Issue with Arlo and 2 base stations

[ThiagoM]

Hello everyone - I live in Brazil in an apartment with solid and stong walls, so in order to amplyfy my WiFi signal I had to wire the house with Ethernet and install base stations in different rooms (a mix of Apple's AirPort Extreme as main router and AirPort Express as secondary base stations). 

When I first bought my Arlo kit in the US (4x VMC3030 and 1x VMB3000) the system worked fine except for two cameras that kept loosing signal. Because of the WiFi issue described above and the fact that the 2 cameras that presented the issue were the ones in a different room from the basestation, I thought the issue was the distance+walls and followed the advice on the forum to install 2 base stations. I bought a VMB4000 and installed it in another room (connected via Etherhet). I have configured 2 cameras on each, depending on how close they ware with each base station and the level of signal being read on the app.

Because I live in Brazil, I also had to create to Arlo accounts and invite myself to each other in order to "see" the cameras on the two base stations. 

The problem is that ever since I did this, I started having several issues:

1) One of the cameras (connected to the new VMB4000) simply won't stream to the iOS app anymore. It detects movement, records, etc. It also live streams if I'm connected to the website, but when I try to live stream from the iOS app, I keep getting errors saying the device is not available.

2) I'm also having recurrent issues with cameras disconecting, forcing me to either remove the batteries and reset them, or having to re-sync them with the base stations (this happens to both base stations).

3) I tried to revert the system to the original setup (leave only on base station, VMB3000) and re-sync the cameras to it, but the base stations doesn't find this camera anyomre (after it connected to the VMB4000). I have re-set all devices, left the batteries off for an entire night, etc, no luck.

I appreciate any help / clues you may give!

Thanks,

-Thiago

[TomMac]

It is not necessary to run multi bases if you are below the total of 5 cameras ( to see all )

You can run 2 bases and 2 cameras each on a basic account.  ( no bases count , only the total number of cameras )

Tho the bases will appear separate as individual units all the cameras will appears in the same app/web.

Cameras disconnecting all the time may be related to the poor wifi signals.

To be honest, it sounds like you will have to remove all the devices( REMOVE DEVICE ) from each base and do a full reset of the bases... then reclaim the bases and sync the closest cameras to each base.

[Thomo333]

Hi Thiago

I've been having exactly the same issue with 3 cameras and 2 base stations. 1 camera was too far away from the base so i bought another. 

Like you, everything works, like it recoreds and tells me when theres movement, but I cant see using the app on iphone. I can see everyting on my mac and it works fine. 

I have been playing around with setttings and have spoken to Arlo for a few hours but as yet they dont know why. 

Having spent some time with the settings, I think its to do with the Geo location. I have both mine and my wifes phone set to arm and disarm the system using geolocation, but when I had my wifes geolocation turned off, she could use the app and see all cameras with no issues.

I have told Arlo HQ, who has admitted theres an issue, so hopefully it will get sorted with the next release.

Regards

Thomo

[ThiagoM]

Hi TomMac -

Thanks for your answer. Some comments below:

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@TomMac wrote:

It is not necessary to run multi bases if you are below the total of 5 cameras ( to see all )

You can run 2 bases and 2 cameras each on a basic account.  ( no bases count , only the total number of cameras )

---

I don't run multiple bases stations because of the number of cameras. I'm running them because of the signal coverage in may apartment. This is the recomended solution by Arlo / Netgear itself. 

---

Cameras disconnecting all the time may be related to the poor wifi signals.

---

Yes, that's exactly why I have two base stations, one in each room. All cameras are within range and visible sight of the respective base stations, base stations, so this shouldnt be a problem. 

---

To be honest, it sounds like you will have to remove all the devices( REMOVE DEVICE ) from each base and do a full reset of the bases... then reclaim the bases and sync the closest cameras to each base.

---

I've done that twice already -- to be quite honest, I'm very dispointed at the Arlo overall. Too expensive for a cheap customer experience...

Best,

-Thiago

[ThiagoM]

Hi Thomo333 -

Thanks for your answer. Glad to know Alro at least recognizes the problem, but very frustrating to hear other people have the same issue and they do nothing about it. A problem like this should be fixed in hours, not weeks or months. This system is way to expensive (and critical, given it's a surveilance system, not a toy) for the company to treat customers in such a disrespectful way...

Best,

-Thiago

@Thomo333 wrote:

Hi Thiago

I've been having exactly the same issue with 3 cameras and 2 base stations. 1 camera was too far away from the base so i bought another. 

Like you, everything works, like it recoreds and tells me when theres movement, but I cant see using the app on iphone. I can see everyting on my mac and it works fine. 

I have been playing around with setttings and have spoken to Arlo for a few hours but as yet they dont know why. 

Having spent some time with the settings, I think its to do with the Geo location. I have both mine and my wifes phone set to arm and disarm the system using geolocation, but when I had my wifes geolocation turned off, she could use the app and see all cameras with no issues.

I have told Arlo HQ, who has admitted theres an issue, so hopefully it will get sorted with the next release.

Regards

Thomo

---

[MircoT]

hello,

same problem here.

2 base stations, 9 cameras. all arlo pro 2.

network extended with apple airport extreme.

3 cameras are off-line on ios app: 2 on one station and 1 on the other, alternately. on website (safari and firefox) all seems to be fine.

if I go on-line on one camera on the first base, the 2 off-line cameras return on-line and the one on the second base goes off-line..

this problem started after arlo ios update of may 15th.

with the previous version everything was fine.

I've tried to turn off geolocalization, but the problem remain.

(I'm sorry for my bad english)

[frossie]

I've the same problems . 5 cameras and 2 base station due to the fact that my house is big so i'm not able to reach all the cameras with only one base station. 

It's a serious problem and netger have to correct this problem asap. 

From the website all works, but in the Ios app i'm not able to view the cameras. 

The 2 cameras connected to one base station result almost offline. 

In the iphone of my wifi is the opposite, the cameras offline are the other 3 . 

Really major bugs..

[MircoT · Accepted solution]

hello,

with arlo support I've solved my problem.

try this:

- remove problematic camera from the base station 1 (from web interface)

- remove the battery for 30sec

- syncronize the camera with the base station 2 and test the connection.

- remove the camera from the base station 2

- remove the battery for 30sec

- syncronize the camera with the base station 1

repeat for every problematic camera

the problem should be resolved.

ciao.

(I'm sorry for my bad english)