Anyone familiar with the Ring doorbell system?

[opos]

Been looking at information on the Ring doorbell /camera unit on you tube and several vendors....first I'm a mental midget when it comes to things technical so I'll have to understand things in basic terms. I understand I can wire the doorbell/camera unit to my front door frame where our current doorbell is mounted and that it wiii activate my current door bell which is hard wired and is an old one (not digital). So assuming I have the Doorbell unit/camera unit now wired in place....How do I use it?

I have an ATT Nokia 635 phone/camera. I use it for making and receiving calls, for taking pictures and for sending and receiving text messages...I have not even thought about trying to load it up with aps, etc...I do have a WiFi at my home because I use a wireless router for my computer...my Wife's computer is hard wired to the router and my computer is "connected to the router by a USB port and I have the WIFI in place with a code to keep others out.

Can I use my computer or my phone to be the viewer/communications device to use with the Doorbell unit or do I need other things? I'm sure it's evident I got no computer smarts but the device looks like a nice little security deal..any input much appreciated

 

[Ka6otm]

Yes you can, and Ring even has an app for your Windows phone. Actually, they make an app for every one of the smart phone operating systems. From what you've said you have everything you need.

So you can view whatever's out around your front door no matter where you are in the world and you can even talk with them if you want. The ring has a motion detector and it'll send you a notification if anyone's anywhere near your front door.

I have WiFi cameras inside my house and use them to watch the house and take pictures/video if anyone's in there and also have 2 way communications through the cameras. It's essentially the same thing as the Ring but it's indoors and not outdoors.

 

[32shooter]

My Mother has one of those. I installed the ringer outside for her and my Nephew took care of the technical aspect of it. Seems to work very well for her. Can see who is at her door while not even at home.

 

[Cholo]

I've never heard of those things, but I like the idea! opos, let us know how you like it if you get one.

 

[RSIno1]

I got one a few months ago. It's handy for keeping tabs on the house while away. I signed up for the $30 a year cloud storage of the images - that way if there is a problem I'll have a record. I'm considering adding their spotlight camera to keep an eye on the rest of the yard. https://shop.ring.com/collections/security-cams/products/floodlight-cam?variant=56549563083

 

[Cal44]

Where does it get power?

Do you have to wire it to an AC electric outlet?

 

[32shooter]

I believe my Mother's has a rechargeable battery, but she had no power source available. I think there are other options for power.

 

[Mobuck]

Only a matter of time before some perp figures out how to pirate in a "delay" so he's in and out before the wireless connection engages.

 

[Ka6otm]

Delay? There are much easier ways of getting around a Ring system if you know it's there.

And you do know it's there because Ring puts their name conspicuously on each of their cameras.

Perhaps the single biggest reason I don't have one of those and use hidden cameras inside the house instead.

 

[vito]

If you use the "Ring" you will die shortly afterwards. I know, I saw the movie of the same name!

 

[Pat-inCO]

I was reading the reviews on Amazon and the one thing . . for sure . . is
that to save/have the video, you MUST sign up for the cloud storage. If
you don't, you have no way to save the video.

One other user had (for lack of a better term) slow video start. They got
video of people walking away, but none of them approaching or standing
at the door. THAT would be a bummer.

I'm wondering how much of that is user installation?

 

[Ka6otm]

I was reading the reviews on Amazon and the one thing . . for sure . . is
that to save/have the video, you MUST sign up for the cloud storage. If
you don't, you have no way to save the video.

One other user had (for lack of a better term) slow video start. They got
video of people walking away, but none of them approaching or standing
at the door. THAT would be a bummer.

I'm wondering how much of that is user installation?

None of it. The motion detection system (passive infrared) isn't working properly or the people weren't in the enclosed angle where they could be picked up by it until they walked away. Setup on these things doesn't include choosing a time for the video to start.

 

[mlazarus5388]

I hard wired mine into the doorbell location. No need for battery recharging. I really like it and have used it remotely to answer the door etcetera.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Rush was talking about Simplisafe having a similar system that has cameras and shows up on your phone. If someone is thinking security this is a complete system. I think this is what I am going to go with.

 

[RoninPA]

By the way Amazon bought the company that builds, etc. the Ring system (for 1 Billion - with a B dollars). One more cog in the "1984" system along with Alexas who is always listening if you have it (her?) in your house.

 

[redhawker]

I have 6 of them around the perimeter of the house. Any motion I get an alert. I have talked to people at the door when I've been hundreds of miles away in another state. I know when a package has been dropped at the door and can monitor it at will until I get home. I believe the cameras are becoming know, and avoided by criminals. The mix I have are the doorbell cam at the front door, a spotlight cam above the garage door that I can light the driveway with (it also has an audible alarm I can set off at will and the spotlights are activated by either motion or at will through the phone or computer). I have 4 other of what they call "stick-up" cams around the rest of the house (I guess because you stick them up on the wall or wherever). Very handy system and once you pay for the cameras it's $99 a year to store the videos for you which you can access at any time. The problems I've run into is one or the other of the cameras will occasionally lose the wifi signal and has to be re-installed (which isn't too hard) and one of the cameras at the far end of the house had a weak signal, probably due to a combination of distance from the router and having to pass through walls to the outside. That was solved with a $35 wifi extender placed in a room at the other end of the house near the camera that had the weak signal.

 

[opos]

Rush was talking about Simplisafe having a similar system that has cameras and shows up on your phone. If someone is thinking security this is a complete system. I think this is what I am going to go with.

About a year ago I bought a simplisafe system (fairly basic) system for out house....looked perfect and simple....I didn't realize that any form of system that uses the police department as an emergency call destination has to be licensed and registered with the PD and stands a chance of incurring fines for false alarms....I spoke with the officer at the PD and he indicated that they had quite a number of "false alarms" with the simpli soft system and that the fines were substantial after the first few false alarms....I read several places where they were quite prone to false alarms. This is San Diego and it may be different other places..also the system may have been upgraded to cut the number of false alarms...don't know...but back then what sounded so good began to sound a bit troublesome so we passed and returned the system for a refund which they promptly sent back.

 

[sncup]

I use the Arlo Q camera
This is an AC powered Wifi camera. The cost is only the camera and I do not pay any monthly fees for video storage. I mounted this in a front window and the motion detector has picked up bunnies and neighbor cats walking by at night.

I get the alerts on my cell phone, so this means I get woken up at night sometimes just because of a bunny. I will take that as proof that if a stranger or UPS walks up I will be notified.

https://www.amazon.com/Arlo-NETGEAR-Security-station-required/dp/B017B2043W/ref=sr_1_10/145-4668681-7044059?ie=UTF8&qid=1521399755&sr=8-10&keywords=arlo