Someone was trying to argue that if a home security device is hardwired, it doesn’t need the internet. That sounded pretty odd to me.
Hardwiring usually means connecting to a router, which obviously needs internet. This person was convinced that certain Ring devices can work without the internet as long as they’re hardwired.
Does anyone know of any Ring devices that don’t need internet at all?
Are you talking about cameras specifically, or are you including alarm systems without video?
Not all PoE cameras need the internet. Plenty of NVR setups work entirely offline. Sure, cheaper systems like Ring cameras usually rely on the internet, but more professional systems can run just fine without it. I’ve worked with setups where no internet is even allowed.
Does anyone know of any Ring devices that don’t need internet at all?
Some Ring alarm functions (like alerts without video) can run on the built-in cellular backup if your internet is down. That said, they might eventually push you to upgrade to a subscription plan.
@AmeliaTurner
I get that and I agree with you, but this person kept saying that Ring has devices that don’t need the internet. They insisted hardwiring them made internet unnecessary.
AvaAnderson said:
@AmeliaTurner
I get that and I agree with you, but this person kept saying that Ring has devices that don’t need the internet. They insisted hardwiring them made internet unnecessary.
Ask them to give you the exact model of the Ring device they’re talking about.
@AmeliaTurner
They wouldn’t name any specific models. They just repeated the claim over and over. I even asked Ring directly, and they said all their devices, even the hardwired ones, need internet to work.
I run Blue Iris on a PC at home. It records everything locally, even without internet. Of course, it can’t send me notifications when there’s no internet, but everything else works fine. All my cameras are connected through Ethernet, not Wi-Fi.
I use SDI cameras over Ethernet with power and video baluns. Everything runs through an NVR that doesn’t have any internet access at all.
I don’t even own a router.
Just because something is connected to your router doesn’t mean it needs the internet. A router handles local network traffic (LAN) even if there’s no internet connection (WAN).
I don’t know if Ring cameras can be set up to work locally without internet, but saying that hardwiring always means internet isn’t right.
@Niall
The person I talked to specifically mentioned Ring devices being hardwired to a router. Ring themselves said all their devices need internet, whether they’re hardwired or not.
AvaAnderson said:
@Niall
The person I talked to specifically mentioned Ring devices being hardwired to a router. Ring themselves said all their devices need internet, whether they’re hardwired or not.
Ring might say that, but other brands with similar cameras often claim they need the internet too. Sometimes third-party software like Home Assistant can make them work offline anyway.
Your router connects devices in your home (LAN) to the internet (WAN). Devices can work just fine on a LAN without needing a WAN connection.
Some devices may rely on the internet for certain features, but it’s wrong to say every device needs internet just because it’s connected to the router.
@Zuri
I hear you, but this person kept saying there are Ring devices that need no internet at all, not even for full functionality. When I asked Ring, they said every one of their devices requires internet, even hardwired ones.
Does Ring even make a fully hardwired camera?
It’s not always true that wired means it doesn’t need the internet, but it’s probably a decent rule of thumb.
Reolink PoE cameras can store footage locally or on an NVR. They only really need the internet for remote access or notifications.
The cameras themselves can function fine without it.