Ring doorbell 2 community

Add me to the list of unhappy ring doorbell 2 owners. I actually have 2 issues, poor quality 2 way audio with a nasty echo where I hear a garbled version of whay I said into the phone delayed by aboth a 1/2 second. It’s like the mic on the doorbell is super sensitive picking up my voice comming out of the speaker and feeding it back to the phone. I use an Iphone 8. It makes conversation impossible. The person at the doorbell also has a hard time understanding me. Second, when it switches to night mode there is a terrible high pitch hum noise that does not go away. I have reset the unit, checked wifi, checked the voltage at the transformer, etc. to no avail. I exchanged it via amazon and the replacement is the same. I have read other posts with similar issues and after reading all these posts it sounds like there is a serious quality control issue. I may be exchanging it for a Nest Hello.

Hi Eddy, Interesting that you have the same issues. Based on communication with the Ring Dev Team they try and tell me the issue is generated by something on my end. (LOL) I feel sorry for the Ring Team because they must know their product has issues and Ring has no solution. If they admit the problem is on their end then they would have liability for placing faulty equipment in the marketplace.
Rick

Same issue and just installed. Any solutions yet?

Just a word of caution. I worked with Ring and will continue to after the Holidays in good faith. During that time I received telephone assistance that checked my wifi signal, firmware, software, plus moved device location, modem location, added wifi boosters x3 and Spotlight Cam (Battery) replaced, Spotlight Cam (wired) installed returned; etc with no resolution. Note from the list of actions, not once did Ring say they had a problem, it was always implied that it was/is my problem.
Heres the catch, Ring has a 90 Day Return Policy, during my Good Faith Period the possibility for return with refund ran out. Watch your calander closely, this is a policy they will hold to firmly.

Anyone have an idea of another doorbell we can buy to relace the defects and take the loss? Nest is worse.

@Jennifer_Ring wrote:

Hi neighbors! The prior audio concern has been resolved with Android App update 3.17 and beyond. If you have the most recent Android App and are still experiencing audio quality concerns, it would be best resolved through opening a ticket with our 24/7 support team.

Thanks for your contributions and attention @Jennifer_Ring

However clearly this issue has NOT been resolved.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S10 and was running the latest 3.20 update - the problem is still very much prevalent and of course there is no capability to turn off the Event Timeline feature.

One interesting thing I noted in the performance - when you first open live view, you can hear full volume on the phone, which quickly gets muted (in my case I can hear the traffic noise from the main road about 250’ away) - this muting happens within 1-2 secs of activating live view; what I further found is that if you use the speaker mute icon then un-mute again (while still in live view), the behaviour is repeated with initial full volume at the moment of un-mute followed by the clearly muted scenario withink a second or two.

This suggests that there is some noise-cancellation system that is in play & I would have to think that is contributing to the overall signal attenuation.

I rolled back to 3:16 and found thatdisabling the event history timeline from ‘new features’ indeed provided a work-around (I had earlier tried 3.18 which still had the ‘new features’ option to deselect event history timeline however this did not seem to change anything - after finding the post referenced that it was ‘fixed’ in 3.17 I then went back to 3.16 and found it behaved as others had reported.

Now here’s an interesting thing - with 3.16, if the event timeline is DISabled then that ‘noise cancellation’ still occurs; But when the Timeline is ENabled, there is no noise-cancellation that takes place - i.e. you start live video and the background noise remains at the same initial (higher) volume. However the 2-way communication is clearly better with the 3.16 with the timeline DISabled. So that is almost inverse of what you might expect.

Another interesting note - what I found with 3.20 previously is that the audio issue only seemed prevalent in live-view - when you revist the timeline and play back an event, the audio is much improved for the exact same event over when it was happening ‘live’ - for that reason I would say that submitting recorded events as an example of what is actually happening is futile, as the recorded event does NOT reflect what is in happening in real time! I’m not sure I have seen anyone mention this distinction before and there are continued requests to submit ‘evidence’ of the problem.

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Jennifer - Novis here. How can I tell what App and Firmware I’m using?
Rick

@mannings wrote:

… How can I tell what App and Firmware I’m using?

Settings -> Apps ->scroll to Ring & select

Just canceled my Ring subscriptions and I swear they don’t refund you properly. I had 2 subscriptions for a Doorbell 2 and Sitckup cam with 4 months left. Seems like they only refunded me $9.67 for one subscription. Only $9.67 is being refunded to my VISA.

APR 29, 2019 – APR 16, 2020

Remaining time on 2 × Ring Yearly Plan after 29 Apr 2019 × 2 $57.90

Unused time on Ring Yearly Plan after 29 Apr 2019 × 1 -$28.95

Total $28.95

Amount refunded $9.67

Adjusted total $19.28

I’ll have to check to see what kind of refund I get.

Here’s something new for those willing to try it!!

Trying out the Video Doorbell cam from Eufy (an Anker’s company). It works much faster when someone rings the doorbell and captures video 3 seconds before the event starts. It also records as long as the event is happening (no 30 second limit), but unless you have a Eufy base and subscription, the recording is only stored on the doorbell’s internal memory itself so if someone rips off your doorbell, it’s gone. The videos can be downloaded to the app on your phone to keep. Video quality is vastly superior to Ring, and listen Ring, no audio issues with talking through it. I can even hear myself from inside my house. But only time will tell as my Ring Video Doorbell 2 started out good, too. Did I mention that you don’t have to subscribe to a monthly payment plan?

Good luck to all with your Ring devices. BTW, I also had an audio issue with the Stickup Outdoor Cam. Couldn’t get any volume out of it. Happy Holidays and best wishes to all.

@mq1 wrote:

Trying out the Video Doorbell cam from Eufy …

That looks like a very nice device with great features (wonder how long competitor referral will remain given this is a Ring Community Forum :laughing: )

For my requirement unfortunately I NEED to have a battery-operated solution - it’s not that I don’t have the tehcnical capability to install a hard-wired system, just that the original bell-push location is not conducive and with stucco walls, not really viable to relocate it - hence the Ring 2 which at least provided simple install capability onto my door-frame - but the operating issues are severely detracting from that one benefit!

Post Script Edit - apprently EUFY has a battery powered doorbell releasing early in 2020.

Some other cons I have found in research however is that

  1. only one user can receive & respond to notifications

  2. It does interact somewhat with Alexa/Show but apprently only in passive mode i.e. you can see the live video, but not correspond with the party at the door.

Yeah, we’ll see how long it’s on this forum. The battery function was a bonus, but Ring had also promised 24/7 recording for wired devices, coming soon they said, last year. It never happened. Ring seemed like a great product when I first got it, but it has progressively gotten worse.

For those wondering, I have already updated everything, App (Android), phone is an LG, Ring devices, network is served by an AC4000 router so 2.4 Ghz is free and clear, internet is 300 mbs. Both Ring cameras are with 25 feet. If anything needed to be upgraded further, I might as well buy a full DVR security system. The advantage for that system would be that I could probably see license plates. The Ring is no where near that clear.

I always get motion notices from my Stickup cam over my garage, but all I see in the video is a street with nothing happening. When I look at my Nest cam at the same time mark, I can see the car going by and the people riding their bikes also. Cars going by I can see being missed. People riding their bikes? Now that shows how fast the Ring cameras respond. The videos always seem to start like their overexposed then adjust. It wasn’t like that in the beginning when I first got it. The coders at Ring either need more schooling or experience. But that’s what happens when you hire the young and bright. They have no experience or common sense.

The plus side of Ring is that their wireless. For some, it’s make or break. They’re good for watching your parents out in the yard to make sure they’re safe. The Video Doorbell is pretty expensive for a wireless doorbell.

Good luck all!

tbh all they have to do is go out and beg/buy/borrow a samsung s9/s10 and actually test it at someones home.

I have the same audio issues in night mode ( high pitch hum) with my ring 2, tried the same things you did, no change
I will be installing a second one on my back door in a day or 2, I’ll see if that does the same thing, you would think by now these bugs would be fixed

Jostel21- Who is your Wifi provider? I have Verizon/Frontier and have been told by the Ring Adv Dev Group that I need a UDP of 2mps and my Modem is set at 1mps. I have no idea what all of that means but the lower UDP will cause distortion when receiving and transfering video and audio. It’s a setting that can be changed. I’ll be calling my provider today to discuss.

I don’t believe that for one minute. We need to quit allowing all these so called tech people at Ring or the Cable company telling us to change settings, buy this, etc. As long as you have a good signal to the doorbell.

The one thing they do not tell you is to look at your app on your phone (in my case it is the iphone), and go to Device Health. You may get a “good” on the voltage but that isn’t always the problem. Look at the signal strength. The range is between 0 to -100 (yes, that is minus). The higher the number, the better your doorbell, especially the audio will be. If it is low, say, under -50, you will get choppy audio. Simply moving you router by a few inches could very well increase the RSSI to -60 or higher. I said before, don’t let them tell you to bt this or that. The only thing you could do in this case would be the Ring extender. It helped for me.

I am now up to -65 and the audio seems to be 80 to 90% better most of the time. The doorbell does have a design or firmware problem, but this will help with some of that. Frankly, I believe it is a duplex problem with the doorbell. One of these days, I am going to re-do the board and isolate the speaker from the mic and prove to Ring this is the primary issue. But I will sve that for another time.

I also discovered something else. I watched the RSSI when it dropped to -43, opened the window, and what do you know, it immediately jumped up to -60. I foind that windows the have the low-E double pane glass will interfere with the signal no matter how much power your rounter has. So, placing the extender to the nearest interior recepticle to the doorbell will definately help. What I can’t explain, yet, is why the signal raises and lowers throughout the day and night. Back to Ring engineers for that one.

BTW, I have both the Ring 2 and Ring Pro. Same as above for both.

You have it backwards. I higher negative number is worse. Google it.
This is from Ring’s website.
RSSI Reading Meaning

-66 to -90 is critical and will likely cause a loss of functionality or be unable to maintain a usable connection the Wi-Fi altogether.

-65 to -41 is sufficient. Possible video issues if constantly at -60.

-40 or better is virtually no interference and a very strong signal.
You will also find this on many sites if Googled.

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https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/217271526-Understanding-RSSI-Values-and-Wireless-Signal-Strength

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RSSI Reading Meaning

-66 to -90 is critical and will likely cause a loss of functionality or be unable to maintain a usable connection the Wi-Fi altogether.

-65 to -41 is sufficient. Possible video issues if constantly at -60.

-40 or better is virtually no interference and a very strong signal.

Common Results of Poor RSSI

  • Poor RSSI Reading - If a router is an older model or is just not strong at broadcasting signal, the RSSI could be poor even though little interference exists between the router and device.
  • Battery Drain - your device battery may be draining quickly if your RSSI is between -70 or lower (Reminder RSSI is a negative number so -90 is lower than -70) because it is working hard to keep a constant connection.
  • Delayed Connection - when trying to open an event or Live View it may take longer to connect or possibly fail to connect.

Tips for -65 to -90

If you are having connectivity concerns and don’t have the best RSSI readings, a Chime Pro could help to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal to your device. Learn more about how a Chime Pro can help in this Ring Help Center article.

Ok you made your point. No need to make 3 posts on the same subject. We are all impressed. Well, maybe not.

Its a good thing that people are discussing this.

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