Video Doorbell

I have been wondering about these wifi doorbell to cell phone connections for a while. Does anybody out there have one? Opinions? Is there another one that you would recommend. This seems to be an ideal solution for, not only security, but those with a long way to the door or those who are physically impaired.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072QLXK2T/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&linkCode=sl1&tag=usatsyndication-20&linkId=4ecd6cfa5b89a2e981181a6fa2a12619

The important thing is to check that the doorbell can connect to your modem via the WIFI. You can check this by taking your tablet or phone to the place your doorbell will be located and see if you still get a WIFI signal. If not, you may need to relocate your modem closer to the front door.

Great idea! Thanks for the tip. I read a few pages of reviews and the info available but didn't find anything about minimum "speed" of connection needed. I will try your idea and continue to read further.

If it is live video then you probably need the same speed as you would for any other streaming site such as Netflix, etc. I consistently get 10MBPS and have no problems with Netflix. I will be interested in hearing your results as I was thinking of getting one myself. Does it also come with a remote bell so you can hear it if you don't carry your cell phone around all the time?

Also I wonder if you can turn the motion sensor part off. In my case I have hundreds of people strolling right past my front door on their way to the LCS everyday and wouldn't want an alert every time someone passes by.

My son, who lives in Vista Alegre on the Libramiento, but is in Hawaii right now, has live streaming through cameras at his house 24/7, so he can see what's going on from anywhere in the world on his Iphone.  I don't know which security system he has but his ISP is through ATT, with very high speed. He travels a lot and it has always worked satisfactorily EXCEPT when there is a power outage and the system has to be rebooted.  That covers doorbells or any other activity around or in the house.  As Bob says, the speed is the important factor.
Bob, what is a remote bell?.....you wouldn't want it "too remote".  

I'd love a bell to not exist at all. My dog barks when the telephone rings and when the doorbell rings. I keep telling her I'm not deaf but she insists on the personal notification. It's almost like she's saying "The door (the phone), The door (the phone) , Answer the damn door (the phone).
Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. I'll get back to you. Have to now go and read the instructions for the pain monitor for the dog that she has to wear until Monday while they figure out the correct dosage of meds. Yes, high tech wifi technology has hit the Vet's office. Incredible.

I currently have an RF doorbell that has two remote bells. One is near my house and the other is about 150 feet further back on the property so I can hear it if we are back in the pool.

A bit of detail but hopefully this is helpful. I have the Ring camera with lights and am very happy with it. I have also just bought a couple of other Ring cameras that don't include the light feature and will be installing them this week - they show an infrared picture at night. I have looked into the Ring doorbell that you are looking at and I have decided to try something else.

On the camera I can set it to detect any motion - or not. I can also get a live view remotely and have just returned from the U.S. where it worked just fine. It can send me a notification - or not. Lots of set up options.

From what I have read you can set the doorbell to alert on any motion OR only when the button is pushed. They also have another device called "Chime" that you can put anywhere in your house that will ring/alert you when someone pushes the button. As mentioned before all of this connects to your WiFi system so distance and speed can be an issue.

The reason I am not going with the doorbell device is that you can only see it on a phone or tablet - Apple or Android. You can't get the Live View on a laptop unless it has Windows 10 and I have not been confident that it can be set up to be continuously connected.

And you have to have the app installed on every device that you want to use to access the device. Not a huge problem and you can install it on a bunch of devices.

You can set it to send you an alert, record the motion, etc. but if you want to see the "live view" you have to open the app, select the device, wait for it to connect and show you the view. Not terribly time consuming but several steps and a small hassle.

The other thing that I have a bit of a problem with is when we are not at home but someone else is. For example our housekeeper. She checks on our house and the dogs when we are not home - including when we are out of town. She has a simple cell phone but not a "smart" phone that could be set up to show the view from the doorbell. We could buy her a new phone - I guess - but that takes me back to the issue of several steps, a little bit of a delay, and a learning curve for her.

Conceptually I really like the idea of the doorbell but I am looking into other options.

The final issue is that it has to be connected to a power source - either connected to your house wiring or to a solar panel (Ring sells a solar panel that works very well). Or take it down periodically to recharge it. Finally, you have to have the doorbell located where people can push it (duh!) which means it "could" be vulnerable to vandalism or theft. For me it is close but no cigar. I may ultimately wind up using the Ring doorbell but right now I am thinking threw a few other options.

Thanks for the detailed report. Answers all my questions.

Yes. Thank you very much for taking the time. I put this on the back burner for now because I'm dealing with other things. In the meantime, if someone is not expected then I simply don't answer the door. Simple... and really cheap. ;)

ferret wrote:Yes. Thank you very much for taking the time. I put this on the back burner for now because I'm dealing with other things. In the meantime, if someone is not expected then I simply don't answer the door. Simple... and really cheap. ;)

Old school, low tech solutions are often the best. I like your answer better than mine!!!

CanuckBob wrote:I currently have an RF doorbell that has two remote bells. One is near my house and the other is about 150 feet further back on the property so I can hear it if we are back in the pool.

Can you tell me what brand your bell is? I'm about 100 feet back from the street with 2 intervening stone walls. Are you satisfied with the operation of your bell?

I bought mine at Steren. It has one battery powered button and two remote wall plug bells. I believe it was Steren's own brand. It works well for me however I don't have any stone walls in the way.