Subsequent Event (Notes)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Subsequent Events [Abstract]

Subsequent Events [Text Block]

Note 14. Subsequent Event

On February 6, 2018, the Company announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved the pursuit of a separation of its Arlo business from NETGEAR. The separation is expected to be effected through an initial public offering (“IPO”) of newly issued shares of the common stock of Arlo Technologies, Inc. (“Arlo”), which will hold the Arlo business. The Company expects Arlo to issue less than 20% of its common stock in the IPO, which is expected to be completed in the second half of fiscal 2018, with NETGEAR to retain the remaining interest. The Company currently intends that, following the IPO, it will distribute the shares of Arlo common stock then held by NETGEAR to NETGEAR’s stockholders in a manner generally intended to qualify as tax-free to NETGEAR’s stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Company also announced that it expects Matthew McRae to serve as Arlo’s Chief Executive Officer upon the completion of the IPO.

The separation of the Arlo business, including the IPO and distribution, will be subject to market, tax and legal considerations, final approval by the Company’s Board of Directors and other customary requirements. Refer to Item 1A, Risk Factors of Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for various risks and uncertainties associated with the planned separation.