UniFi Doorbell G4

Introduction

It’s been a while since I wrote about Ubiquiti products. My home network is still going strong. However recently, since I moved to a Cloud Key Gen2 Plus. I have been experimenting with UniFi Protect. I already have a G3 Instant camera and I find the protect platform easy to use and feature-rich for the price point. Also, no monthly subscriptions is always a bonus!

Moving from Ring

Before I moved house, I had an existing Ring installation comprising of a video doorbell and a floodlight camera. However I did get increasingly frustrated with two points.

The first point is that you cannot view multiple cameras at once. This seems like a very basic feature in any surveillance system. But its lacking in Ring. Even in the Windows store app.

Next, to retain recordings you have to pay a subscription fee. My question is why when you are paying for the device? With the UniFi infrastructure you never have to pay a monthly fee and this is why users are happy to pay more for their products.

Choosing Doorbell G4

So as of the time of ordering this, the Doorbell G4 pro was released. Frustratingly, I probably should have ordered that one. But the main reason I didn’t was down to price.

I won’t go over all the features of the doorbell G4 as may YouTubers have done a much better job such as: Linus Tech Tips, Lawrence Systems and Crosstalk solutions. But the main feature that I gain over Ring is the little screen that I can leave custom messages on. You also gain the ability to use a hardware chime box in any existing compatible analog doorbell installation.

Installation & Setup

Installation of the Doorbell G4 was rather simple. Unlike the Ring doorbell. You do not have an internal battery, so you have to power the device. This was not too much bother for me as I powered my Ring doorbell to save me having to charge it. As these products are low current. You can run the thin bell wire through the door seem or if you prefer drill through it. I opted to install mine through the door seem.

The doorbell itself is screwed onto the property and then the device hooks into the wall plate. For more details on this, see the 3 videos listed above.

A few weeks later. I did opt to use a hardware chime as just having the notifications on my phone was not enough. I’m in the UK so finding a doorbell that runs on 16vAC is quite hard. But I managed to find one on amazon. Installing this was tricky as you have to pay very close attention to the wiring diagrams.

Conclusion

I think the features of the Doorbell G4 are very premium compared to the Ring. But the ring doorbell is very easy to install. I was slightly disappointed to learn that the UniFi does not integrate with any smart home appliances as this could have introduced even more features to the Doorbell G4.

However, I am very happy with this product. The camera quality is outstanding and the quality remains at night. However, do think the UniFi protect app could use some work.

Overall I would recommend this product to anyone. But I do advise that you pay close attention to the wiring diagram.

Bell, Cloud Key, Door, Doorbell, UniFi

Networking, Tech, Ubiquiti

February 15, 2022