Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update: get the ring pro security instead. When wifi goes out, your ring cameras won't work. Security will still work with the cellular back-up but the pro version improves your security so your cameras can work too. This starter kit (and other variations of it) often goes on sale so buy it then to save a few bucks. If you are looking to go Ring for your home security needs, then this includes everything you need to get started. The key word is started as you will probably need additional windows sensors (and potentially glass break sensors) to finish it all out. The main items you need to start with is the base station and a keypad. I believe this one comes with two keypads. The keypads have an internal battery and you can either keep it plugged in or charge it once in a while. The base station needs to be plugged in at all times. There is an internal battery but it switches to back-up power mode which limits the functions available. The back-up power mode is for situations where you lose power. The back-up mode includes cellular data since you will also loose wifi in power outages (thus you are always protected). The hub also serves as a siren. The window sensors work on doors and windows. It is very easy to install. The app provides detailed information on how to install everything. You will likely need to buy additional sensors to cover all windows and doors. This is where it gets pricey but it is a one time investment. Optionally, I suggest looking into the Ring Glass Break Sensors. While the window sensors will trigger if someone opens or closes a window, it will not trigger if someone simply breaks the glass and enters without sliding a window. Keep in mind, I've had these go off if I accidentally hit glass dishes together while in the kitchen. The professional monitoring is currently $200/year which beats most (if not all) of the major competitors (ADP, Vivint, etc). I imagine they will slowly creep up but for now, this is a bargain. If you are subscribing to the professional monitoring, you will also gain the benefit of having your other Ring devices gain premium features (cloud storage for Ring doorbells and cameras). I'm not a fan of the subscription model for Ring doorbells and such. But I'm willing to pay for professional monitoring so it works out well. The Ring app is very smooth and the devices work well. I believe Ring devices only have 1080p capability so the loading times for cameras is quick. So you may be interested in a secondary camera system that does 4k but not necessary. I'd suggest looking at options that have local storage so you aren't paying for cloud services (lorex is a good brand). All in all, I'm very satisfied with Ring. I'd look at other options with their doorbells and cameras to avoid paying a subscription but since it is all included with professional monitoring, I've bought quite a few Ring devices as it is all available in one convenient app. Here are a couple other devices to look at in the Ring ecosystem: Ring Floodlight cameras Ring Spotlight cameras (with solar) Ring doorbell And it all works with Alexa as well. Recently I has an incident where wifi went down. While the security system itself has cellular back-up, none of my cameras and Alexa work without wifi. I couldn't view anything locally either. The Ring Pro version fixes this so I'd spend the extra dough for that.