Watching Dad

[jogold]

My clients 80 year old father has mild dementia, some days are better than others. He lives alone and they monitor him via ring doorbell and google nest.
He also watches them via the same.
The problem is that neither can be relied on to keep the stream for more than a couple of hours without having to reconnect to the camera.
The father and the kids have WiFi.
He cant be taught how to do it and gets very worried when it disconnects and someone needs to drive over to reconnect.

Can someone please recommend hardware/software that can be relied on to do at least 48 (72) hours without ant user intervention.
Amazon has a zillion different options but I need one that comes with a Technibble tech recommendation. Please, only if you've used it and feel that I can rely on it.

 

[britechguy]

The question, neither asked nor answered here, is what's causing the disconnects?

That needs to be traced down first, and my guess is that it will end up either with the WiFi modem-router and/or the ISP rather than the devices connected to same.

Both Google Nest and Ring should be automatically reconnecting any time there is a "burp" with their WiFi connectivity when the network becomes available again.

 

[jogold]

They tell me that after a couple of hours it usually disconnects.
Do you have experience with both/either that they shouldn't need to reconnect ever but it will automatically? ( I know that that claim so, but is it actually so?)

 

[britechguy]

Not with Ring, but I believe with both Alexa and Google Home (in various guises).

It makes no sense for these devices not to automatically reconnect as a matter of course. There are constant brief interruptions in internet connectivity over a course of months and years, even if those are for a few short seconds.

Our own computers reconnect to WiFi automatically (or at least can, and all mine do) because they must if you're not to go crazy as those "burps" in service occur.

Something is wrong here with something about how those things either connect or reconnect. I haven't touched the Alexa app nor Google Home in ages so I can't remember if the equivalent of the "automatically connect" checkbox that we get with WiFi connections under Windows exists, but that's certainly the first sort of thing I'd be running down.

Since I don't use these things myself, but have only set them up for long-term clients, and have never (as yet) received a single call about one not being online after we've had things like power outages or an internet outage in town I simply have to believe they're chugging right along without my intervention.

 

[jogold]

Ok, thx. I'll check that road.

 

[nlinecomputers]

They tell me that after a couple of hours it usually disconnects.
Do you have experience with both/either that they shouldn't need to reconnect ever but it will automatically? ( I know that that claim so, but is it actually so?)

I'm betting the entire internet connection is going down. Not just Ring. Possibly a bad modem/router or a problem with the ISP> Can't diagnose this remotely. Need to get in front of the equipment and run tests. Could be anything from overcrowded radio space to an overheating router that shuts down.

 

[timeshifter]

There are lots of devices that would allow someone to power cycle different things.

I’d like to see some quality network gear like Ubiquiti or eero too.

 

[Markverhyden]

You really need to kick this up a notch as the saying goes. Over the years I've done installation and repair work for a variety of companies that provide assistive living services. Granted they're not free but many times government health care programs pay for them. It runs the whole gamut, door and window sensors, smoke heat and movement sensors, appliance sensors, things like bed movements as well as moisture detection, leak detection coupled with automatic notifications. For example they can turn on motion sensors after normal bed time, say 10pm and turn off after 6 am or whatever. For privacy and liability reasons there is no audio or video. But as you know that's easily covered with existing services like Ring. Of course there's smart device notifications, they can setup a call tree, order of who to call. this is the company I'm currently working with the most - https://www.simply-home.com/. Maybe some of the terminology might help you look up local providers.

 

[jogold]

I knew that I was in thinking that this forum would have the answers.
It's not just tech, it's people.
Thanks.

 

[VISA MC]

I use ring cams at my home and office and all reconnect automatically after any sort of network issue.

On another note, it streaming is all that’s needed, what about setting up a couple ubiquiti cams. We have used these several times for live cams on websites of cities and ski resorts. I have one on a boat dock that has been up for more than a year no issues.