Godbye Ancient Hardwired Alarm System: Hello Ring Wireless

[Toros Cosmicos]

Well all of the devices for our Ring alarm and doorbell arrived. I tore out the old Ademco Vista 20 keypads and siren and patched the holes...ready for paint touch-up. I unplugged the battery backup and cut the AC power going to the main panel. It's dead and so is the ripoff era of exorbitant monthly monitoring costs that he ADTs and local alarm companies have been gouging folks for years. The Ring system is reliable, expandable and you can self-monitor via cell phone or tablet,etc... or pay Amazon $100/year for professional, UL listed monitoring....$80/year if you pay in advance. That includes rolling 60 day video storage of your Ring doorbell video activity.
Self-monitoring likely works for most folks and there is zero data to support that a central station monitored system deters break in or improves the likelihood of apprehensions should one occur. There is the 10% homeowners policy most carriers offer though.
I paid for a complete system and devices for a 2400 sf home, including the video/audio doorbell and a years worth of monitoring for what ADT would charge for 6 months of monitoring alone. Ring alarm is a no brainer.

 

[Rand]

could you link to what you actually bought or provide more details.. maybe a few pics of installation later.

I'm interested but with ring's previous issues being hacked kinda turned me off when I was investigating it last year.

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

could you link to what you actually bought or provide more details.. maybe a few pics of installation later.

I'm interested but with ring's previous issues being hacked kinda turned me off when I was investigating it last year.

The notion of wireless alarms being "hacked" are for 99.999% unfounded. If you're home were the Guggenheim museum, perhaps...but a a 3-4 BR home in the suburbs...no way. I'm a retired cop and former corporate security executive. I trust the Ring system as much as I trusted the hardwired systems I specked(sp?) for corporate facilities and massive retail facilities.
Here's what I bought for our new place:

https://www.costco.com/ring-10-piece-wireless-security-alarm-kit.product.100677650.html

PLUS 1 additional keypad and 2 additional motion detectors Plus the Ring doorbell 2020 version.

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

could you link to what you actually bought or provide more details.. maybe a few pics of installation later.

I'm interested but with ring's previous issues being hacked kinda turned me off when I was investigating it last year.

In fact, in just fetching that link to answer your question,
I see Costco dropped the price I paid for the starter kit by $70 so I submitted an online price adjustment form. Thank you for that, Sir!

 

[Rand]

not the wireless alarm being hacked ring accounts being hacked and other oddities.

here is the first hit that popped up on google. there were plenty of others at the time.
IIRC it has since been fixed.. but it turned me off when I was looking around last Christmas.

Ring security camera hacks see homeowners subjected to racial abuse, ransom demands

Multiple U.S. families have reported incidents of their Ring camera systems being hacked in recent days, raising questions as to whether the systems are allowing hackers

abcnews.go.com

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

not the wireless alarm being hacked ring accounts being hacked and other oddities.

here is the first hit that popped up on google. there were plenty of others at the time.
IIRC it has since been fixed.. but it turned me off when I was looking around last Christmas.

Ring security camera hacks see homeowners subjected to racial abuse, ransom demands

Multiple U.S. families have reported incidents of their Ring camera systems being hacked in recent days, raising questions as to whether the systems are allowing hackers

abcnews.go.com

Even if that were to occur, and I'm sure it's been fixed, Ring is Amazon and it's in their best interests to fix it....but what's the real consequence if it did occur? Certainly not financial, even the privacy issue is inconsequential. Some hacker can see when a UPS guy dropped a package off at a total strangers house? Who cares? In other words, how were the folks harmed in any way because their Ring account was hacked?

 

[JustinH]

We have the kangaroo wireless system.

Some thoughts.

We got the system for free, if we purchased $99 in monitoring for the annual service.

That seemed reasonable. System has one base station, with two door/motion sensors, and one doorbell camera.

Camera has no audio, no two way audio, it only sends screen shots of the person at the door to the app on your phone.

Door sensors run on 2 AA batteries, they seem to wear out every six weeks or so. They usually fail while the system is armed, and if you do not act immediately dispatch will call, then the police will be at the door.

I missed an alarm and the sheriff was at my door in 12 minutes (Thanks Bexar County Sheriff, great job).

Need to add a camera to inside my living room so that I have some way of figuring out if I have a false alarm or not.

Other than that, its a decent system not perfect, but good for the money.

I saved roughly 100 dollars per year on home insurance, so basically its free to me.

 

[CKN]

Even if that were to occur, and I'm sure it's been fixed, Ring is Amazon and it's in their best interests to fix it....but what's the real consequence if it did occur? Certainly not financial, even the privacy issue is inconsequential. Some hacker can see when a UPS guy dropped a package off at a total strangers house? Who cares? In other words, how were the folks harmed in any way because their Ring account was hacked?

I don't get the argument here. Don't get the Ring System because one person was hacked? An alarm system is a good thing-even if has a 1% percent chance it could get hacked by a hacker who isn't good enough to hack something much better................

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

I don't get the argument here. Don't get the Ring System because one person was hacked? An alarm system is a good thing-even if has a 1% percent chance it could get hacked by a hacker who isn't good enough to hack something much better................

Precisely my point. Agree 110%

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

We have the kangaroo wireless system.

Some thoughts.

We got the system for free, if we purchased $99 in monitoring for the annual service.

That seemed reasonable. System has one base station, with two door/motion sensors, and one doorbell camera.

Camera has no audio, no two way audio, it only sends screen shots of the person at the door to the app on your phone.

Door sensors run on 2 AA batteries, they seem to wear out every six weeks or so. They usually fail while the system is armed, and if you do not act immediately dispatch will call, then the police will be at the door.

I missed an alarm and the sheriff was at my door in 12 minutes (Thanks Bexar County Sheriff, great job).

Need to add a camera to inside my living room so that I have some way of figuring out if I have a false alarm or not.

Other than that, its a decent system not perfect, but good for the money.

I saved roughly 100 dollars per year on home insurance, so basically its free to me.

Replacing batteries every 6 weeks seems to be the only negative in your setup. The 2nd generation Ring uses AAs in the motion sensors but 12V L1028s in the contacts. The keypads are rechargeable LIon. Battery usage is minimal.

 

[Rand]

I don't get the argument here. Don't get the Ring System because one person was hacked? An alarm system is a good thing-even if has a 1% percent chance it could get hacked by a hacker who isn't good enough to hack something much better................

Precisely my point. Agree 110%

you both apparently missed my point..
so let me rephrase it:
WHEN I WAS SHOPPING for them last year this was going on and it was widespread not "1 guy was hacked"
which made me lose interest in purchasing this exact system.. vs SimpliSafe
or other competitive products.

So apparently my statement of fact "ring products were being hacked and badly" was construed to mean I was dumping on Ring.
this was not my intention.

I am interested in an alarm again.. and was asking for feedback and details on the ring system the OP purchased... ie Possibly interested in purchasing one.

Does that clarify matters guys?

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

you both apparently missed my point..
so let me rephrase it:
WHEN I WAS SHOPPING for them last year this was going on and it was widespread not "1 guy was hacked"
which made me lose interest in purchasing this exact system.. vs SimpliSafe
or other competitive products.

So apparently my statement of fact "ring products were being hacked and badly" was construed to mean I was dumping on Ring.
this was not my intention.

I am interested in an alarm again.. and was asking for feedback and details on the ring system the OP purchased... ie Possibly interested in purchasing one.

Does that clarify matters guys?

To clarify. The hacking concern is total goofball nonsense. I completed installing the Ring system and it works flawlessly. I went for the 30 days free monitoring deal and will extend it to annual once it expires.

 

[Rand]

To clarify. The hacking concern is total goofball nonsense. I completed installing the Ring system and it works flawlessly. I went for the 30 days free monitoring deal and will extend it to annual once it expires.

I feel like I'm hitting my head on a wall here. I only mentioned the hacking because it was a REAL ISSUE last year.. when I DIDNT buy it.
not sure why you keep bringing it up like its relevant now?

I was looking for feedback because I was considering buying it..
not sure why are you tunnel focusing on saying hacking isnt an issue when no one said it was an issue currently?

 

[Dinoburner]

Have had a Ring video cam monitored by an app for going on 3 years. Son bought it for us before a month long trip to Florida a couple years ago. Am going to install a couple solar powered units to more completely cover the property.

 

[nthach]

That will be my next move for the parents when their Xfinity Home rate goes up after their promo expires. I’m actually impressed at the user friendliness of the Comcast/Technicolor systems, but you can’t configure the system without a config pwd only Comcast techs have. So no adding on sensors or using the Ethernet port to connect to a non-Xfinity router without a $50 truck roll.

I’ve heard good things but they don’t offer a glass breakage sensor. I think Ring makes a bridge to adapt Honeywell/Ademco, GE/Kidde, or DSC panels to their service(no DMP, local alarm companies tend to use them since the master password can be hard-coded in ROM and there is no means to factory reset those systems).

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

I feel like I'm hitting my head on a wall here. I only mentioned the hacking because it was a REAL ISSUE last year.. when I DIDNT buy it.
not sure why you keep bringing it up like its relevant now?

I was looking for feedback because I was considering buying it..
not sure why are you tunnel focusing on saying hacking isnt an issue when no one said it was an issue currently?

I gave the feedback. Its reliable, expandable, easy to setup and use and right now, very inexpensive. Monitoring, if you're interested is free for the first month and $100/ year thereafter. $80 if you pay up front.

 

[Wolf359]

Did you get the listener for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms? I guess it's better than Google's Nest, they have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms but they don't have heat detectors. You use heat detectors in garages and hallways that aren't heated because smoke detectors don't work well when the temperature is below 40. With a listener, that would still allow your heat alarm to work.

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

Did you get the listener for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms? I guess it's better than Google's Nest, they have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms but they don't have heat detectors. You use heat detectors in garages and hallways that aren't heated because smoke detectors don't work well when the temperature is below 40. With a listener, that would still allow your heat alarm to work.

No. I have hardwired smoke alarms and 2 separate C0 detectors. I will install the Ring doorbell today. I'm thinking of buying a system for our beach house. I'd self monitor that one.

 

[alarmguy]

There have been do it yourself alarm systems for the last 60 years. Defiantly a deterrent and a help, most Americans live in a place where they will never be needed and they will certainly help against your typical teenager break in.
With that said in no way does it protect from an average intelligent experienced thief or drug addict as well as a professional monitored system.

Systems like this, simply need someone to shut off the power to the house, boom, the system is down and you will get no alert.
A professional system will still alert central station.
(suggestion, put your router, modem, system on battery back up.)
All one has to do, is shut off the wifi and system is dead. Either by flipping the main breaker in the house, or cutting the phone/cable line or simply walking up to the unit and disconnecting it.

Most burglary's are from people you know and may know your home.
Exception to every rule but as a nation, the do it yourself kits would be a joke if there were no professional systems to scare the thieves.

I could disable the majority of do it yourself systems in seconds. Example, Simply Safe monitored systems, they promote professional monitoring but homeowner installed, so the thief enters the home and during the countdown timer to turn it off, picks up the Simple Safe "cone" and throws the cone in the refrigerator. No one will ever be alerted, cell signals can not travel through a refrigerator. (this is just ONE tiny example)

Its easy to get a professional self install system at a low cost of equipment and for $15 a month would be professionally monitored and independent of the home, should power and or internet service be cut or the unit ripped out and thrown in the refrigerator.

Im not knocking your choice to install your system which is great but your comments disparaging the security industry as a whole is completely incorrect. You are not experienced enough to know the difference between a professional system which can be had around the same price if you did want to do it yourself or mass marketed (for massive profits) self install system such as Ring or Simply Safe.

Its all good, just outlining differences for others. I do agree, putting in your own system is fantastic but it doesnt replace professional systems for those who want one OR professional self installed systems. You mention of the prices is like anything in life.

BTW - in case I didnt make clear, you can buy professional equipment and install it yourself, some really good internet sites that help you do this, its a shame you trashed your Vista system, you could have upgraded it and IF you wished even had it professionally monitored of $15 or less month or like you have now, have the system contact your cell phone.

This is an excellent site for self installed Do It Yourself professional equipment. (my favorite for do it yourselfers) One click on the link and you will sell the professional equipment right away, vs massive profit mass marketed homeowner stuff like the press promotes.
https://www.alarmsystemstore.com



Another one to compare, https://www.alarmgrid.com/blog/install-a-professional-honeywell-security-system-yourself-dot-do

You can spend hours on the two above sites.

 

[Toros Cosmicos]

There have been do it yourself alarm systems for the last 60 years. Defiantly a deterrent and a help, most Americans live in a place where they will never be needed and they will certainly help against your typical teenager break in.
With that said in no way does it protect from an average intelligent experienced thief or drug addict as well as a professional monitored system.

Systems like this, simply need someone to shut off the power to the house, boom, the system is down and you will get no alert.
A professional system will still alert central station.
(suggestion, put your router, modem, system on battery back up.)
All one has to do, is shut off the wifi and system is dead. Either by flipping the main breaker in the house, or cutting the phone/cable line or simply walking up to the unit and disconnecting it.

Most burglary's are from people you know and may know your home.
Exception to every rule but as a nation, the do it yourself kits would be a joke if there were no professional systems to scare the thieves.

I could disable the majority of do it yourself systems in seconds. Example, Simply Safe monitored systems, they promote professional monitoring but homeowner installed, so the thief enters the home and during the countdown timer to turn it off, picks up the Simple Safe "cone" and throws the cone in the refrigerator. No one will ever be alerted, cell signals can not travel through a refrigerator. (this is just ONE tiny example)

Its easy to get a professional self install system at a low cost of equipment and for $15 a month would be professionally monitored and independent of the home, should power and or internet service be cut or the unit ripped out and thrown in the refrigerator.

Im not knocking your choice to install your system which is great but your comments disparaging the security industry as a whole is completely incorrect. You are not experienced enough to know the difference between a professional system which can be had around the same price if you did want to do it yourself or mass marketed (for massive profits) self install system such as Ring or Simply Safe.

Its all good, just outlining differences for others. I do agree, putting in your own system is fantastic but it doesnt replace professional systems for those who want one OR professional self installed systems. You mention of the prices is like anything in life.

BTW - in case I didnt make clear, you can buy professional equipment and install it yourself, some really good internet sites that help you do this, its a shame you trashed your Vista system, you could have upgraded it and IF you wished even had it professionally monitored of $15 or less month or like you have now, have the system contact your cell phone.

This is an excellent site for self installed Do It Yourself professional equipment. (my favorite for do it yourselfers) One click on the link and you will sell the professional equipment right away, vs massive profit mass marketed homeowner stuff like the press promotes.
https://www.alarmsystemstore.com



Another one to compare, https://www.alarmgrid.com/blog/install-a-professional-honeywell-security-system-yourself-dot-do

You can spend hours on the two above sites.

Ummm....it has a battery backup for power loss... and cellular signal backup for WiFi loss.... Just like a hardwired system with a battery backup...arguably better.
Your scenario of an intruder seeking out the base unit and putting it in the refrigerator is flat out silly. Because by than, multiple devices would have been triggered and central station notification would have occurred...just like with a "professionally" installed system. How would a " professionally" installed system prevent a criminally minded family member intent on break-in any differently than a self installed wireless system? Add the wireless video camera devices to the system and that risk is totally mitigated.
That part is about layers of protection and levels of access. Are you aware of those concepts of physical security? Perhaps not.
Perhaps you should educate yourself on the capabilities before you make a post that is categorically incorrect. You may have installed systems but I have created system specifications for a massive international retailer...for all types of operations...2 million sf distribution centers, retail stores with cash offices and vaults. So I know a bit about alarms...intrusion, holdup, fire, access control, water flow and PA systems as well.
You shouldn't be so scared of technology. Wireless alarms have come a long way.