Cameras of old broadcast a live feed of what’s happening outside in front of a security guard that keeps watching. Later on, with the advent of magnetic tape recording technology and even cassette tape technology, it became possible for establishments to record footage for archival and rewatching purposes.
Fast forward to the 2010s (even at present), and it became possible through the magic of cloud computing to record footage through a Wi-Fi camera digitally then send that footage in a virtual archive “in the cloud”.
With that said, how do you sync or synchronize your Arlo Camera with your Internet? What is the act of syncing anyway? here’s what you need to know.
How to Sync Arlo Camera
Here are different ways to sync your Arlo Camera because there are many types of models of Arlo camera. Just as their LED light colors have different meanings across different cameras, so too does the process of syncing differ from one Arlo camera to another.
The instructions on how to do so on the most common wire-free cameras from Arlo is outlined below. As for the question, “What is syncing?” here’s the deal. The Arlo camera synchronizes with your base station and other fellow Arlo cameras in your home for the sake of recording your footage and uploading it to the Internet as streamlined as possible.
Synchronization or syncing allows your cameras access to the Internet, to one another, and to the base station’s extra features, such as the USB/SD card local backup storage option and its siren. If your camera has low power level batteries, that can prevent your camera to sync with the base station or even the Internet.
You may also like: Arlo Home Security Cameras Review: Protect What You Love Most
How Do You Sync Arlo Wire-Free Cameras?
Here’s how you should go about setting up and syncing your Arlo Wire-Free Camera.
- Bring the Camera and Base Station Together: Bring the Arlo camera within 30-100 centimeters or 1-3 feet of the base station to start the sync process. The base station should have a “sync” button on the back or side of it that you should press for about 2 seconds before releasing.
- Sync Button and Blinking LEDs: The LED indicator on the base station should blink green. From there, press the sync button on the camera. The camera LED should blink blue then turn solid green.
- Take Note: If you press the sync button on the base station for more than 2 seconds, the LED status indicator underneath the USB icon will start blinking amber for about 10 minutes. The sync process is blocked during this time, so be careful.
How to Sync Your Arlo Pro and Pro 2 Wire-Free Cameras?
When it comes to syncing your VMC4030 and VMC4030P, it’s also about making them work in harmony with their base stations. You can also sync an Arlo Pro or Pro 2 base station with a regular Arlo base station but with fewer features compared to their later version counterparts.
You can still use your Pro Series features with the earlier version base station such as advanced motion detection, AC power usage, 2-way audio, and rechargeable batteries. Just remember that cameras can only be synced one at a time per base station.
- Syncing with the Arlo Regular and Pro Series Base Station: If you’re using a Pro Series base station, the sync button is this time on the top of the device. Otherwise, it’s on the side or back of the device. You also need to press it for about 2 seconds only then quickly release it. Wait for the LED status to blink the color green.
- Sync Button on the Camera Itself: Once you’re given the go signal in the form of a green LED status then you can press the sync button at the top of the Pro Series camera for about 2 seconds only as well. This should cause the camera to blink rapidly with a blue light that confirms synchronization.
- Blinking Amber LED on the Camera Itself: If your camera’s LED is blinking amber, this means your syncing attempt has failed. You can repeat the sync process in order to get a green light from the Pro Series base station and blue light from your camera if it’s not in blocked sync mode.
- Solid Green LED: You know that synchronization is successful if the camera LED on the base station has a solid green non-blinking light on it. This indicates that you’ve completed the process successfully. If you’re unable to complete the sync process within a minute or 60 seconds, press the button atop the Pro Series base station to try again.
How Do You Sync Arlo Cameras in General?
The user manual of your Arlo camera should indicate how to properly sync it in nuanced detail. You can also type up on Google and your Arlo camera model to find out the specifics of base station synchronization. It generally goes like this:
- Original Base Station: When using an original base station, it’s about pressing the button atop it for about 2 seconds and never longer than that to initialize synchronization. With the original Arlo, you only need to do that. With other models, you also need to press their own sync buttons.
- Green, Blue, and Amber Colors: Blue and green colors that blink are usually indicative of the synchronization process underway. Amber is usually indicative that something was amiss. With the Pro Series, you wait for the sync status LED to blink green so you can press the sync button on your camera for 2 seconds to get the LED to blink in blue.
- The Blinking Amber Warning and Solid Green are Go: A blinking amber LED means the syncing has failed or worse, you’ll have to wait 10 minutes because the syncing has been blocked. If successful, the camera should blink blue then shine a solid green after pressing its own sync button.
Concluding Thoughts
The main difference between a Pro Series and an Original base station is the placement of the sync buttons. Now you can sync the camera with the base station by pressing the sync button for 2 seconds then quickly releasing it afterwards to prevent sync blockage for 10 minutes while the LED blinks amber. If the sync is successful, the base station LED should blink green, the camera LED should blink blue, and then the camera LED should have a solid green light.
References:
- “How do I set up and sync my Arlo wire-free cameras?” Arlo.com, August 26, 2019
- “How do I set up and sync my Arlo Pro or Pro 2 Wire-Free cameras?“, Arlo.com, August 26, 2019
