Videos only buffer on phone

[JM-Alpharetta]

Have Arlo VMB 4000 base station with 5 cameras.  System working fine up to 2 weeks ago.  Twice in last 2 weeks unable to play video on my cell phone. All videos show constant circling. When try to play back a specific video - sticks in "buffering".  Restarted phone and base station.  Logged out and back into Arlo app,  Deleted and re-downloaded app. Camera distance is not the issue on exterior are within 10 feet of the base station. Plenty of memory on the phone.

[Dannybear]

Are any or all of your cameras externally powered?
If so remove and reconnect external power to the cameras.
Also try removing battery for 10sec to reset the camera if pro2.

[Khone]

FYI - I use a HQ desktop, Win 10, i7, 16gb mem, 1tb hdd, hardwired to internet rated @ 200mbps. I use a Samsung Z Flip 3 5G for monitoring my ARLO account. It is connected to the internet via WiFi.

This morning when I opened the ARLO app on my phone, when I go to Library it shows videos only buffering. After an inordinate amount of time (several minutes) 2 or 3 videos will open (rest still buffering) but when I try to play them, only buffering.

I restarted my system but that hasn't helped.

Thinking it might be my phone  I clicked on 2 or more videos there (on Facebook) and they all played normally. I checked my settings and everything is normal.

Why will the videos in my ARLO library not fully load and play. No problem on desktop.

Additional info needed, let me know.

Any help appreciated.

[JPM-10]

I was having same problem.  Support had me turn off the WIFI setting on my phone and library videos stopped buffering. Turned on and the problem resumed.  Finally in the Arlo app - go to devices, select each camera individually - go to settings.  Then select Device Utilities.  Change power management from "optimized" to either of the other 2 settings (Best Video or Best Battery Life).  Buffering stopped.

[JPM-10]

Forgot - Select Video Settings from list in camera settings.

[JPM-10]

Found the solution. 

Support had me turn off the WIFI setting on my phone and library videos stopped buffering. Turned WIFI back on and the problem resumed.  Finally in the Arlo app - went to devices, selected settings for each camera individually. In Video Settings -changed power management from "optimized" to either of the other 2 settings (Best Video or Best Battery Life).  Buffering stopped !  

[JPM-10]

Just received motion detected notice.  New library video is buffering - but able to get to it by turning WIFI off.

[Khone]

Thanks JPM-10 for your response.

Did all that. Videos will now appear when I go to library but when I select a video to play, all it does is buffer. Before all the videos in my library wouldn't even appear - all I got was a blank screen with buffer indicator.

Any thing else I could do?

[JM-Alpharetta]

Turning cell phone WIFI OFF has worked consistently for me.  With WIF off, I can see all videos in the library and am able to play any of them within a few seconds.

[Khone]

Thanks JM-Alpharetta.

That worked. Strange. In the past, always worked with WiFi on. Wonder why it changed?

Thanks for your help.

[ShayneS]

This only occurs over Mobile data and not Wifi?

[JM-Alpharetta]

No.  The opposite.  Only occurs with WIFI on.  Mobile data is ok.

[StephenB]

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@JM-Alpharetta wrote:

No.  The opposite.  Only occurs with WIFI on.  Mobile data is ok.

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Are you using the "Optimized" setting in power management?

If you are, try changing it to "Best", and see if that resolves it.

[JPM-10]

Tried all options including "best  video" and "best battery" - not the solution.  Found several reverences from other users that indicated there is a inherent issue with base station WiFi.  Beyond my knowledge level.  Just know - if I turn WiFi off - works fine.

[StephenB]

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@JPM-10 wrote:

  Found several reverences from other users that indicated there is a inherent issue with base station WiFi. 

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Not sure what you mean by that.  FWIW, I am not seeing this problem with my own phone (and base stations).

[Dannybear]

Has anyone power cycled their router, just a thought.

[JPM-10]

Yes.

[ShayneS]

Which version of the Arlo mobile app are you using? The latest is 3.6.6

[Khone]

3.6.6_1

[Khone]

Correction. That's what is on my desktop version.

Mobile version is 3.6.6_28456

[ShayneS]

So if you turn WIFI back on your phone, the videos will buffer again? 

[JPM-10]

Uninstalled and reinstalled app.  Reviewed all options with Support - and only solution we found was to turn off wifi.  No problems with computer access so internet connection is not the issue either.

[JPM-10]

Not always.  Only if there is a new video.

[Khone]

No. Just buffer indication, no video

Turn WiFi back on, videos play

[ShayneS]

is this with the iOS or Android app? Does it occur on other devices as well?