Ring Alarm (2nd Gen) 5-Piece Kit

Length x width x height of the base station, the hub the rest of the kit talks to.

The keypad, sensors and siren are separate pieces and are not included in this measurement.

The weight of the base station alone.

A heavier hub is usually the one with the backup battery and the siren built in. The sensors are weighed on their own pages.

How long the base station keeps the alarm running after mains power is lost, as the maker publishes it.

A system whose hub dies in an outage stops calling for help at the moment a break-in is most likely. The figure is the hub's own battery, not a sensor's coin cell.

Range: The 2.4 GHz band offers a longer range, meaning it can cover larger areas and penetrate solid objects like walls more effectively than 5 GHz.

Speed: Generally, 2.4 GHz provides slower speeds compared to 5 GHz due to a lower maximum data rate.

Interference: More prone to interference since many other devices (like cordless phones, microwaves, and Bluetooth devices) operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency, leading to potential congestion and slower network performance.

Range: Offers a shorter range compared to 2.4 GHz and may have difficulty penetrating walls and other obstacles.

Speed: Typically provides faster speeds and higher data rates due to more available bandwidth.

Interference: Less prone to interference as fewer devices operate on this frequency, leading to a more stable connection.

Ethernet is a widely used technology for wired networking, providing a stable and high-speed connection between devices on a local area network (LAN).

Speed: Ethernet can offer higher and more consistent speeds compared to Wi-Fi. Modern Ethernet standards can support speeds from 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) to 10 Gbps (10 Gigabit Ethernet) and beyond.

Stability and Reliability: Because it uses a wired connection, Ethernet is less susceptible to interference from other devices and physical barriers, leading to a more stable and reliable connection.

Lower Latency: Ethernet typically offers lower latency compared to Wi-Fi, making it ideal for applications that require real-time data transfer, such as online gaming and video conferencing.

Security: A wired connection is generally more secure than a wireless one, as physical access to the network is required to intercept data.

Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology used for exchanging data over short distances.

Bluetooth enables devices to communicate wirelessly within a short range, typically up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) for most consumer devices.

Z-Wave is known for its low power consumption, making it ideal for battery-powered devices. It supports a mesh networking topology, allowing devices to communicate with each other directly or through intermediary nodes, thus extending the overall network range and enhancing reliability. The protocol supports data rates of up to 100 kbps, suitable for transmitting control commands and sensor data.

Zigbee is a wireless communication protocol designed for low-power, short-range applications, commonly used in smart home devices, industrial automation, and other areas requiring reliable, low-data rate communication. It features low power consumption, making it ideal for battery-operated devices, and supports short-range communication, typically up to 100 meters. Zigbee employs mesh networking, allowing devices to relay data through each other to extend range and improve reliability. It supports data rates up to 250 kbps, suitable for small data packets, and ensures interoperability among devices from different manufacturers if they conform to Zigbee standards. Security is robust, with AES-128 encryption for data protection.

Zigbee devices need a Zigbee-compatible hub to connect and communicate with other devices in your smart home setup.

Thread is a wireless communication protocol designed specifically for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, providing secure, reliable, and scalable networking. Unlike some other protocols, Thread is IP-based, which means it can seamlessly integrate with existing internet infrastructure. It operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and uses mesh networking to enhance reliability and extend range by allowing devices to relay data through each other.

Thread is optimized for low power consumption, making it suitable for battery-operated devices. It supports low-latency communication, which is crucial for real-time applications like home automation and security systems. The protocol ensures high security with AES-128 encryption and end-to-end security at the network layer. Thread also supports over-the-air updates, ensuring devices can stay up to date with the latest features and security patches.

Thread-enabled devices require a Thread Border Router (such as certain smart home hubs or routers) to connect to your home network and other Thread devices.

Additional connectivity options not covered by the standard protocols.

This may include proprietary wireless protocols, infrared, or other specialized communication methods.

Google Home serves as a central hub for a variety of smart devices, including lights, thermostats, cameras, and speakers. It leverages Google Assistant for voice control, enabling users to manage their smart home with simple commands.

Amazon Alexa is one of the most widely used smart home systems, known for its compatibility with a vast array of devices. Users can control everything from smart lights to appliances using voice commands through Echo devices.

Apple HomeKit is designed for users in the Apple ecosystem, providing a seamless way to control compatible smart devices through iOS devices using the Home app or Siri. It emphasizes security and user privacy.

SmartThings is a flexible platform that connects a wide range of devices from different brands, offering a unified interface for control. It supports various communication protocols, allowing for extensive device compatibility.

Home Assistant is an open-source platform that allows for extensive customization and integration of a wide variety of smart devices. It supports a multitude of protocols and brands, making it ideal for tech-savvy users.

Matter is a unified, open-source connectivity protocol designed to standardize and simplify communication between smart home devices from different manufacturers. Developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (formerly the Zigbee Alliance), Matter aims to improve interoperability, security, and reliability across various smart home ecosystems.

Matter operates over existing networking technologies, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Thread, providing flexibility in device connectivity. Its IP-based nature allows seamless integration with existing internet infrastructure and cloud services. Matter uses a mesh networking topology, particularly when operating over Thread, to enhance range and reliability by allowing devices to relay data through each other.

Security is a cornerstone of Matter, with end-to-end encryption and secure device onboarding processes ensuring robust protection for data and privacy. Matter also supports over-the-air updates, allowing devices to stay current with the latest features and security enhancements.

Whether the phone app still arms, disarms and shows the system when you pay nothing beyond the kit.

Some systems lock the app behind a subscription and leave you with the keypad and the siren. Others keep self monitoring free and charge only for a call center.

Whether the system still pushes an alert to your phone when a sensor trips and you have no subscription.

A siren in the house does not tell you about a trip while you are out. Push alerts are the part of self monitoring that travels with you.

Whether a timeline of arming, disarming and sensor events stays available with no subscription.

History is what you check after an alert to see which door opened and when. A plan-only timeline leaves that blank on the free tier.

Whether a staffed center can call you, and then emergency services, when an alarm is not cancelled.

Answered YES when the brand sells that service directly, and "Via installer" when only a third-party monitoring company can attach it. The monthly price lives in the review, because it changes and it is not the same in every country.

How the base station reaches the outside world when the home internet is down or cut.

Included means a cell radio is in the hub and works on the plan you already need for it. Plan required means the radio is there but silent until you subscribe. Accessory + plan means you buy a separate cell unit. Own SIM means the hub takes a SIM you provide. NO means a dead router takes the alarm offline.

Whether the system hears a conventional smoke or CO alarm's sound and treats it as an alarm event.

A listener covers the detectors you already have on the ceiling. A system that only works with its own smoke detectors does not, and those detectors are a different product.

How many pieces are in the smallest kit the comparison uses for this system.

The catalog compares that kit, the one Amazon or the brand sells that includes the base station, so the price is a system you can buy. Larger kits of the same system are bundles, not a second product.

Whether that kit includes a keypad, and whether the keypad is a touchscreen.

The keypad is how you arm the system when the phone is in another room, and the only control left when the app needs a plan you do not have.

How many door and window contact sensors come in that kit.

One contact per entry door is the usual starting point. Extra doors and windows are more sensors, sold separately or in a larger kit.

How many motion sensors come in that kit.

A motion sensor covers a room the door contacts do not. Pet-friendly models are called out in the review when the maker documents the pet weight they ignore.

How many key fobs come in that kit.

A fob arms and disarms from a pocket, which matters when the keypad is inside and you want to set the alarm on the way out.

How loud the siren built into the base station is, in decibels, as the maker publishes it.

This is the hub's own siren, not an outdoor siren sold separately. A louder indoor siren is what a person in the house actually hears. The distance the maker measured at (1 ft, 1 m) is kept in the value when they publish it.

Whether the base station enrolls devices the alarm brand does not make, and which radios those devices use.

Z-Wave or Zigbee on the hub is what lets a lock, a switch or a contact from another maker join the same system. A hub that only pairs its own sensors stays a closed alarm.

Whether cameras paired to this system can store video on the base station itself, on a drive or a card you own.

Local storage keeps clips in the house when the cloud plan lapses. A system whose cameras only record in the cloud does not have it, even when the cameras are the same brand.

Whether the system can run routines, such as arming on a schedule or turning a light on when a sensor trips.

Automations are the difference between an alarm that only sirens and one that also switches the rest of the house. A routine that needs a paid plan is still a yes here, and the plan gate is recorded on the monitoring features.

Whether the system keeps a log of alarms, arming and sensor events that you can look back through.

The monitoring feature History Without a Plan says whether that log survives with no subscription. This one says whether a log exists at all.