My Month with a Video Doorbell: From Smart Home Novice to Surveillance Junkie
As a tech writer specializing in B2B enterprise software, I navigate complex cloud architectures and intricate data analytics platforms with relative ease. Yet, my family often finds it amusing, and sometimes downright baffling, that I frequently require assistance with seemingly simple consumer gadgets. One could argue that I’m technologically inept when it comes to my own home. The irony isn’t lost on me.
Admittedly, our "smart home" is less Jetsons and more, well, just home. We have a Nest thermostat and a refrigerator that alerts us when the door is ajar – both lovingly set up and managed by my husband. Beyond that, we’re pretty low-tech. So, when the opportunity arose to test and write about a video doorbell, I saw it as a chance to bridge the gap between my professional world and my personal one. I eagerly accepted.
We chose the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus for our initial foray into the world of video surveillance. However, the experiences and lessons I learned during this month-long trial period are broadly applicable to other video doorbell brands and models, including those offered by ADT, Arlo, Blink, Eufy, and Vivent. So, join me as I chronicle my observations as a smart-home novice navigating the increasingly connected landscape of home security.
The initial setup of the Ring doorbell was surprisingly straightforward. Connecting it to our Wi-Fi network and configuring the various settings proved to be remarkably intuitive. I braced myself for a complex and frustrating process, but Ring’s user interface guided me through each step with ease. The only minor challenge we encountered was the physical mounting of the device. Ring recommends installing the doorbell at a height of 48 inches from the ground.
Rather than dismantle our existing, albeit outdated, doorbell system, we decided to leave it intact. The wiring was of considerable age, and frankly, the existing doorbell was positioned too low for the camera to provide an optimal field of view. We compensated for the lower chime volume of the Ring doorbell by configuring our Alexa speaker in the kitchen to announce the arrival of visitors. This proved to be a particularly effective solution when paired with my Apple Watch, which I also configured to receive doorbell notifications.
The video camera’s functionality became immediately apparent and useful. A perfect example occurred during a recent dental appointment. While reclining in the dentist’s chair, I received a notification that our cleaning service had arrived. My husband, engrossed in work in the basement, couldn’t hear the traditional doorbell or Alexa’s announcement. I promptly sent him a text message, alerting him to their arrival. Problem solved.
The Ring app also offers the option to receive email notifications for doorbell events. However, I deemed this level of notification to be excessive and opted to forgo email alerts.
While I didn’t witness anything particularly scandalous or newsworthy on my Ring videos, I did catch my husband diligently replacing the flowers in the planters flanking our front door. Upon noticing that he hadn’t lowered the new plants sufficiently into the soil, I promptly dispatched him back outside to rectify the situation. Consider that a win for domestic oversight, courtesy of Ring.
One aspect of the video doorbell experience that I found slightly unsettling was the frequency with which I appeared in my own recordings. For instance, I received a notification immediately after stepping outside to retrieve the mail. The doorbell dutifully captured my exit through the front door, as expected. However, it also recorded my impromptu weeding session as I pulled a few stray weeds from a flowerbed on my return. Watching myself on camera felt surprisingly invasive.
The Ring doorbell also managed to spoil a few planned surprises. One day, our next-door neighbor generously dropped off a selection of fresh vegetables from her garden as a "surprise." The doorbell, of course, diligently documented the event, preemptively alerting me to her kind gesture.
Another neighbor decided to engage in a bit of lighthearted fun. He paid us a visit, accompanied by his rooster (and a gift of fresh eggs!). He even hoisted the rooster, affectionately named Hertl, up to the camera for a close-up. Hertl, undoubtedly, relished his brief moment of avian stardom.
Perhaps the most significant casualty of the Ring doorbell was the element of surprise surrounding package deliveries. Previously, I could discreetly intercept Amazon, UPS, and FedEx packages, concealing their arrival from my husband. Now, thanks to the Ring doorbell, he receives real-time notifications of every delivery, effectively ending my reign as the family’s surprise-package gatekeeper.
The Ring doorbell also documented the visit of our bug spray technician, diligently at work protecting our property from unwanted pests.
The Ring app incorporates a feature called "Neighbors," which serves as a sort of neighborhood watch forum. While somewhat controversial, I found myself checking it with increasing frequency. We configured the neighborhood area to a five-mile radius. Recently, a user located four miles from my home posted a video of a man running through their backyard, urging residents to "be on alert and keep doors locked." The post garnered over 1,200 views, highlighting the app’s potential for community awareness, or perhaps fueling paranoia.
My husband, ever the tech enthusiast, even configured the app to provide access to our daughter’s neighborhood in Washington, D.C. A few days ago, I stumbled upon a video depicting a package being stolen from a porch not far from her residence. The incident served as a stark reminder of the prevalence of porch piracy and the value of vigilance.
The Ring app also offers features designed to assist in reuniting lost pets with their owners. The "report a found pet" and "search for your lost pet" functions strike me as particularly valuable, especially as the owner of two beloved dogs. I sincerely hope I never have occasion to utilize these features, but I appreciate their availability.
We configured the Ring doorbell to capture a wide field of view. As a result, the camera inadvertently captures portions of our neighbors’ front yards. (It’s worth noting that Ring and other security camera manufacturers offer "privacy zones" that allow users to block the camera’s view of neighboring properties. In our case, the neighboring front yards are plainly visible from the street.)
This wide field of view proved to be a double-edged sword. While we didn’t witness anything untoward occurring in our neighbors’ yards, we received a deluge of notifications each week when the lawn care service mowed our grass. The camera diligently tracked the mower’s progress back and forth across the front yard, triggering a constant stream of alerts. A similar phenomenon occurred when the bug spray technician visited, although it was somewhat reassuring to observe the thoroughness with which he treated our property.
Overall, the presence of the video doorbell has significantly heightened my awareness of activity in our surrounding environment. If there’s a cautionary tale to be gleaned from this experience, it’s that after a mere month with the Ring doorbell, I’ve discovered a latent tendency towards surveillance – a revelation that has greatly amused my husband.
We’re now contemplating the installation of additional cameras, specifically over the garages on the side of the house, where packages are frequently delivered, and in our backyard. When it comes to home security cameras, I’ve come to believe that you can never truly have too much peace of mind.
