I had to change my WiFi password recently. The Ring app failed to connect to the device (both Ring Doorbell and Flood Light) asking to disconnect from the VPN and click the “VPN IS OFF” button. I disconnect from the VPN and clicked the “VPN IS OFF” button, but nothing happened. I tried several times including restarting the device without connecting to the VPN after restart, but nothing worked. I was continuously presented with the same VPN dialog.
I called customer support and we spent nearly an hour trying different things including clearing the application cache, removing the VPN app completely, and reinstalling the Ring app. Nothing worked. I was continuously presented with the same VPN dialog.
Customer support’s only recommendation was to use another device to attempt the re-configuration. I told her I had no other device that did not have a VPN installed. I work in the computer security field and all of my devices use a VPN.
I started looking for an alternative to Ring such as Arlo and Blink.
Fortunately for Ring, I found an old tablet that I hadn’t used in several years. I checked and it did not have a VPN app installed. I was able to install the Ring app on this table and successfully reconfigure my devices.
Ring MUST support devices using VPN connectivity for privacy and security!!! VPN use in the United States, and the world for that matter, is increasing as Forbes noted in the article referenced below. Ring must adapt to that reality.
While travelling out of the country I got onto the WiFi at my resort (no cellular service at this location) tried to open the app and only got the message “Couldn’t Load Location”
I later found out that this was due to the fact that the resort WiFi was running through a VPN. This issue has since cropped up a couple of more times for me in Mexico and Cuba. Apparently a lot of the larger hotels and resorts WiFi is run through a VPN these days which renders the Ring app useless as well as not getting notifications of a doorbell ring, or motion detected.
I called customer service to complain and explained that this is a deal breaker for me and if they don’t remove this VPN blocking I’ll be shopping for a new system and monitoring package. Up until 2019, VPN’s were not being blocked.
The CSR was sympathetic and said he’s had several complaints himself concerning the same issue.
Does anyone know if Ring is even aware of the problem and working on correcting this?
I also use the Honeywell Residio app and I have no problem accessing that on WiFi from behind a VPN.
Hi @Gerry_P. The Ring app has not been compatible with the use of a VPN since December of 2019. We have more information regarding the Ring app and VPNs here. I have moved this thread to our Feature Request board, which we use to gather and share feedback with our teams here.