Screen visitors to your home
YOU CAN SET THE DISTANCE FROM YOUR DOOR AS ACTIVE ZONE
If you’re out when someone calls, use your smartphone to see and speak to them
Ring Video Doorbell From €199
★★★★★
Like so many people, I’ve got stuck into some DIY during the lockdowns. The painting’s done, so I’ve now turned my attention to installing any tech that I can that makes life a little easier at home.
Now owned by Amazon, Ring’s new Video Doorbell 3 is the device I chose. Inside the box are the doorbell, a battery and an alternate colour face-plate. There is also a large collection of screws for fitting and a couple of mounting wedges. The wedges let you angle the bell camera so you get the best possible picture.
The Ring is fitted like a traditional doorbell, connecting it to your home’s mains power via the old doorbell’s wiring. This new Ring also comes with an internal battery, which allows for flexibility in how it’s installed.
Once fitted, setting up the Ring using its smartphone app is straightforward but you have extensive customisation options that are really worthwhile taking time over.
Firstly, you can set the distance from your door that is an active zone. This means, if you live close to a street, you can set a low distance, five to 15 feet (around five metres), so passing cars don’t keep activating the doorbell.
However, if you have a longer driveway, you can set the Ring to start monitoring from 30 feet
(around ten metres) or more.
There is also a Motion Zone feature that you can set up.
This allows you to detect activity in specific areas in front of your door that you want to monitor, while ignoring others. In practice, this means you can avoid a busy street in the background, or perhaps even just ignore a windchime on your porch.
Once installed, you have control over what notifications or alerts you get. When someone comes close to your door or presses the bell, you can use your phone to see a live view of your visitor. That video is 1080p HD and there is a two-way talk facility so you can hear them, and respond.
If you have a smart home assistant like Google Home or Alexa, you can integrate the Ring in your home set-up.
For instance, using an Alexa device with a screen, you can simply say, ‘Alexa, show me the porch’, and the video feed will be displayed on your Alexa device or compatible TV.
Also, if you’re away from home when someone calls, your smartphone will allow you to see and speak to the visitor as easily as if you had your feet up in the living room.
While the Ring is a neat, and well-made device, it is a little on the big side.
However, that’s understandable given that it’s now fitted with the quick-release battery pack.
Also, it’s now compatible with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz networks and that’s important as we add more smart devices to our home networks.
Easily fitted, it works with Alexa and its night-vision capability makes it a worthwhile addition to any home where both security and convenience are of paramount concern.