Have you been noticing video doorbells are everywhere in your neighborhood? Or perhaps when a major crime happens in your community, that your neighbor, with the video doorbell, might have the information to help solve the case? Or maybe you just want peace of mind in knowing what is happening outside your front door when you’re on vacation or at work. Doorbell cameras, like the Ring Doorbell, make all of this possible.
The “smart front door” has been changing the way we implement whole-home security systems for over a year now.
It’s a doorbell, a video camera, and a two-way communications device all wrapped into one—and it gets even better when it’s installed as part of your ONIT Smart Home security system.
Seven Really Useful Things You Can Do With a Ring Doorbell
1. Answer the Door From Anywhere
When a visitor rings your Ring doorbell, it chimes like an ordinary doorbell, but you also get an alert on your smartphone app. Tap the alert and you’ll see a live video stream of your visitor. They can’t see you, but you can see them. You can also have a conversation through the doorbell’s speaker and microphone.
This applies whether you’re at home or away, enabling you to answer your door from the couch, from the bed, or from your desk at work.
2. Secure Package Deliveries
Ever experienced the anxiety of having a valuable package being left on your porch when you’re not there? With a doorbell camera installed as part of your smart home security system, you won’t need to worry.
When the delivery driver rings the Ring doorbell, you can ask them to leave the package inside. You can do this by unlocking your front door with the smart lock icon that appears on the video call. When they step outside again and close the door, you can lock up just as easily. You can just as easily do this with a friend or family member if you don’t feel comfortable having the delivery driver inside your home.
3. Catch a Suspicious Caller in the Act
As part of a smart home security system, your video doorbell becomes a full security camera, able to capture motion-triggered clips, alert you, and store your clips in Alarm.com’s cloud for later viewing.
It’s a great way to keep an eye on activity around your porch, driveway, and oftentimes your neighborhood, which are the busiest outdoor areas on your property. At night, the Ring doorbell can even trigger your porch light to come on when there’s motion, giving you a well-lit video clip of that raccoon that likes to come by at night.
Should your camera catch something amiss—a suspicious caller or a prowling package thief, you’ll find it easy to download the clip and share it with your local police department.
4. Keep Up With the Kids
Of course, much of the motion on your porch is welcome, and a video clip of it can be reassuring. For example, you can use your Alarm.com-powered video doorbell to send you a daily video alert when your kids arrive home from school. As well as knowing they’re home safe, you can see exactly who they’re with.
Kids also enjoy using video doorbells as a one-way ‘FaceTime’ device, ringing the bell when you’re at work to say hello and give you a wave.
5. Prevent Crime From Happening in Your Area
You can create your own “ring of security” by just having the video doorbell installed. Thieves and those that commit crime regularly are well-versed in keeping up with the security systems in the world. If they see that you have one of these fancy smart doorbells, it may deter them from messing with your home or your property. No one wants their mugshot on the 6 p.m. news from a doorbell video camera.
Being vigilant and prepared is your first line of defense in crime prevention. A good smart lock and a video doorbell is a sound investment, not an expense!
6. Sleep Undisturbed
Finally, what about the one time you don’t want to hear from your kids? We’re talking about naptime, the worst time imaginable for a loud doorbell chime to reverberate through your home.
An Alarm.com-powered video doorbell safeguards your hour of afternoon peace with ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode: a mode that switches the chime off, but still sends you a text alert when a visitor rings the bell. Just open your app, see who’s there, then decide (quietly) whether to answer.
7. Secure the Front Door
One of the most surprising FBI crime statistics is that most of the time burglars enter through the front door. While a back door and first-floor window were used 22% and 23% of the time, respectively, the front door was used in 34% of burglaries.
Given this high percentage, it’s an important place to monitor. You can do this with a Ring doorbell.
How to Get the Smartest Doorbell on the Block
Have you ever tried installing a hard-wired doorbell? It’s not easy. To avoid the hassle, and other complications, get your Ring doorbell camera installed as part of a smart home security system powered by Alarm.com.
Home security is more than smart home automation or installing a security surveillance camera system. To learn more about how to protect your home, give the experts at ONIT a call at 1-833-433-0331. Whatever your home needs, we’re ONIT!
