Advanced Setup for Arlo

[firefighter3924]

Team,

I feel it is neccessary to add an advanced set up option, especially for the tech saavy folks. I thought this would be what I needed (especially for what I paid for a top of the line security system) with the "rules" you can add but not quite. For example, I like using geocache, but always want my garage on because it is dettached and I have my motorcylce outside. I often have my parents let my dogs out, so I want them to have a password or an option that I can hit "disarm for 30 minutes." Another crucial point that I assumed the devices would have is pet detection - I get notifications all day long at work despite turning down my sensitivity for the cameras. Also, I find it disapointing that my base has USB ports that are completely useless (basic base), very disapointing Arlo. All in all I just got the system and not nearly as impressed as I was hoping for given what I paid.

[silanah]

Having a way to quickly disarm for 30 minutes is a good idea! 

One current method that might work for you would be to give guest access to your parents through the app so they can disarm when they let the dog out and then rearm the system when they leave. Alternatively, if they tend to visit within the same time frame every day you could schedule some of your cameras to disarm for that 45 minute or hour window every weekday (or whatever their schedule is). That has the advantage of not depending upon them to successfully rearm the system when they leave.

The schedule could have a rule that would disarm the house / yard cameras but still operate the garage camera while they were there if you want it on all the time.

As far as the useless USB ports go, join the queue of the disappointed. It was particularly offensive to everyone who purchased the original Arlo systems before the Pro announcement last October. The original base was sold with USB Ports listed as a Feature with "Reserved for upcoming features" in the User Guide, on the packaging and on the web site.  Those future feature upgrades never arrived for the original system.  So if you wanted a functioning USB port for local storage you now had to buy a new base.

I don't know where you are but since the October 2016 Arlo Pro announcment in the USA, retailers in Australia have been really pushing and selling the old original Arlo systems - and at a higher price point than I paid after they were first announced. They must have bought up remainder stock from Netgear.  If those buyers didn't do their homework and make a conscious choice that they did not need to wait for the Arlo Pro features, Netgear will have acquired a host of new and unsatisfied customers when the Pro is announced here in April. 

Finally, regarding the pet alerts...   I remember reading Netgear is working on an algorithm so the system could tell you if the alert was likely a pet, foliage moving, cars on the street, or a person entering the camera field of view.  There are systems that already offer this capability. Whether you will be able to  turn off alerts for the different 'causes' is unknown, but I think I remember reading they planned to charge for identifying the cause at about $4 (US) PER month PER camera to send alerts that tell you what might have caused the motion. Of course that could change or never come to fruition.  Most owners would feel that it should be a free firmware & app upgrade as it seems a rather basic feature of a home security system sold at premium pricing. Providing motion detection 'zones' as is available with the Q and Q+ cameras would work in most cases as well, but you probably couldn't charge for that.

I know the Pro was sold with a 'future feature' of facial recognition. Whether that ever gets delivered, gets delivered for the current Pro hardware, or will need the next generation of system or will have a price tag attached, who knows? 

Based on the track record established to date.......    ??

[GBFKicks]

Have you considered using Stringify--with a touch of a button you can virtually disarm certain cameras while leaving others armed, arm certain cameras and disarm others, or really any other combination. You can also set up a timer that will disarm the camera for X amount of time then rearm it... just a thought