rodheadlee Posted February 2 Posted February 2 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 2
Popular Post Chum Posted February 2 Popular Post Posted February 2 (edited) 1 hour ago, rodheadlee said: Also it appears like it will work without the monthly subscription unless you want to have certain services? Without a monthly subscription you can not store videos. You can view live video for now. However, it is the nature of subscription-based devices to deliver less value over time. I am not a fan of subscriptions or of Ring. I am a strong proponent of fully owning your hardware. I mostly install Dahua cameras for my customers. They're excellent and reasonable. They have doorbell cams but I've never worked with them. I believe Hikvision is also well regarded. Reolink is junky. Axis is expensive and a problem of late. ipcamtalk forums is one of the few good cam support sites. You may need to dodge the odd political zealot. Andy @ empiretech (reseller) hangs out there and is a straight shooter. I buy from him sometimes. If you create an account, fake details are a wise default (I still use bugmenot like it's 2005). Edited February 2 by Chum 5
longview Posted February 3 Posted February 3 (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 February 3 by longview
Chum Posted February 3 Posted February 3 22 minutes ago, longview said: What do you think of Eufy doorcams? I don't know them. I'd check out the support forums and see how happy users are. A cursory glance showed typical issues and nothing problematic. 3
gopher Posted February 4 Posted February 4 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. 2
Rain Posted February 7 Posted February 7 10 hours ago, rodheadlee said: Thanks for the input people. I hope whatever you get works well and is easy to set up. 3
MustardSeed Posted February 7 Posted February 7 I use Blink cameras. It’s not a doorbell. But the cameras are clear 1
Nevo Posted February 7 Posted February 7 (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. Edited February 7 by Nevo 2
Kenngo1969 Posted February 7 Posted February 7 Anybody tried SimpliSafe? (I don't know anything about it beyond the ads ... Sorry! ) https://simplisafe.com/ 1
rodheadlee Posted February 8 Author Posted February 8 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. 1
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