Door bells

[Katy]

No idea which category this should go in so.. it's hardware, sort of?

 

The nursery want a door bell where, when pressed, it alerts them on their multiple iPads. Ring apparently has this kinda thing but it uses random ports and I never managed to get it to work through the filtering and firewall, plus it's probably not GDPR compliant with all the video being sent via their servers somewhere.

 

Alternatively a door bell that can sound in multiple classrooms although a couple of them are too far away for normal wireless door bells to work.

 

Anybody got any good ideas?

[elsiegee40]

I’m not at the rescue where I volunteer until Friday, but we have one conventional bell with multiple sounders and they ring in rooms all over the site so they have a good range. I will look to see what it is when I am there next

[TechMonkey]

Mobotix have a solution that has an app. Not cheap though. About £1200 ex VAT for the hardware then installation needed. I don't know if it needs a server running or if it goes direct to the app. The app can then talk to them or open the door (if linked to the door opener)

[jthompson]

What about a more generic smart button like https://flic.io/

Those can be used to trigger IFTT or MS Flow routines.

[ThomL]

Not sure if meets all requirements, but this might be worth a review?

 

https://store.ui.com/collections/unifi-protect-cameras/products/uvc-g4-doorbell

[mavhc]

What existing infrastructure do you have? Battery powered needed? PoE? Wifi?

[MYK-IT]

May be more than what you are needing (as you didn't state Video) but perhaps the Eufy Video Doorbell 2k may suffice?? All data is stored locally on the Home Base - no subscription etc.

[Katy]

There's some form of clunky video intercom system that has handsets in 2 rooms that has never been used, no idea how that is cabled as it came with the building. Otherwise everything they've done is battery powered but it's not to hard a route to cable for PoE.

[MatthewL]

Why make such a simple task more complicated that it needs to be. What is wrong with a wired push button to bell wired into the mains, be far cheaper and more reliable.

[DrBeaker]

Why make such a simple task more complicated that it needs to be. What is wrong with a wired push button to bell wired into the mains, be far cheaper and more reliable.

Yep this is an estates team problem, make it theirs not an IT one.

 

Refer them to site team. What's gonna happen if they forget their iPad at home?

 

We have a ringer on our front reception you can hear halfway across the school it's that loud.

[Katy]

Why make such a simple task more complicated that it needs to be. What is wrong with a wired push button to bell wired into the mains, be far cheaper and more reliable.

It came from Estates in the first place... guess that could work, they'd just need to wire up 2 or 3 bells as the rooms are fairly spread out. Loads cheaper too.

[MatthewL]

Easily done, a transformer and a few bells, might just need a transformer than can handle a few bells on it, they should draw minimum anyway.

[DrBeaker]

It came from Estates in the first place... guess that could work, they'd just need to wire up 2 or 3 bells as the rooms are fairly spread out. Loads cheaper too.

 

Easily done, a transformer and a few bells, might just need a transformer than can handle a few bells on it, they should draw minimum anyway.

 

Plus a lot more reliable than anything software-based.

 

I assume they didn't bother to any due diligence or risk assessment beforehand?

 

e.g. forgetting an iPad

latest update drops the iPad OS they're using

Cloud service stops working/cloud outage

 

Wire, switches (not network ones) and connections have a very low chance of random failure

[mikeprice]

What about one of those where you have abttery powered door bell on the door

 

then those plug in devices that ring when the bell is pressed

 

 

we have one at home with 2 sounders

 

but I'm sure they are available with 4-5

 

all you need is a mains socket - and a building that allows the signal to get through (which may be a problems???)

[Andrew_C]

I'm watching with interest.

 

We have had a powered door with a code lock put on the building - guess how many of the 700 pupils can be *r**d to learn the code?

 

They ring the bell, and one tech from each dept walks to the door. AAARRRGHH!!

 

We have asked for a camera, and a remote "door open" button in each prep room.

 

We are still waiting, a year on, and a lot of worn shoe leather.

[elsiegee40]

@Katy This is the ringer for the bell we use at the rescue. It’s Physen and has a range up to 300m allegedly.

 

Edited October 12, 2020 by elsiegee40

[MYK-IT]

Aldi https://www.aldi.co.uk/lifemax-flashing-doorbell-with-pager/p/705630386424400

[TechMonkey]

Not sure if you have solved this yet but just came across these Govee bells and saw in the reviews that you can link multiple receivers to a single push button.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0836SKX26/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_1386836776?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&qid=1604135789

 

The review had a three sounders using two buttons, a front and a back. No idea how many it can be linked but that may help solve them all being able to hear it.