5 things to know before purchasing a doorbell camera

5. YOU MIGHT BE CONNECTED TO A ‘NEIGHBORHOOD’ You may be asked to join a community of nearby homeowners, kind of like a neighborhood watch feature, when you set up your system. Called

Neighborhood on Ring-branded video doorbells, this opt-in setting uses your home address to create a radius around your property. If anyone shares an alert on the app about crime or safety

within that radius, you’ll get a notification on your phone. The same is true when you share an alert. Communities across the country — including Akron and Canton, Ohio; Baltimore; Chester

and Erie, Pennsylvania; La Marque, Texas; Lancaster, California; Manhattan and Staten Island, New York; and Montgomery, Alabama — have been offering free doorbell cameras to some residents

as a deterrent to crime. The video isn’t automatically shared with police, but officers investigating incidents in your neighborhood may ask you for your footage. Earlier this year, Amazon

donated hundreds of its Ring video doorbells and lifetime basic subscriptions to 10 area agencies on aging in nine states, a program the company has been operating since 2021. Each

organization determines who is eligible to receive the free devices. Ring doorbells are also part of a network called Amazon Sidewalk, a low-band wireless network that Amazon turned on by

default for all its Ring doorbells and Echo smart speakers in 2021. You and your neighbors with these products are sharing a small portion of your internet unless you turn off the feature,

according to Consumer Reports. If you lose power or Wi-Fi, being part of the network can ensure your Ring and other devices remain online. The network also connects to Tile trackers attached

to items frequently misplaced or a CareBand tracker, designed for a loved one with dementia, and allows you and others on Amazon Sidewalk to find them. But you need to be informed to weigh

the added connectivity with privacy concerns. ALWAYS INVESTIGATE DEVICES’ SECURITY While a video doorbell makes it easy for you to watch who’s coming and going, hackers may have access to

your camera. A March 2024 Consumer Reports investigation found concerning security flaws in some brands sold through Amazon, Sears, Temu, Walmart and other popular digital marketplaces. In

April, the Federal Trade Commission sent PayPal refunds totaling more than $5.6 million to more than 117,000 Ring customers after Amazon settled a lawsuit alleging that the company’s

security failures allowed employees to have too much access to customer videos and hackers to gain control of some devices. Video: How to Make Your Front Door Easier to Open