Ring Alarm Base Station provides peace of mind, convenience, and enhanced security. However, it might unexpectedly go offline.
Today, I will explore why your ring alarm base station may go offline. The reasons range from power loss and wrong insertion of the ethernet cable to a Malfunctioning Router.
Let’s discuss more about the causes and how to fix them.
Why is the Ring Alarm Base Station Offline?
1. Power Loss at The Base Station
One main reason why your Ring Alarm Base Station is Offline is because of power loss at the base station. The base station serves as the central hub for the entire ring system. It disrupts several critical functions when it loses power, making the alarm system temporarily non-operational.
Your ring alarm base station relies on a continuous power source such as a standard electrical outlet or backup battery. When you disconnect the primary power source or a blackout occurs and you don’t have a backup battery, the base station will lose its power source and go offline.
Moreover, when the base station loses power, its central processing unit (CPU) ceases to operate. Because the CPU controls the entire alarm system, it definitely goes offline when the CPU stops running.
Note that the power base is responsible for sounding alarms and sending alerts and notifications in case of security breach or intrusion. When the power goes OFF, the base fails to activate sirens and send alerts to your mobile device.
Fix – Connect to A Different Power Outlet, Replace Battery and Power Adapter
Start by checking the power source and ensuring your ring alarm base station connection works well. Plug in another device or check if the outlet is functioning properly. While at it, ensure that the power adapter has a secure connection to both the base station and the power source.
Examine the power adapter for any visible damage or frayed wires. In case of any issues, replace the power adapter with a compatible one.
Your battery should have a built-in battery backup, which you should check that it is well connected and functioning properly. If its battery is dead, replace it with a new one. Ye, if the battery is still in good condition, you should now check for any loose connections in the battery compartment and tighten it then test if it will work well.
If you suspect that the outlet that your Ring Alarm Base Station is connected to is the problem, unplug it and try and connect it to a different outlet or power strip and see if it will power up.
Suppose it doesn’t try restarting the base station by unplugging the power adapter. Wait a few seconds, then plug the power adapter back into the base station. Give it a few minutes to boot up, and then connect the ring servers. At this point, it should connect to your Wi-Fi.
2. Wrong Insertion of The Ethernet Cable
The reason why your ring alarm base is offline is that you have wrongly inserted your ethernet cable. The wrong insertion disrupts your ring alarm base station functionality. Remember, your ethernet cable has a specific orientation for proper connection.
When you insert it upside down or at a certain angle, you damage the connectors and cause poor connectivity. In turn, poor connectivity leads to your ring alarm base going offline.
Moreover, you could have inserted your ethernet cable into the wrong port and caused the ring base station to lose its network connection. For example, if you plug it into a LAN port instead of the WAN port, your ring base station won’t receive any internet connection and will remain offline.
Furthermore, if you do not securely fix your ethernet cable in the port and it doesn’t sit well, it will dislodge because of vibration and accidental pulls. This will disrupt the network connection and cause the base station to go offline.
Fix – Correctly Align Your Ethernet Cable
First, ensure you have checked your network cable and properly orient the ethernet cable to establish a functional connection. Use an 8-pin modular connector (RJ45 connector). After correctly aligning the ethernet, inset the RJ45 connector into the Ethernet port on your device or networking equipment.
The connector should slide in smoothly but may require you to push it gently. If it clicks, then it has locked into place. Now check the LED lights; if they click green, you have a proper connection, making your ring alarm base station go online.
3. Malfunctioning Router
Another reason why your ring alarm base station is offline is because of the router malfunction. Remember that the router connects your ring cloud servers and your security system.
Yet it can experience hardware failures, overheating, configuration errors and software glitches that may cause it not to work effectively, cutting OFF internet transmission to your ring alarm base station.
As for the hardware failure, note that your router has multiple ethernet ports that connect to your ring alarm base station. If one or more of your ports fail because of a hardware issue, it will prevent your base station from establishing a connection. Moreover, your router has both wired and wireless connectivity, and if the wireless radio in the router fails, your ring alarm base station will lose its internet connection.
If you have touched your router after working 24 hours, you have felt it heats up. Sometimes, it can overheat, leading to instability and, ultimately, a malfunction.
At this point, it will automatically shut down or reduce its efficiency in processing data packets. As a result, your ring alarm base station results in dropped connections interrupt data flow and may eventually go offline.
If you wrongly configure your router, it will disrupt data flow. For instance, if you configured it not to prioritize traffic from your ring alarm base station, your other smart devices connected to the same Wi-Fi will use up the available bandwidth. This will lead to interrupted communication, and your ring alarm base station may go offline.
Your router may experience firmware glitches and can no longer manage network traffic, route data packets, and provide security features. If this is the case, it will cause your ring alarm base station to go offline due to a disruption between it and the internet.
Fix- Ventilate the Router, Update Firmware
Start by checking if your router has overheated; if it has, move it to a well-ventilated area. Remove all the objects that may block its airflow. Consider placing a small fan near the router to improve its cooling. However, if it still overheats after doing this, consider replacing your router with a new one.
After solving the overheating issue, it’s time to update your router firmware; visit the router’s web interface using your web browser. Get the router’s IP address on a label at the back of the router. Log in and check for its updates; if they are available, install them. Also, consider updating to the latest firmware. After the update, your router should now work properly and connect to your ring alarm base station.
4. Wrong Network Band
If your router has two bandwidths, your ring alarm base station might be connected to the wrong one. The recommended bandwidth for the ring base is 2.4GHz. If yours is connected to 5GHz, it may go offline most of the time.
Fix- Connect to 2.4GHz
You need to switch to a 2.4GHz connection to fix the bandwidth issue. Log into your router’s admin page through a web browser. In case of any problems while changing it, refer to your router’s user manual for better guidelines.
5. Router Location
If you place it far from the ring base station, obstacles may affect its wireless signal strength. This leads to intermittent connectivity and disconnection, causing your ring base to go offline.
Furthermore, it may also experience radio wave interference, especially if your house’s neighboring routers or electronic devices use the same Wi-Fi. Some of the main distractors of your internet radio waves include microwave ovens and cordless phones.
If you live in an area with many Wi-Fi networks, your router may need help maintaining a stable connection because of signal congestion. The congestion leads to a dropped connection and sluggish performance—the dropped connection and sluggishness cause your Ring Alarm Base Station to go Offline.
Fix – Move Router Closer, Reduce Disrupters, Use Wi-Fi Extender
For your ring alarm base station to go online, move your router closer to it. This means that the alarm will receive a strong connection and communicate effectively without any breakdowns. Besides, you also have to remove any distractors or obstructions. So, switch OFF your microwave and cordless phones unless you need to use them at that moment. This way, your router can transmit radio waves without cutoffs.
If you are bombarded with so many Wi-Fi networks around your house, you can buy a Wi-Fi extender or set up a mesh network to reduce dead spots and extend your network coverage.