ARLO issues, connection delay, improvement suggestions

[messervision]

I admit it.. I bought ARLO because it looked pretty & the whole completely wireless thing to make setting them up nearly anywhere was a big selling point for me...  but I completely regret my $500 purchase.  

Before anyone asks, the distance between my base station & cameras is well within the range specified & walls/obstacles are minimal - signal strength on both cameras is full.  All hardware/software is latest versions (auto-updates are turned on).  My ADSL internet speeds are 16M DOWN/1M UP (I live in Australia where the NBN hasn't reached me yet)

I know the following issues have most likely been raised, but strength in complaints right.. these need to be fixed/added by Netgear/ARLO team immediately.

1.  INCREASE your servers bandwith/capacity, connection times are pathetic, this is security camera time is critical - FIX IT

2.  The Android app/Web page takes FOREVER "getting status" & is buggy as hell for my 2 camera system, this will no doubt be fixed after #1 is address - FIX IT

3. Why am I not shown a current view snapshot of each camera whilst it is "getting status" - absolutely pointless! - FIX IT

4. Camera "wake up" time to when it starts recording after motion detection is not quick enough - FIX IT

5. There are 2 USB ports on the rear of the base station, give us the ability to record video offline as well as in the cloud, or at least allow it to be used as a "buffer" to ensure camera footage capture is not lost in the event of internet drop out/cycle - ADD IT

My frustrations with this product are overwhelming... and I'm not far off gathering all the ARLO parts, drowning them in fuel and setting them a blaze.. this at least would give me some satisfaction that there are LESS of these horribly broken products in the world...

Netgear/ARLO Team...  PLEASE I BEG YOU - FIX THIS BROKEN PRODUCT! 

Adam.

[bluknight12]

Hey Adam, i feel your pain.  I am about ready to throw mine in the Atlantic Ocean.  fed up with it.  Same issues here.  it works, it doesn't work.  offline, online.  WTH.  Good luck  let me know how the fire pit goes with the cameras in it.

dave

[messervision]

I know right Dave ...

I mean the hardware itself seems solid and well built, however the backend (servers/cloud infrastructure) & sofware are holding the product back.  

I'm sure all of my complaints could be addressed - even the camera wake up time/record delay using a firmware update - I'm more than prepared to sacrifice the battery life if it meant near INSTANT recording once the motion sensor detects motion.

And if there isn't enough memory to buffer on the cameras themselves whilst waiting for the hub internet connection handshakes, then utilise the hub's USB port(s) so users can opt to install a USB stick or hard drive to be able to buffer/storethe near INSTANT record feed from the camera (again firmware could introduce this feature), and once the base station has established its connection to start offloading that video to the server, do so.. but it would be nice to give the user the option to also cache any of their video feeds offline to the USB stick/drive as well - I mean who doesn't like options!?... 

I understand Netgear are trying to make money off the paid cloud membership plans.. but for those of us who are only EVER going to use the supplied free basic cloud plan, as 1 base and 5 cameras is more than enough for me, then you aren't going to get any more of my money anyway... especially when the current backend (servers/cloud infrastructure) & sofware is so broken!... 

I was initially thinking of buying a 3rd camera... ha FAT CHANCE of that happening now I've experienced what the product/service combination is actually like....

[bluknight12]

i agree with you whole heartedly my friend.  and i too was thinking of buying a third.  but until they come up with some improvements.   this thing is so finicky and my wife and i are so frustrated.  but just going set it and forget it.  if it works great, if it doesn't oh well.

take care my friend

dave

[bluknight12]

hey adam,

one last note,  man i have been doing some reading on this forum.  i haven't come across one good mention of this product.  why did we buy it   LOL.   !!!

[ET4AU]

I just installed Arlo with 5 cameras replacing my Vue system. I have not yet experienced the issues discussed in this thread ...... But this is just the first day. I have a relatively fast Internet connection 60Mb download and 4Mb upload....

[messervision]

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bluknight12 wrote:

hey adam,

one last note,  man i have been doing some reading on this forum.  i haven't come across one good mention of this product.  why the hell did we buy it   LOL.   !!!

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Honestly Dave .. because it had the NETGEAR logo on it... I've had great experiences with Netgear products where I've always just "set and forget" the hardware, and it just works..  my modem/router is Netgear and have had no issues with it, I even replaced my parents modem/router with Netgear - which again has had no issue....  So stupidly I didn't even hesitate to purchase this ARLO system on that basis.  

In this instance I didn't remember that it isn't just hardware I'm buying into, but the hardware & backend service that drives it and gives it purpose.

So yeah.. my own fault I suppose for not doing my research and trusting in the NETGEAR brand, I won't be making that mistake again 😕

[messervision]

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ET4AU wrote:

I just installed Arlo with 5 cameras replacing my Vue system. I have not yet experienced the issues discussed in this thread ...... But this is just the first day. I have a relatively fast Internet connection 60Mb download and 4Mb upload....

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Haha!.. well ET4AU all the best with your Arlo system ... maybe you will have a more "pleasant experience" having 4 times the download/upload speeds at home...

If some of my gripes with this system is purely my own internet connection - I'm all out of luck ... I'm on a Telstra ADSL 2+ plan, so I have the best possible ISP (who owns the copper) which has been the fastest and most reliable of all providers I've tried in the past who were over Optus copper (Internode/Westnet) for my location.

Aside from my UPLOAD speed of 1mb being under the recommended ARLO minimum of 1.5Mb for streaming etc. my video from either cameras stream perfectly fine.  However my 16mb DOWN speeds should be MORE than sufficient to make simple connections to the Base station &/or update the camera configurations ... but I get nothing but insane delays (30-90secs after clicking a button) getting a simple status (which isn't a recent snapshot from the cameras!?) numerous errors of my base not being connected when I'm trying to drive the system from the Android app on an LG G3 (over a Telstra 4G connection - faster uploads/downloads then what I get at home) 

Like Dave has mentioned if you read the community threads (I've started digging into them myself) - you rarely find anything positive about this ARLO system, we can't all be useless customers with crap internet & high expectations... 

The only real option I have, if my internet is the issue here... I could set up a Telstra 4G mobile broadband device connected to the base station instead to see if that improves the experience - I couldn't however justify the ongoing cost of data that would be being fed to ARLO's services, when I have a perfectly fine ADSL 2+ connection with 500GB/mth allowance.

[jguerdat]

I don't see this system as perfect but:

1) The forums of pretty much Internet support forum is littered with complaints rather than praise.  People don't post that things are great but complain when having issues.  Cars, computers, Arlo - doesn't really change.

2) I, for one, have had no problems with my system.  The only issue I find recently is slow web browser login to see the cameras page.  I find logging out and back in or switching to library view fixes this.  A bit irritating but not the worst thing.

YMMV.

[ValleNorte]

Yeah I understand your pain but luckily I don't share it. I have had the system installed for a week now in my home in Chile and I have nothing but praise for it. I purchased the 4 cam kit and also a 5th cam. I have them set up around the house (I have a 100↓ and 10↑ fiber optic connection) with 3 cams indoors and 2 outdoors. I agree that the recording after detection is sluggish but I have mine set up so that when motion detection is caught on cam 1 it begins recording on both cam1 and cam2 etc. That solves the lag issue for me anyway (house layout is a factor here).

I use iOS app and that works pretty well on my iPhone and iPad. I also look at heads up on my Chrome browser on my work PC without any problems (sometimes I need to relogin).

I have 100 batteries on order to keep as I am sure my batteries wont last too long with all the coming and going in my house!

Next trip up to the US I will be buying another 4 cam kit!

[SnakeMan]

I agree with everything that messervision is saying.  I have adjusted the sensitivity of the camera and it triggers and begins recording.  However, the person is gone some 30 to 35 feet before the camera begins recording.  The recording needs to start immediately or the camera's use as a home security camera is useless.  I agree FIX IT.

[jguerdat]

While there can be a bad camera, you've likely not set it up properly for best detection.  A screenshot of your scene would help but you want motion to be be across the FOV, starting at an edge.  If you've got the camera set to see the whole scene, motion is probably somewhere in the middle and may be moving more towards the camera than across.