Quick answer: While the manufacturer recommends using a base station with all of its products, Arlo's Essential line does not need a base station to operate. All users need is a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network.
Apple today released AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.9.1 for AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac support. According to a support document, the update addresses ...