How to connect ring base station to wifi

2.0 out of 5 stars Can’t get the device to connect, no matter what I try
By Praeco on November 4, 2021

Tried a million different ways to connect this device to my existing eero network and it just won’t. Keeps telling me that the eero has no internet connection when it’s directly plugged into a connected into the router.

Going back to the old Ring Alarm. No clue why it’s not working. Seems nice otherwise.

Edit: To make matters worse, the failed installation of the new Alarm Pro resulted in all of my contact and motion sensors no longer working when I reconnected my old Ring Alarm. Tried resetting them, took out the batteries... nothing works. total disaster.

UPDATE 01/22: Been using the device for a few months now. Due to the faulty installation, I had to completely re-setup my Ring home security system, as all my contact sensors, motion sensors, keypads, flood sensors etc. were disconnected in the process. Once I did all that, new problems started occurring and still do:

- Locally processed videos don't properly play back. Sometimes, they playback but don't have audio. Sometimes, they don't play at all and are just frozen on one frame. Sometimes, I just get an error that the video cannot be played.

- The eero and the ring systems that are combined in this device are not integrated in their software whatsoever. They share the same ports, buttons and what not, but they are completely separate systems. I've had it several times that the eero shows up as online in my eero network, but the ring alarm reports as offline because "isn't connected to the network". I have absolutely no idea how to fix this, given that the eero -- which is the same frickin' device -- is plugged in and working just fine. DHCP, ports, everything seems to be in order. No clue what the issue is.

I really wish I could just plug my old ring alarm back in, but at this point, I'm too worried about having to connect my ring devices all over again, which took several hours, since they're all over the house.

I hate this device with all my heart.

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I have a Security System that’s active when I’m away for work.

Unfortunately, when I was on one such trip, my Ring Alarm had switched to cellular backup mode during a power failure.

I tried to fix it when I got home, but it wouldn’t connect to the Internet even when power was restored. 

I couldn’t just leave the security system and my active-monitoring plan on Cellular Backup mode, so I set about researching on the Internet because the manuals and guides don’t address this issue very well.

I pieced together this comprehensive article with everything I’ve learned for quick reference.

If your Ring Alarm is stuck on cellular backup, reset the Wi-Fi Router or switch to Ethernet. Then power cycle the base station to initiate a check for resources to unstuck the Ring alarm on cellular backup.

The base station of Ring Alarm houses a 24-hour backup battery.

In the event of a power failure, or internet disconnection, it automatically switches to the cellular backup.

This ensures that the Ring Alarm continues to monitor our premises and sound the 104 dB siren when triggered – all in the absence of Internet or power, to ensure your home is never compromised.

But the cellular service works only with the monitoring option, for which you have to subscribe to the Ring Protect Plus Plan.

Once the net connection is back or power is restored, the Ring Alarm should automatically recover from the cellular backup.

However, in some instances, it does get stuck on cellular backup mode.

Reboot your Wi-Fi Router

Routers give our devices access to the Internet. Rebooting the router sometimes helps the base station auto-reconnect to the network.

You can do this in two ways:

1) Unplug the cable that connects the router to the power. Then put the plug back in. This should reset it.

2) Some routers have a switch on them. Flip it off and on, and the router resets itself.

Try using Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi

Wireless is always slower than wired. This is because there’s a greater possibility of radio waves getting interfered with the Wi-Fi network compared to Ethernet.

For the Ring Alarm, you cannot use both Wi-Fi and Ethernet simultaneously. You can only choose one.

Change the connection from Wi-Fi to Ethernet.

Once the issue with the backup is solved, switch back to Wi-Fi from Ethernet if you use an Echo Dot as an Alexa Guard to detect breaking glass, as if you need Wi-Fi for this to work.

Bring the base station closer to the Wi-Fi Router

Ensure that the base station is close enough to the router so it can receive its signal.

If the Wi-Fi connection is poor, or you’ve entered the wrong Wi-Fi network password, the base station won’t connect to the Wi-Fi router. 

Power Cycle the Base Station to Initiate a Check for Resources

You can try initiating a check for resources by unplugging and then plugging in the base station.

You can also try to reboot the base station by using a pushpin to tap the RESET button.

Never hold the RESET button for longer than one second, as this initiates the factory reset process.

Factory reset is not recommended in the absence of a trained Ring Alarm Support agent.

Use the Ring App to Change the Connection

If power cycling the base station or rebooting the router doesn’t get the base station reconnected to the Wi-Fi network, switch to Ethernet and change the connection using the Ring App. For this:

1) Open the Menu from the app dashboard

2) Select Devices

3) Tap on Alarm

4) Select Base Station

5) Select Settings in the top right corner of the Base Station page

6) Choose Network Settings

7) Then select Change Connection

Once the connection is changed to Ethernet, you may change it back to Wi-Fi, if that’s what you still prefer. But, first, check if Wi-Fi connects now.

Factory reset your Ring Alarm Base Station

Never do this on your own. Instead, reach out to the Ring Support team and have an agent of theirs come over to initiate a factory reset of the base station.

Contact Ring Support

You can get in touch with a trained Ring Customer Support expert to fix issues related to failure to switch from cellular backup to Wi-Fi or Ethernet, despite your repeated attempts. 

If you’re seriously considering factory reset of the base station, DEFINITELY contact Ring Support.

Get your Ring Alarm Off Cellular Backup

It’s nice that the Ring Alarm has this cellular backup feature.

But it is quite a pain to re-establish a connection to Wi-Fi when stuck in battery backup mode.

Please note that the cellular backup comes to an end after 24 hours.

If there’s no one home to switch the settings back to Wi-Fi when auto-reconnection fails, the whole security system gets disparaged.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my ring alarm back on Wi-Fi?

You can manually connect Ring Alarm back to Wi-Fi using the Ring App.

Once you open the Ring App, tap on the three lines you find in the top left part.

Next, look for Devices in the list and select the device to be reconnected to Wi-Fi (here, Alarm). Now tap on Reconnect to Wi-Fi or Change Wi-Fi Network.

How long will the ring alarm work on cellular backup?

The Ring Alarm works on cellular backup for 24 hours.

The battery itself lasts from 6 to 12 months, depending on how much activity is involved and how frequently you recharge.

How do I reset my alarm ring?

Usually, the alarm siren is sounded from within the base station.

However, it is recommended to contact Customer Support for assistance when you have issues with the Ring Alarm because it probably involves a factory reset.

How do I get my ring base station back online?

If you find that the base station cannot connect to the Internet, make sure that your internet connection is working by checking your modem and router.

If the issue persists, wait a few minutes, and then try again. Finally, attempt to connect Ring Alarm back to Wi-Fi via the Ring app.

Why is my ring base station not connecting to wifi?

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How do I reconnect my Base Station ring?

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