Are you thinking of getting a Ring Doorbell? It is quite an interesting smart device, perfect for increasing your home security. The question is, “how does Ring Doorbell work? We will find out about that in this article.
Before that, though, let us know more about what a Ring Doorbell is.
The Ring Doorbell or Ring Video Doorbell is a multi-featured smart device. It is both an intercom, where you can communicate with your visitor, and a doorbell that notifies you if someone is at the door. With the features it offers, you can have 24/7 surveillance in your front door.
Ring Doorbell is the flagship product of Ring and now available in various models from where you can choose your preferred doorbell camera. Ring Doorbells are among the most popular doorbell cameras today with wireless and hardwired options.
The product has a simple setup, affordable, and complete with features to keep burglars at bay. It can work even with condo homes and apartments, thanks to the installation set up that does not need a doorbell wiring.
Moreover, you can integrate it with Google’s smart home universe. What makes Ring Doorbell great is you can do everything with it using your smartphone. Even when you are not at home, you can see who’s in front of your door. You can also communicate with them that way.
But, How Ring Video Doorbell Works exactly?
How Does Ring Doorbell Work?
Ring Doorbell works by connecting to a Wi-Fi network. First, you have to attach it either on your door or to the wall near it with the screws it came with or adhesive tape. Once installed, you need to download the app on your phone or tablet.
The Ring app serves as the device’s main interface. It is what allows you to access and use the Ring Doorbell. To set up your account, open it, and register your basic information such as name, phone number, email address, etc.
When you are done setting up the account, you will be able to see a list of the Ring devices near you. If this Ring Doorbell is your first one, then you should only see one in your app. The Ring Doorbell can connect to your phone, thanks to having its own Wi-Fi router.
Choose a specific Ring Doorbell (if you have many) to connect to a Wi-Fi network. When doing this, it is not your phone that connects to the network but the device. Your Ring Doorbell connects to the Wi-Fi, becoming fully functional after entering your credentials in the network.
After it becomes fully functional, your Ring Doorbell will now send alerts to your phone whenever someone rings your doorbell, or it detects motion. It ensures you will know if someone is at the door wherever you are.
You can check out videos on YouTube to see for yourself how Ring Doorbell works.
Ring Doorbell Installation and Features
As stated before, you can install a Ring Doorbell either as wireless or hardwired. Most Ring devices come with a battery with others like Pro and Elite that comes in a wired connection. With the rechargeable battery, you can remove the device and charge using a cable.
The most prominent features of Ring Doorbells are motion-activation, two-way talk functionality, and live stream footage. The device also records during the day and night, with the latter capable of doing so using infrared.
You can do all these using the Ring app. All Ring Doorbells offer the above features along with sending notifications whenever the camera detects motion. For an affordable monthly fee, you can also capture videos and store them in the cloud.
Ring Doorbells can detect motion within 30 feet. They can also record videos within the same distance. Whenever the device does any of this, you will receive an alert. It will instantly let you know anything that happens near your door.
You can download the Ring app on most Android, iOS, and Windows 10 devices for free. Most models of the device also allow you to view shared footage. The app also lets you check events history, check the status of the doorbell, and operate a lot of other settings.
Ring Doorbell’s best features include:
- DIY Installation
- Wireless and Hardwired Setup Options
- Two-Way Talk
- Video Capture
- Instant Notifications
- Custom Privacy Zones
- Ring Neighbors
Available Ring Doorbell Models
Ring offers a few different models of video doorbells. Their functions are mostly the same with slight differences in the resolution and field of view. The specifications and features of each model may also be a bit different.
The different Ring Doorbell models are:
- Ring Doorbell – The base model. Its main features are the 720p HD resolution and 180-degree horizontal field of view. It has five zones for customizing motion-detection sensitivity.
- Ring Doorbell 2 – An upgraded version of Ring Doorbell, it has 1080p HD resolution. It has a 90-degrees vertical vision and 160-degrees horizontal vision. This model also has five zones for customizing motion-detection sensitivity.
- Ring Doorbell Pro – The higher-end version of Ring Doorbell, Pro features customized motion-detection zones. It also has other finish options. The rest of the features are identical with Ring Doorbell and Ring Doorbell 2, except it does not have a battery. As such, you need to hardwire it. Pro also lets you run it on the 5GHz band as it has a higher resolution.
- Ring Doorbell Elite – Elite is also a higher-end version with almost the same features as Pro. The only difference is you need to run it with a doorbell transformer as it requires an Ethernet cable.
- Ring Doorbell 3 – A new version, it mostly has the same features of Ring Doorbell and Ring Doorbell 2. However, it has added capabilities such as noise cancellation to two-way talk, privacy zones, dua-band Wi-Fi, and night vision.
- Ring Doorbell 3 Plus – The main feature of Ring Doorbell 3 Plus is the Pre-Roll Video. It has all the standard features and new ones, but this one provides the device with advanced motion detection ability.
Ring Protect Plans
You can access features such as video streaming, two-way talk, and motion-activated sensors for free. But as mentioned, you need to subscribe to a Ring Protect Plan if you want the extra features of recording, saving, and sharing videos.
With Ring Video Recording, you can have a copy of any live event or alert you missed for review. Thanks to this feature, you can save all your recordings for up to two months. You can also download the videos to local storage and share through text, email, or social media.
Ring Protect Plans are cheap – only $3 or $10 every month. Here are the two plans you can choose from for further features.
- Ring Protect Basic – $3/month or #30 annually
It is the basic plan, which only covers a single Ring device. Its features include 60-day video recording and video sharing. It also comes with a video review. For $3 a month, your device will record videos continuously for up two months, which you can go back to and review.
- Ring Protect Plus – $10/month or $100 annually
If you are looking for complete home protection, the Ring Protect Plus offers that. It covers not one Ring Doorbell but all Ring devices you have. It means you also have extra features for your Ring Alarm System and Ring security cams.
With Ring Protect Plans, you do not need to sign any long-term contracts. Also, the plan automatically renews so you will always be protected. It is, of course, optional. It is all up to you to subscribe to the paid plans if you think it is worth it.
Can a Ring Doorbell Work Without Wi-Fi?
Besides wanting the answer to the question, “How Ring Video Doorbell Works?” you must also want to know if it can work without Wi-Fi. The answer is, unfortunately, no. This device works by connecting to a wireless router without exception.
Ring devices connect to an Internet server to work. You can only access all live footage from that server. You can only access the footage and communicate through the doorbell if the app connects to the same server as the device.
If you do not have a Wi-Fi network, your device cannot connect to that server. Your Ring app will also not work if you cannot connect to the server. Your Ring Doorbell cannot do what it should no without Wi-Fi access.
Is there a workaround to make your Ring Doorbell work?
It is not exactly a workaround, but if your Wi-Fi connection is not working, you can use your phone or tablet by creating a hotspot. It allows you to use Ring Doorbell even when you do not have a router.
The Wi-Fi hotspots on mobiles are usually at 2.4GHz frequency. However, most of them also allow you to choose a specific spectrum so that you can pick 5GHz for Ring devices. Take note, though, that Ring devices will eat up a lot of data, especially those with 1080p resolution.
It is unfortunate, but Ring Doorbells really do no work without a Wi-Fi connection. Ethernet cable device directly connected to the Ring Doorbell is not ideal. After all, would you be willing to drill holes for the cables?
Conclusion
Hopefully, you get all the answers you need for the question, “How does Ring Doorbell work?” The process behind it is not complicated, and you can easily understand how this smart device helps improve your home protection.
References:
- Amanda Derrick, What is the Ring Doorbell, and How Does It Work?com, May 8, 2020
- Arch, Can Your Ring Doorbell Work Without Wi-Fi?com, October 20, 2019
