Arlo|Smart Home Security|Wireless HD Security Cameras
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PattyInTheSun
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I have the basic original Arlo. 3 Cameras. Batteries are charged. Signal Strength is good. All are synced and linked to base. Yet after only about 10 minutes of signing in, all cameras are offline 24/7. I don't care about being logged out, I do care about Security, which is why I got this in the first place. And logging in every 10 minutes just to get cameras online is insane.

What the hay?

I moved the base a solid 40' from xfinity modem where telephone and smart tv are located to prevent interference. Speed varies from 2.4 to 5 ghz and tests at 78+ download and 11+ upload.

There are no concrete walls, and again, signal always shows with 3 bars, should there be more? What am I missing? 

Again, aaack ... I spend vast amounts of time chasing this.

Please help as I have some really unsavory neighbors which is why I got this system in the first place.

HELP!!!

In addition, I'm wondering how to tell if Arlo is feeding off the 2.4 or 5 g network? While I can see which Firmware is applied, I see no option to check if it is up to date, but all posts say Firwarre is updated automatically between 3 and 5 am, which of course is when my property is most likely to be vandalized, but is there a way to ascertain Firmare version is the latest?

Again, HELP please!! Feeling very insecure (or is it Un-secure?) ~

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PattyInTheSun
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Okey dokey, thanks all for responses ~ So here is what I have just discovered. I waited for the cameras to show as offline (I am using google on tv, not phone, but I also use hp laptop/windows) and I checked the base, it still shows reading cameras, steady green light ... I go outside and walk in front of 2 cameras, the first is low enough where I can see directly into it and I see no lights and no led, the second is up too high for this and the third camera is disconnected while batteries are charging. I walk back inside and my display still shows cameras offline with a big fat zero for notifications but I clicked anyway and guess what? ... both cameras recorded. So for everyone stressing over this issue, I know I've spent many sleepless nights due to my neighbors "interest" in my property, I say this, check your LIbrary on each device and see if it recorded even while cameras were reported to be offline. I will check the hp shortly, but this was an issue that I originally discovered on the laptop and then started using google on our tv but it made no difference, so I suspect the result will be the same. I had read many posts that a longer ethernet cord putting distance between the base and other wifi based equipment would make a difference so I purchased a 100' cord and moved the base about 45' away from modem and it has made zero difference. I also read people were using wifi boosters and that an ethernet/booster combo helped and was looking into a wifi booster when I started this experiment. I hope it holds. I am going to post this and log out, log in to arlo on my laptop and repeat the process and will update this post with the results. I hope this helps others who are struggling with arlo : ) Happy Labor Day everyone!

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PattyInTheSun
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Correction - There are two networks, one is 2.4 and one 5 ghz.

TomMac
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First of all the Arlo base unit does not access wifi.   The base unit connects to the router by ethernet cable so 2.4 or 5ghz makes no diff there. The base unit sets up its own wifi network to talk to the cameras only... this is on 2.4ghz.

 

The signal strength your seeing is the cameras to the base, so that's not an issue either if the BASE is going offline.

So , what do the front LEDs show when it goes off line....?? Base or Cameras offline ?

How do you hook your base to the internet?  any chance using and extender ?

 

If the cameras are off line but the base is ok, then I'd look for some form of interference as it is unlikey all 3 cameras would have hardware issues

 

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Morse is faster than texting!
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Marcolinger
Aspirant
Aspirant

Same situation as mine.

 

3 lights green,

base station hooked with cat 5 cable to the rooter.

When truing to connect I get for all 7 cameras the message that they are offline.

 

i wonder if this is not a problem outside of my control at the level of the Arlo servers.

 

being off from home for another month this is really unpleasant

 

PattyInTheSun
Star
Star

Okey dokey, thanks all for responses ~ So here is what I have just discovered. I waited for the cameras to show as offline (I am using google on tv, not phone, but I also use hp laptop/windows) and I checked the base, it still shows reading cameras, steady green light ... I go outside and walk in front of 2 cameras, the first is low enough where I can see directly into it and I see no lights and no led, the second is up too high for this and the third camera is disconnected while batteries are charging. I walk back inside and my display still shows cameras offline with a big fat zero for notifications but I clicked anyway and guess what? ... both cameras recorded. So for everyone stressing over this issue, I know I've spent many sleepless nights due to my neighbors "interest" in my property, I say this, check your LIbrary on each device and see if it recorded even while cameras were reported to be offline. I will check the hp shortly, but this was an issue that I originally discovered on the laptop and then started using google on our tv but it made no difference, so I suspect the result will be the same. I had read many posts that a longer ethernet cord putting distance between the base and other wifi based equipment would make a difference so I purchased a 100' cord and moved the base about 45' away from modem and it has made zero difference. I also read people were using wifi boosters and that an ethernet/booster combo helped and was looking into a wifi booster when I started this experiment. I hope it holds. I am going to post this and log out, log in to arlo on my laptop and repeat the process and will update this post with the results. I hope this helps others who are struggling with arlo : ) Happy Labor Day everyone!

PattyInTheSun
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Hi, hope you saw my own reply post & my experiment with motion sensor activated recording while cameras were report offline in arlo online ~ maybe it will work for you too. Good Luck!

Marcolinger
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PattyInTheSun
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I repeated my experiment after I unhooked the longer ethernet cable and replaced it with the original ethernet that came with arlo and moved the base back next to xfinity modem. I waited for the cameras to go offline, ascertained all green lights at base and went outside and walked in front of cameras, which, according to arlo.netgear, were offline. No LEDs lit up as I stood in front of camera, but I walked around and then came back inside. No notifications either through email or at Library icon pc interface. This time, while there were no motion, signal strenght or battery icons above each camera display, the LIVE option button was active. So I clicked on the Zero and there were several motion sensored recordings. The telltale arlo lag is still there and I still haven't figured out how to improve that, which, in the case of my nasty neighbors, could be significant. Unless they commit a crime slowly directly in front of the camera : )  I may end up using arlo as activedecoys and hiding some SD cams that record 24/7. Your post says you are away, maybe you can call someone to run the same test? Good Luck, hope this helps!

p.s. It's not the hardware, it's the Software.

PattyInTheSun
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Arlo base is connected via ethernet and computer app through wifi. LEDs do not light up while standing right in front of them while cameras are offline.

FYI, I repeated my experiment, the changes were as follows: when I came back in from walk testing my cameras there were no icons for motion, signal or battery; still Zero in the Library icon and this time the the cameras offline message was gone and LIVE was available.

I clicked on the Zero and there were several new recordings in the camera library even though the system said they were offline.

Still quite a bit of lag time before they record, unless I start with being directly in front of camera.

This is good news as I no longer will spend my days chasing the issue, but bad news because if the cameras ARE offline, I won't know it. And, there is no need for ethernet extender or wifi booster.

Also, there were no email notifications of recordings and there should have been.

I wonder how the interface is for those who use the phone app?

Hope this helps others who are in similar situations : )

Patty O