If you like the idea of a security camera that’s wireless in every way, Arlo Camera is one to consider. Here’s how to install it up.
Wi-Fi cameras when compared to wired cameras—offer easier installation. One thing that separates the Arlo Pro from other Wi-Fi cameras is that it’s battery-powered, meaning you don’t need to plug it into an outlet to stream and record video.
Arlo Pro uses its own central hub (called the Base Station), to which all of your Arlo cameras connect. This is because the cameras use Z-Wave to communicate wirelessly, rather than Wi-Fi like most other consumer-based security cameras. Arlo cameras need to connect to the Base Station, which in turn communicates with your home’s Wi-Fi network.
Step One: Download and Set Up the Arlo App
Even you have to use the Base Station; the setup process is painless and only takes about 10 minutes. To start off, download the Arlo app to your smartphone. It’s a free app that’s available for iPhone and Android devices.
Then, open up the app and tap the “New to Arlo” button.
On the next screen, select which Arlo product you’re setting up. The present case, it’s the “Arlo Wire-Free.”
The app will tell you to install the Arlo Base Station hub. To do this, plug one end of the included Ethernet cable into the Base Station and the other end into a free Ethernet port on your router. Plug in the power cord, and then press “On-Off button next to the power connector on the back of the hub.
Once you’ve got Base Station set up, hit “Continue” in app.
Wait for the hub to power up. The app automatically searches for the hub on your network.
When it’s ready, tap “Choose Time zone” in app.
Select your time zone, hit “Save” in the top-right corner, and then taps back arrow in the top-left corner.
Click “Continue” to proceed.
Next, give Base Station a name. You can be as creative as you want here, but something simple will work just fine. Hit “Continue” button when you’re done.
Step Two: Create an Arlo Account
Next, you’ll need to create an account with Arlo. Start by typing your email address and tapping “Continue” button.
The name and password for your account, agree to the terms and privacy policy, and then hit “Next” at bottom.
Step Three: Sync Your Arlo Cameras to the Base Station
Now, it’s time to sync your Arlo cameras to the Base Station. You will do this one camera at a time.
Make sure your cameras are within a couple of feet of the Base Station during the syncing process. Hit “Continue” in the app.
If the camera’s battery isn’t installed already, go ahead and open up the back cover on the camera and insert the battery.
Start by pressing the sync button on top of the Base Station for around two seconds. The far-right green light will begin to blink.
After that, press the sync button on the camera itself until the blue LED light on the front of the camera begins to blink.
Once the Base Station and the camera are both in sync mode, it will automatically connect to each other. After camera and Base Station are connected, hit “Continue” in the app until you get to the “Sync Complete” screen. You can then hit “Finish” or “Add More Cameras.
Step Four: Update the Base Station and Camera Firmware
After you are done syncing all your cameras and hit “Finish,” you are taken to the main screen of the Arlo app, where you will promptly be told that an update is available. Tap “Update Base Station” and wait for it to update.
You will then do the same thing with the cameras after the Base Station is done updating.
Step Five: Check Out Your New Security Camera
Once everything is updated, you can tap the “Live” button to see a live view of your Arlo camera.
Within the app, you can sound the alarm, manually record video, snap a photo, enable and disable audio capturing, and even adjust the brightness of the camera.
You can either arm or disarm the system manually, on a schedule, or based on your location by selecting the “Mode” tab at the bottom of the app.
From there, select Arlo Base Station.
On this screen, you can arm or disarm the system, which is really nothing more than just turning the motion and audio detection on or off.
You do have to jump through a few hoops getting your Arlo system set up, mostly because the cameras connect to the Base Station instead of directly to Wi-Fi, but the setup is reasonably straightforward. And once you’ve got things set up, the system will work well.
