Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Ring Video Doorbell 2 with HD Video, Motion Activated Alerts, Easy Installation

Detected the stalker from behind a locked door and caught these two

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2018

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Revised opinion of doorbell: once you get past the setup, it works like nobody's business!

Update: See the video. It looks as if these two are dressed as plumbers but the only tool they carry is a drill. They wear black rubber gloves because California this time of year is so breezy. I ran this by three expert opinions.

1 - a plumber) No tool belts, no tools except for the drill, no holster for the drill. These are burglars not plumbers
2 - the cops) Every detail is consistent with burglary. Do not treat this as a joke or prank.
3 - Ring customer service) The video and audio are coming out great! Those are burglars.

I called the plumbing company. Yes they had staff on the job at my location that day. But, it was an outside line that needed work. The only reason for anyone to knock on a door would be to get access to a power line. No electrical extension cords on these two. I conclude this plumbing company has a criminal ring inside of it. The cover story is they are just a bunch of jokers. Management is not clueless but they are afraid of going out of business and unable to handle the situation.

Out of some sense of kindness to the company, I've withheld the name, BUT they are located in the Bay Area. If you are a local resident and would like to follow through contact me directly lindy.cheng@gmail.com

Moral of the story: I went and purchased two Ring Security Cameras. One for each bozo.

End update

I had my troubles getting the Ring Video Doorbell to run smoothly. I finally traced my troubles to my VPN. Shut down your VPN and the setup goes smoothly (more or less).

Next when I went to mount the doorbell, the only bolts that fit were too short to reach the mounting bracket. So, i put the video doorbell in the closet, and by pure luck aimed it at the door handle for the front door. It stayed there for over a week.

During the week, I managed to cry a bunch on Peter's shoulder, Ring's Customer Service Angel. Because during all these weeks of trying to set up Ring, the O-Beast, my very own personal stalker had tried to break in twice (that I could detect) and the stress had gotten to me. The truth is, by the time Peter appeared to fix things, the equipment was WORKING but I was so stressed out I couldn't figure out simple things - like how to mount the Ring Video doorbell without the correct bolts.

Peter got to work and did he pull off a doozy. He set up an more advanced configuration of sensors so I could keep windows open. With so many sensors, the software can't keep up with all the possibilities! But the new versions are coming! Even limited to current software, the option to keep window and patio doors cracked open but alarmed has made a huge difference in livability.

But here's the big one: I had completely forgotten about my smoke & carbon monoxide detector. It was old and needed replacing. It didn't occur to me my O-Beast might try and set the place on fire. Since many of my evening medications are sedatives this kind of attack means CERTAIN DEATH. I would die of smoke inhalation before I woke up. But the Ring fire alarms goes straight to the fire station.

May I respectfully advise everyone who uses sedative medications to PLEASE GET AN ALARM that ALERTS the FIRe DEPARTMENT DIRECTLY!!! You don't want to wake up dead.

Meanwhile, forgotten in the closet the Ring doorbell had dutifully recorded my passing feet...exits/entry. And two mysterious events. At 1:30 AM and then at 5 AM on two very different days, something triggered the Ring doorbell and it recorded something for over two minutes each time. Unfortunately, the resolution is too low (it's near pitch dark) and the audio pickup too faint. There are no other incidents which occur this late at night. My best guess, there is PLENTY of other evidence which shows someone has been trying to pick my lock using the credit card method. My previous doorknob was worn down useless, my weatherstripping around the locks *only* was in tatters. In fact, I listened to her do this for one night but she ran too quickly for me to wake up enough to do anything sensible like chase after her.

Even though I only put it up today (I decided to skip the "right" equipment and just use JB Weld Steelstik - metal epoxy). The camera has been working great on everyday tests.

I suspect I'll have results before the week is out.

Update, Sept. 2, 2018
The Treasure Truck is a great deal!

But it sure don't give you time to research before you're forced to make a buy decision.

About Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) - the RSSI number indicates the strength of a wireless signal with zero being perfect and -100 worthless. If you routinely experience trouble viewing video, since the Ring video is HD, you need a better signal. Signs of bad signal, B&W video in daylight, you get motion detection but the video hesitates and may not turn on all.

The reason why my wireless signal is pathetic is because I live in Silicon Valley in a huge apartment complex. Everyone has souped up wireless except me.

First - download a wireless analyser app and check your environment. 15 or so wireless networks with stronger signals than yours is bad news.

Second - move your router closer to the video doorbell. It's worth trying.

Third - The Ring video doorbell will alert the app but it won't alert the base station. You may want a Ring Chime or Chime Pro. The Chime Pro will extend the wireless signal while chiming every time the video doorbell gives the alert. The doorbell operates much more like a doorbell.

Finally, Costco has their usual get-a-deal-if-you-buy-the-economy size on Ring security devices. I found the prices fair but the packages were much more thoughtfully sized for a small apartment. It comes with equipment that I wasn't sure was necessary but I'm discovering is essential.

Update: Dec. 2018 Sometimes old-fashioned is as good as anything

It looks like the O-Beast is up and raring to go for the holiday season. On Thanksgiving day roundabouts dinner time and 11:30 PM. I got home, dis-armed the Ring alarm to enter. Then when I tried to re-arm it, it kept telling me "a sensor is out of place". One by one I checked my two windows and two doors. I tracked it down to one window in particular. It was less than 1/4" out of place. The window had not opened any further because I'd cut wooden dowels to fit when I moved in. This was enough to break sensor contact but not enough to trigger the alarm; it takes 1/2" of movement to get the alarm.

Sigh, my windows are two stories up. At this, I was afflicted with a vision of the O-Beast up precariously, over 200 lbs of suet flapping in the breeze trying to break in. TMD. I would pay money to erase that.

I checked the windows again. The one with the dis-placed sensor had a strangely clean fly-screen. The window that read OK was just plain dirty with fierce dust bunnies defending it still. Huh. Too bad, the O-Beast hadn't cleaned the windows. I might have some forgiveness.

Why, oh why hadn't I put cameras on the windows?

Once you start putting up videocameras on your wireless network, you quickly realize that most routers can't handle it. Not only did I need a router that could push signal out far but it needs to handle large volumes of HD quality video. I was getting garbage when I tried to put cameras on the windows.

I wrote a really long email to Peter, my Ring Customer Service Angel describing the problem and he wrote an treatise on how to handle wireless for Ring.

Option 1) I can stick with the mandatory AT & T router and daisy-chain Chime Pros all the way out to the bedrooms. I guesstimate it would take 3 Chime Pros to throw the wireless out that far. This doesn't handle the AT&T routers issues with massive amounts of data. At Blk Friday prices, that would have been $150

Option 2) Get a better router: Peter recommended the Netgear Orbi's (high end solution) or the Netgear Nighthawk Dual Band series (lower cost solution). Both effective with Ring devices.

I ended up going with the Orbi because 1) my TV is about 5' away from the AT&T router and has trouble picking up the signal and 2) I ran into the Orbi RBK40 Blk Friday sale price ($200) and I just fell in love...with the specs, yah, ya. That's right, it was a cold decision based purely on performance (and looks and price. I'm just a calculatin machine I am.). Plus, it's not real clear that I'm done adding videocamera's to Ring. Higher end is safer for me.

Now, after Orbi, the RSSI signals from the video doorbells and cameras at the window are SWEET (RSSI's all around 30-ish)

and....

I ordered two more video cameras from Ring.

Why two more?

One for my window w/o a camera

and one for my door where I already have a video doorbell.

Huh?

The kind policeman explained it (yes, I have been known to roam the landscape searching for answers):

The two cameras protect each other. Mount them so each camera sees the other. When the crook tries to take out the first camera you have 1) evidence that a crime was committed, 2) enough $$$ damage that they can be prosecuted for something meaningful and put away and 3) Ring has a warranty on the video equipment. If the cameras are stolen (must file a police report) and if you get the 1-year protection plan ($100) then they will replace the stolen equipment.

And yeah, Ring just announced their series of *indoor* cameras. Sigh. Just as soon as I finish the outer Ring camera system, I'll have to think about the indoor Ring of cameras.

I sure hope I don't need more Orbi satellites....
Did I forget to mention that?
The base Orbi system can be extended beyond it's original 5000 sq ft specs....
And since the Ring system can support up to 99 devices...
I can probably get signal out to my car. On the freeway.
Don't laugh.
The O-Beast will trash my car if she thinks she can't get to me. This is the next logical step after the windows/patio door are denied her.
Luckily, she thinks she's a suuu-per geN-iUs. That's right. She thinks... I'm dinner?
I guess, she never actually paid attention to that show?
Gotta go build my Acme Beastie-Blaster specially designed for our automobile lifestyle. Beep-beep.
Remember the value of autos is automatically high enough to put her away. I just need a camera that can take video in all directions at once....

13 people found this helpful

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Ramon Borquez

It's almost perfect!

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a great doorbell camera and intercom system. I have had no issues with WiFi connection or using the app. The set up was completely easy and the all directions came in the box and on the app. The motion detection is great IF you manage to put it in the right spot. The only issue I have is that I live in an apartment and have a stairwell going down. I accidentally placed it a smidge too high so the motion detection does not catch movement if someone ducks really low or if someone is short like my wife. Granted, it will still record them standing up or when they get close enough to the camera.

The main reason I got this is because there has been a huge increase in package thefts in my area. I have had multiple packages stolen and the same goes for my neighbor across the hall. Since putting this camera up, we have had no issues. The only problem I have is delivery men or women tend to like putting my packages at the very edge of the steps or a few steps down...why you might ask? I don't know. BUT I am still hopeful that my ring may one day manage to capture some footage just in case I do have another package stolen.

I recommend getting some really strong duct tape or 3m strips to first test out the view your camera will be getting upon your placement. I do not have a doorbell so I had to drill holes into the wall. Dry wall is a breeze..but stone? Not so easy and management wouldn't like seeing multiple holes in the walls so I am stuck with my placement. Definitely find a way to test everything out yourself before drilling any holes.

The screws that came with it are strong but the ring can be torn off. Warranty covers it though and whoever does manage to steal it would be unwise. It has GPS and a serial number so yeah..not really an issue I would worry about.

The intercom system is great too. Sound comes through very clear and the view is real time. The night vision and view it gets even with sunlight directly facing it is great.

You do have to sign up for a subscription service if you want to have footage saved otherwise you just a motion sensor camera that will notify you of movement. I think it is 30 dollars a year. Very cheap and well worth it in my opinion. To each their own though.

The battery life depends on your settings and usage. Mine is set on very sensitive for motion detection and I get a lot of activity but the battery still lasts me 3 weeks or so. I highly suggest you buy an extra battery and store the special screwdriver tip in a place you won't lose it.

Overall, this camera has done its job and has helped me feel more relaxed with getting packages dropped off. This does serve more than just protecting mail. You are welcomed to a community watch group in your area of other fellow ring owners where you can post suspicious activity that was caught on camera. At first I did not care, but I check what is going on in my area almost every day.

If I had to ask for something to make it better, it would be for more bumpers so you can change the angle of the Ring's view. It came with one that helped changing the angle of my Ring but it isn't enough for my stairwell. If I had just one more or possibly one that had a higher angle it would be perfect.

3 people found this helpful

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Jay Koontz

Best video doorbell if you need something simple and easy

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018

Verified Purchase

Absolutely fantastic. It's simple and clean. I bought this primarily because in my two bedroom apartment (yes apartment), I'm using one of the bedrooms as a den and that's where my soundbar and system is and when I'm watch TV, it fills the entire room and I was not able to hear people tapping on the door. With the Ring Doorbell, I have attached it using command velcro strips (because apartment rules and damage blah blah), with the srips i was able to place it over the existing peephole and it's front and center when people approach my door.

There are many features tagged with the Doorbell. I have motion alerts setup so anytime there's movement outside my door, I get notified via a app notification. That does get a bit annoying since I have neighbors, but, I just ignore the notifications and then the device will silently record for about 30 seconds and then I'm able to playback what it captured should i need to (free 30-day trial with RING then to do the aforementioned you need to subscribe to a protect plan with Ring, like 30 bucks a year for one device).

So how does it work?

For me, when there's movement outside my door, i get notified and if someone pushes the button on the doorbell, it rings of course from the doorbell and also on any device that you have the RING app installed on (for me, my Mac, iPad and Iphone) (there's an attachment you can get called CHIME/CHIME PRO, that will allow you to actually hear the ring inside the house but I have not purchased yet) SO, one the doorbell is rang, if your phone (iOS at least) is unlocked, the screen will automatically open to a live view of whatever is outside the door. You can answer the ring and speak directly to that person OR you can unmute the microphone to listen if you were wanting to do a little eavesdrop. (NOTE: If you have home automation, you can connect smart locks to the app and then trigger for the door to unlock as well if it's a friend/family member/whomever)

Now, the cost is a bit high, but, as my first video doorbell, i believe it gets the job done, the picture when you're viewing a live view or speaking with someone is 1080P HD CRYSTAL CLEAR, as is the audio! There's a night vision mode so that if your doorbell is mounted in a spot not lighted at night, you can still see the person whose at your door!

Now the downside is that the doorbell is battery operated with a rechargable battery, it will come partially charged but you will NEED TO CHARGE IT FULLY BEFORE USING FOR THE FIRST TIME. It took about 7hrs to charge initially and i just went to bed and installed the battery the following day. I've read that there is an A/C adapter sold online so you could theoretically "hardwire" it in if your someone like me living in an apartment and that would make the battery inside become a backup battery. You CAN use this with your existing doorbell configuration. It came with all the tools and things needed to install.

The best part is that should your RING device get stolen, as long as you notified the police and have a police report and submit a claim to RING, they'll replace the device free of charge.

All in: It's a wonderful device, I installed it and it works as it supposed to. It does freak some people out because they're not expecting someone to respond from the doorbell and most don't even know there's A/V capabilities if it's like a delivery person, but, I've told them about the doorbell and they thought it was the coolest thing ever. It was easy install for me, the app is free and within the app you can also become part of a community watch where you can share videos and other RING users can do the same and then you can of course, be on the lookout when suspicious stuff goes down.

Definitely worth the money and I refuse to return it. I've had it for roughly a month now and I have no issues.

2 people found this helpful

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Patilu

Works as promised, but app needs a critical tweek

Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

We are very satisfied with our Ring 2 doorbell. We wanted protection as some of our neighbors have experienced vandalism and also because we have many packages deliveries to our front porch. We think the ring will act as a deterrent and as evidence in case of crime. A neighbor showed me video from their Ring camera and it sounded like something that would fit our needs.

The Amazon's online offer to find someone to install the Ring and schedule the installation was instrumental in our decision to go ahead with our purchase of the Ring. We wanted to wire the Ring into our electrical system but were concerned that it could be difficult to find someone in our rural area who had experience installing and setting up the Ring. Amazon arranged for prompt installation at a reasonable price. The tech who did the installation was clearly experienced with the process and when he left our house the Ring was installed, I had downloaded the app on my phone, he had demonstrated how the ring works and I had given it a test drive. It was money well-spent.

We seperately purchased an Echo Spot, which has a small screen. When we are at home we can view the front door area and hear and speak to visitors without having to find the smartphone and access the Ring app. We just say "Alexa, show me the front door" and we are almost instantly looking at the front door area. We speak to the Echo and visitors hear us on the porch and we hear visitors through the Echo. The sound on the porch and in the house is crystal clear.
The Ring app announces through our Echoes (and smartphone) that there is motion in front of the house or that someone has rung our bell. The Ring2 doorbell works just like a regular doorbell in that it chimes when someone pushes it. We had the Ring 2 wired in because we didn't want to lose doorbell function if our wireless went down. We also didn't want to deal with recharging the batteries of the doorbell.
Things to consider:
Camera angle - Our Ring was installed with one wedge behind it which tilts the camera in the doorbell slightly down. However, it is not tilted down enough for me to view the porch floor where delivery people usually leave packages. I would like to be able to view that area on the Spot instead of having to open the door and look out if I'm home. I also can't see the packages through the app if I'm away from home. There was a second wedge in the ring package that was not installed. I okayed the camera view with tech, so that's on me. I just didn't realize there was a problem until after he was gone. To install additional wedge(s) we will have to have someone detach and rewire our Ring doorbell.

I've since learned you can also purchase Ring wedge packages on Amazon with 3 wedges so you can experiment with 1,2, or 3 wedges to be sure you are capturing the area you want at the time you install your doorbell. The wedges can also help you eliminate or reduce triggers that cause a motion alert like cars just driving by your home. There are settings in the app to help pinpoint the area you want to monitor, but being able to physically adjust the camera angle helps, too.

Insets and offsets limit camera view -If you have an inset entry to your front door (or other insets or offsets on the side of your house where the Ring is installed) the camera view can be limited by the walls of the inset or offset. It will not be the expansive view of your driveway and front yard that it would be if your door, doorbell , and home design are all flush. We do have a slightly inset front door (about 4 feet) and no offsets. The walls of the inset somewhat hinder our camera view. Through the app we can see the half of our driveway closest to the street and about 2/3 of our front yard, as well as the small porch/front door area. We cannot see any area up close up to our house except for the walls of the inset/porch area and a short section of sidewalk directly in front of the door. You may want to consider additional Ring cameras if the camera view from the doorbell is not expansive enough to meet your needs.

Using Ring app on the phone: the app is user friendly, but does not have a setting to repeat notification sound. If you don't hear that that one notification or see the simultaneous popup on your screen indicating that there has been motion or that doorbell has been rung at your house, you won't know about it until the next time you look at your phone. I think home safety is of critical importance like phone calls and messages and should most certainly have the repeated notification capability of those other apps.

Video quality: Live and saved daytime video from Ring camera is very clear on my Samsung s9. At night the entryway/door area is also very clear but the dark yard and driveway in the distance look like smoke that's pixelating. I think this is because we have a dawn to dusk light near the doorbell camera. I've seen my neighbor's night video from a Ring camera that isn't right near a bright light and the quality is excellent.

Saving video of motion and doorbell rings- The saved video is very user-friendly to access and view through the app. You do have to pay $30 a year to save your video after the 30 day free trial that comes with the Ring 2. If you don't pay, you will only be able to view what the camera sees in real time. If you add additional cameras, there is a different payment package if you want to save video from all of your cameras.

Too many motion detection notifications - It might become wearying to hear repeated notifications if you have lots of traffic in and out of the door with the Ring doorbell. You can snooze the notifications for fixed periods of time and turn motion notification off through the app and it's easy to do.

We are happy with Ring 2 with qualification that we also purchased the Echo Spot to coordinate with it.It is very consistent in notifying us of motion and doorbell rings. I gave the Ring2 4 stars instead of 5 because there isn't the option in the app to repeat notifications. For me that severely limits the most critical use of the app when I'm away from home, which is to notify me (more than once if necessary) of activity around my home in as timely a manner as possible.

3 people found this helpful

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suz702

Flawless

Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

I was a little apprehensive about a couple of things. Was this really a worthy investment, when I actually don't get many uninvited visitors at my door, and mostly deliveries? I already have an alarm system, and security door. Yet, I am gone most of the day, so being able to see what's going on at my door makes sense. My other concern is that my porch has an enclosure and the doorbell does not face front, there is a walkway from the street to my front door, which is a little secluded, and I face my neighbors home, in a Townhome community. Ok, let me dispell a couple things that may have prevented me from purchasing this. I read that with the Ring Doorbell 2, you will receive mounting wedges that will widen your viewing angle in instances where your porch is enclosed like mine. When I was installing mine, I tested the angle before the actual install, with the wedge and then flush to the wall. The difference was barely noticeable! This has an Incredible wide angle lens that captured the walkway around the enclosure wall just fine. So I did the flush mount. Also, it is suggested that you mount the doorbell no more than 4ft off the ground, and there is a wedge that you can install to point the camera in more of a downward direction. Again, I did not find that to be necessary. My existing doorbell was probably 5 ft off the ground and it didn't make much difference in the viewing angle, but I suppose if you want to see packages on your porch, you may want to consider this. I did not use it.
One bonus for my neighbor, since we share the same walk way, I can see people approaching their door too, so if anything ever happens over there, I can share video that I have.
The install was very easy. The app was a no nonsense install but you must operate it on a 2.4G band WIFI. I have a dual band router with 2.4 and 5G You then must go into your router set-up and disable the 5gh. It is simple to do, and does not effect the quality of your WIFI signal to any of your other devices in any way. Okay, now, if you are getting bad or choppie reception from your Ring Doorbell, the company advises that you spend another 50.00 (49.99) to buy a chime extender.....um, how bout NO! Listen folks, you can buy their version and it will play chime tones if your Ring Doorbell is not hard wired to your exiting doorbell, but if it is, you don't need it. ANY WIFI EXTENDER WILL WORK. I already had a TP-Link WIFI extender that I bought a couple years ago, and it works just fine, my cost then 19.99, the cost today on Amazon, 19.99. Up to you if you want to save 30.00. Another concern was my metal Security Door, interfering with the WIFI signal. It seemed to. I put the WIFI extender in the closest electrical outlet to my doorbell, and PROBLEM SOLVED!
Do you need the Ring Cloud service at 3.00 a month or 30.00 a year? That again is up to you. But you can save and share a video to your email without cloud service.
Let me mention the installation one more time. I hardwired mine to the existing doorbell wires <simple> they tell you to turn the power to the doorbell off at the breaker. I didn't, nothing happened. But again, do what they say, not what I say! I installed on stucco, again, simple, but you are gonna want to use a smaller drill bit. The whole install is easy as pie!
Overall, I am really impressed with this product. The 1080 camera is crisp and lifelike!
Is it worth 199.00?? The Jury is still out on that! Seriously, you can now purchase 1080 survalence camera's for inside your house that are FINE products, for about 79.00, and that includes a free app that does pretty much the same thing as the Ring app. So while I think the Ring Doorbell 2 could be priced more around the 99.00 range and that would be more realistic, I can understand why the creator of this product wants to milk the profits, he came up with a damn good idea! Still, after the novelty wears off, the price should come down.

58 people found this helpful

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Particular person

Summary of some useful user questions

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

Here is some of the information I was looking for before I purchased this Ring Video Doorbell 2. So far it has exceeded my expectations.

This doorbell records for about 30 sec and is activated in one of three ways: by pressing the ring button, having motion, or pressing "live view" from your phone. It stores this video to a Ring Cloud using a good WiFi connection to the device. From the Ring app on my iphone I can select any one of these videos to see. My wife's phone was set up as a shared user so she can see the videos also, from anywhere there is WiFi or a good cellular connection. My minipad has the Ring app so it gets all the same information my iphone gets. My iphone or minipad can delete files, but my wife's phone can't (I assume because she is a shared user.) All of these devices can hear and speak to the ring doorbell when activated.
This model uses existing 12 v AC wires from the old doorbell transformer. This keeps the battery charged and pressing the Ring door bell also activates my house door bell just as the old button did.
The motion sensor always activates before anyone can get close enough to push the doorbell. I can set the radius of sensing somewhere between 6 ft to 30 ft. About 15 ft has worked well so far. In addition there are pie-shaped motion sensing zones. My door bell is corner mounted with one vertical wedge to aim the camera more towards the front. Because of this aim direction, one motion zone closest to the corner was set inactive.
It will pick up night images from near total darkness, but images are not as good as in daylight. Camera was mounted 48 inches high as recommended. Try to avoid light sources that might shine directly into the camera if you want highest quality images. I plan to add the Ring Cloud package for $3 per month that lets my images stay stored for a month or so.
If you are away from home and not in a good WiFi zone, I think obtaining a immediate live image would be difficult. However, if a live image was previously stored, you would probably be able to view it with a good cellular connection.
I installed the doorbell one week ago and so far It has worked very well.

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motees

So far, so good

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

Well, after trying and failing to install my Skybell, which I bought and used successfully in Holland, I thought I’d give Ring 2 a try. Glad I did. Fairly easy to install, replacing my existing 18V doorbell button. Installed the resistor to get my digital doorbell to ring properly; OK. Both my regular doorbell and the Ring 2 doorbell ring fine when the button is pushed. Installed the angle wedge with the thickest part at the bottom so my low wall positioned Ring 2 tilts up a bit; nice. Tip: watch the Installation Videos, located in the app wheel menu, before installing for clarifications.

With the set screw on the bottom, it would not be easy to pull device off wall; but it would be easy to smash the device off the wall with a hammer.

I subscribed to the $30/year subscription so my videos (rings, motion and Live Views) would all be saved at the Ring cloud service (good for security) and my Ring 2 would be replaced if it is stolen; a very reasonable fee.

I really like the Live View feature, allowing me to see my front door area from anywhere in the world that I have internet access. Being able to listen and talk is a really great feature—-in fact, one big reason I bought it. Sound quality is adequate. I had hoped I could turn off the Live View and just easily activate it whenever I needed it, especially remotely by cell access, but this is not possible: when you try to turn Live View on, a message appears saying that “Live View will be enabled after your next motion event.” So I just always leave it on now,

Motion detection with iPhone message alerts is great, with nearby wifi, or remote cell.

The image quality is very good in the daylight; fair at night. I thought it would be better though. The image is a bit dark at night even with 3 porch lights on. There should be a way to adjust the brightness.

I had a concern in the first few days with the battery level dropping about 1% per day, and never increasing—-even though it is hard-wired. Maybe I should have followed the recommendation to fully charge the battery first. So I did that, and the battery level still kept droppng for about 4 days and then it finally started to increase (for the first time) and has stayed at 99-100% ever since. Seems OK now.

I bought and installed 2 wireless Chimes (tech support corrected advised me that I did not need the extender feature of the Chime Pro); one for downstairs and one for the basement. Fairly easy to link both to the Ring 2. The Chimes can also be programed with different alert sounds, both ring and motion. So, I have 6 different ring sounds for Ring 2 and the 2 Chimes (ring and motion for each). Volume can also be adjusted for all 3 separately; very handy. And there are snooze options for doorbell and chimes, though unlikely I will use those much.

Not surprising, I am quite glad I bought this Doorbell 2. I can now answer my doorbell remotely if I want to, communicate, and monitor my front porch live and with alerts. Suits me. Overall, better than I thought it would be, and no significant problems. So, 5 stars.

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All9

When I received the Ring I felt it just seemed to be a superior product with improved app and multiple customizable options

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018

Verified Purchase

I originally purchased a Skybell HD and spent 3 or 4 days trying to set it up. Not sure if the Wifi just couldn't reach the front door or it was just a faulty unit--I called Skybell support and after failing to get it working with tons of troubleshooting including using my cell as wifi hotspot, just sent it back. When I received the Ring I felt it just seemed to be a superior product with improved app and multiple customizable options. I never had the original Ring doorbell, but it seems they took many of the issues from the initial iteration and improved upon it. The ease at removing the battery is a much needed upgrade from the pain of the original if you did not have it wired to keep a charge. Greatly appreciate how all the hardware and mounting options are included in the kit for many front door setups--I use the supplied wedge as the doorbell is to the side of the door and have perfect view of full area in front of the door.. Although an added expense, the Ring Chime Pro extender is a nice option easily implemented to extend the wifi signal to the device. Setup was such a breeze of both Ring and Chime Pro and better than other devices I have setup. The Skybell HD does not have a similar easily implemented solution to extend wifi--they recommend setting up an extender, putting router closer, etc., but would require networking experience. The Chime Pro is simple plug and play and easier for the masses to implement. With the Chime Pro--I get almost immediate Live View. Performance is reliable. Video for the most part is good--sometimes during live View is pixelated and with bright sun beyond my shaded porch makes it hard to perceive details. Appreciate the ability to have the App on the Windows 10 computer and can be notified and view front door and communicate via my office! I have a wired doorbell and it does a decent job maintaining the charge on the battery. If I had a battery setup--with how much those at my house use it as a toy right now--probably would be expended quickly. However, you can get a $29 battery from ring.com to easily switch out if not wired. Initially I was concerned with motion detection and had some false alarms from the cars passing in the street--however changing the sensing zones to just be the periphery and tweaking it seems I have pretty much zero false alarms with current setup. It is pretty reliable and can capture clip as soon as motion is detected which is useful as a security product. I read reviews of Skybell HD and noticed many had issues with delayed video starting after motion. I just think having an internal battery allows for improved and reliable performance of the device. For this reason and others I chose this over Ring Pro. Ring Pro would have had me change my doorbell system from a 10VAC to a 16VAC which would imply probably new transformer and/or doorbell. This was just a much better option as it works with any standard AC doorbell setup from something like 8-24VAC. Overall-excellent product and would recommend.

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Baseballman86

I love the concept of this product

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

Pros:
I love the concept of this product, and it is extremely useful and reassuring as a homeowner. The design of the product is sleek and attractive and the user interface of the app is very easy to learn and navigate. That said, this product has one annoying flaw, and it's really more of a ripoff than a flaw.

Cons
Once your trial of ring video recording ends, you can no longer access past events without a paid subscription. That's not such a big deal until you realize what counts as a "recent event". If you don't press the button within about 5 seconds of getting a motion alert, you missed your shot and now it's a past event. Say the UPS guy comes, presses the doorbell and walks off immediately. Your phone properly notifies you that somebody is at your door, but you've got something in your hands, or your phone is in your pocket or any other distraction is going on that takes 5 seconds to finish. By the time you hit the notification banner and go into the app, it will take you to a screen that says you need a paid subscription to see past events. Earlier today I got a notification WHILE holding my phone, clicked it immediately, but the live video loaded slowly and by the time it did load, the "event" was considered done and it took me to the screen saying I needed to pay. I have no problem paying to record everything and be able to pull up events from hours, days or weeks ago, but needing to pay because 5 seconds went by and the app loaded slowly is a rip-off. This is a $200 item which replaces a $5 hardware store doorbell, and the ONE thing it's supposed to do (show you live video of rings or motion events at your door) doesn't work about half the time without paying extra. There needs to be about a 30 second window at minimum where you can see what's going on without having to pay extra.

When I contacted customer service about this, they were friendly and helpful, but ultimately only gave me one extra month free trial, which has since expired and doesn't fix the problem. This is a product flaw. Be aware that if you want this to work properly, you're going to need to sign up for an ongoing subscription. To work as advertised, this is really a $200 doorbell with a $30 yearly subscription fee.

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Michael J. McKenzie

Good device for beginner security

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

I wanted to start my security with a live view camera doorbell. The Ring video doorbell 2 had great reviews, so I decided to give it a whirl. Here are the pros and cons of the Ring doorbell.

My system is not a wired one so I had to use the battery pack. Ring says the batteries come between 50% and 75% charged, but I had to charge the battery overnight before I got the indicator that the battery was fully charged. The package comes with a USB to micro USB charger.

Installation was pretty straightforward. Everything you should need is in the package. You may need to use a drill if you have concrete, stone, or wood backings. It comes with a handy level that you can install temporarily to ensure you get a level doorbell. It also comes with wedges if you need to angle your doorbell in a different direction. This comes in handy if you have stairs, a hill, or are close to a road.

Installation probably took about 30 minutes, but hats because I had a few obstacles to overcome with my doorframe. Application installation only took a few minutes and after the software was updated (which took about 1 minute) the Ring was ready to use. If you do need to use the battery be sure to install the safety screw in the bottom. Again, the screwdriver and specialty driver come with the package. And if anyone tries to steal your Ring doorbell, Ring says they will replace it for free within the first year. Hopefully you’ll get the video of someone stealing it.

For the iPhone, the app is really user friendly. It takes about 5 or so seconds to pull up the live view but every other feature is instantaneous. Adding other Ring devices is also painless and easy through the app. Another great feature is that it is Alexa capable. So depending on your preferences, you can have Alexa let you know when someone’s at the door or you can do it through the phone notification or you can do it through both.

The ring doorbell 2 touts a 1080p video, but this is only if the WiFi it connects to is strong. Ring has a level system to indicate WiFi strength. -99 is the worst WiFi strength and I suppose -0 is the best.

My living room is essentially in the backside of the house whereas the front door is obviously in front. When I was first installing the doorbell my wife tried the intercom system. She came through broken and choppy and it was hard to hear her. As well, the video doesn’t seem to be 1080p. The first two pics I attached are pre- Chime WiFi extender and the second set is after the WiFi extender. This increased my WiFi level from -62 to -53. I’ve tried the WiFi extender in various outlets and the results are pretty much the same. I’ll provide a review for the Chime and WiFi extender in its own area.

It has made it easier to hear and speak through the two way speaker system, but the video quality is still nominal at best. A cool feature is if you use the live view system you can zoom in and out. However, if the video quality isn’t that great, you’re not getting much detail to the zoom.

The Ring doorbell does have a lot of neat features like a variety of different rings. The one feature you’ll have to play with most to your preferences is the motion settings. You can increase or decrease the motion ranges as well as turning on or off 1 of 3 preset areas (left, middle, right). See pictures.

I also have my live view available which Ring says depletes the battery faster. After about a week of toying around with it, the battery level dropped from 97% to 85%. So we’ll see how long this thing lasts. I’ll provide an update to the full length of battery life.

After you register your device you’ll have 30 days of free subscription service. This means all the videos your Ring captures will be available to you. I’m still within the first 30 days myself, so I’m not sure if what is captured will be saved on my device or not, but I’ll post an update when that happens. On the bright side though, for only $30 a year you can pay for the subscription, which is ridiculously cheaper than other products.

All in all, for the price point, features, and quality, I am giving the Ring doorbell 2 four stars. This means if I ever need to replace it, I might look somewhere else if something new comes on the market, otherwise I’ll be getting the Ring again.

Update: with average usage, the battery lasted 10 weeks before needing a recharge.

261 people found this helpful

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