Ring doorbell

[Sheridan]

Despite my advice against it, our place has bought a ring doorbell for an access door. I knew straight away it wouldn't work with proxies/firewalls etc so I have a guest wifi which uses simple password authentication and has internet access with no proxy settings

 

Still doesn't work though, going through the process with the chime unit asking to connect to a wifi network it simply fails to connect, and I can see that dhcp hasn't even given a lease out to that device. I know the wifi is working OK as its used for other byod type of devices so I'm a bit unsure of what it doesn't like

 

Anyone got one of these things working in a school environment?

[mavhc]

First thing to do is to attempt to get them to send it back and actually listen to your advice. If they don't respect your advice why are they paying for it?

 

Can you tell if it's on the wifi, rather than if it's got an ip? Does your wifi show such things?

[Arthur]

Even if you got it working, would you want to use it in a school environment given the privacy concerns?

 

www.edugeek.net/forums/security/202858-amazons-ring-reportedly-gave-employees-full-access-customers-live-camera-feeds.html

 

I would send it back.

[mavhc]

And the remind everyone that any piece of equipment which connects to the internet, or the local network, needs your approval before purchase, because GDPR or something

[Sheridan]

because GDPR or something

 

Ha, best answer for anything!

 

No it doesn't even connect to the wifi - even just using our byod ssid

[Jamman960]

I tried to use a Ring doorbell here for something ages ago, it'd connect to a single access point with great signal but anything less and it'd fall over. I ditched it quickly as it wasn't reliable enough and the area it was going into didn't have a great signal, especially once on the other side of the door.

 

I'd hoped it'd work within the lan but all video and app signals go straight to the cloud

 

James

[mavhc]

If I were a criminal I'd just carry a wifi blocker anyway.

[Sheridan]

Definitely - it requires a connection to the internet at all times as it goes through their servers, which I knew but I also suspect it will use a raft of ports that aren't normally open! Designed 100% for home use of course

[Ditto]

First thing to do is to attempt to get them to send it back and actually listen to your advice. If they don't respect your advice why are they paying for it?

Definitely this! In preparation, what would be a recommended, cost-effective, alternative solution?

[Joanne]

I also suspect it will use a raft of ports that aren't normally open!

 

Spot on - https://support.ring.com/hc/en-gb/articles/205385394-What-Ports-Do-I-Need-to-Open-in-My-Firewall-for-Ring-Doorbells-and-Chimes-

 

That's a lot of ports!

[mavhc]

First we need the customer to specify the actual problem

[techy32]

We are also looking for a wired video doorbell. Any recommendations?

[DrBeaker]

Shocking mate...

 

With so many proper video/access control systems like Paxton etc out there they brought something they saw on the tele, designed for home use

 

As IT pros we all try to save money and be as efficient as we can with money, to the point of reusing keyboards and mice not just chucking them out because they are "old". Yet some other departments go ahead and do this sort of stuff, yet don't get chastised or questioned as to why

 

Yet as the pros we don't get consulted on matters relating to IT.

[Katy]

We had something installed when our new build junior school was put up in 2014, will have to see what it's called on Monday if I remember (although it's not wireless, and don't think they use it as the handsets were placed in the wrong places).

 

There's no good reason why Ring doesn't just use port 443 and tunnel everything back to the servers, you can't even use the client app within school due to the random and large list of ports it needs.

[Sheridan]

Even when we got the Ring working, it was awful. Despite having a 300Mbps wifi connection the quality was shoddy and very laggy. Useless in my opinion.

[DrBeaker]

Even when we got the Ring working, it was awful. Despite having a 300Mbps wifi connection the quality was shoddy and very laggy. Useless in my opinion.

 

For business use - I don't think you're gonna get anyone here who's gonna disagree with you.