Introduction to Reolink Doorbell Camera
Sick of the perpetual question, “Who’s there?” every time someone knocks on your door? The Reolink 
doorbell camera provides a simple solution. This device, like other video doorbell cameras, allows you to see and interact with anyone at your door, no matter where you might be. Whether you’re in your home office or a thousand miles away, you can easily see and communicate with the person at your door through a mobile app. The best part? Reolink offers a range of options to accommodate various budgets, making it a practical choice for many households. The Reolink doorbell camera stands out as one of the most impressive Wi-Fi and Power Over Ethernet (PoE) doorbell cameras on the market.
Reolink is a leading player in the smart home trend, offering an impressive range of smart security solutions. Their product lineup includes video doorbells, IP cameras, PoE cameras and other smart home devices, all designed to meet the security needs of modern households.
Setup and Installation
One of the key selling points of Reolink cameras is their straightforward and seamless setup process. 
However, be aware that some cameras may emit loud sounds at startup, which are informational voice prompts. While this may be slightly annoying when setting up multiple cameras, it’s a small inconvenience compared to the benefits the cameras provide.
The Reolink doorbell camera comes in two models, each featuring its own unique benefits. The Wi-Fi model connects to your home network through Wi-Fi, while the PoE model uses Power Over Ethernet. Both models perform well, offering stable connections and impressive video output whether they’re used indoors or outdoors.
Setting up your Reolink doorbell camera (either Wi-Fi or PoE) is a straightforward process. The 
necessary accessories for installation are included in the box. If you choose the PoE model, you’ll need an Ethernet cable to power and connect the camera. If you prefer the Wi-Fi model, it uses the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands for transmission. The camera is powered by its power adapter.
For optimal video feed, it’s recommended to place your camera about 1.2m off the ground at your front door or entrance. The Reolink doorbell camera package includes a 15° wedge, making it easier to adjust the camera angle as needed.
Video Quality
The Reolink doorbell camera (Wi-Fi and PoE) can capture up to 2K+ resolution, with 5MP at the core of 
its functionality. This offers a higher level of detail than many similarly priced competitors. While it can’t match the resolution of a 4K camera, the Reolink doorbell camera’s quality is impressive among Wi-Fi and PoE-operated cameras. Both models offer wide field views of up to 180°, giving you a comprehensive view of what’s happening in front of your door.
Recording Flexibility and Storage
One of the standout features of the Reolink doorbell cameras is their recording flexibility. You can choose to have the cameras record 24/7 or only when they detect motion. You can also specify a time frame for these settings. An interesting feature is the camera’s ability to pre-record footage before an alarm is triggered. This helps to record the event that caused the alarm and could assist in identifying perpetrators. The footage is recorded in colour and can be stored on a 256GB micro SD storage card.
Review of the Reolink Doorbell Camera
The Reolink Doorbell Camera is designed for anyone who’s ever been frustrated with asking “Who’s 
there?” after every knock. This intelligent piece of technology not only enables you to see who is at your door regardless of your location, but it also allows you to communicate with them through a mobile application. This feature proves to be particularly useful when you’re away from home and need to address a visitor or delivery person.
Reolink, a major player in the smart home trend, has introduced this doorbell camera as part of its diverse lineup of smart home devices, which includes video doorbells, IP cameras, PoE cameras and others. Reolink has earned its position in the market due to the quality and performance of its products.
Setup and Installation
Setting up the Reolink Doorbell Camera is straightforward and the process has been designed to be as 
seamless as possible. The necessary accessories required for the installation come included in the box. For the PoE model, an Ethernet cable is all you need to get the camera up and running, taking care of both power and connectivity requirements. The Wi-Fi model, on the other hand, uses the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands for transmission. The camera is powered by a power adapter.
In order to get the best possible feeds, it’s advisable to place your camera about 1.2m off the ground at your front door or entrance. To assist in this, the Reolink Doorbell Camera package includes a 15° wedge, making it easier to achieve the right angle or make necessary adjustments.
Features and Performance
The Reolink Doorbell Camera is capable of capturing footage up to 2K+ resolution, with 5MP at the core 
of its functionality. This helps it to deliver more detailed footage than many similarly priced competitors. It provides a wide field view of up to 180°, ensuring coverage of almost everything happening in front of your door.
You have the flexibility to choose whether the camera records 24/7 or only when it detects motion. In addition, the camera begins recording footage even before sounding an alarm, thus capturing what triggered the alarm. This footage can be stored on the Reolink NVR, a microSD card, or the Reolink cloud, although cloud availability is country-specific.
The Reolink Doorbell Camera models also feature infrared LED night vision, making it possible to have high-quality recordings of the night and identify the exact person present at the door regardless of the time.
User Experience
Reolink offers a chime as part of the doorbell camera package that can be plugged into any electrical outlet. It alerts you whenever someone presses the doorbell. The volume of the chime can be adjusted using a simple button, although this can only be done locally and not via the Reolink mobile application.
One major difference between the Wi-Fi and PoE models is their internet connectivity methods. However, both models still function offline, performing motion detection and saving feeds to your microSD card. You can also use your chime while offline as long as it’s connected to your doorbell.
The Reolink Doorbell Camera also provides rich notifications, sending push notifications when motion is detected. The sensitivity of these notifications can be adjusted via the mobile app to prevent unnecessary alerts.
As our homes become smarter, the need for advanced security solutions becomes even more critical. The Reolink doorbell camera offers a seamless way to monitor your home, allowing you to see and communicate with whoever is at your door, no matter where you are in the world. This device, which offers superb Wi-Fi and Power Over Ethernet (PoE) capabilities, has proven itself to be an efficient solution for homeowners seeking to bolster their home security. The best part? It caters to all budgets, making it an accessible option for many households.
Brand Overview
Reolink is a top-performing brand in the smart home industry, known for its wide range of products including video doorbells, IP cameras, PoE cameras and other smart home devices. They have made a significant impact in the market with their innovative and high-quality devices, particularly in the area of digital surveillance. This reputation raises the question: can we expect the same level of quality and performance from the Reolink doorbell camera?
Setup
Setting up the Reolink doorbell camera is straightforward. All the necessary accessories for the installation are included in the box. For the PoE model, all you need is an Ethernet cable, which caters to both power and connectivity requirements. If you’re using the Wi-Fi model, the camera operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands and is powered by its own power adapter. To get the best video feed, it’s recommended to install the camera about 1.2m above the ground at your entrance. The package includes a 15° wedge for adjusting the camera angle, providing flexibility in installation.
Features and Performance
The Reolink doorbell camera excels in its ability to capture video at up to 2K+ resolution, with a 5MP core. This high-resolution capture allows it to record more details than many of its similarly-priced competitors. This quality is consistent whether the camera is used indoors or outdoors. Both the Wi-Fi and PoE models have a wide field of view of up to 180°, ensuring you can see nearly everything happening at your doorstep.
Recording Flexibility
The doorbell camera offers flexible recording options. You can choose to have it record continuously or only when it detects motion and you can even set specific time frames for these settings. A unique feature of this camera is its ability to pre-record footage before sounding an alarm, helping to identify what triggered the alarm more effectively. This footage is stored in color and can be saved on a Reolink NVR, a microSD card, or on the Reolink cloud, although cloud availability is country-specific.
Night Vision
Both the Wi-Fi and PoE models of the Reolink doorbell camera feature infrared LED night vision, allowing them to capture clear footage even in the dark. This ensures that you can identify whoever is at your door, regardless of the time of day.
Chime
The Reolink doorbell camera comes with an enhanced chime that can be plugged into any electrical outlet. The volume of the chime can be easily adjusted with a physical button, but cannot be adjusted using the Reolink mobile application. The chime will always sound when the doorbell is activated, even if the camera is offline.
Pros and Cons of the Reolink Doorbell Camera
Having explored the features, performance and usability of the Reolink doorbell cameras, it is only fair that we highlight their pros and cons. This will give a rounded perspective of the devices, allowing you to make a well-informed decision.
Pros
- High-Quality Video: One of the significant advantages of the Reolink doorbell camera is its high-quality video. It is capable of capturing up to 2K+ resolution, with 5MP at the core of its functionality. This detail-focused resolution is more than what many similarly priced competitors offer. Whether you’re using the Reolink doorbell camera indoors or outdoors, you can expect excellent video quality.
- Wide Field of View: The field of view of both models is particularly wide, showing up to 180°. This expansive field of view means the cameras should cover almost everything happening in front of your door, ensuring you miss nothing important.
- Flexible Recording: The Reolink doorbell cameras allow you to choose whether you want them to record 24/7 or only when they detect motion. You can also set a time frame for these settings, offering you an extra layer of flexibility and control over your surveillance.
- Pre-recording Feature: A standout feature of the Reolink doorbell camera is that it pre-records footage even before sounding an alarm. This means it will record what triggered the alarm, possibly aiding in identifying potential intruders. It records this footage in color, which can be stored on the Reolink NVR, your microSD card, or the Reolink cloud.
- Infrared LED Night Vision: Both Reolink doorbell camera models feature infrared LED night vision, ensuring clear and visible feeds at night. This feature enables you to have high-quality recordings of nighttime activities and identify who is at the door regardless of the time and lighting conditions.
Cons
While the Reolink doorbell camera is packed with impressive features, there are some notable drawbacks that you need to consider:
- Subscription Required for Cloud Storage: If you want to utilise cloud storage for storing your video footage, you’ll need to subscribe to Reolink’s cloud storage service. This could be a downside if you’re looking for a doorbell camera with free cloud storage.
- Limited Smart Home Integration: One of the limitations of the Reolink doorbell camera is the lack of integration with popular smart home systems although it does work with Google assistant and Amazon Alexa. This could be a disadvantage if you’re planning to incorporate the doorbell camera into your existing smart home setup.
- Wi-Fi Support: The Reolink doorbell camera does not support 5GHz Wi-Fi, only 2.4GHz. This might not be a deal-breaker for many, but it’s worth noting if you have a dual-band router and prefer using the less congested 5GHz band for your devices.
In conclusion, the Reolink doorbell camera, whether the Wi-Fi or PoE model, offers several remarkable features that can boost your home security system. Its high-resolution video quality, wide field of view, flexible recording options, pre-recording feature and night vision make it a strong contender in the market. However, the requirement for a subscription for cloud storage, lack of smart home integrations and limited Wi-Fi support may make it less appealing for some users.
Reolink Video Doorbell Camera Wired
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