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Ring doorbell camera


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Posted

I'm thinking about getting one of those ring doorbell cameras for my dad. It doesn't make certain things clear in their ad. Does it work off of Wi-Fi? So the House Wi-Fi has to be on in order for it to work? Also it appears like it will work without the monthly subscription unless you want to have certain services? Is anybody familiar with this equipment? Thanks in advance

Posted (edited)
22 hours ago, Chum said:

I mostly install Dahua cameras for my customers.

What do you think of Eufy doorcams? It does not require subscriptions. My son had to upgrade my doorbell transformer in order to hard wire the cam. It does run on my wifi. I also have a wireless ringer plugged into an outlet.

Edited by longview
Posted
On 2/1/2025 at 11:59 PM, rodheadlee said:

I'm thinking about getting one of those ring doorbell cameras for my dad. It doesn't make certain things clear in their ad. Does it work off of Wi-Fi? So the House Wi-Fi has to be on in order for it to work? Also it appears like it will work without the monthly subscription unless you want to have certain services? Is anybody familiar with this equipment? Thanks in advance

I would recommend that anyone with older parents should setup a doorbell camera at their home.  If you also buy them an Alexa Echo Show, they can use it to view and talk to people without needing to open the door.  You can install the doorbell app on your smartphone so you can check in when someone shady comes to their door even if you live on the other side of the country.   Most have 2-way audio so you can chat too through the doorbell from your phone.

A few things to check:

Is there a working, wired doorbell in place?  It's more expensive, but you probably will want a wired Ring camera that connects to the existing doorbell wires.  As longview said, you may need to upgrade the doorbell transformer if it's not powerful enough.  Make sure you get one that will work with the existing doorbell chime or you'll need one with a chime that plugs into an electrical outlet inside the house.

Otherwise you have to get a doorbell with a battery that has to be taken out and charged every couple of months or so.

Yes, you need a strong Wi-Fi signal for Ring or any doorbell camera unless you get a PoE doorbell that connects to your PoE switch.  PoE provides power to the doorbell and transmits video over the ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi.  It requires running a network cable to the doorbell which may not be an option.  It also requires having a PoE switch which most people don't have unless they have other PoE security cameras installed.

Looks like Ring's cheapest monthly storage plan is currently $5 or $50/year.

Without their subscription, you can connect to the Ring camera using their app on your smartphone and view live video as well as get motion alerts, but you won't be able to see any videos of previous events.

I prefer 2k video resolution over 1080p, but you can get 4k if you want to see very high detail, like license plate numbers on a car.

If you want to go cheap, the WYZE Video Doorbell v2 is only $40, uses your existing doorbell wires and chime and stores video locally on a microSD card as well as online for a monthly fee.  Easy to install too.

Posted
10 hours ago, rodheadlee said:

Thanks for the input people.

I hope whatever you get works well and is easy to set up.  

Posted (edited)

I have a Ring doorbell camera. It works great. Sends a notification to my phone over Wi-Fi whenever motion is detected (false positives are rare). I don't have the subscription plan because I don't need to store video. So I pay nothing. I can take a screenshot on my phone if I need to. But it's handy to know when packages are delivered and see who's at the door before answering. When I'm away, I can also see when my kids leave for school or come home, check the weather, etc.

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Edited by Nevo
Posted

Anybody tried SimpliSafe? (I don't know anything about it beyond the ads ... Sorry! :huh: :unknw:)

https://simplisafe.com/

Posted

We have Roku cameras and one on the front porch so I can keep an eye on Dad. But it's too complicated for Dad to work. I need the simplest doorbell camera made.

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