Ring, Ring, why don't you give me a call? Amazon-owned doorbells aren’t answering after large-scale outage
- Reference: 1612379062
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/02/03/amazon_ring_outage/
- Source link:
The [1]issue started just after 9am PST on Wednesday with users reporting that they were unable to see any live video feeds from their devices. Integration with smart assistants also fell over, in what's looking like an unusually wide-ranging failure. Soon after, Amazon-owned Ring reported on its status page that it was investigating the issue.
[2]
“We're currently experiencing issues with logging into or loading the Ring app and/or Ring.com, as well as issues starting Live Views or connecting to live video from ding and motion events,” an emergency notice reads.
Halt don't catch fire: Amazon recalls hundreds of thousands of Ring doorbells over exploding battery fears [3]READ MORE
[4]
The outage appears to be widespread. According to Ring’s own status page, it is a system-wide issue with all of its video products impacted (Video Doorbell: Major Outage; StickCam: Major Outage; Spotlight Cam: Major Outage.) That points to a problem with Ring’s backend systems rather than, say, a simple faulty software update for an app.
The fact that connections are not working at all suggests a problem with Ring’s authentication system. Our best guess is that an update at Ring HQ went sideways. We have asked the company for additional information.
The extensive downtime is unusual: Ring reports occasional partial outages every few months but such incidents tend to only affect one product and are usually resolved quickly. As far as we are aware, it has never suffered a system-wide failure, despite a massive explosion in sales thanks to the smart home products being sold and pushed by Amazon following its purchase of the company in 2018.
We'll update the story as more information becomes available. ®
Updated to add
Ring [5]support has confirmed that its engineers have now identified the issue and a fix is being prepared.
Final update
[6]
As of 2107 UTC Ring has confirmed the issue has been solved, but has provided no further details. If you're still having problems let us know in the forum.
Get our [7]Tech Resources
[1] https://status.ring.com/incidents/1wr4285bb5sv
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_emergent_tech/internet_of_things&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YBsrCYCwOJPn4TT0JUzqOQAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/11/ring_recalls_360000_doorbells_over/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_emergent_tech/internet_of_things&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YBsrCYCwOJPn4TT0JUzqOQAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://status.ring.com/incidents/1wr4285bb5sv
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_emergent_tech/internet_of_things&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YBsrCYCwOJPn4TT0JUzqOQAAAJE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Knock Knock
then
Re: Knock Knock
Who's there?
Re: Knock Knock
No snooping
Connect to the internet, don't rely on it
This is the reason, as if we didn't know already, why electronics given a network connection should have offline local management. From the sound of it, users can't do anything with these doorbells, even if they're right next to them. An acceptable system would have a backup or primary communication option which didn't require the remote servers to work. Connecting something like this to the internet isn't always a bad thing (although this is Ring, so everything related to it is a bad thing), but relying on equipment which breaks when a system not under your control goes down is always a problem.
Re: Connect to the internet, don't rely on it
You're making the assumption that these products are designed to fill a need, whereas in reality they're designed to generate revenue under cover of some vaguely plausible claim to be filling a need.
See also under sharing data from your device with law enforcement without your permission.
It's really not in Amazon's interest to make a device that works offline and very few people are going to pay a significantly larger entry cost for a device that isn't subsidised by ongoing service fees.
Online only? That's the idea...
If Ring could be used standalone, then there needn't be a subscription service. Wouldn't want that, would we?
Re: Online only? That's the idea...
I just had a brilliant idea. A non-internet connected door notification device. I shall name it simply "Bell®️"
Re: Online only? That's the idea...
A bell?
Our Ring doorbell sits a few inches from a brass knocker - part of our door notification continuity plan.
Re: Online only? That's the idea...
Just a word of warning - don't all rush out to a knocking shop looking to buy a knocker
Re: Online only? That's the idea...
I entered "Knockers" into Google. I really should not have done that at work. Now the emails are flying and the tribunal is assembling.
Re: Online only? That's the idea...
And isn't annoying when people turn up and use the knocker anyway?
Our Ring is just 'the doorbell' (plus a couple of Chimes - one upstairs, one downstairs). We don't have a knocker or any other non-IoT doorbell, but I reckon that about 80% of callers physically knock on the door instead of pressing the bloody bell-push. And it's not like you can miss a Ring doorbell - they're about the size of a Nokia 3310.
I know they're there because of the proximity warning. The problem is that the local cats can trigger an identical warning, though none of them have - as yet to my knowledge - mastered pressing the button. I just wish the postman could best the moggies and do so in order to differentiate himself.
Re: Connect to the internet, don't rely on it
Perfect comment title is perfect.
Hurr de durr gurpity der durr
BORK!!! BORK!!! BORK!!!
Thank you for your valuable contribution.
I am upset that this will reduce the number of videos of dancing amazon delivery drivers from ring.com videos killing two birds with one stone. I guess I will just have to make do with pictures of McDonalds restaurants forced to comply with local regulations that look really cute or pictures of Starbucks coffee baristas really bad spelling of names. Thank you internet 2021 for keeping me entertained. Oh look a cute cat knocking over a can of coke.
Cloud!
For the win! Again.
Good?