Smart way to see who is at the front door
You can even fit the Nest doorbell by yourself
This is the time of year when many of us get around to addressing all those home and garden DIY chores. However, if you’ve tried to get a tradesman recently you’ll know that it’s nigh on impossible as the building boom is in full swing.
With this in mind, over the last couple of months I’ve looked at options for smart-home devices that I can install myself – gadgets that don’t need any cabling or electrical connections.
I’ve discovered there are now plenty of options, including battery-powered Blink cameras and spotlights and home security from Ring. There are also a number of battery-powered doorbells, including from Google Nest, the tech giant’s smart-home product line.
The Nest doorbell battery is a larger device than its wired sibling. At 160mm high, it’s also bigger than the wired version – though it is slim at just 46mm across. This is important, as you may want to mount the device on a door frame or a single small brick.
The bits and pieces needed for fitting are all included in the box. That includes a base plate, anchors and screws and a charge cable but you’ll also need some simple DIY tools for the actual fitting.
You will need access to your home wifi network and the Google Home app on an iPhone or Android. You have to use a Google account for set-up, but if you use Gmail or other Google services you’ll already have one.
Pairing the Home app to the doorbell is straightforward and there’s a useful QR code on the back of the bell that you can scan when prompted. This adds your new device to the app and network and you provide a location name, for instance ‘front door’.
Google recommends installing it at a height of 1.22m above the ground. This is the optimum height to see people, but also allows it to keep an eye on packages that might be delivered.
It’s worthwhile checking the video from outside your front door before you install it. You should be able to see a live feed on your phone before attaching it and a green LED light will be lit if all is well.
If you don’t have video, you can move it, and sometimes just a few inches can make a big difference. If your broadband router is a long way from the front door though, you might have a weak wifi signal at the entrance. Repositioning the router even a couple of feet can help, but there are options for extending your wifi coverage with a simple – and cheap – extender if need be.
Fortunately I had no such trouble and, with good video showing, I just needed to attach it to the wall. If you want to change the angle of the camera you can do so with the included 20-degree wedge.
That can angle the camera across the doorway for better coverage and it might also give you additional coverage of a side access if your drive is laid out like that.
There are only a couple of holes to be drilled to attach the mounting plate screws, and they’re included with anchors. There are also clever little spacers so if the wall is uneven you can level it up for a flush fit. Once attached of course, it’s straightforward to use. The large press button activates the bell and you’ll receive notifications on your phone, on a Google Nest Mini or Hub.
Its camera and built-in microphone allow you to talk to whoever is at the door, whether you’re at
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HD VIDEO QUALITY, EVEN AT NIGHT, IS EXCELLENT
home, or answering the call on your phone while you’re out.
The doorbell is smart enough to know the difference between people, animals, vehicles and packages so you get the notifications you want. There is a three-hour event history in the Home app and, with a Nest Aware subscription, you can view 30 or 60 days of video event history.
The 145-degree diagonal view is good, and the HD video quality, even at night, is excellent, though the vertical view is a little tight.
Also, the three-hour history is useful, but if something goes bump in the night, the recording will be gone before you wake up. Yes, the Nest Aware subscription is fairly priced, but a 12-hour history would be great.
Overall, though, the Nest doorbell is an excellent option. The app is good and smart-home integration is well done.
It’s easy to install and a fair price for the convenience and peace of mind it delivers.