New Arlo install - no motion or record?

[gobigkahuna]

I just bought and installed a 3 camera Arlo package.  Here's what the device info says about the base station:

HW VersionVMB3010r2

Serial Number48935672A635C

Firmware1.4.2695

I followed the quick start instructions and did a quick "motion detection test" (the camera light flashes as soon as I get within 20 feet of it).  Now I'm configuring the system to be used and I'm not sure what's wrong:

First issue:  although I have set the mode to:  "all motion on" I'm not seeing the videos update on the Arlo webpage or Android app.  If I click on the "live" arrow, it displays live video properly.  But if otherwise the motion doesn't seem to trigger the system to go live.  I noticed that the black "walking man" icon turns orange momentarily, but the video doesn't go live.

Second issue:  I tried plugging a USB hard drive and a USB thumb drive to one of the USB ports on the back of the base station.  The USB icon lights on the base station, but when I go to the Arlo webpage or Android app, and check the settings, it doesn't show the hard drive and there's no option to select an external drive.  I followed the instructions here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Arlo-Knowledge-Base/How-do-I-set-up-local-storage-backups-on-a-USB-...

and get as far as step 5, but there isn't any option for "local storage".

Last issue:  I thought that the issues might be caused by my system's firmware being too old (?) but although the Arlo help docs show how to update the firmware, that option doesn't exist with my system.

This looks like a very cool system but what am I doing wrong? 

[TomMac]

I believe you have an Arlo system ( not PRO )

As to the first issue...your software is out of date...and that may be the problem with the lack of videos files in the library (see issue 3)

So as to your second issue...the original does not support a USB drive, only the PRO model does

For the third issue, try a power button reboot of the base and wait over night for the base to update..usu the sw is updated in early hours during servers housekeeping

If it fails to update overnight, you may have to do a RESET of the base and wait again overnight.

( for the updates to happen , your first two leds from the left must be green, third led is cameras synced )

[gobigkahuna]

Sounds like I got the wrong system.  😞

So the system I have can only save to the cloud and if I want more than 1 gb / 7 days I have to subscribe?  That kind of sucks.  And there's no way to update the software except to "hope" it does it automagically tonight?  That also sucks.

This is sounding like a very big mistake...

[gobigkahuna]

I just tried something else and that didn't work either:

I created a custom mode that would record when a motion was detected at one of the cameras.  It only allows me to use one camera to sense and record.  Disappointing but still want to see if it works.  I set it to record, push to and send email notification.  Then I tested it.  The only thing that happened was that my Android app gave me an alert of a motion detected.  No recording.

Not happy.

[gobigkahuna · Accepted solution]

I searched google a bit more and found that a bunch of people ran into the exact same issue a couple years back.  The fix:

1. power down the base
2. bring in all the cameras and power them down (open up the battery cover).
3. power up the base
4. keep the cameras 1-3 feet from the base and one by one power them up (close the batter cover).
5. Open the Arlo app (or launch the web page).
6. After a few seconds each camera on the web will prompt to update the firmware on the camera.
7. I did them one by one (takes a couple minutes each).
8. Voila!  It worked!

[TomMac]

It his his Base that needs updating too, then the cameras usu have no problem updating

[gobigkahuna]

I tried cycling power on the base and that didn't seem to do anything.  But when I powered everything down and then back one by one, that triggered the firmware update.

[TomMac]

good to hear... something new, like it