Responses (4)

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RobNJane

According to the support Docs: https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040140992 https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/360051338632/Base_Station_Zwave.pdf I should be able tp join a Ring Alarm to an existing ZWave network. Ring Base station – Learn Mode Adding Base station to a Z-Wave Network Ring Base station can be added via classic inclusion mode – I took a new base station out of the box, powered it up, added it to the Ring App, and the option to go to learn mode is not there. I never joined any of the devices that came with the 5 piece kit to the Alarm hub. Any ideas?

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21-06-2021 17:08:20

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Tom_Ring

Hi @RobNJane. The Ring Alarm Base Station has it's own Z-Wave network and cannot be added to another Z-Wave network. If you would like to add additional Z-Wave devices to the Ring Alarm system, look at this Works With Ring information [here](https://ring.com/collections/smart-home-automation). I hope this helps.

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21-06-2021 19:24:41

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chansearrington

@Tom_Ring according to the manual that isn’t true. It literally says, join an existing Z-wave network. (See screenshot) What is this feature for if not to join to an existing network? 

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04-07-2021 13:33:09

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323f026c9bc7c2b0da810168df059b

[quote="RobNJane, post:2, topic:62166"] Base_Station_Zwave.pdf [/quote] Looks like they removed the Zwave document for the base station. Here is the link I had: [The page you were looking for doesn't exist – Ring Help](https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040140992) Which also seems to have been removed. The link is still referenced here: [Ring Alarm Z-Wave Technical Information – Ring Help](https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038609491-Ring-Alarm-Z-Wave-Technical-Information) But it is dead:  Odd? "Nothing to see here"

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18-12-2022 20:18:26

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Caitlyn_Ring

Hi neighbors! Happy to chime in here as I've checked with my team for some clarification on this matter. The Ring Alarm Base Station comes in a pack with kitted devices, and those kitted devices must be removed so that only the Base Station appears in the list of "Alarm Devices". You can find a list of all the devices [here](https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000071906-How-to-Factory-Reset-Your-Ring-Alarm-Devices), and if you click on the one you're trying to remove, it will provide you with the removal instructions. Once this is done, then the steps in the manual should work. However, it's important to note that this will make it so that the hub is no longer a Ring Alarm, but now will be a secondary controller to the other network. We do not have troubleshooting steps or instructions on using the Ring Alarm Base Station as a secondary controller for other Z-Wave networks. This isn't the intended setup or use of the Ring Alarm system, and we can't guarantee any particular performance or compatibility using the base Station this way. Should you have any additional questions please give our support team a call at one of the numbers available [here](https://support.ring.com/hc/en-us/articles/213608406). If you are outside of the US, please visit [here ](https://support.ring.com/hc/en-gb/articles/213608406)to see how to contact support. :)

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07-07-2021 23:49:49

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chansearrington

Hey @Caitlyn_Ring, I’m not sure I understand. Is there someone that can give us a technical deep dive on this? Here’s what SHOULD happen… If I add my Ring Hub to my existing network, all the devices (if the device class is supported) should show up in Ring. And my ring alarm devices, should show up in my other hub as well. Logitech’s Harmony Home Extender does this… I can use it as a stand-alone z-wave hub and add devices directly to it, or I can join it to an existing network and the devices on the existing network show up there. Here’s a great example of WHY. I have 52 other Z-wave devices that are supported by Ring. If I add them to ring, then they don’t work with my home automation If I add them to home automation, they don’t work with Ring. The whole point of z-wave is that it’s a standard and this doesn’t have to happen like this. As a matter of fact, if Ring’s hub can’t do this, isn’t it in violation of z-wave compliance?

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08-08-2021 21:36:14

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Caitlyn_Ring

@chansearrington My team clarified with me that adding the Ring Alarm Base Station to your other z-wave hub will have it function as a secondary controller on that network. The components of the Ring Alarm system, such as the Contact Sensors and Motion Sensors are not going to then be compatible with this other z-wave system. The Ring Alarm components are only compatible with the Ring Alarm Base Station as part of the system. The Base Station is able to be added to a different z-wave hub as part of z-wave compliance, but this doesn't mean all Ring Alarm devices are going to be compatible with any z-wave hub or network. I hope this helps answer your questions and clears things up a bit more.

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09-08-2021 20:54:43

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Pickle_rick

I'm going to have to call this back up as I don't understand the previous reply from @Caitlyn_Ring. [quote="Caitlyn_Ring, post:7, topic:62166"] The components of the Ring Alarm system, such as the Contact Sensors and Motion Sensors are not going to then be compatible with this other z-wave system. [/quote] How can this statement possibly be true? As mentioned previously by @chansearrington, most of the second gen sensors (contact, motion, even the keypad) are all z wave compliant. So how is it that they are not going to be compatible with the "other system?" They are S2 SmartStart devices. Shouldn't any z-wave controller be able to include these as stand-alone devices?

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* Also, regarding the inclusion of the base station as a secondary controller on an existing z-wave network. * Can someone **please confirm** which components will be exposed? * I'd like to know if I'll be able to use the siren feature before I go through the process of excluding the sensors. Thanks for the additional clarification!

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06-08-2022 06:39:23

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323f026c9bc7c2b0da810168df059b

Everyone -- I too am in the same boat with this. I would agree that if the ability is there, being "Zwave compliant", we should be able to use that with a product that we purchased. We're also not the only ones interested. See similar discusion on this fourm: [How to integrate Ring Alarm using Learn Mode to join an existing Home Assistant Z-wave Network - Third party integrations - Home Assistant Community (home-assistant.io)](https://community.home-assistant.io/t/how-to-integrate-ring-alarm-using-learn-mode-to-join-an-existing-home-assistant-z-wave-network/152506) I reached out to support in June of last year and have not heard back. Here was their last reply: ``` Ring Alarm Neighbor Support- Follow up - 6/26/22 Good Afternoon! It was a pleasure speaking with you. I did some investigating with our Engineering team on the issue of Learn Mode not being available on the Ring app. The Ring Base station technically does have the ability to be added as a secondary controller to other z-wave hubs (HomeAssistant, Fibaro, SmartThings, Hubitat, etc). It is, however, not recommended for the Ring Alarm system, largely because when we become the secondary controller, we are basically no longer a security system. We can't guarantee we will reliably get the messages from any attached Ring devices, or the sound from the siren to be able to send emergency signals. Any sensors/keypads which are added to our system may not respond in the way they are intended. In addition, whether those devices can be added is up to your hub. We can't guarantee that your existing hub will use our devices the way we have them setup to be used in our system. Thank you for your patience with this one. Let me know if I can answer any other questions. Alison. ``` I have replied ``` Hello, Since the device has the ability I would like to use that ability. I understand the implications. Thanks ``` And followed up several times with no response. I also have some 30+ sensors in my own Zwave network, including the ones I have removed from my Ring system. They work great with Home Assistant and ZHA. This stance / behavior by Ring is anti-consumer. Zwave is an open standard that solves the problem of interoperability.

@Tom_Ring @Caitlyn_Ring - any updates on this? Per your support: ``` The Ring Base station technically does have the ability to be added as a secondary controller to other z-wave hubs ``` I would "technically" like to use that ability.

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18-12-2022 20:01:31

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323f026c9bc7c2b0da810168df059b
I am by no means an engineer of these products nor a Z-wave expert but here's what I have found on Google: Z-Wave Alliance Certification Overview: [https://sdomembers.z-wavealliance.org/document/dl/388](https://sdomembers.z-wavealliance.org/document/dl/388) ``` General Products [...]  Controllers: o The end user interface MUST be tested and verified compliant o Network management functions MUST be made available to the end user if the end user owns the product. [...] Only when the product has passed certification and a certification number has been issued, the OEM may sell and market the product as being Z-Wave compliant. o Selling and/or marketing non-compliant and/or non-certified products is in direct violation of the Z-Wave licensing agreements and will be referred to the Z-Wave Alliance’ Board of Directors for legal action ```
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18-12-2022 20:33:55
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