Radio or jamming interference on Arlo camera? Video distortion and duration

[yadbop]

Hi there, 

I have a troubling neighbour who has been abusing my home.

My arlo cameras are set to record for 30 seconds on motion.

However when neighbour came out in their car, on both cameras one recorded 10 seconds another record 17 seconds. I did not go into live preview or change any settings. After my neighbour left, the clip durations of other motions reverted back to 30 seconds. How is this possible? I'm extremely frustrated as crucial evidence that may be needed to be recorded may have been missed. 

Is this a jammer or some device that neighbour is using to interfere with camera or is this on Arlo end?

I also noticed that few minutes later the next couple clips that were recording had some serious video distortion. Complete half screen green or gray and blocks of green or gray.

May someone please provide some guidance, thank you.

[jguerdat]

Try using the power switch on the base and open and close the camera battery door. Does that help?

[Schorschi]

I think distortion in video footage could be one of two things:

1. Less than optimal signal strength between camera and base station.
2. Less than optimal uplink bandwidth to the Internet. Netgear recommend a minimum of 1Mbit/s.

Try relocating camera and/or base station to remedy #1, so that they are closer together. You could also try using medium video quality, if you've been using the highest quality.

Another, though costlier option is to consider getting Netgear's only router that is compatible with Arlo, the Nighthawk R7000. I have seen reports from users who say that that router provides a better signal strength than the Arlo base station, and has noticeably improved video quality with problematic, remote cameras.

For #2 try testing your Internet up- and download bandwidths by running multiple tests at speedtest.net (make sure to press the Begin Test button, not the Start Now button, that one is an ad) at different times throughout the day, to get an idea of whether your Internet provider is capable of giving you consistently at least 1 Mbit/s upload bandwidth.

[yadbop]

Thanks jguerdat and Schorschi for your time and help.

I have restarted base station, open/close battery door and have changed quality from "Best Video" to "Optimized"

Based on several Speed Test, download is 33.59Mbps and upload 2.99Mbps

Distance of based station from the two cameras are less than 4 meters/13 feet. The base station is upstairs second floor by window. While the cameras are on main level below. Is it better to keep it all at same level? If base station is higher does it affect reception? Does Arlo have a video or website faq that shows optimial/best base station placement?

Thanks for suggestion on Nighthawk R7000. Hopefully won't need to purchase. Have unfortunately spent a fortune just on batteries, $300 so far.

Checked this morning and video distortion issues seem to be fine now.

[jguerdat]

Be aware that the system does have occasional video issues - blockiness and "smearing" are the most common in my experience.  It may be due to a variety of things, from WiFi performance to upload speed to multiple streams at once, etc. I use the best setting with few problems but do experience this at seemingly random times.

Having the base station (and router) elevated usually helps range and performance but we're talking WiFi here - lots of things can interfere with the signal.  Exact positioning can help because of wiring, ductwork, the number of walls and ceilings, etc. as well as wireless devices that use the same 2.4GHz. frequencies.

We don't have any info posted here yet as to the relative difference between the preformance of the R7000 vs. base station. TomMac has reported that the base has a much stronger signal than the Arlo Q cameras but that's not the same thing. I believe he's said the base can be stronger than the router but maybe I'm mis-remembering things.  Unless you're in the market for a new router, I wouldn't even ponder that - my Asus RT-N66U is likely about the same capability as the R7000 without any Arlo capability and everything works fine.

[JackR1]

I have a similar problem know but I beleive the neighbor is using Jamiming device. All my outside carmeras go down for hours and then I must reset and the cameras work again. He's smart he was opening my electronic key punch to open my garage door before I had to remove it. So there is a Flaw in the ARLO System. I called them but to no avail since this the achilles heel of them system. Unless someone out there has any ideas. By the  in home cameras don't go down.

[JackR1]

Real quick he drops the bag of dog crap after the outside only cameras go down. Then he's gone and the system comes back on hrs later or I have to input. I have seen Jammers on sale on the internet this guy is a techno. It can be jammed.

[jguerdat]

Power and Internet connection can be cut, too. Nothing is perfect.

[Baybora]

I have proof that the camera gets jammed. We have had burglaries in the neighborhood, so we have been using our eyes and cameras. We realized that a suspicious person walking buy jammed the camera, while he walked by the green smearing took place and when he was gone, the recording was back to nirmal. Thus has happened a number of times. After installing 6 cameras, spending extra on Netgear router, I am disappointed. Across our neighbor got robbed, and our Arles didn't do a thing. What good are they?

[jguerdat]

Could be a jammer or a light source, depending on which cameras did what. A jammer would likely get all cameras, front and rear, while a light source could probably only get a few. However, any camera can be defeated. You need to figure out exactly what happened and take countermeasures. Any system will only work as good as the specific installation.

Besides, Arlo cameras are wide angle and really won't be of much good trying to cover a neighbor, too, unless you place them on their property. You'd need cameras will a much narrower field of view.