Connect and make an Arlo system work with only a smartphone connected to the internet

[pjbury]

I'd like to understand if I could (temporarily) set up an Arlo system with one camera connected to a smartphone that is connected to a 4G internet connection. I would then monitor the camera from a second smartphone and the Arlo app.

Would that work? Peter

[jguerdat]

Not sure I understand the complete picture but if you follow the instructions for setup, the answer could be yes.  That is, you'd have to have an Internet connection for the base station via an Ethernet cable AND the phone would need to be on the same network via WiFi.  That generally means you need a router with both Ethernet and Wifi.  Once set up, you can use your phone without WiFi to monitor and change the system - the need for the WiFi is only for initial setup.

It's not clear to me if you want to use only a phone and camera which wouldn't work - you must have the base station in there and that has the requirement of being connected via an Ethernet cable.  

[pjbury]

Hi jguerdat

Thanks for this. I guess your very last sentence gives the answer (I feared): the camera linked to a smartphone which in its turn is connected to the internet doesn't work.

Indeed I had in mind:

1. install the Arlo camera;

2. install a smartphone on site connected via 3G or 4G to the internet;

3. set the smartphone up as Mobile Hotspot;

4. connect the Arlo camera to that Mobile Hotspot;

5. monitor the camera from another second mobile smartphone.

Doesn't work?

Peter

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

Nope.  The base station sets up its own WiFi connection to any cameras without any way to change that. The SSID is visible but I believe that the syncing of the cameras is essentially a WPS setup routine.  The cameras don't broadcast so there's no way to connect a phone or anything else.

[Dogtruck]

Arlo q doesn use base station