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Ring doorbell?


Jason Miller

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Is any home automation integration available with this?

 

Looks like "Ring" fixed the vulnerability that reveals your WiFi password in release 1.6,  but the doorbell itself is still all outside the house and held on with just a pair of Torx screws.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just purchased and installed one. I'm very impressed with it. As I haven't had it very long here are a few of my initial thoughts:

 

- Not too worried about how it is mounted. If stolen Ring will replace it for free provided you file a police report.

- There are apps for IOS, Android and Windows 10. Particularly like the Windows 10 app as I have a home office on the other side of the house and can easily see who is at the door

- In addition to doorbell button it also has a motion sensor. I'm still adjusting the sensitivity but optimistic. This should be great for when know that a package has been delivered (they often don't ring the bell)

- It integrates with your existing doorbell.

 

As far as home automation integration Ring has some partners that they can connect directly with through their app (Wink, Wemo and some locks). I haven't used this so not sure how well it works. Alternatively I'm in the process of setting up the motion from Ring to turn on my outside lights. I'll do this through IFTTT integration with the ISY Portal and Ring.

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I bought one when the company was called Doorbot. The product back then was a POS and returned it for a full refund. I think the company reincorporated under a new name to get out from under the product liability and horrible reputation. Costco stocks the Ring locally. I refuse to own one.

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I bought one when the company was called Doorbot. The product back then was a POS and returned it for a full refund. I think the company reincorporated under a new name to get out from under the product liability and horrible reputation. Costco stocks the Ring locally. I refuse to own one.

 

Why?

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Because it's the same inept people running Ring that ran Doorbot. Even Amazon pulled the Doorbot due to customer complaints.

 

That's a non-answer, kinda like "because."

 

BTW, the OPs link is to the sales page at Amazon.with a rating of 4.1 out of 5 out of 6,667 raters. Considering that dissatisfied users are most likely to post and complain, that seems pretty good B)

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That's a non-answer, kinda like "because."

 

BTW, the OPs link is to the sales page at Amazon.with a rating of 4.1 out of 5 out of 6,667 raters. Considering that dissatisfied users are most likely to post and complain, that seems pretty good B)

Apparently you do not know the history of the company or its products. The CEO himself admits to original Doorbot product flaws. http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/29/doorbot-ring-home-security-doorbell/

 

You also apparently have not read reports of how insecure the Ring is.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/01/27/iot-doorbell-gave-up-wi-fi-passwords-to-anybody-with-a-screwdriver/

 

Amazon stopped listing the original Doorbot after customer complaints. When I tried to use their original Doorbot and discovered what a POS it was, I returned it for a full refund.

 

Their new Ring product might have addressed all the technical issues the original Doorbot had, but I refuse to own a product from a company who took KS funds, then reincorporated under a new company to avoid KS promises and product liability.

 

 

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I purchased a Ring doorbell just before Xmas this year and installed it right away.  It worked perfectly (and still is)

last week, I noticed that the doorbell button cover (a small piece the size of a nickle) had fallen off.

I contacted their support desk and inquired if I could purchase a replacement for it, so that I could glue it back in place.

I had a reply within an hour asking me for my address stating that they would replace my entire doorbell free of charge and provide a post paid envelope to return my existing doorbell.

I received the unit 2 days later and also had 2 follow up emails to make sure that I was satisfied with the resolution.

So overall, I am very happy with the new company and their response from customer service.  I also love the unit, no issues with functionality.

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Apparently you do not know the history of the company or its products. The CEO himself admits to original Doorbot product flaws. http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/29/doorbot-ring-home-security-doorbell/

 

You also apparently have not read reports of how insecure the Ring is.

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/01/27/iot-doorbell-gave-up-wi-fi-passwords-to-anybody-with-a-screwdriver/

 

Amazon stopped listing the original Doorbot after customer complaints. When I tried to use their original Doorbot and discovered what a POS it was, I returned it for a full refund.

 

Their new Ring product might have addressed all the technical issues the original Doorbot had, but I refuse to own a product from a company who took KS funds, then reincorporated under a new company to avoid KS promises and product liability.

 

 

 

Yes, I read the reports and noticed the speed at which the company responded to the vulnerability.

 

Pen Test Partners handed out kudos to Ring for responding to the vulnerability alert “within a matter of minutes,” with a firmware update released to fix the issue just two weeks after it was disclosed privately.

 

You reluctance to have anything to do with the company seems based on ethics, which I fully respect B)

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I like to play devils advocate so here goes . . .

 

With respect to Kick Starter (KS) the idea and premise of the medium is very sound. It offers huge potential to take just some random person(s) idea and make it into reality.

 

Now, that is what the intent and idea is about mediums like KS and Indigogo. The reality is most of these projects are lots of hype and offer very little substance when the product arrives. This assumes the product ever arrives or even meets the stated goals the vendor had illustrated to the public.

 

Speaking for myself only I have seen countless KS projects that failed and some were also complete scams. While the majority are real and those backing said project received pretty much what was advertised.

 

Most of these project slip in terms of time line and final delivery. 

 

This is probably the biggest issue with KS and the backers - unrealistic time lines from concept, production, to final delivery. The second biggest issue is a lack of (honest) and direct communications.

 

There are thousands of examples in KS and Indigogo that show the vendor completely dropping off the radar. For me I have been extremely *lucky* in that all of the projects that I backed have all panned out and the final product was reflective of the initial advert.

 

I believe people really need to consider what I call the (Loss / Aggravation) factor. Meaning if you lost $100.XX it wouldn't be the end of the world and life could go on. In terms of aggravation my thoughts are to consider this very much like the lotto. Should it pan out you win.

 

If it doesn't the odds weren't very much in your favor to start with . . .

 

Outside of a repeat vendor which there have been many in both sites you really never know if a project will materialize. This is why I always say ensure the credit card company you use has a real purchase protection plan (PPP). Many here may ask or even scoff at the the idea or mention of PPP.

 

The reality is you need to read the fine print as to how long and the time limits you're covered under. One of several key things I learned along the way from past experience is the following:

 

1. Limit what you contribute and fund and decide (IF) you can afford to lose said investment.

 

2. Research the vendor, as often time like Elvis indicated above that company can use and different name and many scammers have tried to use both sites to keep the fraud going.

 

3. Initiate direct communications via the sites personal messaging system. Specifically ask about time lines, delivery dates, confirmation of your investment, shipping, and related features in the project. The majority of the honest vendors will simply affirm what is in the advert this is fine because they don't plan on scamming you. For the others the intent is to obtain written text from the vendor which can be used in fraud cases and litigation / CC charge backs.

 

4. Report Abuse: Both sites have a report abuse link. Most of them are pure sh^t and the sites have plenty of legalese to protect themselves against civil suites. Regardless, in America anyone can bring court action and the over all intent of using the report abuse link is to show you have done some due diligence and follow up.

 

This only bolsters your position and supports any CC charge back.

 

5. Comments: Always monitor the comments and screen capture any from the vendor for historic recall. Again, 99% of the vendors are honest and nothing they are going to say will put them in a liable position because they fully intend to complete the project etc. For those scammers this is more proof of someone just yanking your chain or trying to buy time.

 

Always add your $0.02 in the comments as it shows you're active, aware, and present.

 

Ultimately, any venture capital investment is a risk and should be considered as such. Due diligence on your part must be done to the best of your ability otherwise you will be left with a thinner wallet and balder scalp!

 

Ha . . . 

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I'd done some research on the Ring doorbell six months ago - it seemed to me like there was a small but vocal group of seriously dissatisfied people from the original "Doorbot" iteration that was flawed and left a very bad taste in their mouths.

The Ring successor seemed to have addressed most of the issues and was a solid product, but I can understand the aggravation.

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  • 1 year later...

I've used every top manufacturer's products including Ring Pro, Skybell HD, August Doorbell Cam and Doorbird D202. Well, none of those video doorbells is perfect but, today, Ring Pro is the closest one to being perfect. It's way better than any other so-called smart video doorbell on the market.

George I'm contemplating the Doorbird myself; and if I might ask, what didn't you like about it?

 

The cloud independence (local API), standard protocols (SIP, RTSP), and wired Ethernet connectivity (I avoid wireless where at all possible) are all very appealing to me, so I'd love to hear the downsides...

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

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I ended up getting a Ring Pro (only a few days ago now after much research....)

 

While a local API and image retrieval would be useful, it ended up being about the look of the doorbell.

 

However, I've been impressed with what it does so far. I get motion notifications via IFTTT into Maker into ISY Portal, and they are very fast. The event storage and playback is seamless. It just works...

 

The only issue i've found so far is there is a delay between pushing the button and the inside mechanical doorbell being activated. Since I rely on this currently for detecting a bellpush locally this delay is a little annoying. Not the end of the world though....

 

 

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I was thinking about the Skybell HD due to its Amazon Alexa integration. Also was thinking they might have video integration with the forthcoming Echo Show, but time will tell.

 

Curious if you considered the Ring Pro's Amazon AVS integration status, not that it is a big deal at this point, without video support.

 

 

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I heard Dahua is coming out with a version of the ring this year.  We had the first prototype at work but they are making major changes before its released.  Since I use their DVR and cameras it would intergrate there.

 

A neighbor who does not have automation put two rings in (front and back door) because his house was broken into twice in one day last year.  He loves it and he hasnt mentioned any issues.

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The new Amazon Show is supposed to work with Ring.

 

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Thanks. They didn't mention in the promo video what cameras work but I found an article that confirms it is going to work with the Ring and Arlo cameras.

 

I suppose there will be more to support it later because I saw they added video or whatever to the Alexa skills API.

 

I decided to go with the Skybell HD due to my specific front door situation, in an alcove and no light inside it. I don't need the wider field of view of the Ring Pro, but I do need the better night vision capability of the Skybell HD.

 

Mark

 

 

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For anybody that has the old Doorbot the app no longer works for this, call customer service and let them know. They will get some information for you and replace it with a new version.

 

I called them a week and a half ago and today I am installing my brand-new, free of charge motion detection Ring doorbell.

 

With that being said, I do have to return the original Doorbot to them. But I no longer have the tools to remove it, does anybody know what tool I need to remove the security screw at the bottom? ??

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