As part of the Netgear Ambassador Program I get items for review and was excited to receive the Arlo Smart Home Security System for free to review for my readers!
The Arlo system I tested comes with two wireless (battery-operated) cameras and a hub that let’s you communicate with the system. Setup is quick and easy with this system. You simply place the included batteries into the cameras and then use the included Ethernet cable to hook up the hub to your router. From there you will use the Arlo app to guide you through the rest of the account-creation process. (There is also an option to use the Arlo website if you don’t have a smartphone)
The Arlo System really is designed to go almost anywhere (really though, they’re even waterproof). The camera itself is magnetic and the mounts you use them on are also. Once you install the mount where you want it, it’s as simple as placing the camera on it and getting it angled to the position you want.
Once up and running the Arlo system watches for motion and then begins to record these moments (and alerts you). These videos are recorded in 720p and are stored on the cloud for seven days with the FREE basic subscription. After that seven day period they are deleted. Additionally, if your videos exceed the 1 Gig storage amount the older files are deleted. You don’t have to worry though if you want to keep them longer, as Arlo provides a subscription cloud service! Premier gives you 30 days, up to 10 cameras, and 10GB for only $10 a month. You can go with Elite and get 60 days, up to 15 cameras, and 100GB for $15 a month. Both plans give you options to pay for a year up front with a reduced rate.
One really great feature of the Arlo system is that you can set up “Modes”. This feature tends to set this system apart from a lot of its competition. This feature let you turn off select cameras based on your needs and location. For example, You can establish “Home” which turns off the indoor camera(s) and turns on the outside camera(s).
You can get (optionally) email notifications for motion alerts, but be cautions doing this if you have Outdoor cameras as you might get an inbox full with all the outdoor motion. (You can adjust the sensitivity for cameras and that may be the best option for those.)
The Wrap Up:
I really like this system! I have used and own other systems but I really enjoy the wireless capabilities of the Arlo system. Although you can get multiple versions of this system with multiple cameras, the one I reviewed was the VMS 3230 system that gives you 2 HD cameras and the Hub and is available for $349.99 from Netgear and its many vendors.
Specs Per Netgear:
Camera
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Video resolution
- Configurable up to 1280 x 720
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Video format
- H.264
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Imaging
- Full Color
- CMOS
- Auto-adaptive white/black balance and exposure
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Motion detection
- Adjustable sensitivity
- Automatic email alerts and push notifications
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Digital pan and zoom
- Yes
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Night vision
- 850 nm LEDs: illuminates up to 25 feet
- IR cut-off filter
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Battery
- Four (4) Lithium CR123 Photo
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Battery level indication
- Yes
-
Battery life
- 4 to 6 months
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Field of view
- Field of view: 110°
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Focus range (ST)
- Fixed focus (2 ft to infinity)
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Operating temperature
- 14° to 122° F (-10° C to 50° C)
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Dimension
- 2.8 x 1.7 x 2.6 in (72 x 44 x 66 mm)
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Weight
- 4.3 oz (123g)
Base Station
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Interface port
- Fast Ethernet
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Indicator LEDs
- Power, Internet, Camera, Smart Home, USB
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IP Configuration
- DHCP
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Antenna
- Internal
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Wireless range
- 300+ feet line of sight
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Wireless
- 2.4GHz
- 802.11n
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Processor and memory
- 500Mhz MIPS 74K Processor
- 128MB Flash, 128MB RAM
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Certifications
- FCC, IC, CE, UL
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Operating temperature
- 32° to 122° F (0° to 50° C)
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Dimension
- 2.2 x 8.5 x 6.5 in (55 x 215 x 165 mm)
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Weight
- 11.3 oz (320 g)
A Geek's Perspective 