Arlo Ultra SmartHub – Arlo Certified Accessory -Connects Arlo Cameras to Wi-Fi, Works with Arlo Ultra 2, Ultra, Pro 5S 2K, Pro 4, Pro 3, Pro 2, Floodlight, Essential & Video Doorbell Cameras – VMB5000

This thing is worthless without a class 10 SD card!
See addendum below!!!! It works!So, my four Arlo Pro 4 cameras are worthless without the subscription. I contacted Arlo’s tech support, & I was told that by purchasing this base station- I’d be able to locally store and remotely review triggered camera videos. But, what he didn’t tell me is about the necessity of a class 10 SD card. This device is currently as worthless as my cameras.STAYTUNED- my class 10 SD card is on its way- I’ve spent close to $1000.00. (Oh, and by the way. It took me about an hour and a half for me to synch the four cameras to the base station- after deleting each from the WIFi setup. Two of the cameras synched right up, but the other two required several attempts.)My next review will be on Amazon’s Choice Samsung class 10 micro SD card.Addendum!I purchased a set of 4 Arlo Pro Spotlight cameras that included a “trial subscription.”When the trial period ended, my 4 cameraswould trigger, and I was sent a notification, but I was unable to view any of the recordings.I chatted with an Arlo tech support person, and I was told that there is what amounts to a “work around.” I was advised that by purchasing an Arlo base unit, I’d be able to continue to use my cameras similar to the way that they functioned during the trial period.I purchased the VMB5000, synched my four cameras to it- but the cameras did not work.I chatted with a second Arlo tech support person who advised me that I needed a class 10 SD card.I purchased this MICRO card through Amazon, and when it arrived I searched and eventually found the well hidden micro SD card slot. It’s at the bottom of the base unit.The Record locally toggle switch recognized the SD card; and after following the prompts- I successfully formatted the SD card.I activated both the “record locally” toggle switch, as well as, the “direct storage access” toggle.At this point- I was able, while in Wi-Fi mode on my iPhone, to view captured triggered videos from each camera similar to when the trial subscription was active.However, when I was out of Wi-Fi range, once again, I could no longer view any triggered camera videos.Upon further reading, Arlo states that viewing triggered camera videos, remotely, that is, out of Wi-Fi range can be accomplished with by using a VPN, or by using Port Forwarding.I watched a YouTube video, loaded my ISP’s (Spectrum) App onto by iPhone, and with a few inputs*-I’m happy to say that it works.I can, now, view triggered camera videos either locally, or remotely with my iPhonevia the cell phone network.*Arlo app>Devices>Smart Hub/Base Station/Bridge>tap on the base station>Local Storage(storage settings)>activate: Record LocallyDirect Storage Access>tap on: Port Forwarding>activate: Enable Port ForwardingWrite down the internal andexternal port numbers- you willInput these on your ISP’s router.I was fortunate I found a YouTube video with instructions for setting up my ISP, Spectrum, router.Good Luck!(FYI:The VPN setup is believed to be more secure than the port forwarding setup- I may explore the VPN option, there are free VPN apps, and there are subscription VPN apps, as well, but my whole thing was to eliminate yet another monthly subscription.

Does the Job, but Could be Better for Sure
I got this for my Arlo Pro4’s after some of my other indoor cameras had gone End of Life. I wanted an option to store the footage in a central hub to be able to view whenever I felt like and have more storage capability with the Micro SD card. I got the Ultra Base for the SD card vs. USB drive and it works great, cameras are easy to pair, and everything is working well actually. The only thing I’m kind of miffed about is that the local storage is only accessible on the app when you are on the same network. They mention you can get around this if you set-up a VPN on your router or enable port forwarding, but I’m also having some issues with doing that. It would be much nicer if you could just connect through the app, like with my older and much cheaper cameras. It seems more like a push to sign up for their subscription services to me. I would like to see more local storage support and notification capabilities for this personally.

Arlo is meh
The Arlo base works just fine with our Pro 3 cameras. We’ve only had Arlo a little over a year and our initial base already bit the dust causing me to have to shell out even more money for this new base. Their customer service / tech support is awful and they don’t know what they are talking about or doing… The recording isn’t too terribly expensive if you just want the snip-its (I think I pay like $16 a month for all 7 cameras and doorbell) – but it is way more expensive if you want 24/7 constant recording (which I’m not paying for) – and constant recording eats away the battery and extra batteries are expensive… Outside of Vivint, this is the first time we’ve owned a camera/monitoring system like this. Not sure if you have to pay extra with all other camera sets for recordings but I’m sure no recording is ever free but there may be cheaper out there with better service. All in all, I won’t say they are completely awful but would I purchase again?! Probably not. I’d do more research and probably go with a different company.