Ring Events Driver for Control4 ?

[Matt Lowe]

13 hours ago, jfh said:

 

I would feel better if pushing the button could generate a local C4 event.  Is the physical button accessible and designed so a contact can be added?  Or how/where do you add the wiring?

wiring up the way i suggested should do it. I have not done it before but it does run a mechanical door bell so hook up a relay and monitoring that from c4 should be easy enough

[seth_j]

22 hours ago, therockhr said:

I have a Ring Pro doorbell cam and a Ring Floodlight cam and both have been flawless for more. 

Wish C4 and Crestron could talk Ring into giving them a local API since they are premium products. 

I don’t get companies fascination with the cloud only solutions. 

Quote

 

Especially with products people think of as "security".

 

There is no local API. All traffic is sent securely to cloud servers and securely back to the client (whether that be your phone or the driver).

 

Any device that has open ports on a local network is inherently insecure. We've seen countless exploits from control processor backdoors spreading malware to the Mirai botnet shutting down large portions of the internet so saying it should have a local API for any reason whatsoever is fool hearted at this point in time. What Ring, Nest, Ecobee, and other IoT devices are doing by connecting to their own secured cloud servers is so much more secure than letting anyone mess around with a local API. 

 

[therockhr]

23 hours ago, seth_j said:

There is no local API. All traffic is sent securely to cloud servers and securely back to the client (whether that be your phone or the driver).

 

Any device that has open ports on a local network is inherently insecure. We've seen countless exploits from control processor backdoors spreading malware to the Mirai botnet shutting down large portions of the internet so saying it should have a local API for any reason whatsoever is fool hearted at this point in time. What Ring, Nest, Ecobee, and other IoT devices are doing by connecting to their own secured cloud servers is so much more secure than letting anyone mess around with a local API. 

 

You are saying an internet facing API is more secure than an API on a device on a local network? I’m going to have to disagree on that one. 

If you are saying people need make their api’s more secure even if it is supposed to be just local then I can agree with that. 

[seth_j]

48 minutes ago, therockhr said:

You are saying an internet facing API is more secure than an API on a device on a local network? I’m going to have to disagree on that one. 

If you are saying people need make their api’s more secure even if it is supposed to be just local then I can agree with that. 

I'm 100% saying that not exposing any ports or local login has historically been much more secure. Find me a Ring doorbell or a Nest Cam that is participating in a botnet. 

 

I'm sure Ring or Nest or Ecobee could do a local API, but why? There's no advantage that outweighs the security intrusion that becomes possible by opening a port. 

[lukas.polivka]

On 10/24/2017 at 2:35 AM, seth_j said:

There is no local API. All traffic is sent securely to cloud servers and securely back to the client (whether that be your phone or the driver).

 

Any device that has open ports on a local network is inherently insecure. We've seen countless exploits from control processor backdoors spreading malware to the Mirai botnet shutting down large portions of the internet so saying it should have a local API for any reason whatsoever is fool hearted at this point in time. What Ring, Nest, Ecobee, and other IoT devices are doing by connecting to their own secured cloud servers is so much more secure than letting anyone mess around with a local API. 

 

If you are an idiot, you can make devices insecure even without having ports open/listening on the local network…

https://pierrekim.github.io/blog/2017-03-08-camera-goahead-0day.html

While you can make devices with local access fairly secure.

https://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/47803.html

Just sayin’

[seth_j]

30 minutes ago, lukas.polivka said:

If you are an idiot, you can make devices insecure even without having ports open/listening on the local network…

https://pierrekim.github.io/blog/2017-03-08-camera-goahead-0day.html

While you can make devices with local access fairly secure.

https://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/47803.html

Just sayin’

Agreed but the ports closed people have a much better track record at this point. 

But yes.. we humans can mess anything up.

[seth_j]

Also that fist link (CVE-2017-8224 - Backdoor account) clearly shows a local port open for telnet.. so I think you're doing a better job of proving my point than I am.

[lukas.polivka]

1 hour ago, seth_j said:

Also that fist link (CVE-2017-8224 - Backdoor account) clearly shows a local port open for telnet.. so I think you're doing a better job of proving my point than I am.

Not really. The worst part is the UDP tunnel thingy. CVE-2017-8221 -- Misc - "Cloud" (Aka Botnet)
But yeah, those guys were idiots on so many levels…

[jfh]

Ok, set up my Ring Elite today and did some basic testing with the driver.  Haven't tested motion, but presume it works.  I'm impressed that the event firing to C4 responds pretty much at the same time as the Ring ap.

 

However, under Ring Events Driver Events I only see two events - Motion and Pressed.

i presume "Pressed" fires when the Ring ap reports "Accepted"

However, there doesn't seem to be a C4 event for a Missed Call.   Can this be added?

 

in addition to seeing video supported, I want to see an event fired every time the Ring ap reports something.  

I'd like to know if someone answers the door via audio or video or if the button is pressed but no one responds

I would like to see anything I might see in debug mode (a debug event?) and have an event fired if the Ring is offline or not responding and another when connection is reestablished.  Would like to see a connected or offline property on the properties page and a related variable available.

Is any of this function planned?  

[msgreenf]

Ok, set up my Ring Elite today and did some basic testing with the driver.  Haven't tested motion, but presume it works.  I'm impressed that the event firing to C4 responds pretty much at the same time as the Ring ap.
 
However, under Ring Events Driver Events I only see two events - Motion and Pressed.
i presume "Pressed" fires when the Ring ap reports "Accepted"
However, there doesn't seem to be a C4 event for a Missed Call.   Can this be added?
 
in addition to seeing video supported, I want to see an event fired every time the Ring ap reports something.  
I'd like to know if someone answers the door via audio or video or if the button is pressed but no one responds
I would like to see anything I might see in debug mode (a debug event?) and have an event fired if the Ring is offline or not responding and another when connection is reestablished.  Would like to see a connected or offline property on the properties page and a related variable available.
Is any of this function planned?  

I don't believe that the api supports any of this. Ask@seth_j

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[seth_j]

3 hours ago, jfh said:

Is any of this function planned?  

No. 

[jfh]

On 10/22/2017 at 5:04 PM, Matt Lowe said:

If you have a terrible internet connection that fails regularly you could connect a relay to the ring and the relay to a c4 contact and trigger the bell through that action and get an always able to ring event.

Can you help me understand why I need a contact and a relay?  We installed a Ring today also wired the doorbell chime connection to a contact on the EA5.  I to,d the Ring Elite that I had a mechanical doorbell, but never got the contact to trigger.  Re-reading your post it seems like it was to be Ring --> Relay --> C4 contact input on EA5.

 

Why do I need a relay?  Does that bind to the contact?

What C4 part number is a relay?  Does it need power?

[ILoveControl]

Can you help me understand why I need a contact and a relay?  We installed a Ring today also wired the doorbell chime connection to a contact on the EA5.  I to,d the Ring Elite that I had a mechanical doorbell, but never got the contact to trigger.  Re-reading your post it seems like it was to be Ring --> Relay --> C4 contact input on EA5.
 
Why do I need a relay?  Does that bind to the contact?
What C4 part number is a relay?  Does it need power?

I had your setup and it worked well. RING > Event > Relay > Chime

However I spent the $47 and got a chime Pro the main reason is I needed a wireless extender to get a strong signal to the door bell (it's on the other side of the house).

The by product is that it's a BRILLIANT door bell chime to Allows you to change chimes (have a Xmas chime right now) and is pretty loud!

I think for $30 you get just the chime (not Pro) if you just want a chime and its so worth it. You can add as many as you want to your install.

It also frees up that relay. Just a thought.

[ILoveControl]

Ok, set up my Ring Elite today and did some basic testing with the driver.  Haven't tested motion, but presume it works.  I'm impressed that the event firing to C4 responds pretty much at the same time as the Ring ap.
 
However, under Ring Events Driver Events I only see two events - Motion and Pressed.
i presume "Pressed" fires when the Ring ap reports "Accepted"
However, there doesn't seem to be a C4 event for a Missed Call.   Can this be added?
 
in addition to seeing video supported, I want to see an event fired every time the Ring ap reports something.  
I'd like to know if someone answers the door via audio or video or if the button is pressed but no one responds
I would like to see anything I might see in debug mode (a debug event?) and have an event fired if the Ring is offline or not responding and another when connection is reestablished.  Would like to see a connected or offline property on the properties page and a related variable available.
Is any of this function planned?  

I think the second part they won't add so much logic for what?

I do agree missed call should be something easy to implement as it's just an event that needs to be exposed in the current API. And would be nice as you could then show an announcement or trigger some other logic.

From what I am seeing They not the most "open" or " quick " responding company when it comes to working with its devs. But that is perception not fact.

Allowing video streaming outside their eco system interferes with how they charge for their capture sevice (stored video) IMO hence the resistance.

[msgreenf]

They won't be adding more events to their api because one person asked

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[jfh]

6 hours ago, ILoveControl said:

I had your setup and it worked well. RING > Event > Relay > Chime

However I spent the $47 and got a chime Pro the main reason is I needed a wireless extender to get a strong signal to the door bell (it's on the other side of the house).

The by product is that it's a BRILLIANT door bell chime to Allows you to change chimes (have a Xmas chime right now) and is pretty loud!

I think for $30 you get just the chime (not Pro) if you just want a chime and its so worth it. You can add as many as you want to your install.

It also frees up that relay. Just a thought.

I am going to use the external Ring Chine device.  

But I also need to connect the doorbell itself so that I can generate a local C4 event (to do other things than play a chime).  Apparently I have to use a relay and a contact to do it.  I apparently do not understand how they work or how to wire them.  That's what I was asking how to do.  Apparently the EA5 has relays and contacts, but I don't know what wire to put where.  Right now there are two wires in a Cat6 connected from the doorbell chime terminals in the Ring to contact 1 on the EA5.  My dealer bound them.  I thought I would get an event on the contact when the button was pushed.  I don't.  Presumably those wires needs to connected to a relay and not a contact.  That's where I'm lost.

 

i don't understand why I need to use a contact AND a relay and don't understand how to wire it.

[thecodeman]

1 hour ago, jfh said:

I am going to use the external Ring Chine device.  

But I also need to connect the doorbell itself so that I can generate a local C4 event (to do other things than play a chime).  Apparently I have to use a relay and a contact to do it.  I apparently do not understand how they work or how to wire them.  That's what I was asking how to do.  Apparently the EA5 has relays and contacts, but I don't know what wire to put where.  Right now there are two wires in a Cat6 connected from the doorbell chime terminals in the Ring to contact 1 on the EA5.  My dealer bound them.  I thought I would get an event on the contact when the button was pushed.  I don't.  Presumably those wires needs to connected to a relay and not a contact.  That's where I'm lost.

 

i don't understand why I need to use a contact AND a relay and don't understand how to wire it.

You dont need a relay. Relays are for triggering motors like garage doors by closing a circuit. In this case, the finger is doing the work to close the circuit when the doorbell is pressed. The most simple hook up is a doorbell button with no light wired directly to Control4 contact on 12v and SIG.

[blackfiveo1]

Buddy has a samsung refrigerator and the ring video feed pops up on it... Kinda funny a freakin fridge can get the video stream but control4 cant.

[Matt Lowe]

 

2 hours ago, jfh said:

 

i don't understand why I need to use a contact AND a relay and don't understand how to wire it.

so it would be wired ring to the relay. The ring always has power running through it that would cause the contact on the C4 unit to always be tripped. then when the doorbell is press the relay with close and then send the signal to the contact on the controller which can then program announcements or what ever. all with out an internet connection

[ILoveControl]

Buddy has a samsung refrigerator and the ring video feed pops up on it... Kinda funny a freakin fridge can get the video stream but control4 cant.

Now that is pimp.

[ILoveControl]

Now that is pimp. :) O want one of those

[jfh]

1 hour ago, Matt Lowe said:

 

so it would be wired ring to the relay. The ring always has power running through it that would cause the contact on the C4 unit to always be tripped. then when the doorbell is press the relay with close and then send the signal to the contact on the controller which can then program announcements or what ever. all with out an internet connection

Thank you.  Can you give me a wiring diagram for dummies using the Ring and a contact and a relay on an EA5?  What physical wires go where?

[lippavisual]

Not sure why a relay would be needed either.

contact should be used as a sense input.  It would normally be NO and when the button is pressed, the contact will sense NC, which you should be able to tie your programming in to.

[msgreenf]

Not sure why a relay would be needed either.
contact should be used as a sense input.  It would normally be NO and when the button is pressed, the contact will sense NC, which you should be able to tie your programming in to.

Exactly. Agree. No relay needed. Just contact.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Matt Lowe]

6 minutes ago, lippavisual said:

Not sure why a relay would be needed either.

contact should be used as a sense input.  It would normally be NO and when the button is pressed, the contact will sense NC, which you should be able to tie your programming in to.

 

1 minute ago, msgreenf said:

Exactly. Agree. No relay needed. Just contact.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
 

you need the relay as the ring is 24AC and the contacts are 12v DC