Price of add on cameras more than whole system?

[vwturner13]

On Amazon the price of an add on camera is $159.99. I need 3 more cameras, so it would be $479.97. I can get a new 3 camera system with the base for $419.99. That doesn't make any sense. Am I viewing this right?

[TomMac]

Makes sense to me... if you need that many,... buy the package and have an extra base too. ( extend your range and stream all your cameras at same time )

As you must know its just all marketing...fiqured out by smarter people than me.

[plasmo]

or buy the package and sell the extra base on ebay

[Target_Acquired]

Two points:

1.  How does another base-unit allow you to "expand your range"?  This makes no sense to me, becasue all base units must be ethernetted to my home network, yes?  Well, the only place to do that is in the room where my router is.  Furthermore, most routers have room for only 4 wired devices.  If you have a desktop, laptop, NAS, and a printer, you've already used up all 4 wired connections and you haven't even plugged in your first Arlo base station yet, let alone one that you want to use as a "range extender".

I am one of those few who have a switch in that room, so I have many Ethernet ports available, but the first part of the problem still exists and poses the biggest question for me: 

Will somebody please tell me how to use a second base station as a true range-extender that is ACTUALLY located in another part of my house?

2.  Charging 28% more for an individual camera over the averaged cost of them in the starter bundle is a bit of highway robbery.  Makes no sense from an economic standpoint and CERTAINLY not from a customer friendliness standpoint.

A small premium, such as a 10% upcharge is understandable, but charging nearly 30% more encourages waste (buying whole kit and not needing the parts), and this is just wrong.

That said, you should probably build your system 4 cameras at a time and stop at 12.

[TomMac]

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Target_Acquired wrote:

1.  How does another base-unit allow you to "expand your range"?  This makes no sense to me, becasue all base units must be ethernetted to my home network, yes?  Well, the only place to do that is in the room where my router is.  Furthermore, most routers have room for only 4 wired devices.  If you have a desktop, laptop, NAS, and a printer, you've already used up all 4 wired connections and you haven't even plugged in your first Arlo base station yet, let alone one that you want to use as a "range extender".

snip

2.  Charging 28% more for an individual camera over the averaged cost of them in the starter bundle is a bit of highway robbery.  Makes no sense from an economic standpoint and CERTAINLY not from a customer friendliness standpoint.

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# 2 : Pricing is up to the bean counters so ask Netgear.... end of story

# 1 : As to the additional base... you maybe would want ot add another base for two reasons..

1) each base has a range of max 300ft , which is normal for any wifi ( which the cameras run on) . Each base has a radius of 300 ft max,  So if you place 2 bases say 300ft apart, you have a range max speaking 600 ft side to side ( 2 circles next to each other barring all other blockages to wifi )

Each base will set up its own wifi system for the cameras to attach to ( they aren't connected to your home wifi at all other than by ethernet cable to the router )

You link the closest cameras to each base ( cameras only link to one base at a time ) thereby extending your range.

Also you can only stream 4 cameras at the same time per base ( thru-put limitations )

2)As to ports, if there aren't enough, a switch can be added to the router for additional ports... an extender will work if you have a good signal and thru-put to the main router or it requires a longer run of ethernet cable to the second base. ( usu not a problem as ethernet has a working length of least 100m )