Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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Arlo Pro 2 notifies but no longer records. Tried "everything". Expensive solution.

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mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary

I have been battling this for a couple months and don’t consider myself a newbie.

 
What setup:
Arlo Pro 2 with 10 cameras, with the same setup in three different states.
 
What’s wrong:
At just one of my three locations, I get notifications of movement via the iOS app but no videos are recorded into the library nor emails are sent, despite the settings stating otherwise and was working fine prior to mid December. I have seen on rare occasion (say 5% of the time) that a video on a few cameras will indeed record but this is random on both time and camera).
 
How long this has occurred:
Since mid-December.
 
Why I know it is a problem:
  1. I have the same Arlo Pro 2 setups installed in three different states. The other two locations are fine and all are running the exact same firmware on both the base station and cameras. Base (VMB4000r3) firmware: 1.9.4.0_15548 and camera (H3) firmware: 1.124.1.0_15483
  2. I have not made any changes in settings from when it was working.
  3. The firmware is up to date on both the base and cameras (since Netgear questionably pushes updates without our consent, checking firmware updates is really useless and actually may be the cause of the problem).
  4. The temperature at the problematic location is warmer than the other two locations which work fine.
  5. The Internet couldn’t be an issue as I can manually record and live stream fine.
  6. Given that the problem exists across all 10 cameras of this location, it cannot be related to a camera.
  7. I have seen others in the community state the same symptoms with no resolve.
 
What I have already tried:
 
A. Remotely reset the base station using the app (since I am 2,000 miles away - the whole purpose of security cams.
 
B. Verified the correct settings (which never were messed with since working) and even tried changing settings to “record” off and then back on again to hopefully trigger something. It is both "Armed" and set to "Record", "Push Notify" and "Send Email". The "Push Notify" works but not the other two. Yes, they are saved as returning to the menu multiple times over many weeks confirms this.
 
C. Searched the community for similar experiences only to find no solutions other than manually pressing the reset button which rarely seemed to have worked for most.
 
D. Waited several weeks hoping the same policy of Netgear of pushing out firmware updates without my consent (which I propose caused this) would push another out to fix this. Which they hasn’t so today I begrudgingly bought an $800 airline ticket to fly out there and take a hammer to the entire setup or press the darn manual reset button (I don’t see why this would be any different than doing it remotely from the app) and plead to Netgear to leave “my” cameras alone once they are working again.
 
Any help/advice beyond what I have already tried from JamesC, Morse Text guru or anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

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steve_t
Master Master
Master

Or perhaps each new firmware should get a more thorough beta test before being released to the masses. I'd encourage you to post in the Ideas Exchange section about giving users either more control over the firmware updates or at least having the firmwares more thoroughly tested before being pushed out. Totally understand where you're coming from and I also do not allow Windows to automatically download and install updates

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20 REPLIES 20
steve_t
Master Master
Master

You sound like you're on to it and have tried most things. I don't understand why the thinking is that it's firmware related when your other 2 systems are working fine on the same firmwares.

Unfortunately, it does sound like you need to remove the cameras from the faulty base and then do a full factory reset by holding in the little button on the back with a paperclip etc for 10-15 seconds until the power light changes from green to amber. Then re-add the base. Then resync the cameras and see what happens from there. Unfortunately that you're 2000 miles away from this system. 

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

Quick one - have you tried a browser?

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary

I appreciate the insight Steve. Indeed, I am chatting with support right now and they don't provide any insight other than resetting the base, removing, and adding it back to the account when I can physically get back to the unit.  We also went round and round about "removing the battery of all 10 cameras and putting them back in", which seems crazy logic that all 10 camera batteries decided to exhibit this problem.

 

For the person suggesting using a different browser - this isn't a browser issue.  The browser is nothing more than a window to observe and change settings of the hardware thousands of miles away and only relevant when one logs on. The cameras are not recording while I lay sleeping at night and doesn't matter what "browser" I use when I wake up the next day to find no recordings. Plus I use both iOS devices (phone and iPad) and Windows desktop running Chrome. No recordings.

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

My point is simply that there have been differences in operation at various times between the app and browser where one works and the other doesn't. It's a valid troubleshooting steps that you hadn't addressed.

steve_t
Master Master
Master

Yep. I'm not sure that camera battery removal will be necessary but basically the advice (that has worked many times before) is to reset everything and set it up from new. Perhaps battery removal and replacement allows the cameras to change the channel they connect to the base with. No idea and that's just total speculation.

While there are definitely differences between the web interface vs the app, I'm not sure this issue would be sorted by it, but stranger things have happened. Worth having a look at it and all your rules for your recording mode(s)... oh, sounds like you already have. All good

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary

Thanks Steve,

 

I continue to assert that it is bad practice of Netgear to push out firmware without our consent, as I feel somewhat certain that much of these types of issues are a result of such practice as there are many cases of things working fine until a firmware is pushed out. For most, I guess it is a minor pain to just walk over to a camera and repull the battery or the base station and do a reset, but for many of us, the logistics of frequent camera maintenance/visits are expensive. After all, the primary purpose of security cameras is to be working when we are not nearby and with so many firmware bugs, I propose Netgear let us users decide when to run an update or not.  I'm certain not one Netgear engineer responsible for this practice, has their phone or personal computer settings like Windows, set to "automatically download and install updates".

steve_t
Master Master
Master

Or perhaps each new firmware should get a more thorough beta test before being released to the masses. I'd encourage you to post in the Ideas Exchange section about giving users either more control over the firmware updates or at least having the firmwares more thoroughly tested before being pushed out. Totally understand where you're coming from and I also do not allow Windows to automatically download and install updates

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary

Will do and thanks Steve for lending an ear and advice!

brh
Master
Master

@mhnatt

Obviously since you have the systems working perfectly in two other locations you understand the setups, so something is different in this location. Is it possible that you have a mode or rule in the location that is not working that is different from the other locations? It appears that something is turning the cameras off before they finish recording. Let me share what happens with me although I have a different setup as you.

My Arlo system is integrated with Smartthings. When I am expecting mail or a package delivery and I am home I have set up a Routine, (in Arlo that would be called a Mode), to turn the cameras on to standby. When a motion sensor fires as the delivery person is walking close to my porch the camera starts to record and I get a notification. Another sensor placed on my front porch fires when the person steps onto the porch and turns on an internal lamp and I get a second notification and a third notification from Arlo..

Now, if I leave the routine alone until the camera has finished recording everything is fine and I get the video. But if I switch off the Routine to turn off the camera and the lamp I get a little red 1 on the Arlo app showing that there is a new video. But when I open the app there is no video. No 5 or 6 seconds video from when the camera started recording. Nothing.

So that is why I am saying in your case that it appears that you get a motion notification, (and possibly the cameras start to record), but something is shutting the cameras off prematurely so you don't get any video.

Just a thought.

 

Brian

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary

Thanks Brian for the insight. Cool setup on how you use Smartthings to enhance.

 

The cutoff in that regards makes sense, though I sense that is not the case here. The reason why is that:

 

1) No changes in any settings were made.  The system just stopped recording on or after Dec 12th, which I'm curious if coincides with a firmware push out by Netgear.

2) Even if changes were made, I went ahead and changed practically all possible settings across various cameras and the base (Mode settings) in hopes to "trigger" some kind of change.

 

I booked a flight ($800) plus 1 hour drive, to go to the location and try the reset and resync thing but am ticked that we users don't have an option to delay/prevent Netgear from automatically forcing out updates. This to me is the #1 biggest downside of Arlo and you probably won't find a more supportive customer and advocate of Arlo in this community. I have litterally 5-digit expenses into all of these setups over 3 years and am questioning my loyalty at this point and wether I should have gone commercial or one of the DIY systems. I so much though love Arlo when it behaves. The forced updates however are almost a deal-breaker.

brh
Master
Master

@mhnatt

I am sorry you are having so many problems. Fortunately, my updates have been painless. I will check my updates if I can and see if there were any updates on that date. Let us know what you did to restore everything. Power Reset or Factory Reset? I'll keep looking for further solutions.

Arlo Support might have logs to see what happened. You can contact them at the Support link below.

BTW, If you have the time to search through the Idea Exchange you will see this has already been requested for Arlo to do. You must Kudo the post since the more kudos a post gets, the more likelyhood of it being implemented.

I do not know if anyone at Arlo reads these posts other than James_C who is the site moderator. He passes ideas to the engineering department somestimes. Most of us here are just happy customers trying to get a jump on Support and give quick solutions if we can.

 

Brian

brh
Master
Master

@mhnatt

Sorry but I can see the latest firmware for my cameras and base stations but no dates are given

 

Brian

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary
Thanks Brian,
Very good advice. I as well find the community very helpful. An hour with support yeilded no results (their advice was to move the sensitivity to 100% on all cameras). I will report back what I find.. My flight departs Sunday Jan 28th and I should hopefully have something within a day or so. I’m guessing a full reset will work. I bought an entire new 4-camera set will replace the base station while I’m there ($850 for a new Arlo set is cheaper than my flying back there to do this again)..
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

The dates can be found in the Release Notes section which typically is updated shortly after the release happens. Obviously that doesn't mean that's when your device was updated.

brh
Master
Master

@mhnatt

Here is a link for some firmware notes:

 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Firmware-Release-Notes/bd-p/arlo-release-notes

 

James_C posted the note on Dec 11th but it was for the ios app. There may have been other updates that we don't know about.

 

Brian

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary
@brh and @james_c

I think I may have found something. The videos seem to actually record into the library if and only if I happen to be logged into the app at the point in time that the notification/event is triggered.

This leads me to believe there is something related to the “spooling up” time. Anyone notice that when you login, your devices seem to immediately become more sensitive (since lower/signal is being sent to each camera to retrieve its device status like battery and WiFi signal strength to send back to the app)?
brh
Master
Master

@mhnatt

I am controlling my Arlo cameras through the Smartthings app which does not need to log in so it must be keeping the Arlo app active. Mine record both to Arlo and to Smartthings immediately whenever the Smartthings system is Armed and motion is detected.

Sorry I can't help you with this one because of my setup so I will let one of the other guys answer this.

 

Brian

JamesC
Community Manager
Community Manager

The last firmware updates were released November 3rd/4th for Arlo Pro Base Station and Arlo Pro 2 camera respectively. No firmware updates around the December 12th time frame.

 

Being logged in to the app should not have any impact on whether the cameras can produce a recording after detecting motion or sensitivity. Very strange behavior from your description.

 

I don't want to speculate too much about a possible cause but it could be an issue (hardware) with the base station or perhaps a problem with the rules within the active mode. Are you using a custom mode or the default "Armed" mode? You could try creating a brand new mode with new rules to see if you experience the same behavior.

 

If there is still an issue, a factory reset (I understand given the travel distance this is a painful step) would be my last suggestion.

 

JamesC

 

 

mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary
I have always stayed on default “Armed” mode. I could do a factory reset but am thinking I will just replace the base unit just in case the reset would only work for a short period. Thanks for answering - everyone including JamesC!
mhnatt
Luminary
Luminary

Update: 

 

i flew Lee out to Wyoming (expensive) and bought and brought with me a new Arlo Pro 2 kit with 4-cameras.  I now have two separate base stations.

 

After manual reset on the existing one, both systems were working fine for about two weeks.

 

Then, as of late Wednesday, Feb 14th, the original problems started over again. But to add insult to injury, my other Arlo systems (in separate states Texas and Georgia) now also have the same problem!  So totally different Internet providers, different base stations, cameras, etc. The only commonality is my account with Arlo!

 

Let me clarify, about 90% of the alerts/notificatoins are not recorded into the library, nor emailed. There are a few that actually record, but it is rare. Georgia has better stats, at about 50%.

 

I posted this as a new message but it not deleted. I’m taking screenshots of this so WHEN it gets deleted again, I will prove that there is a mishandling of support. I have easily spent over ten thousand dollars in Arlo gear and infrastructure and efforts and time. I have an open ticket with Netgear support that is fruitless.

 

i don’t know why I’m even trying to continue.