Extender or Wired Base Statuion? Long Low Ranch, lots of brick--Which is better, a Base Station

[ChrisA]

Hi,

I tried calling support for this question but told the Base Station doesn't set-up a network---so I know I need more expert help.

Here is my question:

I live in long, low ranch, with lots of brick and steel that block my normal wifi to the point I have another access point setup in bridge mode and have a wifi wireless extender. So the Arlo with only one Base station needs the Best signal I can give it. So I called Netgear Arlo support and asked them this quetion:

Which is better, a Base Station centered in the middle of the house. Set high in the wall, above the steel and wired directly back to the router via ethernet 

OR

Use the Netgear AC1200 wifi Range Extender and connect this via ethernet and put this unit in the middle of the house?

Which is better? Wired Arlo base station or wireless extender.

I would have thought the wired Arlo that was centered but the Netgear support person insisted the wifi extender was better. I must be missing something, I thought wired would be a better connection. 

Would both the Arlo Base Station And the wifi extender be sending out a wireless network signal and therefore it would be better? When I asked this, the tech spport person said the base station doesn't send out a wifi signal--so now I'm totally confused trying to figure out How the arlo works.

Can someone give me a logical answer to my quetion?

Thanks. Now I'm off to review other parts of the forum for rechargable batteries! Suggestions? 🙂

Thanks!!!!

[REI]

Good Question. Arlo works by creating is own dedicated wireless network. This network is created by and centered around the Base Station(s). You're best solution is the place the Base Station in the location that will give you the best signal throughout your property. A wireless range extender, while improving your wireless network, will do nothing for boosting your Arlo network. Hope this makes sence. 

[jguerdat]

"It depends." (TM). 🙂

I think you'd have to experiment to figure out if a wireless extender would work better than the router. Each can be placed in unique spots but the extender MAY give you more flexibility. You can also use a long Ethernet cable to the base rather than moving anything. The cameras must be able to have decent signal - the connection to the internet is kind of a secondary concern (it just needs at least 1Mb/sec which may or may not be a problem with the extender). In any event, it sounds like the base station would be best in the middle of the house, regardless of how it gets back to the router.

The base does indeed set up a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection to the cameras but you can't access it or otherwise control it in any way. You'll see the base station's SSID broadcast but it's of no practical use. The pairing procedure sounds very much like a WPS connection so you only need to push a couple of buttons.

As for rechargeable batteries, I would get the TangsFire 1000 may batteries referenced in the various threads in the Buying and Tips forum. They are lasting the longest by far for me. I've been through several iterations with the UltraFire and GTL 2300 mAh batteries which don't last nearly as long. And they're the same price on Amazon. I may be slightly premature in recommending them but I'm getting rid of all the others.

[TomMac · Accepted solution]

I tried calling support for this question but told the Base Station doesn't set-up a network---so I know I need more expert help.

First, whoever told you that was wrong... the Arlo base sets up its own wifi network to communicate with the wireless cameras... at this time only the cameras will be granted access to the wifi.  ( when you sync them )...all operates on 2.4ghz standard 802.11n

BTW, it will setup on the same channel as your home wifi to avoid interference ( when placed close to each other )...also you can see the arlo network on any wifi scan mode like when you look for wifi access point ( arlo may be set up on a different channel if far enough from your homw wifi )

Which is better, a Base Station centered in the middle of the house. Set high in the wall, above the steel and wired directly back to the router via ethernet 

 OR

 Use the Netgear AC1200 wifi Range Extender and connect this via ethernet and put this unit in the middle of the house?

Which is better? Wired Arlo base station or wireless extender.

Thats a harder question to answer, it depends on construction/blockages/etc that any wifi signal can have. The bases have a range max of 300ft but that is with free and clear line of sight so in normal use it will be less... I have used up to about 175ft but there was little blocking the signal.

The other part is if if your extender will have enough thru-put to allow the Aloro system to work at its best.

If I had you type of situation I'd try the Alro base , up high , in the middle of the house and have it ethernet wired back to you main router... Then you have to test it for full functions.... If it didn't work, then you prob have the type of set up where to get the best operation you may have to add a second base . You could try the second base by plug in ethernet to the extender if there's enough thru-put OR run another ethernet cable from your main router to the second half of the home as to access cameras at the far end of the home...so you would set arlo base at each end of the home and link the closest cameras to each base

PS  1) cams can only be linked to one base at a time, 2) max of 4 cameras streaming at same time per base

hope this makes sense... if not ask more questions

[ChrisA]

Thank You...

Found the thread on battaries and bought the TangsFire CR123A, 3.7, 1000--could not find the quan. I wanted without getting a second charger but thank you, I'll experiment. I could not find 10-20 type quan. on ebay, so hopefully I will find these in time.

Thanks for confirming what I knew had to be the case, that the base station setup a wifi network. I think that with some careful placement, I can put the base station near center without blockages surrounding it.

I think or hope I can have more than 4 cameras per base station as I just found a cheap slightly used one on ebay. 

Thank you all for answering--I'm off to crawl around my crawlspace and drill holes in the floor. Company welcome. 😉

[TomMac]

I think or hope I can have more than 4 cameras per base station as I just found a cheap slightly used one on ebay. 

Yes you can have more than 4 cameras per base, it's just you can only live stream/record on 4 at the same time. ( limits of base to ensure good vid quality )

[AirOne41]

I found this Message here and it seems to be really the best solution for my problems as well. Cause i experience the same challenges not so much because of range itselve but more of very heay conrete walls and stuff like that. 

What i after reading this was i ordered to more base stations which i will be able to include into the Network by Cable. But i am afraid that i might be stil one broadcasting basesation short when i am operating with all three of them. 

Thats why i would like to ask this.: 

Is there really no chance to extened or boost the Wifi - Network the Basestations are operating on or better the one they are broadcasting ?

In some other question therds i read something about boosting the singnal with regular wifi range extenders which are connected by a enthernet cable to the newtwork...but that didn´t work at all. At least not with my Apple Airport Express repeaters.

Now.: I ordered two Range extenders by netgear to try it with them..but if there is really no chance to boost or extened the arlo own wifi then that probarly wouldn´t work with them either, or what ?

I would be greatful if somebody coud clearify that. Thank you very much in advance. 

[JamesC]

AirOne41,

You absolutely should be able to use a range extender with your Arlo base station.  There is an article going over this topic that you can review here:

How can I extend the range of an Arlo sytem by using a WiFi range extender

Refer to that article when you receive the two Netgear extenders you ordered and let us know if you get it working.

Thank you for your contribution!

JamesC

[AirOne41]

Thanks i will. The Netgear Range Extenders should be here tomorrow. But maybe you could give me a little Background info regarding this How can I extend the

range of an Arlo sytem by using a WiFi range extender post.

Cause: What i don´t understand:

1. Ensure that the range extender that you are using has an Ethernet port. 

Ok , check of course it will have it but so do my existing Airport Express extenders which them it dosn´t work. 

1. Install your WiFi range extender and connect the extender to your network.

Your network obvoisly meaning my Standard Home Wifi Network which so far is backed up by Apple Airport Expresses only.

Your network probarly dosn´t mean the network the Arlo Base Station is creating, correct ? 

Can anybody tell me if, in general it should work with Apple Extenders or does it work with Netgear Equipemt, only ? 

1. Connect the Arlo base station to the WiFi range extender using an Ethernet cable.

Does that have to be a direct connection ? Cause if so the Base Station wound´t have any other connection to the network by than right ? 

1. Turn the base station on by pressing the On-Off button. The Power LED and Internet LED on the front of the base station light green in about two minutes.

What happes after that does a direct cabel connection between the Base Station and the Extender still have to exist directly , or would it be okay if both is on the same switch / hub ? Is it more like a learining process for the Base which helps to use the wifi extender...but if so, how does it work it the extender is still broadcasting my Home-Network while the cameras are using their own Arlo Base Wifi-Network ?! 

Thanks in advance for answering. With your answers i am hopefully prepared when the Netgear extender arrives tomorrow. 😉

[largoflyboy]

Why am I denied access to this post??  The site says I lack sufficient privileges.... Each time I've come across a link that seems as if it will finally pull the curtain back on extending the 'netgear 09' network, I'm blocked access to it.....  I can't bear to read another post about using an extender to relocate the arlo base (because that's not extending)

thank you!

---

JamesC wrote:

AirOne41,

You absolutely should be able to use a range extender with your Arlo base station.  There is an article going over this topic that you can review here:

How can I extend the range of an Arlo sytem by using a WiFi range extender

Refer to that article when you receive the two Netgear extenders you ordered and let us know if you get it working.

Thank you for your contribution!

JamesC

---

Access is blocked to >>>>>> https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Knowledge-Base/How-can-I-extend-the-range-of-an-Arlo-system-us...

[TomMac]

Just start a NEW thread and explain what your trying to do / want...

much of the info has changed since dec '15

[JamesC]

largoflyboy,

That article was changed and has been updated. You can find the new article here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Knowledge-Base/How-can-I-increase-the-range-of-my-Arlo-Smart-H...

JamesC