Ring Video Doorbell 2

Can you point the save feature to a local server or your own cloud storage?

Can you point the save feature to a local server or your own cloud storage?

There’s no factory option for this. I’m guessing it would take enough effort to make it work that you’d be better off just building your own pi-based doorbell camera from scratch.

.

1 Like

Question 1: I have a network attached storage (NAS) box on my home network where I keep my computer back-ups, movies, music, etc. If I decide to get one, the Ring will be on the same network at my home. Is it possible to use my NAS to store whatever the Ring records instead of using their cloud storage plan that I don’t want to pay for?

Question 2: If the answer to #1 above is NO, then is it possible to use one of my existing online storage services (such as Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, etc.) to store/review whatever the Ring records?

Thanks for any help.

No you cannot use local or cloud storage other than what is offered by Ring.

1 Like

This is a really good deal. Costco has them but IIRC they are like $180 but they include the WiFi extender / chime which runs $40 on Amazon. Amazon had them on sale with the chime but it was $170. I’m tempted to buy this for our back door.

About a month ago I got this from an Amazon Warehouse sale and it ended up costing me about $54. I wasn’t sure what I would receive, but I got a brand new Ring Doorbell 2 in a box that was slightly damaged. It took me about 30 minutes to set it up (I use battery vs hardwire) and get it online. There has been some tweaking, especially to get the motion zones where I want them so that every car that passes my house doesn’t give me a motion alert.

After registering the item with Ring they sent me a deal for $30/year service as mentioned above. I went with it and will not be charged until my free year expires.

While my experience with the Ring Doorbell 2 has been positive especially at the good price I received I cannot say the same about the Ring Chime that has been hard to set up and keep online.

2 Likes

it would be great if you didnt have to buy their monthly plan at $3 a month. Its not a lot of money, but there really is no reason it could not be saving locally. Screwing customers like that bothers me enough to pass and get something else.

I dont change my doorbell often ever so whatever I get, I’m planning for around a 10-year total cost of ownership which puts this at $430

3 Likes

It has a backing that screws into the wall (or in place of the old doorbell). The unit screws into the backing and is very firm. It charges from either the current wires from the old doorbell, or you can unscrew the unit and charge it with a USB cable every couple of days. You can also get an external solar charger (I use one for my Ring camera on my garage).

Is this a stand-alone device? No need to have any other hardware (except wifi router)?

I learned the hard way after buying a refurbished Ring doorbell from Woot - Even if you buy the full Ring plan they will NOT support nor cover under any warranty the Ring product purchased from Woot. My doorbell died after a month and Ring would only give me a discount code off of a full price original Ring doorbell from their website.
Buy from an authorized Ring reseller!

3 Likes

I find it funny that Woot is not an authorized Ring reseller, being that they’re both child companies of the mothership.

2 Likes

Very rarely has woot, like any other liquidator, ever sold new products. The only change to the business model would be if they started doing so regularly.

Correct. You may need a smart phone to get the Ring App to set it up (had to with the Nest) but otherwise you’re good to go.

I hear you on this but I get it from a security stand point. Most consumers aren’t tech savvy especially when it comes to locking down IOT devices. Imagine the backlash a company would get if “ZOMG YOUR DOOR BELL CAMERA CAN GET HACKED” hit the news but really it’s the user’s fault because they didn’t setup security right?

But I completely get it from a consumer standpoint. A door bell is generally a buy it and forget it kind of purchase. The thought of having to pay a subscription for a doorbell is ludicrous. But you’re not paying a subscription for JUST a doorbell. You’re essentially pay for security camera that happens to be a doorbell as well. The subscription makes sense then.

Sure, there are plenty of other options for WiFi enable cameras, indoor/outdoor, with local/cloud storage that the user can setup. If you don’t want to pay for the subscription then you’d be better off setting up one of these locally and that’s only if you have the know-how to do that. For the convenience factor the $3 is worth it. And that’s only if you want to save clips.

Does the camera become useless if you don’t have the ability to save clips? Depends on what level of security you want. If you just want a camera as a deterrent or to see live video when things happen within view, then don’t get the subscription. If you want some peace of mind that if something does happen you can grab video from the camera then you have to figure out if that’s worth $3 a month.

1 Like

Might want to consider getting a Blink security camera instead. I have one I paid $60 for during an Amazon sale. Have it mounted near the ceiling of my front porch that pans the front door. Blink gives you 2 gigs of free storage. When you use the full 2 gigs, the oldest clip is over written. Like the Ring device, you get an alert on your cellphone. You can also hardwire the a Blink camera so it doesn’t run on batteries.

1 Like

Hi there. We are an authorized reseller. Sometimes Amazon reps don’t know Woot though. You might point us out at the bottom of the Amazon page with the other subsidiaries.

If all else fails, reach out to Woot customer support for help. Explain what you’ve tried. From a browser, use the Woot Customer Service form. In the Woot App, choose Account from the bottom navigation and then Support.

7 Likes

If you register the camera on the Ring website, and it gets stolen, you can report it to Ring. Next time that doorbell is registered on their site, it is flagged and action can be taken against the thief. Very little can be done with these doorbells if they are not registered on the Ring website.

1 Like

If I install this hardwired will it still trigger my inside digital chime that my current doorbell uses or only the phone/app?

1 Like

I bought one of these last time Woot had them, and the battery doesn’t last more than a few hours. If you have the ability to hardware, I recommend it.

If I install this hardwired will it still trigger my inside digital chime that my current doorbell uses or only the phone/app?

Yes, hardwiring it will ring your existing indoor chime as well.

The lack of local storage has kept me away from these. I have a few Yi cameras around my house on windowsills looking outward. They each have a micro sd card inside so even without wifi they record locally. App use is free but they offer subscription based cloud back up. However, since you can view and save to your phone/PC for free and it’s saved locally I haven’t seen a need. I do believe Yi are based out of China and you have to give access to your devices and network but what isn’t these days?

EDIT: edited to clarify i meant Yi are out of China.