Selecting a new base station to add Video doorbell

[Rantuhl]

I have an Arlo 3-camera system which uses a VMB3500r4 and I believe Arlo Pro2 cameras. I would like to add a video doorbell, but it appears that they are not compatible with that base station.

1: Which base station(s) can I switch to that would support my earlier Pro2 cameras but allow me to add a Video Doorbell 2K | 2nd Gen | Wire-Free/Wired Option camera
2: Does the Video Doorbell 2K | 2nd Gen camera require a data plan to work, or does it allow for answering, short-term storage of videos, etc. like my cameras already support.
3: What are the differences between the base stations, say VMB5000 | VMB4540 | VMB4500 | VMB4000 ??

[StephenB · Accepted solution]

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@Rantuhl wrote:

2: Does the Video Doorbell 2K | 2nd Gen camera require a data plan to work, or does it allow for answering, short-term storage of videos, etc. like my cameras already support.

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All the currently sold cameras require a subscription for cloud storage.  Some do use direct access to local storage instead, but that can be complicated to set up, and it has a lot of restrictions.  That feature does require a VMB4540 or VMB5000 smarthub.

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062337/What-is-Direct-Storage-Access-and-how-do-I-use-it

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@Rantuhl wrote:

I have an Arlo 3-camera system which uses a VMB3500r4 and I believe Arlo Pro2 cameras. I would like to add a video doorbell, but it appears that they are not compatible with that base station.

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If you are willing to pay for a single-camera subscription for the doorbell, then you can connect it directly to your home wifi (avoiding the need to purchase a new base).

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@Rantuhl wrote:

1: Which base station(s) can I switch to that would support my earlier Pro2 cameras but allow me to add a Video Doorbell 2K | 2nd Gen | Wire-Free/Wired Option camera
3: What are the differences between the base stations, say VMB5000 | VMB4540 | VMB4500 | VMB4000 ??

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Currently sold bases are the VMB4540 and the VMB5000, so the only reason to analyze the VMB4000 and VMB4500 are if you are getting a used base.  Both smarthubs are compatible with your old cameras and all doorbells.

• https://kb.arlo.com/000062284/Arlo-SmartHub-and-Base-Station-Compatibility

The VMB4540 

• is less expensive
• is single band (2.4 ghz)
• uses USB storage (ideally a thumb drive) for local recordings

The VMB5000

• is more expensive
• is dual band (2.4 ghz/5 ghz)
• uses a microSD card for local recordings

The doorbells are all single-band (2.4. ghz) devices, so the 5 ghz band in the VMB5000 won't matter unless you add 5 ghz cameras to the base later on.  Most outdoor cameras would end up using 2.4 ghz anyway, since it has more range than 5 ghz.