Ring Alarm Pro: Enhanced Security with Integrated Smart Home Features
Introduction
Ring, a renowned name in the DIY home security realm, introduces the Ring Alarm Pro, an advanced security system that seamlessly integrates a Wi-Fi 6 router. This latest offering from Ring aims to not only safeguard your home but also streamline your smart home experience. However, while the Ring Alarm Pro excels in certain areas, it falls short in others, revealing that Ring’s journey towards a comprehensive smart home hub remains unfinished.
Key Features
- Primary Security and Features: The Ring Alarm Pro retains the core security features of its predecessors, including motion and contact sensors, a mobile keypad, and backup battery options. It also incorporates an Eero 6 router for enhanced home Wi-Fi connectivity.
- LTE Backup: The system includes LTE backup to maintain connectivity in case of broadband outages.
- Ring Edge: This feature enables local storage of Ring security camera footage on a microSD card, providing an added layer of security and reducing reliance on cloud storage.
- Smart Lighting Integration: The Ring Alarm Pro can act as a bridge for Ring Smart Lighting products, allowing for centralized control and management.
Installation and Setup
The Ring Alarm Pro installation process is designed to be user-friendly. The accompanying app meticulously guides you through the setup, ensuring proper sensor placement and timely pairing with the hub. Contact sensors, which monitor doors and windows, require careful placement to avoid false readings. The motion sensor’s adjustable mounting options offer flexibility for various room configurations.
Performance
The Ring Alarm Pro’s Wi-Fi 6 router delivers stable and fast internet connectivity. Benchmark tests revealed impressive throughput in both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. However, the absence of Thread radio support limits its compatibility with Thread-based smart home devices.
Ring Edge: A Welcome Enhancement
Ring Edge, the local storage feature, offers numerous benefits. It reduces reliance on the internet for accessing security camera footage and provides a more robust backup solution. However, it requires a Ring Protect Pro subscription, which raises questions about the true cost of this feature.
Limited Smart Home Functionality
While the Ring Alarm Pro’s core security features excel, its smart home capabilities leave room for improvement. Home automation routines must be created via Alexa Routines, introducing an unnecessary layer of complexity. Integration with Z-Wave devices is limited and requires additional setup. The lack of a Zigbee radio and a dormant Thread radio further hinders its smart home potential.
Ring Protect Plans and Monitoring
Ring Protect Plans provide professional monitoring and additional features for the Ring Alarm Pro. Guard Response, a new service, offers unarmed guard dispatch to verify emergencies in cases where a verified response is required. Virtual Security Guard, a more comprehensive service, grants response center agents access to security cameras for real-time monitoring and intervention.
Conclusion
The Ring Alarm Pro is an impressive home security system with a reliable Wi-Fi 6 router and solid LTE backup. Its innovative Ring Edge feature adds local storage for security footage, enhancing privacy and resilience. However, the system’s smart home capabilities remain limited, requiring convoluted automation routines and lacking key protocols like Zigbee and Thread. If Ring can address these shortcomings and enhance its smart home functionality, the Ring Alarm Pro could truly become the comprehensive smart home hub that it aspires to be.
