Will Ring Doorbell Work Without Internet?(Not Really)

The Amazon-owned company, Ring, has been making waves in the smart home automation line for a few years. Users might run into a lot of issues when setting up this device for their home security matters.

Will Ring Doorbell work without Internet? No, you will need some type of connection for your Ring device to work, like Wi-Fi, Ethernet cable, or cellular data as a temporary solution. Without the internet, it will be unable to act as an intercom or a video recording camera. The device loses all of its functionality and can only act as a regular doorbell rather than a smart device.

However, do not worry! It is a user-friendly device with some new features. This article aims to answer some of your questions regarding this new device.

Does Ring Work Without Internet/Wi-Fi?

Ring is based on a flawless connection between a user’s device (phone/computer) and the bell itself.

The two devices communicate via the Ring app, available on the app stores of various platforms.

The communication between the app and the user’s device is mainly dependent on a good Wi-Fi/internet connection.

Most Ring Doorbell devices utilize Wi-Fi/internet connections to provide security to your home. They cannot function without the internet.

A lapse in the connection may compromise the security of your home.

Some devices, such as the Ring Doorbell Elite, do not need Wi-Fi to function successfully.

Therefore, a safe conclusion is that most (not all) Ring Doorbell devices need a stable internet connection to function efficiently.

If you replace the Wi-Fi with some other form of the internet (like mobile data/hotspot), then the Doorbell may continue to function. However, more details on this form of internet connection have been given below.

What Is The Internet Speed Needed For Ring Doorbell?

Most households across the world have a standard internet connection available 24/7.

However, speed is a big factor in determining whether the Ring Doorbell will work effectively for your household or not.

As a rule of thumb, you should assume that all Ring Doorbells should work properly if you have a connection of 5 MBPS or more.

The official base limit that Ring has given is actually around 2 MBPS.

However, our tests have suggested that this is not enough to sustain the connection, as most lower-speed connections also come with lower bandwidth. This causes continuous disconnection. So, a connection of 5 Mbps or above should work perfectly fine.

What Happens If Ring Doorbell Loses Wi-Fi Connection?

If the Doorbell loses its internet connection, then it will be unable to act as an intercom or a video recording camera.

The device loses all of its functionality and can only act as a regular doorbell rather than a smart device.

You would not be able to get any updates/alerts from your app as it would be disconnected from the hardware device (Doorbell).

The app and the device follow a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to establish communication between themselves.

This requires the availability of the internet always in order to be connected to an IP network at all times.

The internet is a bridge where data travels between these two points (the mobile app and the Doorbell).

If you take away the bridge, then there is nothing to travel on, and communication breaks down.

This compromises the security of your house and makes your investment useless.

Once the app detects that there is no Wi-Fi, it automatically displays a message conveying the lack of internet.

Every time you open the app, this message will be on display until you fix the connection.

Once the connection is fixed, the Doorbell will be able to communicate with the app again.

Any recordings made during the internet outage will be lost as they would not have been uploaded to the cloud.

Any snapshots may also be lost, depending on whether they were uploaded to the cloud or not.

Will Ring Work With A Mobile Hotspot?

Ring Doorbell can work on a mobile hotspot network; however, these devices do not have the capability to switch between networks as ordinary smartphones do.

You would have to set up the device again.

This would require putting in all your information and doing the initial setup with a new (mobile hotspot) network.

Therefore, this method cannot be feasible, as mobile hotspots are costly, and your phone cannot always have its hotspot on (it drains the charge quickly).

If your Wi-Fi is out for a couple of days, then you can try this option out until the Wi-Fi comes back online. However, it is not sustainable.

Additionally, you can try to get a Doorbell (elite) that uses an Ethernet connection rather than a Wi-Fi connection.

These Doorbells are superior as they connect to a computer and not a phone. Ethernet cables are more reliable than Wi-Fi routers.

How To Use Ring Without The Internet?

Sadly, there is no way to use these devices without a proper Wi-Fi connection.

A good Wi-Fi connection has become a norm in many households across the world, so it’s not a big ask from the producers as well.

However, not having any other form of communication can be very unreliable.

It can compromise your house’s security.

Conclusion

Many homes across the country are upgrading their home security by utilizing these smart devices from Ring.

It’s time you learned about these devices and upgraded your home security as well!

If you have any other questions regarding Ring Doorbells, then you can read our other blogs on similar products.

I’ve been working with technology in one way or the other all my life. After graduating from university, I worked as a sales consultant for Verizon for a few years. Now I am a technical support engineer by day and write articles on my own blog here in my spare time to help others if they have any issues with their devices.