Tag Archives: smart home

A Comprehensive Guide to Switching Your Traditional Doorbell to a Ring Video Doorbell Wired

Installing a Ring Video Doorbell: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you looking to upgrade your home security with a Ring Video Doorbell? Installing a Ring Video Doorbell is a great way to keep your home safe and secure. This guide will walk you through the process of replacing a wired doorbell with a Ring Video Doorbell.

Before you begin, make sure to go through the in-app setup process near your router. Have everything that came in the Ring packaging handy, and if you’re installing on a masonry surface, you’ll need a power drill.

Step 1: Shut Off Power to Your Doorbell

The first step is to shut off power to your doorbell at the breaker. This is an important safety precaution, so make sure to do this before you begin.

Step 2: Remove Your Existing Doorbell

Once the power is off, you can remove your existing doorbell. This will make it easier to install the mounting bracket for your Ring Video Doorbell.

Step 3: Install the Mounting Bracket

Take the mounting bracket that came with your Ring doorbell and the small orange level and snap the level into place on the bracket. Then place the mounting bracket on the wall, running the wires through the hole in the middle. Make sure the bubble in the level is steady in the middle, and mark the four corner holes if you’re installing your Ring doorbell on a masonry surface.

If you’re installing on wood or siding, you don’t need to use the anchors and you can skip the next part. If you’re installing on a masonry surface, use the provided drill bit to drill holes for your anchors. Then use the Phillips head, side of your Ring screwdriver and the provided screws to secure the mounting bracket to your wall.

Step 4: Attach the Wires

Once your bracket is fixed to the wall, remove the level by snapping it off. Then take the wires that are running through your mounting bracket and attach one wire to each of the screws on the front of the bracket, wrapping the wires around the screws to ensure a good connection. It doesn’t matter which wire goes to which screw as long as both wires have a good connection to the screws and that the wires aren’t touching one another.

Step 5: Install the Diode (if Necessary)

If your door chime is digital versus mechanical, there’s one extra step at this point. Not sure if your door chime is digital or mechanical? Here’s an easy way to tell the difference: when your doorbell rings, is the sound it makes a classic “Ding Dong” sound? If so, then you probably have a mechanical doorbell with a physical chiming mechanism in your house. In this case, do not use the diode since doing so will damage your doorbell chime.

If the sound your doorbell makes is more of a melody, you have a digital door chime and you’ll need to attach the diode to wire your Ring doorbell properly. To install the diode, position the black plastic housing in the middle of your mounting bracket, then wrap the wire at each end around one of the screws. If you know which wire leads to your doorbells internal chime, put the Gray indicator on the same side as that wire. If you’re not sure, don’t worry since connecting the diode the wrong way won’t do any harm, your doorbell just won’t ring correctly. If this is the case, you can reverse the diode and try again.

Step 6: Secure Your Ring Doorbell

Position your Ring doorbell over the slots on the bracket, then push firmly inwards and then down until it locks into place. Don’t be afraid to push too hard since it can take some effort to get your Ring doorbell on the bracket. Tighten the security screws on the bottom using the smaller end of your Ring screwdriver until your Ring doorbell is secure.

Step 7: Power On Your Doorbell

Once your Ring doorbell is secure, power the electricity to your doorbell back on. You’ll know Ring is properly wired when the circular light on the front glows a soft white and pressing the button triggers the chime inside your home. If your Ring doorbell doesn’t ring your internal chime, or your internal chime doesn’t sound right and it’s a digital Chime, it’s possible that the diode was installed the wrong way.

You’re Ready to Go!

You’re now ready to begin using your Ring Video Doorbell. If you need any additional help, feel free to reach out to our support team or visit ring.com/help. With Ring, you’re always home.

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The Genius Parenting Hack That Uses Only a Light Bulb

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Every single parent has been there. Your 6-year-old is refusing to get in the bath and brush his teeth. No amount of bribing, screaming, and threatening will convince him that he suddenly wants to indulge your bedtime routine. You’re ready to throw yourself in the bathtub and cry.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

What if I told you there’s a way to use something as simple as a light bulb to encourage (and virtually guarantee) your child’s great behavior.

This parenting hack is so easy that you’ll make it a permanent part of your repertoire. It’s an especially powerful tool to use leading up to Christmas, but kids care about Santa all year long!

Here’s everything you need to know to use a smart bulb and the looming presence of Santa to finally (FINALLY) get your kids to listen and behave. 

 

Step 1: Buy an LED Smart Bulb

We use the KASA Smart WiFi Light Bulb at our house. It’s easily controlled through the Kasa Smart app or voice commands with Alexa, Google Assistant, or Microsoft Cortana.

(Pro Tip: The Phillips Hue Smart Bulb is also a great choice if you regularly use an Amazon Alexa).

Whichever bulb you choose, make sure it is multi-color, connected to your WiFi, and easy to control with a few taps or commands. Most importantly, be sure to purchase a smart bulb that doesn’t require a hub. Hubs act like routers for your smart devices but are pretty costly, so if you don’t already have one, purchase a hub-free smart bulb to make this parenting hack more affordable.

 

Step 2: Connect Your Smart Bulb to Your WiFi

 

smart bulb Kasa

Time to get down to business. Add the smart bulb into the KASA app (or whichever app works with your bulb) and connect to your WiFi. As soon as you open the app, you’ll be able to click on the specific light bulb you need (which we named Santa’s Little Helper) and control the exact color and intensity. We programmed orange, green, and red for easy access.

 

Now install the smart bulb into a common area of your house and introduce it to your kids as a “Santa Light”. If you’re doing this before Christmas, explain that it’s Santa’s way of using colors to keep track of whether they’re on the Naughty or Nice list. If it’s after Christmas, tell your kids that Santa installed the light bulb while he was delivering presents in order to track their behavior until next Christmas (genius, right?).

 

KASA smart bulb color app

 

Step 3: Start Using “Santa’s Light” and Watch the Magic Happen

When we first introduced Santa’s Light to our five-year-old daughter, you could practically hear her brain spinning to process the concept. Santa can see EVERYTHING? He can control this light? He knows as soon as I’m bad? 

Yup, yup, and you bet. 

smart bulb parenting hack

 

The green light worked on its own for a while. It gave our daughter a constant reminder that she was on the right track with her behavior and Santa knew it. She started purposefully showing better behavior to try to impress Santa. 

But hissy fits happen, and the first time she tried to shout “No way, ew!” to the dinner set in front of her, the light immediately turned from green to orange to red. 

smart bulb parenting hack red

 

The neighbors could probably hear her gasp when she noticed the change. She immediately sat up straight in her chair, grabbed her fork, and chowed down.

We didn’t have to say a word! No arguing or raised voices or exasperation. That’s what I call a major parenting win… or a technology-enable Christmas Miracle.

This parenting hack is perfect for Christmas, but it can also be adapted for any other time of year. Is your kid hopelessly obsessed with Paw Patrol or Batman? Make it Batman’s Light or Chase’s Light. As Easter rolls around, it can become the Easter Bunny’s Light.

Whatever you need to do to make parenting just a bit easier.

Do you have other ideas for using a smart bulb to keep your kids on their toes? Share them below!

 

For more information visit us at Https://www.TotalitySolutions.org

 

 

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