Ring Home Security System: An Expert Review (2019)
Ring is known for their cameras, but they have recently made the move to home security systems. In this post, we will be taking a close look at the Ring home security system what it has to offer.
Equipment
The Ring alarm system is 100% DIY, wireless and cellular. Let’s take a look at each individual piece of equipment and then the various packages they have on offer.
Base station
The base station is the brains of the system, responsible for receiving and relaying commands from and to the app and all connected sensors. It’s AC powered, but comes with a backup battery unit in case there’s a power outage.
Keypad
The battery-operated keypad features no touchscreen. Instead, it has a push button design that allows you to enter your user code along with being able to quickly arm and disarm your system with just a touch of a button.
Door/window sensor
The door/window sensor is battery operated and designed to fit numerous styles of door and window frames. Installation is super easy; simply use the provided double sided tape to stick the sensor in place or use the mounts which are included in the package.
Motion sensor
The motion sensor itself is also battery operated with a battery life to up to 3 years and can cover a pretty wide angle. It also features pet-immunity so that dogs and cats up to a certain weight can go undetected.
Range extender
The range extender is there to extend the range of your sensors and to optimize their wireless performance. It should be placed somewhere between your base station and the remainder of your security equipment.
Packages
Alarm Security Kit 5-Piece The 5-piece includes a total of 5 pieces; 1 base station, 1 keypad, 1 door/window sensor, 1 range extender, and 1 motion sensor.
Alarm Security Kit 10-Piece The Alarm Security Kit 10-piece includes a total of 10 pieces; 1 base station, 1 keypad, 5 door/window sensors, 2 motion sensors and 1 range extender.
Alarm Security Kit 14-Piece The Alarm Security Kit 14-piece includes a total of 14 pieces; 1 base station, 2 keypads, 8 door/window sensors, 3 motion sensors and 1 range extender.
| Alarm Security Kit 5-Piece | Alarm Security Kit 10-Piece | Alarm Security Kit 14-Piece |
|---|---|---|
| 1 base station | 1 base station | 1 base station |
| 1 keypad | 1 keypad | 2 keypads |
| 1 door/window sensor | 5 door/window sensors | 8 door/window sensors |
| 1 motion sensor | 2 motion sensors | 3 motion sensors |
| 1 range extender | 1 range extender | 1 range extender |
*Accurate as of April 29, 2019
Monitoring
Self-monitoring
Self-monitoring is done through the free Ring app, which can be downloaded for Apple and Android devices. Ring does not charge anything to use the app, so the self-monitoring is free.
With the Ring app you will get push notifications any time your system is triggered. You can also check sensor history, add new devices, and arm and disarm your system right through the app.
Professional monitoring
The professional monitoring service comes with a monthly fee and works just like any other professional monitoring service; get a call every time the alarm goes off and have the authorities dispatch for theft, fire and medical.
Ring Protect Plans
Ring offers three different monitoring plans, the Free Plan, Protect Basic Plan and the Protect Plus Plan.
| Feature | Free Plan | Protect Basic Plan | Protect Plus Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0/month | $3/month | $10/month |
| Motion alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom motion detection | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote interaction | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| On-demand live streams | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Video recording | No | 60 days | 60 days |
| Review, share and save videos | No | Yes | Yes |
| Professional monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| Long-term contract | No | No | No |
| Warranty | 1-year | 1-year | Extended |
*Accurate as of April 29, 2019
Ring vs Link Interactive
So now that we have a brief overview of the features of the Ring alarm system, let’s see how it stacks up against our system here at Link Interactive.
First, it’s important to understand that Link Interactive is more of a traditional DIY home security company. What does that mean? It basically means Link Interactive’s system is of a more professional-grade, with a wider variety of sensors to choose from like flood sensors, garage sensors, smoke sensors and more.
The equipment from Ring on the other hand is proprietary, somewhat limited in variety and comes up short on many of the standard home security features found on professional systems such as ours.
Our state of the art control panels
Link Interactive offers more than one control panel. We offer the GC2, and the Qolsys IQ Panel 2. Both of these panels have full colored touchscreens, unlike the Ring alarm system which does not have a touchscreen. Our control panels also have the ability to connect to an external siren, work with a variety of cellular modules (Verizon and AT&T), feature front-facing cameras and a number of connectivity options like WiFi and Bluetooth. To find out more out about our panels, take a look at our offer here or call us at 1-877-826-5443.
Our state of the art app
Our Alarm.com app is the envy of the smart home industry. Alarm.com is known far and wide to be the number one home security and home automation in the world. In terms of dependability and features, Alarm.com blows the competition out of the water. Name a security or home automation control feature, and you can bet our Alarm.com powered app has it. From the basics like controlling sensors, locks and lights to viewing live video to setting up schedules in an if this then that fashion (IFTTT), Alarm.com is the first-class choice when it comes to true home security, video surveillance and automation.
Our custom packages
At Link Interactive, we offer several different self-install packages that really allow you to completely customize your system to fit your specific needs. Add from a variety of sensors and Z-Wave devices to create a truly unique smart home. Ring is newer, so there are not as many compatible sensors and Z-Wave devices yet. To customize your own package, get in touch with one of our reps at 1-877-826-5443 or take a look at our offer here.
Our low upfront costs
Ring does not offer any free equipment, so all equipment will need to be purchased upfront. Link Interactive offers free equipment with a contract.
The customer service difference
At Link Interactive, we’re proud to offer fast, friendly and knowledgeable customer service. We’ve been eating, breathing and sleeping home security for the past 60 plus years, so we have the personnel and technical expertise in-house and on-board, to help you with any and all system and service related issues as and when they happen.
Call us today for a quote at 1-877-826-5443 or simply visit our offer here and take a look for yourself. You’ll be glad you did!
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