Why no notifications when camera turned off or goes offline? Security issue?

[Sinclair5505]

I don’t receive notifications when camera/s are turned off or go offline. I’d feel more secure if in these events there was a notification sent, preferably by text message. Product needs an update due to found security issue. If this becomes an update, how can I be notified of update and implement to my installed system?

[steve_t]

Why do you expect a notification if you turn the cameras off? If they go offline without intervention then that's a different matter

[Sinclair5505]

Steve t,
I am 1 of 4 others that have access to our cameras. Not just granted access, but ID/password abled individuals. If any of the cameras get turned off, they don’t send notifications. So I wouldn’t be none the wiser to on goings while cameras are off.....security issue. Even if I was only person who owned cameras, in event my cameras were hacked into and powered off, I would want to know I wasn’t as secure as when they were on.....just thinking ahead. Make sense?

[steve_t]

How does that work? All 4 of you login using the same email address and password?

[Sinclair5505]

Yep

[steve_t]

Hard to sort a complaint about a system when you're using it in a manner that it's not designed to be used. You need one primary account holder and 3 accounts granted access.

[Sinclair5505]

Is that the final verdict on my issue of security? I believe there could be more in my scenario where a Husband and Wife share an email account and both have similar access with same ID and password who monitor their home. Are you the tech for net gear that is working on a solution to this issue? Because of my above mentioned alternate scenario, I still believe a solution is in order. Previous to the net gear cameras, I had a single camera through nest. When that camera went offline or was turned off, I received a notification. This is only reason I ask for this issue to be resolved. Seems it can be done. One other question to your last response. If one of users is main user and others are granted access, do those that have granted access have access to turning off cameras?

[steve_t]

Nope. The community is just users helping each other. If you want official tech support, you'll need to go to the bottom of the page and click "Contact Support" and open a ticket.
You could also go to the Ideas Exchange section here and add a suggestion of the option to receive notifications when a camera is turned off. Given that the typical scenario would be the primary account holder is the only person who can turn cameras on and off, I wouldn't expect the person who manually turns off a camera to want to receive a notification that they just did something but then again, that's just me. Access granted users can't turn them on/off AFAIK

[Custa641]

I am in a scenario where my daughter is sneaking a boy in at night. All she has to do is unplug the base station.  Since I recieve no notification when this happens, or even that it occured, she can just plug back in before I wake-up. It renders arlo pretty usless in this regard.

[jguerdat]

There's a wide variety of ways to potentially fix this including breaking her fingers (yes, I've used that threat but my wife wouldn't back me up). There are the Q cameras or maybe you need to investigate other avenues such as a whole house security system - cameras by themselves are limited.

[Nighttrain007]

How about someone simply disrupting the power to hub or access point? I don’t want my kids powering down my system without my knowledge.

[Sinclair5505]

Quick question to steve_t and jguerdat (who are listed as superusers): With an issue like this, where there is a known problem (as 2 more owners have come forward with same issue of powering off and not receiving notification), at what point are you guys required to inform Arlo/Netgear in this community process? Or are you not required to? Just asking for future reference. I will enter issue with Arlo, but put it off because didn’t realize I needed to enter issue with Arlo. I didn’t see the “enter ticket” response until today when I saw last users response to kids unplugging. Just sitting here thinking that might be in Arlo/netgear’s best interest to have superusers (who monitor this community) give info to them on consistent user issues especially the kind that involve security of users. Not mad, just wondering for future reference. Thank you

[Sinclair5505]

Quick question to steve_t and jguerdat (who are listed as superusers): With an issue like this, where there is a known problem (as 2 more owners have come forward with same issue of powering off and not receiving notification), at what point are you guys required to inform Arlo/Netgear in this community process? Or are you not required to? Just asking for future reference. I will enter issue with Arlo, but put it off because didn’t realize I needed to enter issue with Arlo. I didn’t see the “enter ticket” response until today when I saw last users response to kids unplugging. Just sitting here thinking that might be in Arlo/netgear’s best interest to have superusers (who monitor this community) give info to them on consistent user issues especially the kind that involve security of users. Not mad, just wondering for future reference. Thank you

[Sinclair5505]

To custa641 and nighttrain007:
Before I put in service ticket (as suggested above), have either of you contacted support in this manner by either opening ticket or notifying Arlo tech support (beyond this community message board) of issue we are experiencing? Just trying not to duplicate responses.

[jguerdat]

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@Sinclair5505 wrote:
Quick question to steve_t and jguerdat (who are listed as superusers): With an issue like this, where there is a known problem (as 2 more owners have come forward with same issue of powering off and not receiving notification), at what point are you guys required to inform Arlo/Netgear in this community process? Or are you not required to? Just asking for future reference. I will enter issue with Arlo, but put it off because didn’t realize I needed to enter issue with Arlo. I didn’t see the “enter ticket” response until today when I saw last users response to kids unplugging. Just sitting here thinking that might be in Arlo/netgear’s best interest to have superusers (who monitor this community) give info to them on consistent user issues especially the kind that involve security of users. Not mad, just wondering for future reference. Thank you

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Superusers are just customers like you who have spent too much time on these forums trying to help. We do have some backdoors into Arlo but are not employees nor officially anything other than customers.

As for opening a case, that's always a good idea since it raises awareness of the issue to the official streams of product support and development. One case may raise an eyebrow but a bunch raises questions.  The more the merrier.

[Nighttrain007]

How do I file case?

[jguerdat]

Use the Contact Support link at the bottom here and again on the new page. The 3rd page has contact options.

[Custa641]

Yes, I have contacted tech support and was told to contact "customer support" which does not exist. I have contacted tech support multiple times about this issue and the "tech", neither through live chat or multiple phone calls was not able to fully understand my issue. Also, friends and family who have Nest cameras have told me they are notified when there is a loss of power or connection to those devices. So, I am considering switching to Nest.

[dhiller0217]

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@Nighttrain007 wrote:
How about someone simply disrupting the power to hub or access point? I don’t want my kids powering down my system without my knowledge.

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Quick story related to this.  I was overseas for 2 weeks recently, and 3 days into being gone, my whole Arlo system went offline.  It kind of got me a bit bugged out at first, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I was thankfully able to verify through other means that the electricity in my home was still on, and that my home alarm system was working properly and had no breaches, so I figured something with the Arlo system itself went wrong (let's be honest, it's not uncommon!). I would have had the person checking in on my pets, etc. to troubleshoot things, but she is pretty technically challenged, and I would have had a hefty roaming charge trying to walk her through it. Anyway, when I finally returned home, I concluded that one of my cats must have ran behind my entertainment center where I keep my base station, stepped on the power strip I have it plugged into, and SWITCHED IT OFF!  None of my components had power! Haha, pesky cats must have known I was spying on them and didn't want me to see all the trouble they were getting into 🙂 Anyway, just sharing this for 1.) comedic value, and 2.) YES, it is a bit troubling how easy it is to deem this system useless, but I think most of us knew that from the beginning.  No power, no Arlo!

[MichaelAngel]

Steve, You are of no help nor should you call yourself a Superuser.  The woman had a valid question and you reply with ignorance.  Either Help or Read and move on.