I have the Ring Alarm-system installed in a closeby building used as storage. Recently I had a motion-sensor (2nd gen) being set off in a sealed off room with no heatsources and windows blinded. Living nearby I arrived within 3-4 minutes to inspect, and observed one shady individual running off from the building into a waiting car as I arrived. It is in a rural area with a passing road, an area where one hardly ever observe people other than locals on foot. There was no sign of attempted break-in, but I wonder if those people were testing if anyone actually is monitoring the place. Is it possible to set off a motion-sensor remotely with RF-interference or similar?
I noticed that the alarm-hub had registered a weakened signal from the sensor that was set off although this has never been a problem before or since.
Hi @PerH. Since this storage building is separate from where the Ring Alarm is installed, you may run into connectivity issues, especially if this building is farm from your Base Station. I can’t speculate as to what exactly might have caused the Motion Detector to trigger. It’s possible something in the building was disturbed and trigger the sensor. Regardless I’d suggest reviewing the area your Motion Detector has in its view to ensure there’s no reflective surfaces or sources of heat to prevent false alarms. Additionally, securing any doors or windows with a Contact Sensor would provide an extra measure of security.
Hi @user51307. I stated that as we often have neighbors with storage sheds or outdoor buildings anywhere from 50 to 100 feet or more from their home, and they attempt to put Contact Sensors or Motion Detectors in those buildings and then have signal issues at that distance. Z-Wave has a farther effective range than something like a standard wifi signal, but you will still experience interference due to obstructions.
The Outdoor Contact Sensor is indeed for use outdoors, such as on a shed in the backyard or a front entryway gate. These are both common uses of the Outdoor Contact Sensor, and the Z-Wave signal typically does fine on something that close to the house where the Base Station is installed. If you aren’t experiencing signal or connectivity issues with your Outdoor Contact Sensors, and they are installed properly according to the instructions, then you don’t need to worry. There are always a large amount of factors at play, as everyone’s home and installation situation will vary. A setup that works for one neighbor may not work for another.
@user51307 I edited my post after replying to you in order to clarify my explanation and prevent any further confusion from other neighbors. There is no official complaint form, but your feedback has been noted.
The entire alarm-system is installed in the same building, which in turn is connected with fibre to the rest of the property for internet and other communications.