Are ADT sensors compatible with Ring?

Ring is starting to become more and more popular as an alarm system. As a result, a lot of people wonder whether ADT sensors are compatible with Ring.

If you are using a wireless ADT system, you won’t find your ADT sensors compatible with Ring. However, if you use a wired ADT system, you can use a Retrofit kit to make it compatible with the Ring system.

Are ADT Sensors Compatible With Ring?

No.

Ring is a company that is notorious for producing equipment that isn’t really compatible with other systems.

This is because Ring wants you to invest heavily in their system, rather than getting most of your equipment from elsewhere.

This means that most ADT systems will not be compatible with Ring.

For starters, if you have wireless sensors from ADT, they cannot connect up to the Ring system. This is because Ring requires your sensors to be Z-Wave technology.

No ADT sensors will run on this technology. This means that they will never be able to pair up to an ADT system.

The one exception to this rule is if you have wired ADT sensors.

You may be able to convert these using the Retrofit Kit that ADT supplies.

Which ADT sensors can work with Ring?

Any ADT sensors that are hardwired into your system should be able to work with a Ring system.

Since ADT has such a wealth of products in their range, it is going to be nigh on impossible for us to tell you all of the models that work with Ring.

However, it is pretty safe to say that if your existing sensors are wired, then they should work.

They won’t work right away, though. Instead, you need to ‘convert’ that system into a wireless system that is compatible with Ring. 

In order to convert the system into a wireless system, you need to purchase the Retrofit Kit.

You will need one Retrofit Kit per eight sensors that you are connecting up to the system.

The Retrofit Kit will be hardwired into the system. This will normally be carried out at the central alarm control panel.

It is worth noting that adding the Retrofit Kit to the system is quite a complicated process. The entire procedure is detailed in the manual that comes with the Retrofit Kit.

However, do bear in mind that it will require you to tinker about with the wiring and use a few simple tools.

People that may not be familiar with wiring alarm systems would do well to get in touch with an installer that can help them.

How do you connect the ADT sensors to the Ring System?

Assuming that your ADT sensors are compatible with the Ring system, connecting everything up is dead simple. As we said before, you will need to have that Retrofit Kit installed.

Once the Retrofit Kit (or Retrofit Kits) is installed and powered, you will need to add them to the Ring app. This is the process that needs to be followed:

Open the App and Add the Retrofit Alarm Kit

Start by opening up the app.

In the top left corner, you will see three lines. Tap those to open up the menu. From here, you will need to find the option that says “Set up a Device’.

On the next menu, select Security Devices, followed by Retrofit Alarm Kit. On the next menu, you will need to select Retrofit Alarm Kit again.

Tap the READY button. 

Scan the Retrofit Kit

You will now need to go to your Retrofit Kit, or at least have access to the card that was included in the box with the kit. When prompted by the app, you will need to scan the QR code. 

If the device is turned on, then you will be asked to set it up completely. This means giving it a name.

You will need to repeat this process for all of the Retrofit Kits that you are planning to use.

Test the System

The final step is to test the system. You can do this from the Ring app. 99% of the time, the system will work perfectly.

However, some people may find that the Retrofit Kit isn’t connecting up to their Ring base station properly.

This will likely be the case if the Retrofit Kit is too far from the base station, or there are thick obstacles in the way e.g. heavy objects, hefty walls, etc.

If you cannot connect the systems up properly, then you will need to move the two of them closer together.

Conclusion 

ADT sensors aren’t really compatible with Ring, at least not ‘out of the box’.

If you have a wireless ADT system, then it will never be compatible with the Ring system.

However, if you have a wired ADT sensor system, you can connect it up to the Retrofit Kit sold by Ring.

Once the sensors are connected up to this, everything should work perfectly with the Ring system. 

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