Fine-Tuning Your Tech: Solving Netgear Pet Detection Issues
Netgear's smart home cameras, particularly those under the Arlo brand, often come with advanced features like AI-powered pet detection. This technology is designed to differentiate between people, vehicles, and animals, giving you more relevant notifications. However, when it doesn't work as expected—either missing your furry friends entirely or sending you alerts for rustling leaves—it can be frustrating.
If you're struggling with unreliable pet detection, you're in the right place. This guide will help you understand why your Netgear camera might be having trouble and provide you with effective troubleshooting steps to improve its accuracy.
How Does Pet Detection Work?
Netgear's pet detection uses sophisticated algorithms that have been trained on thousands of images of animals. When your camera's motion sensor is triggered, the captured video is analysed to see if the shape and movement patterns match those of a pet. This all happens in a split second to deliver a smart notification. However, the effectiveness of this system depends on several factors.
Key Steps to Improve Pet Detection Accuracy
Work through these solutions to get your smart alerts working correctly.
### 1. Check Your Subscription Plan
For many Netgear and Arlo cameras, advanced object detection (including for pets, packages, and vehicles) is a premium feature included with a subscription plan like Arlo Smart.
- Verify Your Plan: Log in to your account on the Netgear or Arlo website and check that your subscription is active. If your trial has expired or you're on a basic free plan, the feature may be disabled.
### 2. Adjust Motion Sensitivity
The camera first needs to detect motion before it can analyse it. If the general motion sensitivity is too low, the camera might not even trigger a recording when your small pet wanders by.
- Increase Sensitivity: In your camera's settings within the app, find the 'Motion Detection' settings. Try increasing the sensitivity level slightly. Be aware that setting it too high may lead to more false alerts from things like shadows or blowing leaves.
### 3. Optimise Camera Placement
The position and angle of your camera play a massive role in the AI's ability to identify objects correctly.
- Angle, Not Overhead: Position the camera so it looks at the area from a slight angle, rather than a top-down 'bird's-eye' view. This gives the AI a better profile of the animal to analyse.
- Clear Line of Sight: Ensure there are no obstructions like garden furniture, hanging plants, or window frames blocking the view of the areas your pets frequent.
- Distance Matters: The pet needs to be close enough and large enough in the frame to be identified. If your cat or dog is just a small speck in the distance, the AI will struggle. The ideal range is typically between 1.5 to 6 metres (5 to 20 feet).
### 4. Ensure Good Lighting
The detection algorithm needs a clear image to work with. Poor lighting can make it difficult to distinguish shapes.
- Daytime: Avoid pointing the camera directly at the sun, as this can create glare and deep shadows that hide detail.
- Night-time: Make sure the camera's infrared (IR) night vision LEDs are working correctly and are not being blocked or reflecting off a nearby surface (like a windowsill or soffit), which can wash out the image.
### 5. Update Firmware and App
Netgear regularly releases updates that include improvements to their detection algorithms. Running outdated software can mean you're missing out on enhanced performance.
- Check for Updates: Go to your camera's settings in the app and check for any available firmware updates.
- Update the App: Visit your phone's app store to make sure you have the latest version of the Netgear/Arlo app installed.
By carefully reviewing your settings and optimising your camera's placement, you can significantly improve the reliability of pet detection and start receiving the smart alerts you were promised.