Ring Doorbell Cons
Video doorbells are a great addition to home security, and Ring is the popular choice for many who prefer wireless security. Although there are some pros to the Ring Doorbell, it has some cons you should be aware of before purchasing from Ring.
Monthly Fee for Storage
The cheapest Ring doorbell is $59.99, with the following model at $99.00. While it’s not required, if you want the video stored in the cloud, you’ll have to pay for Ring’s Protect Plan, ranging from an additional $3-10 per month. Without it, you’ll be unable to view any footage more than once. Meanwhile, professionally installed video doorbells such as Skybell come with free cloud storage.
Limited Options
While Ring has some uniquely valuable features like “motion detection zones,” you have no control over the camera recording resolution. As a point of comparison, Skybell allows you to choose either 720 or 1080—the advantage is that you can decide which resolution is best for you. The lower quality can be helpful if you have a slow internet connection that could affect the video latency.
Past Security Issues
Ring has hit some bumps along the way with some surprisingly insecure design flaws. One issue that surfaced revolved around a vulnerability that would allow hackers to access the owner’s Wi-Fi name and password. Removing the doorbell with a screwdriver would reveal an orange button on the back used during the installation; pressing this would put the doorbell into a setup mode that hackers would then be able to exploit. Ring claims to have since solved this problem with a firmware update.
Another security flaw allowed for any user who previously had access to continue to access the video doorbell, even if the owner had changed the password. This flaw is a significant security concern for anyone who wanted to make sure that their ex-partner or former roommate can no longer access their video. Not only would they be able to see the live feed, but they would also be able to download any videos. Ring has tried to resolve this by instructing users never to share passwords but rather to add “Shared Users.” Unfortunately, flaws like this don’t exactly instill confidence in Ring’s ability to provide security.
Other Options on the Market
There are numerous video doorbell options: Ring, Skybell, August, Nest, Vivint, etc. If this is one of your first pieces of security equipment for your home, be sure to consider how you might build upon it. If you think later down the road, you may get a professionally monitored system with door alarms and a central keypad; it may be worth getting the installation done at once, which would cut down on the individual cost for each item. Doing this would guarantee that all pieces work in unison.
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