Set Up Ring Alarm or Camera with Alternative Pro Monitoring
Ring recently announced a price increase for their monitoring plan. We want to show you that you have an alternative. It's a DIY alternative, but if you're already living in the home automation world, you're familiar with this approach. If not, let us introduce you to it.
At the core of Zuluhood is a simple question: If you can choose your home security devices from a wide range of options, why shouldn't you have the same freedom when it comes to professional security services for your home? So, Zuluhood serves two purposes:
It enables local security companies to offer their services directly to DIY smart home users
It gives homeowners the flexibility to choose local alarm monitoring services on their own terms – activating protection only when needed.
Currently, Zuluhood partners with Clear Partners to provide alarm monitoring services, but will give you other options soon. Here's what you need to know:
Clear Partners is a certified US-based alarm station
They are UL certified, FM-approved, and licensed nationwide
Their services are available through Zuluhood app in most of the United States
Our pricing model is designed with flexibility in mind: plans start from just $8.99/month, there are no limitations on the number of devices or cameras you can connect, and you can easily cancel or reactivate your subscription as needed. While this subscription is active, you can turn monitoring on for short periods (a few hours or a weekend) or keep it active continuously.
To support our "device you want, service you need" ideology, we have developed an easy way to connect various devices. This method is also your DIY alternative for your Ring plan. It will allow you to:
Use the Ring devices you already own and love
Choose an alternative monitoring service that fits your specific needs
Activate professional monitoring only when you want it.
WHAT YOU NEED
To get started, you'll need the following:
A middleman to set up automation - for example, an Alexa device, Home Assistant, or HomeKit. Unfortunately, as Ring is quite a closed system, it won't work without the middleman.
We'll show you here how to set it up with Alexa device as the middleman, but if you need instructions for Home Assistant or HomeKit, you can find them here.
To set up professional monitoring for your Ring devices using an Alexa routine, you'll need:
Your existing Ring setup as the trigger for automations
An Alexa device with Voice Monkey skill to process this automation
The Zuluhood app to turn on pro monitoring when you need it
It may sound complex, but it's not, and you only need to do it once.
STEP-BY-STEP SETUP
1. Create a webhook in the Zuluhood app
Getting started with Zuluhood is easy and user-friendly. Once you download the app, you'll open your profile and add your home address. This step is crucial because professional service availability depends on your location. After adding your home to the Zuluhood app, you can create a webhook (a simple web service) that will link the change in your Ring device with the alarm event in Zuluhood. Follow these simple steps in your Zuluhood app:
Go to your profile settings
Click on "Setup Integrations."
Choose "Webhooks" and select "Create Webhook"
Select the applicable name
Assign the webhook to a specific home and select "Trigger alarm "as the action
Write a message you want to send to your Tribe and Watchers added to your home in Zuluhood, such as: "The alarm is from my Ring camera. If I don't reply to the alarm chat in Zuluhood, it means I probably missed it. Could you please just take a look at my house and let me know if you see something suspicious? Thanks."
Save the webhook
Copy your webhook URL somewhere so you can paste it later
2. Create a flow in the Voice Monkey console
Voice Monkey is an Alexa Skill that uses Routines to add new functionality to your Alexa smart home. If you don't have it already, add this skill to your Alexa home account, and log in to the Voice Monkey console. You can choose the free plan, as it will be enough for this setup (you only need 1 flow).
Once you log in to your Voice Monkey web console, do the following:
Choose "Flows" and "New flow" and give it an appropriate name
Select "Web Request" from the list of available actions
Paste (or write) your Zuluhood webhook URL
Select "POST "as the method
Save the action, as no additional fields are needed
Manually test the flow by selecting "Trigger manually". This will activate the alarm in your Zuluhood app, confirming that everything is working as expected.
When you click on "Trigger from a Routine", you'll receive step-by-step instructions on setting up your Alexa routine. In the next step, we'll guide you on how to use it within your Alexa app.
3. Set up your Alexa Routines
First, you need to connect your Ring devices to Alexa. See [here] for instructions. After that, set up a new Routine:
Open the Alexa app
Tap "More "
Select "Routines "from the menu
Select the "Your Routines "tab
Tap the „+“ icon to Create Routine
Add an event under the When section
Tap Smart Home
Select your device from the Choose Device screen
Choose the Ring device you are creating the routine for
Select which behavior will trigger your Routine (e.g. motion detection)
In the "Action" section, select the "Custom" option
Type the custom command exactly as instructed in your Voice Monkey guide
In the "From" section, select your physical Alexa/Echo device from where to launch this flow
Tap Save
Test the routine by intentionally triggering your Ring devices to ensure everything works fine.
If you have multiple Ring devices at your home, you can repeat this step for other devices that should be monitored.
TURN ON THE PROFESSIONAL MONITORING WHEN YOU NEED IT
Your Ring devices work in the same way – you'll get your Ring notification on any alarm. But, if you believe there's a chance you might miss it, or you want professional assistance when the alarm happens, you can turn on the monitoring in your Zuluhood app.
Here is what you need to do:
Choose your subscription
Go to your profile setup in your Zuluhood app, and under "Subscription plan", select the monthly plan that best fits your needs. Professional monitoring is available in Single and Duo plans. Remember, you can cancel or reactivate this subscription at any time, giving you full control over your monitoring services.
Verify your identity
Next, you'll complete a quick identity verification process. We know privacy is a top concern when it comes to home security, so let's break down why this step is necessary and how we protect your information:
Why we verify: This step ensures that only you can set up monitoring for your home. It's a crucial security measure that protects you from potential fraud.
How it works: Navigate to your profile settings and select "Identity Verification." Follow the on-screen instructions, and we'll match the name in your Zuluhood account with the one on your ID document. To confirm it's you holding the ID, we'll also compare your ID photo with a selfie taken in real-time. The process is designed to be fast, simple, and secure, ensuring your identity is verified without hassle while maintaining top security standards.
Protecting your privacy: Your personal information is encrypted, securely stored, and used solely for verification purposes. We adhere to strict data protection regulations, ensuring your data is handled with the utmost care. If you have any questions about this process, our support team is always here to help.
Choose your Service Provider
Once verified, you'll select from available service providers in your area. Currently, Clear Partners covers most of the US, offering reliable, certified monitoring services.
Sign the Contract
You'll sign a contract directly with the monitoring provider by following the steps on your app screen. This contract remains valid only while your subscription is active and does not require you to use the monitoring service, maintaining your flexibility.
Activate Monitoring
You are now ready to use an alternative professional monitoring service for your Ring devices. Simply turn it on in your Zuluhood app whenever you need it. You can also add specific instructions for the provider, such as:
Additional emergency contacts
Details about your home's security devices
Your alarm license number (if applicable)
Cancel the service
You can easily deactivate the monitoring when you don't need it. If you won't be using it again soon, you can also cancel your Zuluhood subscription.
ALARM RESPONSE PROCESS
Your selected service provider, Clear Partners, will receive alarm information from your home.
They will first try to contact you to verify the alarm.
If you're not available, they will try to contact your Tribe members (adults in your household) or any other contact that you may have added in your comment when activating the monitoring service.
If you or any other contacts cancel the alarm by declaring it false, that's it, nothing else will happen.
If you or any other contacts they tried to reach don't answer, or if you confirm the alarm is real, they'll contact the necessary emergency services.
This way, you can cancel your false alarms anytime. Also, you will get all the information from the service provider in your Zuluhood app.
ALARMS WITHOUT PRO MONITORING
You'll still get the Ring notification on your phone. Additionally, one of the benefits of Zuluhood is that all the people you added to your home as your Tribe (household members) and your Watchers (neighbors and friends) will be notified of the alarm. Once they get the notification, they'll be directed to a dedicated alarm chat and see the message you added to your webhook.
You can communicate with them directly and see if any of them has reacted to this alarm and verified it.
If, for any reason, you still need professional assistance, turn on the monitoring as soon as possible and activate another alarm manually from your Zuluhood app to get a call from the operator who can help you.
CONCLUSION
With Zuluhood, you have multiple layers of protection:
First level is always you, with your Ring notifications
Second level are your Tribe and Watchers
And the third level is a professional alarm monitoring company that you can activate anytime
This setup gives you the flexibility to choose when and how you want professional monitoring, while still benefiting from your existing Ring devices and the support of your personal network.