Is Your Arlo Base Station Offline?
The Arlo Base Station (or SmartHub) is the heart of your security system, connecting your cameras to your home network and the internet. When it goes offline, your entire system goes down with it, leaving your property unmonitored. An offline Base Station means you cannot view live feeds, receive notifications, or record new videos.
This common problem is often indicated by an amber or unlit internet LED on the unit and an "Offline" message in the Arlo app. The cause is usually related to network connectivity, power, or a simple hardware glitch. This guide will help you systematically diagnose the issue and get your Arlo system back online.
## Step 1: Check the Physical Connections and LED Indicators
Start with a visual inspection of the Base Station itself.
### 1. Verify All Cable Connections
- Power Cable: Ensure the power adapter is securely plugged into the back of the Base Station and into a working wall outlet. The power LED on the front should be solid green. If it's not lit, try a different power outlet.
- Ethernet Cable: The Ethernet cable must be firmly connected from the LAN port on the Base Station to one of the LAN ports on your internet router (not the WAN/Internet port). You should hear a "click" when it's properly inserted.
### 2. Understand the LED Lights
The lights on the front of your Base Station provide critical diagnostic information.
- Power LED: Should be solid green. If it's off, there's a power issue.
- Internet LED:
- Solid Blue: Connected to the internet (Normal).
- Blinking Blue: Attempting to connect.
- Solid or Blinking Amber: Cannot connect to the internet. This is the key indicator of a problem.
- Off: Not detecting an Ethernet connection.
- Camera LED: Should be solid blue if cameras are connected.
If the Internet LED is amber, the Base Station has power but cannot reach Arlo's servers.
## Step 2: Perform a Full Network Power Cycle
A power cycle is the most effective troubleshooting step for most network issues. It forces all devices to re-establish their connections.
- Unplug the Arlo Base Station: Disconnect the power adapter from the wall.
- Unplug Your Router: Unplug the power cord from your main internet router (and modem, if they are separate devices).
- Wait: Leave everything unplugged for at least 60 seconds. This allows them to fully power down and clear any temporary glitches.
- Power Up in Order:
- First, plug your router (and modem) back in. Wait for it to fully restart. This can take several minutes. You'll know it's ready when the internet/status lights are solid and indicate a connection.
- Then, plug your Arlo Base Station back in.
- Observe: Give the Base Station 3-5 minutes to boot up and attempt to connect. Watch the Internet LED. It should blink blue and then, hopefully, turn solid blue.
## Step 3: Isolate Potential Points of Failure
If the power cycle didn't work and the Internet LED is still amber, you need to investigate the components.
### 1. Test the Router Port
The specific LAN port on your router could be faulty.
- Unplug the Ethernet cable from its current port on the router.
- Plug it into a different, unused LAN port on the same router.
- Wait a few minutes to see if the Base Station's Internet LED turns blue.
### 2. Test the Ethernet Cable
The cable itself could be damaged.
- Replace the existing Ethernet cable with a new one or one that you know is working (e.g., from a computer or games console).
- Connect the new cable between the Base Station and a known-good port on your router.
### 3. Check Router Settings
Ensure your router isn't actively blocking the Base Station.
- Log in to your router's administration panel.
- Check for any security settings like Access Control or MAC Address Filtering that might be preventing new devices from connecting. If this feature is on, you may need to temporarily disable it or add the Base Station's MAC address (found on the bottom of the unit) to the allowed list.
- Ensure DHCP is enabled, as this allows the router to automatically assign an IP address to your Base Station.
If after all these steps the Base Station still won't connect, you may need to perform a factory reset as a last resort or contact Arlo support to investigate a potential hardware failure.