If your business / home uses Windows 10, you may want to rethink Arlo

[silanah]

So where is the Windows 10 UWP app? 

Accessing via the web interface would be fine if it actually worked on any Windows 10 device. I'm not hung up on the idea of an 'app' but if you are not going to produce that app at all you need to make sure the web interface can do everything you can do via an app - for example, geofencing.  I want to take my mobile device - a Windows 10 tablet with GPS - with me to/from my business and have geofencing activated on the systems in each location when I leave the set perimeters.  How do I do that?  The option is greyed out on the web interface and says it has to be set up on the "mobile device". Well that is what I am trying to do!  SO I thought maybe I need to set the mobile device to access the Arlo web interface via the mobile site rather than the full "desktop" site. No, that only gives the inane web page telling me to download the app, which of course there is not one.  Even my mobile phone gets the same "catch 22" scenario with the added annoyance that I can watch recorded videos but can't see a live stream because your web site is outdated and uses flash instead of modern html5. 

Alternatively, you really need to (1) change your product packaging and (2) print and send out stickers to all your retailers so they label current boxes with "If your business or residential devices use Windows 10, please buy another manufacturer's cameras as Netgear products have limited functionality when used with Windows devices."

There are a vast number of small and medium businesses using Windows devices whether desktop, laptop, tablet and, yes, even mobile phones. Right now you are just being commercially misleading (intentionally?) on your current packaging when you imply that any web browser interface is somehow equal to the iOS and Android apps. As I have found out trying to set up my Arlo cameras, the web interface is not equal

You know, if you don't have the Windows 10 know-how in house, you can hire it and have that app in no time...

Now, can you tell me how I get geofencing to work, PLEASE?   Thanks.

[silanah]

Accessing via the web interface would be fine if it actually worked on any Windows 10 device. I'm not hung up on the idea of an 'app' but if you are not going to produce that app at all you need to make sure the web interface can do everything you can do via an app - for example, geofencing.  I want to take my mobile device - a Windows 10 tablet with GPS - with me to/from my business and have geofencing activated on the systems in each location when I leave the set perimeters.  How do I do that?  The option is greyed out on the web interface and says it has to be set up on the "mobile device". Well that is what I am trying to do!  SO I thought maybe I need to set the mobile device to access the Arlo web interface via the mobile site rather than the full "desktop" site. No, that only gives the inane web page telling me to download the app, which of course there is not one.  Even my mobile phone gets the same "catch 22" scenario with the added annoyance that I can watch recorded videos but can't see a live stream because your web site is outdated and uses flash instead of modern html5. 

Alternatively, you really need to (1) change your product packaging and (2) print and send out stickers to all your retailers so they label current boxes with "If your business or residential devices use Windows 10, please buy another manufacturer's cameras as Netgear products have limited functionality when used with Windows devices."

There are a vast number of small and medium businesses using Windows devices whether desktop, laptop, tablet and, yes, even mobile phones. Right now you are just being commercially misleading (intentionally?) on your current packaging when you imply that any web browser interface is somehow equal to the iOS and Android apps. As I have found out trying to set up my Arlo cameras, the web interface is not equal

You know, if you don't have the Windows 10 know-how in house, you can hire it and have that app in no time...

Now, can you tell me how I get geofencing to work, PLEASE?   Thanks.

[jguerdat]

That was a pretty long missive based on a sample of exactly 1.

And it's wrong.

I'm using Windows 10 since it was released.  I used W7 before.  I've had Arlo since Feb. 2015 and used Windows as a main interface (Android as my mobile).  I've used Chrome, Firefox, IE and Edge to access my cameras at various times.  So have virtually every other Windows users.  Are there occasional problems?  Yes, but they all have been due to browser updates, not OS.  Mac users have had similar issues as browsers get updated.

As for the W10 app, there's no real need, much as you may want one.

Once you get the idea that it's something about YOUR system, we can help.

[TomMac]

Ran on XP,  Vista, Win 7 and now Win 10 .... all web access has been fine.

Actually more trouble with the ios/android apps now and then.

[trayes77]

I have Windows 10 and use Google Chrome. The only I had to do was download flash player and I was able to use the playback library online in Chrome. 

[silanah]

Hi trayes77, tommac, jguerdat,

I apologise for the frustration.  How did you set up geofencing, please?  And how do you view the live feed on your mobile running Windows 10?  I don't seem to be able to find where I can download Google Chrome for my mobile phone.

My tablet (Surface Pro 4) running Windows 10 is able to use Edge to view live feeds and video library, I don't need Chrome for that.  But it seems unable to activate geofencing - did you accomplaish this with Chrome?  My mobile phone running Windows 10 is unable to view a live feed but can view library recordings. I can't work out how to activate geofencing from the mobile. 

It is GREAT to know you have worked these issues out! 

Can you please explain how to (1) activate geofencing on both my Windows 10 tablet and my Windows 10 mobile phone, (2) how to view a live stream on my Windows 10 mobile phone and (3) how to get Push Notifications to both of these devices but, most critically, to the mobile phone.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!

silanah  

[jguerdat]

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silanah wrote:

I apologise for the frustration.  How did you set up geofencing, please?  And how do you view the live feed on your mobile running Windows 10?  I don't seem to be able to find where I can download Google Chrome for my mobile phone.

---

Ah, there's the rub.  You didn't specify that you're using a Windows MOBILE device.  Our answers were based on W10 computers.

That's a problem with using a Windows phone - app support.  Netgear has basically said that a Windows app simply won't be supported.  That leaves you with using a browser.  Unfortunately, mobile browsers don't support Flash so certain things won't work, such as live view and Pan and Zoom.  I've used an old version of the Flash add-on for Firefox on my Android devices but it won't work on a Windows phone.  I don't know if there was ever a Flash version for Windows phones but you could poke around and see if you could find one.  It takes putzing but may be possible.

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silanah wrote:

My tablet (Surface Pro 4) running Windows 10 is able to use Edge to view live feeds and video library, I don't need Chrome for that.  But it seems unable to activate geofencing - did you accomplaish this with Chrome?  My mobile phone running Windows 10 is unable to view a live feed but can view library recordings. I can't work out how to activate geofencing from the mobile. 

---

You have to be using the mobile app in order to access GF since it's based on the phone's location.  I'd think it would be possible to allow you to set it using a browser and then set up the phones but that's not how it's currently coded.  Without the app, yer stuck.

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silanah wrote:

Can you please explain how to (1) activate geofencing on both my Windows 10 tablet and my Windows 10 mobile phone, (2) how to view a live stream on my Windows 10 mobile phone and (3) how to get Push Notifications to both of these devices but, most critically, to the mobile phone.

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As explained above, #1 and 2 require the app.  #3 also requires the app - a computer won't get push notifications, either. The best you can do is use email notifications.

[silanah · Accepted solution]

How disappointing !!!!!  that I was correct in my original post after all. Businesses using the popular Surface product line or Windows 10 on Dell, Lenovo, HP etc. should carefully consider if they are willing to pay premium prices for a product that will be forever crippled in functionality in their business environment. Even if they have a whyphone they aren't going to get push notifications to the Surface tablet or Windows desktop they want to use to administer and monitor their security system, plus geofencing won't activate on their device.

The marketing information that leads consumers and small businesses into thinking that Arlo operates using any web browser interface is cleverly worded and, ultimately, commercially misleading.  With many companies, using a browser and logging in to their full access web site is better than the functionality in their app; with Netgear it's the opposite and key product features just aren't available.

Netgear could fix some of the issues by setting up geofencing to be activated via web interface and the entry of mobile phone numbers that should receive push notifications on motion/audio alerts.  But why not just hire a few guys for a few months and do the Windows UWP - or pay a subcontractor to do it?  After thinking about it, to me, it doesn't make sense not to fix the problem and just ignore businesses wanting to use Windows 10 devices as their primary controller/admin point unless they are remunerated in some way by their 'partners' not to do it.

Without a fix to make the Arlo product line fully functional, Netgear really does need to (1) change their product packaging and (2) print and send out stickers to all official retailers so they label current boxes with "If your business or residential devices use Windows 10, please buy another manufacturer's camera system as Netgear products have limited functionality when used with Windows devices."

I can tell you that a cute but crippled camera system won't make me change the devices my business uses; it is the camera system that will be returned as not being fit for purpose advertised.

But I will first ask Support to see if they have fixed how to make their product funstional and set up / administer geofencing and  Push Notifications via the browser interface. 

[jguerdat]

Just a brief comment - I understand your angst but the market you're referring to is dwindlingly small compared to the others. There's a lot of developers not writing for Windows apps, whether we like it or not.