Alerts and Notifications too delayed to be useful

[jgsouthard]

When one of my four cameras detects motion, the time delay from when the motion occurs until I get a text/email notification and the video segment appears in my library varies from a few minutes (recently rare) to one to two HOURS or more (all too common). Around one hour seems to be the recent average. This supposed "security" device is worthless for security, since the notifications are WAY too delayed. 

Arlo, what specifically are you doing to improve your responsiveness and make the alerts immediate? How do you compare to your competitors in this regard, and are you prepared to lose customers (i.e. ME) to them if you don't fix this?

[JamesC]

jgsouthard,

I have not been able to replicate the delay you are describing with email alerts. Does video content also take this long to appear in your library after a recording or does the video appear in your library and it is just the email alert that is delayed?

Does the email header reflect the delayed time or is it accurate to when the recording appeared in the library?

JamesC

[jgsouthard]

When I see the delay, it appears to be consistent for Android notifications, email alerts, and video clips in the library (i.e. all are delayed by about the same amount of time and arrive at about the same time). They just all arrive much later than the motion event actually occurred. All time stamps seem to be consistent with the actual even; i.e. the time stamp on the video is the same as noted in the email, and it is the actual time that the motion was noted.

Without drawing any conclusions, it looks to me like a delay in Arlo's servers rather than something going on in e.g. email queues with my online email account. It also seems to be time and/or load dependent -- sometimes they arrive nearly instantaneously, then at other times everything gets back up and delayed (in other words, it won't be just one event that is delayed, but all events during one period of time.)

[JamesC]

jgsouthard,

How often do you notice this? I have not been able to replicate this issue.

Are you still seeing this behavior?

JamesC

[jgsouthard · Accepted solution]

JamesC,

Thanks for the follow up -- I do appreciate it.

It was a major problem when I first first got the Arlo's a few months ago, but I think that period was acknowledged by Netgear and they worked it down to more acceptable levels (delays were sometimes hours then).

When I posted the complaint the other day, it was after some significant frustration over a few days with motion events not getting timely alerts. After you questioned it, I went back and reviewed my Library and I found that some of those were motion events where I NEVER got an alert, email, or video in the Library; and others came delayed by some period of time.

But I'll admit that in reviewing activity more closely over the last few days, I'm seeing:

1) Some motion events that I think SHOULD be generating a video but aren't. Although I think they should be generating a video because they are within the camera range, close to the camera, and motion sensitivity is high; I have to leave open the possibly that sometimes the motion just doesn't get noted by the camera.

2) Of the events that are getting caught by the camera; the video, alert, and email all seem to be showing up within no more than 1-2 minutes after the event.

In short, since I posted the comment I haven't been able to replicate it either.

[JMRbug]

I have the same issue - it will constantly alert me - but nothing is on camera - or I can jump in front of it and nothing- I have a ton of empty video's - and if my husband goes out the door it will alert me after the fact that he's gone and nothing on video-also when I do have it on live it buffers constantly and delays of showing anything. This is not good. unhappy with my choice of camera's. If there is a viable solution I would really like to hear it.

[jguerdat]

It's hard to troubleshoot these sorts of things over the Internet but the usual issue is the exact positioning of the cameras.  Post screenshots for suggestions but start with 1) motion across the FOV, not at the camera and 2) start near or at an edge.  Many folks try to get too much scene in the camera's view as opposed to just the actual area of interest.