Ring Alarm devices are the hardware accessories you'll use to set up your security system. They include the following:
- Contact Sensor: Contact sensors are two-part devices connected by a strong magnetic field. They are placed on doors or windows. When the alarm system is armed, they will trigger an alarm as soon as their magnetic contact is broken by the door or window opening.
- Motion Detector: A motion detector is a device that uses Passive Infrared scanning (PIR) to detect unauthorized motion to set off the alarm.
- Keypad: Your keypad is used to arm and disarm the system and place it into various "security modes."
- Range Extender: The range extender is used to extend the range of the Z-Wave network that the Ring Alarm Base Station uses to communicate with its connected devices.
Placing Contact Sensors
Tap for information about Contact Sensor (1st Generation).
Tap for information about Contact Sensor (2nd Generation).
When you're placing your sensors, you need to think proactively. Consider where the easiest entry points to get into your home are located.
- Front Door: It seems like a no-brainer. Surely everyone plans to put a sensor on their front door, right? Well, it's even more important than you think. Lots of break-ins occur through the front door. That makes the front door and the area just behind it the most important areas of your house to secure with Ring Alarm.
- Side and Rear Doors: While not as common an entry point as the front door, side and rear doors have the virtue of providing cover for intruders as they attempt to break into your home. In addition, rear doors often have less secure locks, making them more vulnerable to break-ins.
- First Floor Windows: First-floor windows are the second most common points of entry for intruders and they jump to number one during the hot summer months. It's a lot easier to forget you've left a window open than it is to leave a door open. Make sure your lower floor windows are closed, locked, and armed with Ring Alarm.
- Second Floor Windows: The good news about upper floor windows is that they're rarely used by burglars as a point of entry simply because someone entering a home via a second-story window is the kind of suspicious activity that most neighbors will call the police about. That being said, don't make it easy for burglars by keeping these windows closed, locked, and armed as well, especially if a window is hidden from the street by something like a tall tree.
Placing Motion Detectors
Tap for Information about the Motion Detector (1st Generation).
Tap for information about the Motion Detector (2nd Generation).
The placement of Motion Detectors is as important as the placement of your Contact Sensors. A good rule-of-thumb is to walk through your home and place motion detectors in high-traffic areas. These are the areas where a potential intruder would most likely walk through on their way to steal your valuables.
The Do's and Don'ts of Motion Detector placement
- DO place your Motion Sensor in a corner: From this position the sensor can cover the entire room and detect motion on all sides.
- DON'T place a motion sensor where it can be caught by direct sunlight: You'll need to avoid placing the sensor in a position where sunlight from windows might confuse the sensor. Such a placement also means an intruder would walk directly toward the sensor, which minimizes the sensor's detection capability.
- DO cover the primary bedroom: This tends to be the first target of intruders who are looking for jewelry, money, or other valuables.
- DON'T place the motion sensor near heat sources: Hot air vents, kerosene heaters, radiators or other portable heat sources can suddenly change the temperature of a room, setting off the alarm.
- DO protect your valuables: If you have larger valuable goods like TVs or consumer electronics, consider placing a motion sensor behind them. When they're moved by intruders, the motion sensor will detect this and set off the alarm.
- DON'T forget the second floor: Most burglars enter houses through the front door or other places on the first floor. But never underestimate an intruder who tries to avoid the first-floor alarm by coming in through an upper-floor window. Be sure to alarm the second floor.
- DO cover your basement: An intruder will try any way they can to enter your home, including the basement. Cover the staircase up to the main floor for better coverage. Be sure to place the motion sensor properly so it covers the entire staircase.
- DON'T skimp on the motion sensors: There's nothing more valuable than the security of your home, so try and cover as much of it as possible with motion sensors. The fewer holes you leave for an intruder to slip through, the more secure your home will be.
Placing your keypad
Tap for information about your Keypad (1st Generation).
Tap for information about your Keypad (2nd Generation).
Your Ring Alarm Keypad represents one of the primary interactivity points and is the best way to arm and disarm the system quickly or send a distress call if needed. As such, its placement requires some thought. The two most effective placement areas, include:
- Most used entry/exit point: Most people subscribe to the theory that the keypad should be placed near the most used entry/exit point in the house. Whether this is the front door or the door between the garage and the house or some other location, placing the Keypad here allows quick access for arming and disarming when entering/leaving the house and provides equal access to the system for everyone in the house.
- Primary bedroom: While this placement is not used as often, having access to the alarm controls via the Ring app makes this a more viable option since you can activate and deactivate* the alarm from outside the house through the app. The rationale for placing the keypad in the primary bedroom is to provide quick access to the keypad in case of a false alarm (in which case the system can be turned off quickly) or a real emergency in which case a panic call can be sent out with minimal delay.
*Ring Alarm and all Ring Alarm accessories require a subscription for digital notifications, in-app features, digital arming/disarming, and integration with other Ring, Echo, and third party products. Subscription sold separately. View ring.com/protect-plans for pricing and details.
Placing your Range Extender
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Your Base Station communicates with your sensors and other devices using a technology called Z-Wave. Placing your Range Extender is dependent on where you place your Base Station. Ideally, your Base Station should be as close to the center point of all your devices as possible. If this is not possible, try and place your Range Extender halfway between your Base Station and the location of the device that's the farthest from the Base Station.
