Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras

Cameras lose sync after power outage - every time.

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vive_le_puppyca
Tutor
Tutor

This seems to happen every time I lose power... After the power is restored, and internet comes back on, the base shows active, and the 3rd camera (bought a single camera after the 2 camera+base station set up was bought) will come back on. But cameras 1 and 2 will show to be offline until I resync them. After that, they work as expected until the power goes out again. The will sync just fine. 

I have, in the past and currently, ensured that all firmware has been updated to the latest version available to me. I know this may not be the most effective home security system, what with lags in live viewing, and the fact that it's not monitored by anyone but myself... but that's what I use it for and the fact that a couple times a month I go a full day without having the front of my house monitored is concerning. 


halp? 

42 REPLIES 42
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru
Best advice is to buy an inexpensive UPS/battery backup and plug your modem, router and base into it so they never lose power except for very long outages.
steve_t
Master Master
Master

Do cameras 1 and 2 have less than full signal strengths?

vive_le_puppyca
Tutor
Tutor
Typically they have full signal, especially camera #2. It's about 6 feet away from the base station
WarriorPrincess
Aspirant
Aspirant

I get the same issue with my 3rd camera, the newest one I got.  Everytime I lose power, I have to get on a ladder and take it down from the back of my house. The camera range to the base unit is actually the closest one and yet, the most difficult one for me to get to, and if I lose power, I have to get down.  It's crazy especial now when is winter and very cold and I have snow in the ground. Smiley Mad

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru
Then don't let the base lose power. Use an inexpensive (~$100) UPS/battery backup for your modem, router and base.
WarriorPrincess
Aspirant
Aspirant

Thanks for the advice. I spotted one on Amazon for 59.99 600VA, is 600VA good enough?

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru
The capacity simply relates to how long of a power outage you're trying to fly through. Lower capacity is less time. 600VA should be fine form at least a few hours.
LovelyNot
Apprentice
Apprentice

We had a power outage of about 2 hours, this somehow made all my arlo cams to appear offline afterwards.

Even hours after power was back, it still not joined them anew. Why is this?

Doesnt the base station save them in memory?

 

Why is it that I have 10 year old modems, that have been offline and without power for over 6 years,

that still have their full config setup rightly available when I power them up after those 6 years,

with port-forwards and extra routes, IP-allow and deny lists, MAC-address block lists, with WiFi passwords etc.

ALL just like I left it 6 years ago.

 

Seriously, we're in 2017 now, and yet netgear is not capable of storing config, storing camera ID's without power?

You have got to be kidding.

This is just VERY bad software/hardware code, nothing more nothing less.

 

Just where it counts, when you're not at home, where you want security, reliability, is with these arlo cams, yet you mess that one thing up. The one place where it counts. Really. Why? Stop your excuses, netgear. This is really BAD.

jgirl
Aspirant
Aspirant

I found a simpler solution, than resetting and reprograming everything.  Simply login to your account and click "add a device" then add the base station all over again.  When you do this it replaces the offline base station with what it thinks is a new base station.  It is now back online.  Then you simply just press sync on each of the cameras and sync on the base.  You are now back in action!

vive_le_puppyca
Tutor
Tutor

unfortunately, that isn't a solution at all. It's basically replicating the issue. The issue is that i have to go around and push the sync button on 2 of my 3 cameras if the base station loses power. and while it's only a mild inconvenience if it happens while i'm at home, if it happens early in the day while i'm at work, i have the rest of the work day without my cameras working. if it happens while i'm sleeping, i'd go the whole night without my cameras working. 

the cameras should re-sync automatically after the base station has power restored. it's a faulty program, plain and simple. 

jgirl
Aspirant
Aspirant

I agree with you.  Didn't mean it was a solution to the fact that the cameras should not go offline.  Just meant that this is a better solution than resetting the base station and having to reprogram all of the cameras.  Saves time.  Still hoping they update the base station to fix this completely.

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru
A better solution is to use a UPS on your modem, router and base so they will fly through most outages.
nd99jlt
Aspirant
Aspirant

Hi, new on the forum and newly bought Arlo Pro cameras.

Just experienced the offline issue after short power failure.

Is there no way to remotely resync or getting the cameras online again without having to go the the physical cameras (since I have them mounted at about 3m hight)

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

If possible, remotely restart the base (Settings, My Devices, your base, Restart button at the bottom).  Otherwise, power cycle the base when you can - try this before mucking with the cameras.

 

A good idea is to use a UPS for your modem, router and base so your network never loses power except in very long outages.

UselessARLO
Guide
Guide
STOP giving suggestions to get UPS, that's not the solution at all. I don't have any problem of power outage but whenever my internet provider updates/restart modem, base station loose internet connectivity and Arlo cams go offline until I climb on the ledder and press sync on cam/base station. FIX this issue, add remote sync option for cameras in next firmware updates. As other person says in previous post, this is 2017, c'mon guys, don't give excuse to get a UPS, find a permanent solution.
vive_le_puppyca
Tutor
Tutor
THANK YOU. seriously. The solution should not be to have to buy additional things for a product to work properly. It happened again sometime last night, woke up to find that 2 of my 3 cameras were offline. No evidence of power loss though (clocks still right, etc). It's so frustrating.
UselessARLO
Guide
Guide
Exactly same thing happened with me too, I checked in the morning that 2 of my cams are offline and there was no power outage, no Internet connectivity issue, nothing but still they are still offline, now I have to get ledder out to press sync on each cam. There is no point to have security cams when they are not reliable at all. I used to recommend Arlo to my friends and family but not anymore at least until they fix this issue.
jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

In case you haven't noticed, we're all users here with the few exceptions of those identified by a Netgear avatar. All we can do is make suggestions that are known to work. If you're not going to follow them, fine, but then it's on you to move on with whatever solution you decide on.

steve_t
Master Master
Master

UselessARLO wrote:
STOP giving suggestions to get UPS, that's not the solution at all. I don't have any problem of power outage but ...

Do look at the title of this thread...

UselessARLO
Guide
Guide
This community is mentioned on ARLO site, so they must be watching this as well to see issues and concerns regarding their product. It doesn't matter you're a user or app developer you shouldn't give a suggestion which is not actually a solution of the issue, buying a UPS is not going to resolve the issue because when there is a power outage you will loose internet connection any way due to modem/router being down so doesn't matter your base station is up with UPS.
UselessARLO
Guide
Guide
Do look at the title of this thread...


Whatever is the title, sync issue is because cam loose connectivity to base station, and it can be due to many reasons like resetting your modem/router/base station, modem is up but signals are down from internet provider etc.
alexakah
Tutor
Tutor

I have the same issue with the fact that I am about 100miles away from the Arlo cameras.  In case of power outage I cant drive 100 miles to reset and resync cameras every time there is a power outage.  Though this has not happened to me yet I dread that it will someday.   I cant believe Netgear has not considered this very important fact.   😞

jguerdat
Guru Guru
Guru

All we users can do is to hope for a fix but, in the interim, the use of a UPS and maybe a WiFi switch is what's normally recommended. Maybe it shouldn't be needed but it beats the hell out of having to drive hours to bring the system back up.

GatorHogg
Apprentice
Apprentice

My Samsung Galaxy S4 phone's "Arlo Pro" app was not loading of "library" videos. The "buffering" continued for over 10 minutes.
I recycled all my Netgear products (Netgear router/Arlo Pro basestation) and IP modem.
It took an unusaul long time to reload/sync, so I then uninstalled and reinstalled the Arlo app (Android) and it appears now to be working.
This "buffering of libray" videos has been an ongoing concerns when away from home and does not allow viewing or turning off/on cameras or any functions.
After I return home, everything works.
My phone is also in wifi/data mode to auto adjust for wifi void areas, auto switching to data.
Any help for this "buffering library" and mode setting" away from home or outside my home wifi area would be appreciated.
T.I.A.