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Back at the start of the year, we brought you word of the soon-arriving Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell (and before that we talked about the wired version). Well. in that time, we got a review sample in, and it finally warmed up enough around here for the install, so we’re ready to talk about the digital door knocker.
Now, why would you want a wireless doorbell, like this Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell? Perhaps your house never had a doorbell installed on it (like our house from the 1920s) and you don’t want to run any wires? Or, maybe you’re installing a secondary one at another door, or on your outside workshop. Whatever the case, not having to run wires is a benefit. Worth noting, if you do have doorbell wiring, this does have connection points that you could re-use this as well.
Now, in my case, I was installing the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell on it’s own, as there’s no other home automation installed here (if you wanted, though, it’ll hook up to your setup; my router identified it quickly as Amazon automation). First thing to do was get the HomeBase2 configured. To start with, you need to plug it in to your router and follow the steps in the app on your phone. Once it’s configured, you have the option of changing it to use WiFi if you like. I’ve left it wired, as the chime (which comes from the HomeBase2 as well as the doorbell itself) is loud enough for us to hear where it’s installed.
The HomeBase 2 is also where the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell is storing it’s video – and not on a server – so you have complete control over your data. That means there’s no third party monitoring, but I think most of us are going to be ok with that. Once the HomeBase 2 was configured, it was time to sync it with the doorbell unit. That’s done via some tones it emits, and is pretty straight forward.
Once the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell is connected into the base, you can move outside to do the installation. This is helpful because you’ll have a live view on your phone, so you can figure out the right placement. I ended up using the 15-degree wedge that was included, as it gave a nice line of sight to the mailbox and our steps from the front door. You’ll also want to consider if you’re facing a street as well, for the placement, so you don’t get false alerts on the motion detection.
Along with that angled wedge, the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell comes with a sticker that gives you handy drilling marks (no measuring and guesswork) along with a variety of hardware (long screws, short screws, anchors) to get it in place. This is the first time I’ve seen that in a consumer device that is supposed to be hard mounted, and I very much appreciated it. Once things were anchored into the doorframe, it was time to charge the doorbell up (via micro-USB for approximately 6 months of battery life); once that was done, it clicked into place.
Now, you’re wondering, what if the package thieves wanted to take the doorbell as well? They’d have a hard time of it unless they had a pry bar to rip it off of the wall. You need to use a small key (pictured above; think heavy-duty paperclip) to release the doorbell from it’s bracket. And even then, you’d still have the video alert hitting your phone, and the video itself saved on the HomeBase 2, ready to hand to authorities for evidence (the video, not the device).
Once the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell, we had a brief few days of the kids being enamored of playing with the doorbell, and being able to talk to me remotely (you can see the video and hear the sound on your phone, and talk back through the doorbell). When we were doing that, I did notice there is a slight lag. Not sure if that’s due to my own network setup, or just the nature of the devices talking to each other (three involved – phone, base, and doorbell) but it’s manageable.
Past that, you can easily configure what’s going on, in terms of what types of motion detection to watch for, setting parameters for home or away, or even if the ring around doorbell button lights up. Speaking of light, the Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell is still very useful in the dark, as it has low-light capabilities to be able to capture those images. I like the additional sense of security it brings, by letting me remotely see the front of the house, and recording things on another device in the house should we need it for something later.
The Eufy Wireless Video Doorbell is available now, directly from the brand (or on Amazon) for $199. That’s a $40 premium over the wired version, but for the ease of installation, I’m totally sold. Shame you can’t get the extra chime modules for it (those are only for the wired) but that’s a small tradeoff. And of course, Eufy has plenty of other security devices as well, so if the opportunity presents itself, we’ll check some of those out and see how nicely they add on to the existing HomeBase 2. The mobile app makes it seem like a snap, and a modular system is something that should be able to grow with your needs. eufylife.com
