At least one thing is consistent about this system. It S&$@)

[Showguy]

Venting. I have 5 months and $1500 invested in this system. Every firmware update and server failure cripples it more and more. However there are very consistent things about it:

1- when you go to stream a camera there is a 9 in 10 chance you will get an error message that reads " can't play now"

2- a flying bug or a car in the road 75' away from the camera will activate motion but a 200 lb person dancing 5' away will not 

3- guaranteed to get consistent ghost recordings alerts and nothing sent to your library. 

4- guaranteed to get a recording that shows nothing more than a flash of light. 

I'm done going up on ladders to get the perfect motion angle because there is no perfect motion angle. Im done reading the physics lessons about how heat, mass and weight effect motion recording. And most of all I'm done making battery manufactures rich because 90% of the recordings on my 10 cameras are either false alerts, ghost alerts or delayed so long that a potential perp could be half way to Mexico by the time the camera starts recording. Strange how Netgear left all the reasons why this system won't work as expected off all their promotional material. 

The sad part is this system worked great until firmware updates and increased users on Netgear servers crippled it. 

Im done venting. Have a nice weekend all. 

[JamesC]

Showguy,

I am sorry for the frustrations you have experienced.  The concerns outlined in your post are currently being investigated by our dev team and we hope to provide their feedback as quickly as possible. Your feedback and patience is greatly appreciated and again I apologize for any frustration or inconvenience this has caused.

Regards,

JamesC

[WilsonFlyer]

AMEN on all counts. Well said.

BTW, I'm in for $1500 on this POS too. You are not alone.

[devotchko]

"2- a flying bug or a car in the road 75' away from the camera will activate motion but a 200 lb person dancing 5' away will not"

I had to laugh when I read this because I experience exactly the same issues. I have recordings of bugs and the just the briefest instances of car's wheels way up in the corner of the frame triggering recordings, but several deliveries and my mailperson go completely unnoticed by Arlo. I have also spent hours up a ladder trying and retrying to reposition the camera to try and eliminate the chances of false alarms so I can raise the sensitivity, but then I get even more false alarms. I truly hope they work these issues out (or at least minimize them) and please, pretty please, figure out a way to introduce zones within the frame so we can have more leeway in the way the cameras can be positioned; are you listening, Arlo?

[TheRealDeal]

I've learned to accept the false alarms as long as the true positives get recorded. at this point I'm wondering if rechargeable batteries might be worth it. These latest round of connectivity issues has really drained the batteries. I wonder if the cameras are continually trying to reconnect to the base station when they get knocked offline.

[devotchko]

Happened again this morning. Mail person delivered a large package, walking into my porch. No recording or motion detected, so no notification. Just about an hour ealier I walked out into the porch and the system worked flawlessly. There were no changes in temperature or lighting conditions, so those could no thave affected the system. How can I rely on Arlo if it does not perform consistently?

[KristynM]

devotchko,

During the time that the mail person delivered the package, was the motion detection on or scheduled to be on? The symptoms that you've provided leads to where motion detection is not on. 

Has this occurred again after you've reported it not detecting and recording the mail person?

[devotchko]

The motion detection was on, via the scheduler. I get two mail deliveries a day; one for larger packages and one for regular mail. I find that if the mailperson does not walk up to the porch and instead slides the package from the last step leading to the porch, the motion is not detected (sensitivy is set at 80%, and cannot set it any higher because if I do I get constant false alarms every time the tires of passing cars pass by the corner of the frame; motion in that tiny corner sets it off!). However, if the mailperson walks on the porch motion is detected. Unfortunately because of the lack of zones this is the only angle I can set the camera, and the angle of motion is not directly horizontal across the field of view but at around 45 degrees (diagonally across the frame, again because of the angle I am forced to set the camera). At the same time, a tiny bug flying not that close to the camera, and many times smaller than the large packages that have been slid on the porch, set off the camera right away.

[devotchko]

Arlo didn't detect today's delivery either. Large package delivered to my porch, motion detection was set to on, nothing was detected. When I retrieved the package however, the camera detected that right away. I can send you a framegrab so you can see what Arlo missed if you want. 

[jguerdat]

Angle and location of the camera is all-important.  Some have reported movement at the edge of the frame works better than in the middle and I can say I've noticed similar results.  Motion moving across the scene works best but location to achieve that can be an issue.  Trial and error and it may be that you simply don't have a great location to place the camera.

[devotchko]

I placed ther camera so that movement comes from the side (not exactly at the middle of the frame, but not from the corner either). To drop a package on my porch, the devlievery person has to walk up four steps, two of which are included in the frame. No matter how big or small the package, Arlo does not register it. However, the moment I open the door to retrieve the package, the sliver of movement from the opposite side of the frame immediately triggers the system (there is a minimal amount of movement when this happens is my point). My only explanation right now is that it is often sunny on the steps when the deliveries take place, and for some reason this is affecting the camera's ability to register the movement.

[jguerdat]

PITA but can you try placing the camera on the other side to see if it helps?

[Paul_FCCL]

Getting same issues here. Cars going by at 75-80 feet set off recordings even as camera is pointing "away" from street. Tried the "pan and zoom" to block out some of the camera view to no avail.

Getting pretty frustrating......Hopefully Netgear is listening and acting on these issues.

Paul FCCL