Essential 2 requires a subscription and doesn't connect to a base station

[quietcactus]

We originally purchased two Arlo cameras AND a base station under the guise that we wouldn’t have to pay a subscription fee. In fact, that was the primary selling point. Now, needing another camera, we purchased another Arlo. They didn’t mention that they 1) don’t connect with the base station but 2) will HANDILY give you a free “trial” of their subscription service which looks an AWFUL LOT like the features from the original cameras, and will provide that trial JUST long enough until you can no longer return the camera. Only then will they say “oh yeah, video recording is now a “premium feature” so now you need to pay a subscription. Whoopsies, you can’t even return it now”. What a shady and terrible business tactic. Don’t fall for it like we did. RUN from Arlo now and buy literally anything else. 

[StephenB]

---

@quietcactus wrote:

They didn’t mention that they 1) don’t connect with the base station

---

Not sure who the "They" was.   Arlo has said they will add the ability to connect the Gen 2 cameras to a base, but they haven't said when.

Access to local recordings in the app requires a smarthub (VMB4540 or VMB5000) - if you have a different base station model, then the recordings you are seeing with your old cameras are actually stored in the Arlo Cloud.  Legacy cameras were sold with 7 days of free cloud recording; Arlo stopped doing that with new camera models back in 2018.