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Do You Need Internet For Ring Camera

Ring products are spreading and taking residence in many homes these days. With the increased popularity comes different questions. One of the most common ones is, do you need internet for the ring camera?

Even though some ring products can function without the internet, the cameras and the doorbells require an internet connection to be functional. One or two Ring cameras can be connected to the internet using cables, but most of them will need your home Wi-Fi to function.

Let’s learn a bit more about this issue.

Do You Need Internet For Ring Camera?

Much like all smart home improvement devices, Ring cameras also need access to the internet to be able to detect and record video. A mobile hotspot will not work in this case. Unless you have a specific model from the brand, you can’t connect to the internet via Ethernet either.

You must use your home Wi-Fi if you want your Ring camera or doorbell to work. There are two models from Ring that do not require a wireless connection to run. One of them is the Ring Doorbell Elite, and the other one is the Ring Stick-up Cam Elite.

These will need an Ethernet connection via wiring. So, the basic requirement stays the same for all Ring cameras. You will need an internet connection for all of them.

What Happens When The Internet Is Disconnected?

If you have a Ring camera installed and the Wi-Fi is not connected to the device, the device cannot function at all. You still may hear the doorbell ring, but it only rings manually and is heard from the outside.

Other features of the Ring camera, such as motion detection, video recording, and everything else, will come to a halt. The same goes for uploading recorded videos to the cloud. You will also notice that the app has stopped working.

When you try to access the app, it will say that no Wi-Fi is detected. Once you get back online, the system will restore to its previous state. However, the duration required for the system restoration may differ from situation to situation. How long the Wi-Fi was out and what was the source of this interruption also determine the time required for the system to get back to its usual state.

Note that you won’t be able to recover any video captured while the internet is disconnected. In addition, you may also lose some footage that was captured right before the internet went off.

How Do Ring Products Work?

According to Ring’s website, installing your Ring device will initially require three things. A home Wi-Fi network for connecting the device, your smartphone or a similar device, and the ring app. All of the devices from Ring are compatible with 2.5 Hz Wi-Fi networks.

Some devices may also work with a 5 Hz Wi-Fi network. However, you can face some issues because the range of 5 Hz Wi-Fi networks is not as strong.

Another thing the website emphasizes is that you cannot connect your Ring device using a mobile hotspot. Unfortunately, the devices aren’t compatible with Bluetooth either. So, you must use an internet connection to use them.

Ring Subscription

Many users enquire about whether they need to have a subscription to use the devices. The answer is no. You do not need a subscription to use the devices. However, without a subscription, you won’t be able to enjoy many features.

Without a subscription, you will only be able to access the real-time video. You can monitor what’s happening at present and answer notifications using the Ring app from your smartphone. However, you can’t record videos, save them, or share them when needed.

So, if you want to utilize the device to its fullest potential, there is no alternative to choosing a protection plan along with the device. You can either go for monthly packages or annual packages. Note that, much like any subscription, this one will also renew automatically. So, if you don’t want to keep using the plan, make sure to cancel it on time.

You will find the plans offered by Ring here. You will find different plans that you can choose from according to your budget. However, all of them are pretty affordable considering the feature you can enjoy with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I set up my Ring doorbell without an internet connection?

The initial setup also requires an internet connection. You install and set your Ring doorbell using the Ring app. The app cannot connect to the device without an internet connection.

Q. Does Ring devices have a cellular backup?

Ring devices do not come with built-in cellular backup. So, in case there’s an issue with the internet, the device will not record any footage. However, if you get the Ring Alarm Pro, you can get backup internet at an additional cost. 

Q. Does Ring doorbells and cameras support local storage?

Ring devices are entirely cloud-based. So, they don’t support any kind of local storage for storing recorded footage. That’s another reason why you can’t operate the device without an internet connection.

Q. Does Ring devices offer a warranty?

Yes, you will enjoy a limited warranty as well as protection against theft for all Ring devices. In addition, if you choose to subscribe to Ring Protect Plus or Pro, you can enjoy an extended warranty with your product. All the more reasons to consider getting the subscription.

Final Words

To sum up, the answer to do you need internet for Ring camera or not is, you do. Regardless of what model or device you go for, you will need an internet connection to get the device to work. If you are worried about the internet going down, you can get a model that comes with a backup plan. It’s better to ensure a strong internet connection if you want to keep your home or office secure at all times.