Is your Ring device successfully set up, but the connection is not stable, or your audio and video has poor quality?
This article will walk you through the necessary troubleshooting steps to improve your Ring device's connectivity.
Test your wifi connection
Ring devices require 2mbps of upload bandwidth to provide the best possible video and audio experience.
Ring devices will work with less than this, but for the best video and audio quality, connection time and responsiveness we recommend at least 2mbps per Ring device.
How do I know if my internet speed is good enough?
Firstly, let's check your internet connection.
- To test your internet connection speed, use the Ring app on your phone or tablet.
- Make sure that your phone uses the same wifi network as your Ring devices.
- Open the Ring app
- Select your Ring device
- Choose “Settings”
- Go to “Device Health” and select “Test Your Wifi”.
- Stand in the same location as your Ring device, about 0.5m-1m away, and run the test. For testing accurately, make sure your front door is shut during this step.
- Make a note of these results.
I have less than 2mbps connectivity
If you are getting less than 2mbps you can still enjoy the Ring experience, but you may notice lower video or audio quality, or potentially delayed notification, when using your device.
I have more than 2mbps connectivity, but my Ring device is still slow
If you have around 2mbps or more, we know that the connection is good, however there might be other issues related to different aspects of connectivity. Let's move forward to make sure your home network is performing as best it can.
Improving your signal strength
If your internet speeds are good, you may still have an issue with the strength of the signal between your router and the Ring device. Signal strength is just as important as speed when it comes to transmitting a video image from your Ring device to your Ring app.
To check the strength of your wifi signal, do the following:
- Open your Ring app
- Tap on the three lines on the top left of the screen
- Select Devices
- Tap on the Ring device you would like to test
- Tap on the Device Health tile
- On the Device Health screen, look at your Signal Strength under the Network section.
If your signal is poor or very poor, this can be caused by the distance between the router and your Ring device, the layout of your home, or interference caused by other devices (TVs, game systems, etc.) or materials in your home such as stucco, brick, metal, large mirrors or glass doors.
Routers that are in a cupboard or behind a sofa will have diminished signal strength.
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| Move router from behind sofa |
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| Move router out of cupboard |
Keep in mind that signal strength is only a broad frame of reference: If the app tells you your signal is 'poor' or 'very poor', but your device's Live View is working as it should, and your Ring notifications are appearing in time, then you can carry on using your Ring device normally without worrying about the alert.
Why else could my signal be low?
There are a number of factors that can cause your signal to be low.
- These can be things such as obstacles in the way of the signal (big metal objects, big thick walls, double glazing, fridges, microwaves and other devices), the position of your wireless router.
- Router, or interference from neighbouring networks called ‘channel interference’.
- If your wifi router is an older model with outdated firmware, this may affect your signal strength.
There are ways to rectify these issues in a simple and straightforward way, without any technical knowledge required.
Here are a few steps we can take to improve your signal:
Position of your wireless router
- If your wireless router has been installed on the floor or behind a TV (which is common in Europe), the first thing to do is to get the wireless router up off the ground and away from the big metal TV which is blocking some of the signal to and from the router.
We recommend that you position your wireless router around 1.2 metres off of the floor and away from any big metal objects, or other wireless devices, such as baby monitors or video extenders.
- If your wireless router is at the opposite side of the house from where your Ring device is, you can try and move your wireless router closer to the Ring device using a broadband or cable extension kit. Moving the wireless router even a few metres closer can have an impact, especially if there are other objects in the way.
- If you have big metal or structural objects like boilers or water tanks between your router and your Ring device, you can try and move your router so that the object is no longer in direct line of sight of the Ring device.
Resetting your modem or router
If you're still not able to successfully improve connectivity, try resetting your modem and/or router. To do this, follow the instructions below:
- Unplug your router or model from its power supply (don't just turn it off).
- If your router and modem are separate, unplug both of them.
- Wait 15-20 seconds, then plug them back in.
- Wait a minute or two for internet to be restored.
Confirm that your internet has been restored by connecting another device to your wifi network and trying to access a website, then repeat the setup process.
Attempt using a dedicated 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz network
Most Ring devices are designed to function with a 2.4 GHz Wifi signal for the best range. Other devices can also operate using a 5 GHz signal. Please refer to our user manual for details.
If your device is connected to a 5 Ghz network and is disconnecting from the network or having connectivity issues, you can attempt to connect to a dedicated 2.4 Ghz network, provided by your wifi router.
Alternatively, if you're connected to a 2.4 Ghz network, you can try connecting your device to a 5 Ghz network, if the device is compatible with 5 Ghz.
Use a Ring Chime Pro or other wifi extender
The Chime Pro is a Ring product designed to extend the range of your wireless network to your Ring Video Doorbell and Cameras, as well as notify you about doorbell and motion alerts within the home.
Simply plug in the Chime Pro as close to your Ring device as possible, and follow the simple steps in the Ring app to set up Chime Pro.
Find out more about the Ring Chime Pro here.
After completing one or more of these steps, run the connectivity test through the Ring app again. If the speed and quality has improved, you will be set! If not, you can further explore some of the issues below.
Advanced troubleshooting steps
If you've followed the above steps and are still having connectivity issues, you can try some advanced troubleshooting steps, as outlined below.
- Channel interference, and changing the channel
Channel interference is caused when there are multiple wireless networks in the area, all sharing the same channel and competing to be heard.
In Europe, 2.4 Ghz wireless signals operate across 13 channels. Some channels overlap slightly, so the most efficient ones without overlap are 1, 6, 11.
If you're getting interference from competing Wifi networks:
- Many modern routers have utilities that allow them to scan for the least crowded channel to broadcast on. Check your router's documentation to find out how to enable this feature on your router.
- If you've tried channel switching and are still getting slow internet speed, try setting the channel manually and use the "Test Your Wifi" tool on the device health page of the Ring app to test your Wifi speed and find the fastest one.
- Consider upgrading to a new router, especially if yours is more than a few years old.
- Test again
If the steps we have taken thus far are not improving the signal and connection experience, there are a few other things that can be done in order to improve the signal.
Using a mesh network
If you want to improve your wifi coverage for your whole home, then mesh wireless could be an option. These systems work by having multiple units plugged in throughout the house, while seamlessly allowing devices like mobile phones to connect to the strongest signal as you walk about the house.
Most of the large internet providers have their own mesh wireless systems, and leading brands also have products available.
If you do opt for a mesh network, ensure that your Ring device is connected to the closest mesh unit.
If you're getting interference from other electronics:
- Try turning off or unplugging some of your electronics.
- Some electronic devices such as PCs, TVs, and video game consoles can be wired directly into your router using Ethernet cable. Attaching these devices to a wired connection will free up bandwidth on the wifi.
- Try moving other electronic devices. Even a few feet can make a big difference.
Still having trouble with your device connectivity? Contact our Customer Support team directly.
If you’ve been having audio issues with your Ring app or a Ring device, when you’re trying to use Live View, the following troubleshooting steps should help you get your device and app back to normal.
If you’re having an audio issue, try the following:
- Check your mobile device to make sure that the external volume control is turned up to an adequate level to hear the person.
- In addition to the external volume control, there are audio controls in your device settings.
- If you don’t know how to check your device settings, search online for “audio controls” and the name/model of your device.
- Check to make sure you’re utilising the two-way talk feature.
- Make sure the microphone icon is enabled on the app screen.
- You can also tap the green button to talk.
- If you have a Ring Protect plan, check to see whether or not you can hear sound on a stored recording.
- If you do not hear sound on the stored recording check the external volume controls and audio controls in your device settings.
- If you hear sound on the stored recording go on to the next troubleshooting step.
- If you are on a phone call, that may interfere with the sound on some mobile devices, end the call and try Live View again.
- Turn off your Bluetooth connection in your device settings and try Live View again. Bluetooth might be interfering with your audio.
- Turn off your device for 30 seconds by either removing the battery or unplugging it. Then, put the power back on and try again.
- If you have checked all of these things and still cannot hear, the problem is most likely a problem with your wifi connection.
- If possible, remove the device from where it’s set up and move it closer to your router or move the router closer to the device.
- Do a test event and see if you can hear the person on the other end after you’ve moved the device/router.
- If your problem is a poor wifi connection, a wifi extender such as the Ring Chime Pro might help correct the problem.
- Check the strength of your wifi connection in Device Health:
- Open the Ring app.
- Tap the three lines on the top left.
- Tap Devices.
- Select the device you want to check.
- Tap Device Health.
- Check the RSSI wifi signal strength.
- If all else fails, you can try resetting your device. To do this, find the large black or orange setup button on your device and hold it down for 20 seconds.
- WARNING: This will reset your device and it will have to be set up again!
Live View
If you’re doing a Live View, make sure that your audio settings are enabled. The microphone icon allows you to speak and the speaker icon allows you to hear outside. When the icons are enabled (image on the left) they will not have a slash through them.
The example below shows a doorbell ring view from the Ring app. In order to enable two-way audio with the delivery person, you would need to need to tap the green button. If you activated the speaker icon on the bottom right, you would be able to hear the delivery person, but they wouldn’t be able to hear you.
Once you’ve activated the green button to speak, it will no longer appear on the screen. To end the conversation, tap the red icon. If you have a Ring Protect plan, you will see video of the interaction in your Event History within a minute or two.
