It's really important to keep a strong Wi-Fi connection for getting the best out of your Ring doorbell. A good internet connection makes the doorbell work much better. The Ring doorbell is special compared to lots of other smart home gadgets because it's super easy to set up.
In this article, we have compiled all the necessary information to get you started on resolving your Ring doorbell’s connectivity issues.
Do You Need Wi-Fi to Use a Ring Doorbell?
Ring doorbells are different from conventional doorbells in the following ways:
- A Ring doorbell starts recording video footage as soon as someone presses the doorbell button.
- It notifies you via the smartphone app, no matter where you are.
- You can respond to a visitor through your smartphone.
- You can set it up to start recording whenever it detects movement in its line of sight.
- You can configure it to take photos throughout the day, in specified intervals.
- You can share access with other users, such as family members and relatives.
To be able to access all these innovative features, the Ring doorbell needs to have a stable Wi-Fi connection. It needs to connect to the cloud servers – provided by Ring – to store photos and videos, and it needs to access your Wi-Fi to be able to interface with your smartphone device.
Even if you don't subscribe to a monthly “Ring Protect Plan” – a cloud storage feature where you will be able to store photos and videos – you will still need Wi-Fi to view the camera or respond to the doorbell via your smartphone.
Without connecting to a Wi-Fi network, the Ring doorbell becomes obsolete. Not even the “Chime” gadget provided by Ring will work without Wi-Fi. This information is not to be confused with a conventional mechanical/digital chime that uses the electrical supply to operate.
Therefore, Wi-Fi is an absolute necessity if you want to take full advantage of all the features the Ring doorbell has to offer.
How Ring Doorbells Work
A Ring doorbell provides a lot of features and functionality, making it simple to use while adding an extra layer of security to your home at the same time.
As we have mentioned before, there are a lot of advantages to video doorbells when compared to conventional doorbells out there. In this section, we are going to show you how a Ring doorbell manages to perform one of its most primary functions.
When a visitor presses the button on your Ring doorbell, it notifies the Ring app, and in turn, the app notifies your smartphone.
You can use the doorbell’s camera to see who is at your front door. You can even communicate with them in real-time and choose to let them in or turn them away.
Another great feature is that you can set up the Ring doorbell to be fully wireless. You can use rechargeable batteries to provide power and Wi-Fi to connect to the internet without using LAN cables.
With all of the above information in mind, we hope you now have an idea of why Wi-Fi is essential for our Ring doorbells to work.
However, if you are not yet convinced, our next section – on how essential a Wi-Fi network is – might be able to hook you in.
The Benefits of Having a Wi-Fi Connection
A Wi-Fi connection is essential if you want to utilize the full capabilities of a Ring doorbell. It will help you connect your Ring doorbell to the internet and allow you access no matter where you are in the world.
Wi-Fi networks have pioneered the smart device revolution making any electronic aid easy to install and set up within minutes.
Moreover, it's easy to add new users as it only takes no more than a minute to get a new user added to a Wi-Fi network. They just simply need to know the Wi-Fi name and password.
With Wi-Fi, you won't have to wire LAN cables everywhere inside the house just so that each room will have access to the LAN. You can set up a router or hotspot in one place and let the radio waves cover every part of the house.
If the Wi-Fi source cannot provide full coverage, you can use Wi-Fi extenders to increase its range and ensure that all the necessary devices in your house get a strong Wi-Fi signal.
How a Ring Doorbell Functions without an Internet Connection
Without a Wi-Fi connection, the Ring doorbell cannot access the Ring servers on the cloud. When this happens, it cannot notify you via the Ring app whenever somebody is at the door.
Fortunately, if your Ring doorbell is hardwired on top of the previous doorbell wiring, it will still be able to use the mechanical/digital chime inside your house. This way, whenever somebody presses the button, the chime will work regardless of whether it is connected to the Wi-Fi.
This is the only feature that works on a Ring doorbell when it doesn't have a Wi-Fi connection. So, if you don't have Wi-Fi on a wireless Ring doorbell, then it's just going to be a fancy brick on your front door.
Without Wi-Fi, almost all of the Ring doorbell’s features will be unavailable – except for the snapshot feature. You will not be notified via the Ring app (with the only notification being that the Ring doorbell is lacking a Wi-Fi connection) and it will not be able to provide you with a live video feed.
On top of that, it won't be able to record videos and upload them to the cloud servers. Therefore, using a Ring doorbell without Wi-Fi poses a potential security risk.
Ways to Connect a Ring Doorbell without a Wi-Fi Connection
If you are wondering whether there are any alternatives to using Wi-Fi, the answer is yes! Unfortunately, they won't be as cost-efficient or feature-packed.
It may not be very straightforward, but you can still use your Ring doorbell without Wi-Fi.
PoE Adapter: If you've already got a LAN network setup, you can easily use a PoE adapter to provide your Ring doorbell with power and network connectivity using the same cable. Unfortunately, this PoE adapter is only compatible with the Video Doorbell Elite model. Furthermore, there is a significant amount of work involved when installing this model as you have to run cables and drill out a hole the size of the doorbell.
SD Card: If you don't want to use Wi-Fi or LAN networks, you can opt for a video doorbell that records and stores its data locally inside an SD card. Unfortunately, Ring doesn't make it easy for consumers looking for a local storage option such as this. The only situation where you can use an SD card to record footage is with the help of Ring’s Alarm Pro kit. It’s a premium product and storage plans cost extra through their Protect Plus plan.
Wi-Fi Hotspot: Another solution is to use a portable 4G LTE hotspot and let it provide Wi-Fi for the Ring doorbell. The drawback is that these hotspot devices use a cellular connection, which can be expensive and slower than stable Wi-Fi connections.
How to Connect a Ring Doorbell to Your Wi-Fi
With that in mind, you ought to use Wi-Fi when setting up your Ring doorbell.
It’s a fairly straightforward process and avoids you having to purchase extra options to operate your device.
In this guide, we will show you how to connect your Ring doorbell to your Wi-Fi network.
- First, install the Ring doorbell and set it to “Setup Mode”.
- After that, open the Ring app and tap on the upper left menu icon.
- Tap on “Doorbells” and scan the QR code on the Ring doorbell.
- Set up the home address where the Ring doorbell is fixed.
- Follow the onscreen instructions and verify the device name – it's the MAC address shown near the QR code/barcode.
- After that, it will ask you to access a Wi-Fi network, choose your network and enter the Wi-Fi password.
Tips for Reconnecting Your Ring Doorbell's Wi-Fi Connection
You may have some concerns regarding the Wi-Fi connectivity of your Ring doorbell. Therefore, we’ve done all the leg work to answer any queries you might have about connecting your device to a Wi-Fi network.
Will the Ring Doorbell Work without Wi-Fi?
In most models, the primary features will not work. These include push notifications, automatic video recording, and the live feed. However, the doorbell will still ring if you've hardwired it.
How Do I Check the Wi-Fi Status on My Ring Doorbell?
It's very simple to check the status of your Ring doorbell. All you have to do is access the app, select your doorbell, and tap on “Device Health”. A menu will pop up with information relating to your Wi-Fi signal.
How Can I Improve the Wi-Fi Range?
There are several things you can do to improve the coverage. You can switch to 2.4 GHz (if you've been using it at 5 GHz), use a third-party Wi-Fi extender, or buy a Ring Chime, which acts as a Chime for your Ring doorbell while also doubling as a Wi-Fi extender.
How Much Data Will the Doorbell Consume?
Data consumption primarily depends on how frequently the Ring doorbell uploads videos to the Ring server – if you use the Ring Protect Plan. To be safe, getting a network package with a data range of 50GB-300GB will be more than enough to cover the Ring doorbell and all the other devices in your house.
The Verdict
In conclusion, a Wi-Fi connection is vital for a Ring video doorbell to perform its most primary tasks. Most of the doorbell’s features won’t work without it unless it has an existing hard-wired connection.
Connecting your Ring doorbell to Wi-Fi is a simple task that only takes a few minutes. Once that is done, you can enjoy the added security that video doorbells provide your home. With that, if you ever wonder about do you need a Wi-Fi connection to use a Ring Doorbell – it’s a definitive yes.