Can You Use Ring Doorbell Without WiFi?

A Ring Doorbell requires WiFi to see video, use two-way talk, receive notifications, alerts and updates. You can’t use a Ring Doorbell without both WiFi and a stable internet connection. Ring Video Doorbell model 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 100% wireless and powered by battery. They connect to your smart phone, tablet or computer via WiFi. Ring Doorbell Pro and Ring Doorbell Elite are hardwired and use an Ethernet cable for power and internet, but they still communicate with your wireless devices using WiFi. So even though internet is provided to them via the Ethernet cable, you still need WiFi to control them with a smartphone.

There’s a difference between internet and WiFi. Your internet service provides access to the internet by connecting a computer to a modem. But it’s not wireless. To make your internet signal wireless you need a router. The internet signal broadcast by your router is called WiFi. This is how devices like smartphones, video game systems, TVs and video doorbells work wirelessly. They connect to the home’s internet service by using WiFi. So in addition to your internet service and a modem, you also need a router to create a WiFi signal.

So can you use a Ring Doorbell without WiFi? No, Ring Video Doorbells require both internet and WiFi to communicate with your smartphone, PC, tablet and other devices. However there is one exception. You can use a wireless hotspot to substitute for WiFi and temporarily access your Ring Devices.

In this article we’ll take an in depth look at Ring Doorbells and how to use them without WiFi.

Do Ring Doorbells Work Without WiFi?

A Ring Doorbell requires WiFi to see video, use two-way talk, receive notifications, alerts and updates. You can’t use video doorbells without both WiFi and a stable internet connection.

Ring Video Doorbell model 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 100% wireless, are powered by battery, and connect to your smart phone, tablet or computer via WiFi. Ring Doorbell Pro and Ring Doorbell Elite are hardwired and use an Ethernet cable for power and internet, but they still communicate with your devices using WiFi.

Internet service and WiFi are two different things. WiFi is simply your internet service turned into a wireless signal by a router. This makes it possible for wireless devices like a smartphone, TV, video game system or doorbell to access the internet wirelessly and talk to each other.

When a Ring Doorbell sends a video feed, alerts and notifications to your phone, it does it by connecting to the internet with WiFi.

	Ring Doorbell 1	Ring Doorbell 2	Ring Doorbell 3	Ring Doorbell Pro	Ring Doorbell Elite
Complete Wireless Capability	✔	✔	✔	X	X
Data Connection Method	WiFi	WiFi	WiFi	WiFi	WiFi
Ability To Hardwire	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Hardwiring Required	X	X	X	✔	✔
Rechargeable Battery	✔	✔	✔	X	X

There is one exception to this rule. To use your devices without WiFi you can connect them to a wireless hotspot.

A mobile hotspot is temporary wireless access point created by a dedicated hardware device or a smartphone that shares the device’s cellular data. Other nearby wireless devices can use the shared hotspot to connect to the internet. Mobile hotspots are also known as portable hotspots.

Can I Use Ring App Without WiFi?

A Ring Doorbell requires WiFi to see video, use two-way talk, receive notifications, alerts and updates. You can’t use them without both WiFi and a stable internet connection.

Ring Video Doorbell model 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 100% wireless, are powered by battery and connect to your smart phone, tablet or computer via WiFi. Ring Doorbell Pro and Ring Doorbell Elite are hardwired and use an Ethernet cable for power and internet, but they still communicate with your devices using WiFi.

However there is an exception, you can use a mobile hotspot to communicate with Ring devices.

If you’re home’s internet goes down, you can still access all your Ring devices by creating a mobile hotspot.

Once your hotspot is turned on, your other wireless devices will detect it. But you have to go into the settings for each device and connect them to the hotspot. They won’t start using it by themselves.

Once the devices are connected to the hotspot they’ll work normally for as long as the hotspot is turned on. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

The range of a hotspot is much short than a WiFi connection.
Cellular rates may apply depending on your wireless plan.
The devices will be working on your cell signal. The stronger the signal the better your devices will work.

Does Turning Off WiFi Stop Ring Doorbell?

Turning off WiFi will not turn off your Ring devices. But it will disable all communication to and from the device. This means you won’t have access to video, two-way talk, alerts, notifications or updates. Ring cameras can not communicate without an internet signal. They don’t have local built in storage and store everything in the cloud.

Without a good internet connection they can’t connect to Ring’s servers to access video or send notifications of any kind. And they can’t communicate with other devices like smartphones, tablets and PCs.

If your WiFi connection go down, your Ring Doorbell will have no way of communicating with your phone, laptop, desktop computer or tablet. You won’t get a live video or audio feed and won’t be notified when someone approaches the door.

Here are some of the features that will stop working if the WiFi isn’t working:

Notifications when motion is detected or someone rings the doorbell.
Access to video feeds recorded by the Ring Doorbell.
The camera won’t be able to record or store video in the cloud.
Wireless control of your Ring Doorbell will be lost.

Network issues caused by a power outage or poor internet connection are the most common reasons Ring devices stop working. The only way to fix the problem is to get your internet working again.

In order to communicate, Ring devices use a technology called SIP, which stands for Session Initiation Protocol. SIP is a signaling protocol that connects two points on an IP (Internet Protocol) network. But in order for the two points to connect they need an internet connection.

What To Do If Your Ring Doorbell Stops Working

If your Ring Doorbell stops working, the most common issue is connectivity. Ring devices communicate with smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs over WiFi. If the internet goes down the Ring will lose its ability to talk with other devices and can’t access its cloud storage. This means no storing or accessing video files, two-way talk, notifications, updates or alerts until internet is restored.

Here are a few things you should try if your Ring Doorbell has no WiFi:

Check the WiFi password. If the password has been changed you also have to update the change in your Ring’s settings.
Check the fuse box. If your router or modem loses power the WiFi will stop working.
Reboot your wireless router by unplugging it for 30 seconds and then plugging it back in again.
Check to make sure all your wires are plugged in correctly.
Open the Ring app on your smartphone and reconnect your Ring device to the WiFi network.
Make sure your internet is working properly. It may be an internet problem and not an issue with the Ring. If the internet is down call your provider.
Check the batteries or Ethernet cable. Low power can cause issues.

How Do I Know If My Ring Doorbell Has WiFi?

There are several reasons why Ring devices can lose connectivity with your wireless network. The most common being problems with the router, modem or internet service. In most cases, when a Ring Doorbell stops working it’s not a problem with the Ring.

Because Ring devices require internet and WiFi to communicate and work properly, the first place you should look when they stop working is your internet connection. But how do you know if the Ring is connected to the network?

First, use the Ring app to make sure your device is connected to your WiFi network. If you’ve opened the app and can’t view live video feed or if you’re not receiving notifications or alerts from the Ring Doorbell, it may be offline.

Once the app is open, go into the settings and click “Device Health”. If it says “Offline” under the “Network” heading, it means your Ring Doorbell isn’t connected to a wireless network.

After you’ve confirmed that the Ring isn’t connected to the internet, investigate why.

First, check your modem and router. Unplug all your hardware for 30 seconds and the plug them in. Wait a few minutes for them to reset. Check to make sure the internet and WiFi are working by using other devices like your smartphone or tablet.

If the internet and WiFi are working properly go into your Ring app and try to reconnect.

If he Ring won’t connect even though the internet and WiFi are working properly check the power. Low power will cause issues.

When all else fails call customer support. In the United States the number is 1-800-656-1918.

How To Check Ring Doorbell WiFi Signal Strength?

Even though your internet and WiFi are working properly, the signal strength could still be weak. Ring Doorbells and other devices work best when they have a strong internet connection.

If you’re Ring Doorbell is having problems it could be the strength of your WiFi connection.

Here are some of the problems you should look for:

Poor video quality.
Bad audio quality.
Delays in receiving alerts and notifications.
Motion sensors aren’t communicating properly.
The Ring disconnects and then reconnects to the network.
It takes a long time to access cloud storage.

One of the best ways to check the WiFi strength of your Ring is with the Ring App.

First, open the Ring app and tap “Device Health”. If the app says the device is “Online”, but “Signal Strength” is “Poor” or “Very Poor”, there is a WiFi connection but it’s weak.

Another way to check signal strength is with a smartphone.

First, connect your smartphone to the home’s WiFi network. Next, take your phone and place it next to the Ring. A phone will tell you the strength of the signal with a series of bars that usually appear in the top left hand corner of the screen.

If the signal strength is weak next to the Ring consider moving your router closer to the device or installing a WiFi extender to boost the signal.

Reasons A Ring Doorbell Has Bad WiFi Signal

If a Ring Doorbell is connected to WiFi but has poor signal strength, the most common reason is the router. Your home’s router is what puts out the WiFi signal. If it’s located far away from the Ring or is an older router you may have to relocate it or use a WiFi extender.

Here’s a list of the most common reasons why a Ring Doorbell has a weak WiFi connection:

Your wireless router is too far away from the Ring device. WiFi signal strength gets better the closer you are to the router.
The layout of your home interferes with the wireless signal. WiFi bounces off of walls and other hard surfaces. If it can’t get to the Ring Doorbell because walls are in the way you have to relocated the router or use a WiFi extender.
Other devices are causing interference. TVs and video game systems locate close to the Ring may cause interference with the signal.
Building materials like brick, stone and concrete can block a WiFi signal.
The router may be old. Newer hardware puts out a stronger more consistent signal.
Check the modem and your internet service. The problem may not be the router.

In most cases a poor WiFi signal can be fixed by moving the router or installing a WiFi extender close to the Ring. However you should also check the modem and internet service. In most cases it’s not an issue with the Ring Device.

If everything is working properly and you still have a weak WiFi signal call customer service. In the United States the number is 1-800-656-1918.

Do Ring Doorbells Automatically Recover When WiFi Comes Back?

In most cases a Ring Doorbell will start working as soon as the internet connection and WiFi signal are restored. But depending on your internet speed and the reason it went out, it may take a few minutes.

Any recordings made right before or during the outage will be lost. A Ring Doorbell does not have internal storage. If it can’t send video to your phone or the cloud, the files are lost.However, files that were sent to the cloud before the outage should be saved to the cloud.

Most new internet routers offer both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz connectivity. It doesn’t matter which signal you connect your Ring Doorbell to. As soon as the signal is restored the Ring should automatically re-connect and start working.

If the Ring Doorbell doesn’t reconnect to your WiFi once it turns back on, go into your Ring App and connect it manually.

Does A Ring Chime Ring If WiFi Is Off?

No, the Ring Chime will not ring without an internet connection and WiFi. The Ring Chime is a wireless doorbell chime. Without internet and WiFi, there’s no way for the Ring Doorbell to tell the chime to ring.

Without WiFi and/or internet, the Ring Doorbell will still ring when someone pushes the button. And any hardwired mechanical chimes connected to the Ring will continue to work as usual. Assuming you have a Ring Doorbell that supports this feature like the Ring Doorbell Pro 1 and Pro 2. But no video, audio, notifications or alerts will be sent to your phone without WiFi and the Ring Chime won’t make noise.

Can You Setup A Ring Doorbell Without WiFi?

No, without internet and a WiFi connection, you can’t set up a Ring Doorbell.

A new Ring Doorbell is initially set up by using the Ring App. Without an internet connection and a WiFi signal to connect your device to the Ring App, you can’t go through the any of the setup steps and menus.

Will Ring Doorbell Work With Mobile Hotspot?

A Ring Doorbell, and other Ring devices, will connect to and work with a mobile hotspot. A mobile hotspot is a temporary wireless access point created by a dedicated hardware device or smartphone that shares the device’s cellular data. Other nearby wireless devices can use the shared hotspot to connect to the internet. Mobile hotspots are also known as portable hotspots.

By setting up a mobile hotspot, you let your other devices connect to the internet through the cellular network.

Once you set up the hotspot, your Ring devices will detect it. But they won’t connect automatically. You have to go into the device settings and connect them one by one. Once the device is connected to the hotspot it will work as if it had WiFi.

Hotspots usually have a shorter range and aren’t as stable as WiFi so the Ring may not work as well. But I’ve tried it a few times when my power was out with Verizon 5G and it worked fine.

Ring devices upload and access information to and from the cloud when they communicate with your mobile device. This means they needs a strong connection and pass lots of data. So keep this in mind because your cell providers data rates will apply.

Using a hotspot for your Ring devices could be expensive if you pay high data rates.

How Much Data Does A Ring Doorbell Use?

The amount of data a Ring Doorbell uses each month depends on the features you have set up and the amount of times it records and communicates with your phone. But the average amount of data it uses falls between 50GB and 300GB per month.

Because video files are very large, the camera is the primary source of data used by a Ring Doorbell. Depending on which settings you have installed, you could reduce or increase the amount of data it uses.

Settings that affect a Ring Doorbell’s data usage include:

Motion: Where you mount the Ring is very important because its sensors will detect anything moving through the detection zone. Ideally it should detect people walking towards the device and not cars or pedestrians.
Resolution: Resolution is a huge factor in terms of data usage. The better the resolution the bigger the file sizes. But higher resolution means a clearer video and Ring Cameras are capable of HD resolutions.
Pets: You should turn this setting off if you don’t have a pet or don’t let your pet by the Ring.
Clip Length: The longer the video clip the more data it takes to save and send it. You can adjust video clip length in the settings.
Motion Sensitivity: Reducing motion sensitivity will decrease data usage because it won’t detect as much. On maximum setting the Ring will detect a leaf blowing by which is a waste of data. I set mine to a medium setting which detects people as they approach the door but not every small movement in front of the house.

Does A Ring Doorbell Record All The Time?

No, a Ring Doorbell only records when it detects movement within it’s motion sensor field of view and not all the time. And only if you pay for a Ring Protection Plan. Without a Ring Protect Plan your Ring Doorbell will not record or store videos at all. You can still view the live video stream without the subscription service but it won’t record to the cloud.

If you have a Ring Protect Plan, the doorbell will record and store video whenever motion is detected by the doorbell’s motion sensors, whenever someone presses the doorbell, or whenever you initiate “Live View” on the device with your Ring App.

Because the Ring will only record when it’s detected movement, when the doorbell button’s been pressed or when you use the “Live View”, it’s data usage is greatly reduced.

Do Ring Doorbells & Cameras Have Cellular Backup?

Ring Doorbell models do not have built-in cellular backup. They save all their data and recording to the cloud. This means if your internet or WiFi goes out, they will not be able to operate until the internet is back online.

Ring Alarm Pro offers backup internet if you have the Ring Protect Pro subscription for $20 per month. This means if your primary internet connection drops, your home’s internet will automatically reduce to a 4G mobile data connection.

As part of the plan you get 3GB for free which is around 300 Ring recordings, but you can buy extra data for $3 per gigabyte.

If you don’t have Ring Alarm Pro it’s possible to set up a mobile hotspot to connect your Ring Doorbell to the internet.

Once the mobile hotspot is set up, your Ring Devices will detect it if they’re within range. But they won’t connect automatically. You have to manually connect them to the hotspot by using the Ring App.

When the main internet is back online, you have to go back into the Ring App again and switch from hotspot to your home’s internet. The Ring won’t switch between internet sources by itself.

Using a mobile hotspot is only good as a short term solution. The internet speeds are slower and less reliable than WiFi and could get expensive if you pay a lot for data.

Can Ring Doorbells Record To An NAS Or SD Card Without WiFi?

No, Ring Doorbells do not have local storage to hard drives, NAD or SD cards and are entirely cloud dependent. Without internet and a WiFi signal your Ring will not be able to record video or audio.

While the internet and/or WiFi is down you won’t be able to record or save video. However, whatever data you’ve already saved to the cloud will not be lost.

Once your WiFi and/or internet connection is restored, recording and uploading, along with all the Ring’s other features, will work properly.

Conclusion: Ring Doorbells Require Both Internet & WiFi

Ring doorbells require both an internet connection and a WiFi signal to work properly.

Ring devices are cloud based and require an active internet connection with WiFi to communicate with other devices like your smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC. You can;t even do the initial out of the box setup with both internet and WiFi. This is true for both their wireless and wired doorbells.

Because of this, if you have a temporary interruption of service, your Ring Doorbell will not work until both internet and the WiFi signal are restored.

Once your internet and WiFi are back online, the Doorbell will work normally.

Summary: Can You Use Ring Doorbell Without WiFi?

A Ring Doorbell requires WiFi to see video, use two-way talk, receive notifications, alerts and updates. You can’t use a Ring Doorbell without WiFi and a stable internet connection. Ring Video Doorbell model 1, 2, 3, and 4 are 100% wireless, are powered by battery and connect to your smart phone, tablet or computer via WiFi. Ring Doorbell Pro and Ring Doorbell Elite are hardwired and use an Ethernet cable for power, but they still communicate with your wireless devices using WiFi. So even though internet is provided to them via the Ethernet cable, you still need WiFi to control them with a smartphone.

There’s a difference between internet and WiFi. Your internet service provides access to the internet by connecting to a modem. But it’s not wireless. To make your internet signal wireless you need a router. The internet signal broadcast by your router is called WiFi. This is how devices like smartphones, video game systems, TVs and video doorbells work wirelessly. They connect to the home’s internet service by using WiFi. So in addition to your Ring Doorbell and internet service, you also need a router to create a WiFi signal.

Ring Video Doorbells require both internet and WiFi to communicate with your smartphone, PC, tablet and other devices. However there is one exception. You can use a wireless hotspot to temporarily access your Ring Devices.

If you have any questions about a Ring Doorbell, email any time.