Ring Alarm Base Station

The Ring Alarm Base Station is the hub of a Ring Alarm system. Every sensor, keypad and siren connects to it, it holds the siren, and it connects the system to the internet and the Ring app. It is self-installed and can be self-monitored, or professionally monitored with a Ring Protect plan.

At a glance (2nd generation)

Specifications are from Ring's product page.

Base Station or Alarm Pro?

The Ring Alarm Pro base station does the same job and adds a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router. If you already have good Wi-Fi, the standard base station is enough. Sensors and keypads work with either.

Base station offline

Usually a router change, a Wi-Fi password change, or an internet outage. Reconnect it from the Ring app's network settings for the base station, or plug it into the router with an Ethernet cable, the most reliable option. The full walk-through is in Ring Alarm base station offline.

Sensors offline but the base station is online

Replace the sensor's battery and check it hasn't fallen off. If it's far from the base station, add a range extender. Ring sensors connect to the base station over Z-Wave, and a range extender relays signals for sensors that are too far away.

Running on battery

On battery, the base station keeps protecting the house for up to about 24 hours. If it reports battery power with the adapter plugged in, check the outlet (avoid switched outlets) and the adapter's connection.

Alarms not reaching the monitoring center during an outage

Cellular backup only works with a compatible Ring Protect plan. Without one, an internet outage means no app notifications and no monitoring signals until it reconnects. The siren still sounds locally.

• Keypad and sirens: Ring Alarm Keypad, Outdoor Siren, Panic Button.
• Sensors: Contact Sensor, Motion Detector, Glass Break Sensor, Flood & Freeze Sensor, Smoke & CO Listener.
• Range: Range Extender.
• Wired systems: Retrofit Alarm Kit to reuse an old system's wired door and window contacts.
• Selected third-party Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, and Ring doorbells and cameras (a Ring Protect plan is needed for camera integration).

• Place it centrally, off the floor and away from metal cabinets. Every sensor has to reach it, directly or through a range extender.
• Plug it in where it can reach the router if you plan to use Ethernet.
• Set it up first in the Ring app, then add sensors one at a time near the base station before mounting them.
• Use an outlet that isn't controlled by a light switch.