Can't get my good working Arlo VMB4540 base stations to reinstall again...says 'Not Found'

[roundball]

Many years arlo customer...Pro2 / Pro3 / Pro4 / Pro5s sets of cams, and VMB4540 base stations.

All good quality proven networks / network equipment, etc.

Decided to move a few Pro4 Cams off their base Stations and connect them directly to WIFI today, and after getting them moved and operational on WIFI, I simply disconnected / removed both base stations.

Later had a thought that I'd bring some Pro3 Cams out of storage and try them out for something.

But to several hours of surprise & work, I cannot get either VMB4540 Base Station to reinstall.

Went through the steps like I always have, but the process ends saying they can't be found.

Swapped the Base Station Ethernet cable to the Router, no help.

Reset the Base Stations, no help.

Rest the Router, no help.

Any helpful suggestion would be appreciated, thanks.

[StephenB]

---

@roundball wrote:

I cannot get either VMB4540 Base Station to reinstall.

Went through the steps like I always have, but the process ends saying they can't be found.n

---

Try a paper-clip reset, and then maybe also try using a PC (my.arlo.com) instead of the app.

[roundball]

@StephenB 

Thanks...did the reset a couple times...also tried it from the arlo site with my pc.

Neither helped.

[roundball · Accepted solution]

@StephenB 

Just figured it out.

When I had tried the "paper-clip" reset, I pushed the clip in until I heard a "click", and pulled the clip out, assuming that had reset it.

Reality is...without any arlo documentation referencing it...by experimenting I found that pushing the reset button in and holding it for 15-20 seconds, the color of the Base Station indicator light changed...then I removed the clip from the reset button.

And the Base Station install steps worked fine then.

[jguerdat]

Guess you didn't look too hard:

https://kb.arlo.com/1057976/How-can-I-factory-reset-my-Arlo-SmartHub-or-Base-Station

I've referenced it here many times. In addition, I don't know of any reset process that doesn't require a long press of the button which is needed to prevent accidental presses. Routers, etc. all use this method.

[roundball]

@jguerdat 

".....Guess you didn't look too hard....."

Interesting comment...and I hardly think that an internal recessed reset button that requires a paper-clip to carefully reach in to activate it has much of a problem being "accidentally" depressed.

And FYI, I used the published arlo manual information and I found no mention of holding it for a predetermined amount of time.

[jguerdat]

You may be surprised at the number of posters here (and likely on many other forums) that have had to be instructed to hold the button for 10-15 seconds or more until the device's LED start flashing, indicating a successful reset.

[roundball]

@jguerdat 

Just another arlo support deficiency...they obviously should upgrade their manuals with that clarification.

[StephenB]

---

@roundball wrote:

.they obviously should upgrade their manuals with that clarification.

---

FWIW, it is in the manuals for the cameras that require a base station.

• Page 75 here: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/images/Documents/ArloPro3/Arlo_Pro3_UM.pdf
• Pages 87-99 here: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/images/Documents/ArloUltra/Arlo_Ultra_User_Manual_US_2.pdf
• page 58 here: https://www.arlo.com/en-us/images/Documents/ArloPro2/arlo_pro_2_um.pdf

It would have been good if they'd also put this in the install guide for the smarthubs, since it is not in the manuals for cameras that optionally can connect to a smarthub.

While I agree it is a bit overkill, needing to hold the reset for a while is usually needed when doing a paper-clip reset of routers and similar devices. 

Any event, your problem is now resolved.