Do I *NEED* pre-existing wifi to use arlo?

[hawklo]

I have Arlo base station physically wired to my (non-wifi) router and the power and internet LEDs are both green.  When trying the "new system setup" button, my android device Arlo app says:

"We cannot set up your account at this time as we cannot detect your base station.  Please make sure your base station is powered on (checked, yes) and connected to the internet (if the green *internet* LED being lit is an indication, checked and another yes), make sure your device is connected to the same Wifi network as the base station"

OK...the base station plugs into the router physically by way of Cat5e/6...the base station also gives off its own wifi designator (I believe) as "NETGEAR48" in my android devices but which I don't have a PW for, etc.  I also thought that when offsite, Arlo uses wireless providers 4G, etc. to relay camera data...sooo...

These facts being as they may, did I somehow miss an obvious reason as to why I have to have a wifi signal to use this $500.00 system?  Trying to use at a business and we whole-heartedly frown on decidedly more-vulnerable wifi (unless of course it's an internal signal that has to be sent to/from base station to camera, etc)...

Please help (at least confirm) or allay my fears here.

THANK YOU!

[cybergibbon]

The base station sets up it's own WiFi network for the cameras.

It doesn't have 4G in it though - not sure where you got that from.

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

You don't need WiFi to use Arlo.  You need it to be able to use a wireless-only device to set the system up since it has to be on the same network in order to do so.  Since you don't have WiFi, you need to use a computer that's connected to the router to perform the setup.  Once the setup is complete, any Internet access will allow you to see what's going on and to modify settings.

Make sense?

[TomMac]

As addendum, The Arlo base will set up its own WIFI system to connect to the cameras only ( you can't use other devices to connect to Arlo's wifi ).

The base to cameras works on the 802.11n wifi standard @ 2.4ghz and thats why you can see the ARLO network on yr android device ( also , no password to access Arlos network given by netgear )

[Sincity]

Good question. I am also getting another system to use at my wife's business where we also omit wifi purposely. I suppose I can setup my new system at home and then take the base unit to plug it into the router at the business, right?

[jguerdat]

I believe that to be the case.  It'd be similar to changing routers at your house.

[Amyh]

Just wondering if you can use an android tablet to set up arlo base station? 

[JamesC]

Amyh,

Yes as long as the tablet is connected to the same network as the base station.

JamesC