Base Station will not connect to internet

[Erinrick]

We have an older Arlo base station (model VMB4000r3) and cameras. We were Arlo customers (and fans) before they required a subscription to store the recordings to the cloud.  We have never had an issue before and they have functioned perfectly.  The base station is connected to our router with an ethernet cable.  Yesterday, the base station stopped connecting for no reason.  Router is working fine …. All other devices are connected.  We have done all the steps recommended to get the station connected.  Including the reset.  Just the amber light.  Based on a recent experience of a family member (newer to the Arlo family and does have a monthly subscription) who lost connectivity from base station to internet (also connected via Ethernet cable), customer support “pushed a signal” from their end to her base station and that resolved the problem.  BUT, since we do not have a subscription, we were informed that we have no right to talk to anyone (not even a live agent thru chat).  I have no way to ask them to push the signal.  Does anyone out there have any suggestion on how I can get some help?  It’s almost as if Arlo is telling us that since we are not a subscribing customer that they don’t want us as an Arlo user any more.  If we cant get the station reconnected, we will be going to a competitor since there is no support.

[StephenB]

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@Erinrick wrote:

 Based on a recent experience of a family member (newer to the Arlo family and does have a monthly subscription) who lost connectivity from base station to internet (also connected via Ethernet cable), customer support “pushed a signal” from their end to her base station and that resolved the problem.

The mods - @JamesC , @ShayneS , @BrookeN - can also do this, so I am tagging them to call their attention to your issue.

But it's not about connectivity to the internet.   If the base isn't connecting to the internet, nothing done from Arlo's end will reach the base.

So I recommend that you check your router's attached device list, and see if the base station is on that list.  If it turns out that the ethernet on the base has failed (which does happen occasionally), then the only option is to get another base.

[ShayneS]

Hi @Erinrick Can you reboot your base station and test again?

[Strider1960]

Not sure if this will help, but had a problem with my base station.

Have had Arlo base station for 4 years, always worked well, no issues. Two weeks ago, I had moved my cable modem location, using a different coax location. Internet working fine, but Arlo base station would not connect to internet after system reboots for all components. Local ISP (Xfinity) was not very helpful, and stated all was good from their end. Ugh. Looking at the system as it is now laid out, signal goes through cable modem, to NetGear ProSafe GS105 Gigabit switch (unmanaged switch), to a NetGear Nighthawk Mesh system. Wifi was working fine, other outputs on switch seemed fine. Contacted NetGear on off chance something was wrong with switch (it's a simple switch, right???). VERY observant tech from NetGear listened to my issue, and asked about hardware sysconfig. He explained the GS105 unmanaged switch doesn't do well upstream of a router, and is not meant to come right out of cable modem. This may seem logical to all the techies out there, but I'm an amateur (obviously). Changed config to have switch after the router, and router to Arlo base station, rebooted entire system, and voila! it all works again! Thanks so much to a NetGear tech who really listened and was experienced and knowledgable. 

In this case, it was the location of a switch in the system, which may not help everyone, but may help someone. If it does, the hours spent will not have been in vain! Good luck! 

[StephenB]

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@Strider1960 wrote:

In this case, it was the location of a switch in the system, which may not help everyone, but may help someone. 

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Correct analysis.

I want to add that this is the case with any pure ethernet switch.  Business-class switches often have routing built in, but consumer switches (including smart switches and most managed switches) do not.

Also some "cable modems" are actually gateways (combined modem+router).  If you have 4 LAN ports and wifi coming from the cable modem, then it is certainly a gateway.  If that is your situation, then you are double-routing (since your Orbi is also set up as a router).   That's not a problem, though it does add an extra step if you ever want to set up port forwarding or use the VPN feature in your Orbi.