.

I've read on some blogs it works as well, but can't seem to get any definite answer, so hopefully the forum at arlo.com will give me this....maybe even from the actual people that make this product!!

So hoping to resolve this query of mine, hoping to get an answer that "yes, the wire-free doorbell can be added as a camera and the base station will record videos from it.."

[JamesC]

There are two models of Arlo Video Doorbell. AVD1001 (wired) can be synced to a base station or a smarthub. AVD2001 (wireless) cannot at this time.

JamesC

[gosugimoto]

Hi,

When you say "at this time" does the roadmap actually include the ability to add the doorbell as a camera to the basestation?  Further adding the ability to automatically record activity to it?

I read in a comment that you made last year that it's feature is "coming" as well, so would like to know where that is.  I think it's a huge feature that swings purchasing decisions - at least definitely for me.

[JamesC]

gosugimoto,

This compatibility is planned to be included in a future firmware release, but I don't have an ETA. Keep an eye out here on the community for updates.

JamesC

[gosugimoto]

Hi,

Great, so this product, can be synced to my base station and record videos without a subscription?  Does activity zones also work without a subscription?

Also, is there a wall plug adapter for this product as there isn't an existing chime?

Kind Regards

[StephenB]

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@gosugimoto wrote:

Great, so this product, can be synced to my base station and record videos without a subscription? 

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Yes.  Though there are limitations when accessing the storage.  If you have a VMB4000 base (as the model number in your post suggests), you still would need to eject the USB drive from the base, and connect it to a PC to look at the recordings. 

Also, you'd be unable to make manual recordings.

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@gosugimoto wrote:

Do activity zones also work without a subscription?

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No.  Which can be a problem with the doorbells, as the camera cannot be aimed.

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@gosugimoto wrote:

Also, is there a wall plug adapter for this product as there isn't an existing chime?

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Arlo doesn't sell one.  But Wasserstein sells an adapter (marketed for Ring) that should work, there are several others out there.  https://kb.arlo.com/000062414/How-can-I-install-my-Arlo-Video-Doorbell-without-an-existing-doorbell-...
 

I think @jguerdat is using one - not sure exactly what it is.

[gosugimoto]

Oh, that's really great to know, thank you!  It's hard - at least for me - to understand the limitations on subscriptions and not.  I do have arlo pro 2 cameras inside the house, and those I can see videos from my phone/app - legacy 7 day plan.  I had assumed it would be the same with the wired doorbell...

I'd much rather stay with the same family of kit, but am now debating whether a similar arlo pro series camera at the front of house - and wired - is better than a doorbell if all I want to do is capture any activity along the front of the house.  However at high level, I was concerned of being able to properly capture faces should that be necessary in certain situations.

[StephenB]

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@gosugimoto wrote:

am now debating whether a similar arlo pro series camera at the front of house - and wired - is better than a doorbell if all I want to do is capture any activity along the front of the house.  However at high level, I was concerned of being able to properly capture faces should that be necessary in certain situations.

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A Pro or Essential camera has the advantage that it can be aimed.  That makes it easier to do without cloud activity zones.  They are also easier to install than the doorbells (though maybe not if you are powering them).

If you want to use the legacy cloud storage, you'll need to find another Pro 2 - which are hard to find, so you might need to get a used one.  You could try shifting one of your existing cameras to the front of the house, and see if that is satisfactory.

The Pro 3, Pro 4, and Ultra have more resolution than the Pro 2, and if you are powering them you get the foresight feature in addition to the activity zones.  But you'd still need to remove the USB drive to see the recordings, unless you upgrade to a smarthub.  Even with a smarthub, local recordings have a lot of limitations:

• no manual recordings
• no thumbnails
• access limited to the primary account (not the friend account)
• access limited to the app (not the web browser)
• setting up access to recordings when away from home can be difficult

Some folks manage to live within these limitations, but IMO it's better to get a subscription. (FWIW, I have a 5-camera Elite subscription with my new cameras, and continue to use the 7-day legacy subscription for my Pro 2s).

Setting aside the loss in functionality: A smarthub costs at least $99 in the US (depending on the model), and a single 2K camera subscription is $3/month.  So it would take you at least 3 years to recoup the cost of the smarthub.

[gosugimoto]

This is fantastic support, thank you by the way.

It seems like it might just be worth it to get the subscription for the doorbell.  I just need to find an adapter that is at least 10m in length, can only find 5m lengths, then it might solve all issues.  Otherwise, it's a combination of an old arlo 2 as you suggested to keep the legacy plan and a doorbell on a non-subscription - but seems a bit overkill then.

[jguerdat]

I happen to be using this one but there are others, too:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VT6ZH5R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[gosugimoto]

Hopefully I can find something twice that length...

[StephenB]

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@jguerdat wrote:

I happen to be using this one but there are others, too:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VT6ZH5R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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 FWIW, Arlo suggests 1 amp, not 500 ma.  https://kb.arlo.com/000062414/How-can-I-install-my-Arlo-Video-Doorbell-without-an-existing-doorbell-...  

Sounds like their amperage requirement is conservative.  

@gosugimoto  wrote:

Hopefully I can find something twice that length...

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You can always get some bell wire, and splice it onto the output.  But you'd need to be careful to make sure the splice is weatherproof (or protected).

There likely will be some voltage drop due to the longer cable, so get something a bit higher than the 16 VAC minimum spec.

[JamesC · Accepted solution]

AVD2001 Base Station/SmartHub support is now available with the latest AVD2001 firmware update. Make sure your Arlo Essential Wireless Video Doorbell is using the latest firmware version and you will now be able to sync directly to your Base Station/SmartHub.

Compatible Base Stations/SmartHub models include: VMB4000, VMB4500, VMB4540 and VMB5000

Please note that HomeKit integration is not yet available for AVD2001. Now that Base Station support is available, we plan to add HomeKit integration early next year. Stay tuned for updates.

JamesC

[gosugimoto]

That's super great to know and I appreciate the follow-up! So then the wireless doorbell can record directly to my homehub without subscription? What are the limitations again? Just cannot aim? I'm not sure what manual recording means in the setup context?