Scheduling individual cams for dummies

[debbiebobebbie]

Hi all. Plain old housewife here; making this post for my non techie peeps. I wanted to schedule different cams for different times. Tried in vain to do this, but the software is VERY not intuitive. I got the set up modes thing, but then I couldn't get more than one mode entered into a timeframe. Hunted the forums ad nauseum and got either no help, or help that was over my head. If you're in that boat with me...here's the simple answer.

Set up a new mode. Easy enough. But then you can't add a second cam to that, right? Yes you can. Here's how. After your custom mode is set up, go back to Modes, select your new mode and then select the plus sign and add a new rule. Voila. You can add another camera to your mode. 

But then how to schedule? I couldn't get two modes to run at once in the schedule. In fact, you can't either, because it doesn't work that way. Drove myself nuts trying before I got to a solution. After much thinking with my mind that is set up for cookie baking and how to do the best vacuuming, I got to this solution.

I sat down with a 24 hour schedule and figured out which groups of cameras I wanted on at a particular time frame. Like, Night, I want my outdoor cams and only the indoor Front hall cam on from 10p-7a. At 7A, I want only the outdoor cams on until they come on again with my night group. Outdoor cams are now on all day, but in two separate mode groups. I set up Night mode, outside cam mode, garage mode, etc. Essentially, you are setting up the schedule with the different modes you set up, not the individual cameras. 

Here's my set up:

7a-3p Outside cams (Outside mode)

3p-10p Outside cams and Garage cams (Evening mode)

10p-7a All cams except bedroom (Night mode)

Note that this keeps my outside cams on at all times. Yay me!

I then added geofencing and selected Schedule for home mode. If I'm not here, all is armed. If I'm home, it follows the schedule. Problem solved for dummies. Hey, Netgear...it shouldn't be this hard. Each cam should have it's own schedule, or at least, we should be able to overlay schedules with more than one schedule at a time. 

[TomMac]

a few tips;

1) only ONE mode can run at a time

2) any camera NOT in the running Mode is OFF

3) Create a new mode, save.. Go back and EDIT the new mode to add additional cameras

[debbiebobebbie]

Very precise and exactly what I meant to say. It was hard to understand, but once I got it, I got it. 😊

[Dabu72]

Thanks for your post, it helps a software Engineer like me who never had such confusion while writing complex software codes. i am still confused but will read it again and again to get a better understading of it.

[JoeCymru]

Getting modes and scheduling confused is one of the biggest impairments I have found with friends who have gotten the system and wanted to set up rather elaborate schedules. What I have told them is not to confuse the two. A mode is a condition, a snapshot in time. What do you want all your cameras to be doing (forget exactly when or what times at this point)? What other conditions do you want all your cameras to be doing? When you have noted all the different conditions you want your cameras in, then start building modes, one set of rules at a time for each camera. You need to edit the mode each time to add cameras, setting up rules for each. If you want a camera totally disarmed in a mode, do not add it to the mode.

Once you have set up all the different mode conditions you want to employ, then go to the schedule and place the modes in the times and days you want. If you lap over midnight with a mode you will need to end it at 11:59pm and add it again starting 12:00am. 

Modes are a condition that can be applied anytime. Schedules are taking modes and putting them into a desired time frame.

[Alvid99]

I am fairly technical and just installed my first 3 cameras yesterday - So I will want to easily setup that my front porch cam is on all the time - and the driveway and back porch are off in the daytime when we are at home -
In away mode - all should be on 24 -7 .
So it looks like I need to set 2 modes - with 2 rules - home and away -
And then manually turn off the rear screened inporch camera if we are out there at night -
So - if I set up the 2 additional modes - can u get into weekly schedule for each mode ? Will these schedules fit with my wife’s access that we are sharing ?

[JoeCymru]

There could be other ways of doing this and others may have ideas. I would set up one mode with exterior front camera, set rules for that camera, leave other cameras off that mode. That gives you front camera armed only with the rules settings for that camera. For the rest of the time you could use the "Armed" mode for all cameras on (which you can edit rules for each camera). Another option is to set up your own all-armed mode if you care to. 

When away for a duration you could use the existing  "Armed" mode. You would switch off "Schedule" you have created to "Armed".

Then I would put these modes (for example "Front Only" and provided "Armed" (or My All Armed) into the schedule at appropriate times (remember that if it is over night you will need to put any mode that goes beyond 11:59 pm in twice, once from start to 11:59, then from 12:00 am to end).

Then I would set up another mode which would not go into the schedule, with all cameras on except back porch.

After the schedule is complete, you would select the schedule radio button. When you all venture to the back porch you switch off of "Schedule" to (for example) "Back Porch Off" mode. When done, switch back to Schedule.

[Alvid99]

Thanks for the ideas. - not getting motion on front porch camera although it is connected and has good WiFi on the app - and it is in all on mode now - hmm. Work in progress

[JoeCymru]

Arlo Pro works best if there is at least some movement across the field of view of the motion detector. Objects coming straight at do not do as well so placement is important in that regard. Also how you set the sensitivity. I have my daytime mode for front at 80% and nighttime at 90%. Individual results will vary. Yes there is a tweaking process to get it right between being ineffective and catching every breeze in the foliage.

[Alvid99]

Thanks Joe -
I will keep experimenting over the next few weeks - but did what you suggested . The custom modes give me more options as far as sensitivity -and record time -