This blog is the best in my series on Arlo pro camera smart homes. A natural addition to any smart home would be to use security cameras to monitor your entry points. I tested the latest Netgear Arlo pro cameras, including the cameras Arlo Pro and Arlo Go. Overall, my criticism is mixed.
Netgear has had its Arlo line for several years. What’s new with these two units is rechargeable batteries. You do not spend a small fortune to replace those of cameras. The design goal at Arlo is to be able to use them entirely without cables, so that you can place them optimally, regardless of the wiring. They mean that you should not send them wires, whether for power or network connectivity.
But there are two different battery sizes for the Pro and Go models. Go includes a slightly larger unit that comes with its own stand. Pro’s magnetic fastener is smaller and needs to be wall mounted. You can charge Pro or Go batteries on the outside of the camera with an optional $ 60 charging station included in some of the multiple camera kits.
Rechargeable battery quickly discharged
Older Arlo models used ordinary batteries that discharged quickly. These new models use rechargeable models that last a few weeks, depending on use, and connect via Wi-Fi networks (in the case of Pro) or Go has its own AT&T SIM card. Go can be placed wherever there is a cellular signal, and if you do not have WiFi inside. You can see the strength of the signal on its web portal page. It’s great for a cabin isolated in the woods provided it is not too far from a cell tower.
The two new Arlo security cameras can record ambient sound and can see a 130-degree HD video vision, as well as night vision instead of 850nm viewing objects up to 10 meters away. You can also control an 8x zoom lens in real time. The original Arlo cameras have a 110 degree view and no audio capability.
The configuration of the camera is very simple. You connect the controller to your wired network, download the smartphone app, and then press the controller button and then each camera to be recognized by the system. You must create a login ID with the web service. One identifier per system. Once you have configured the cameras with this ID, you can use the smartphone app outside of your home network.
Arlo Pro base station
You can only be connected to one place: via the smartphone app or the web portal. It is a best security feature in home. The commands for the web application and the smartphone application are almost identical, except for the geo-protection mode available only on the phone application.
The cameras have four different detection modes: armed, time, geo and disarmed. The scheduling mode allows you to disable detection during the weekend or when motion detection triggers too many alerts. You can also configure your own custom rules for all cameras connected to your hub or for specific Go cameras.
You can set different thresholds – for movement (the claim is 23 feet from the camera) or sound detection. Then the cameras record the next ten seconds. When you buy the camera, you get a week of free video storage in the cloud. You must then buy a storage plan if you want to keep the videos for a while. (You can easily access your video library at any time, as shown here.) You can download these videos in MP4 format and share them with Netgear. If you use the Pro models, they connect to a local controller with two USB slots in which you can install a USB key for local storage. Go units have a microSD slot where you can store your video recordings.
Arlo Go camera
The most important new feature of Pro / Go cameras is audio. This bidirectional So you can receive an e-mail alert and then speak from a distance to someone who has stopped at your lake home and knocked on your door as an example. You can also trigger a very strong alarm remotely if you notice a problem.
Read Also – Arlo Pro Add On Camera
Arlo’s configuration is provided with a free basic subscription plan. This covers up to five cameras and up to seven days of 1GB cloud storage for your recordings. There is a whole range of payan packages.
