ring-client-example not capturing Ring Camera events

[cardsfan7189]

Finally a question about the api and not typescript. Been running the ring-client-example and with debug I can see that the camera details are being captured and code is reaching the camera onNewNotification.subscribe property/method. However when I trigger a motion event or ring the doorbell, nothing happens while the script is running. This is the last display: "Listening for motion and doorbell presses on your cameras."

Looked through the issues, discussions and wiki, and the only possible problems I could find were these

• something else is capturing the event before the api does. Do I need to turn off my Ring app on the phone (Android) ?
• e2e encryption can cause problems. Checked and this is not enabled

Another question, and maybe this was answered by @tsightler in another discussion: is this api client interacting with the ring camera itself, or is it communicating with events on the Ring-hosted cloud?

Sincerely,

A Cheapskate Trying to Avoid $40 a Year to Ring

[cardsfan7189]

And just now saw @tsightler reply to another discussion about this. Will look into the token management.

[tsightler]

Summary version:

1. Use ring-auth-cli to generate token
2. Use token to connect to API but don't save this initial updated token which now includes Firebase device registration information
3. Push notifications will never work until you delete device from Ring Control Center and regenerate a new token

Another question, and maybe this was answered by @tsightler in another discussion: is this api client interacting with the ring camera itself, or is it communicating with events on the Ring-hosted cloud?

There's no local communications, Ring is a cloud-only device, the only way to Ring devices is via their cloud API.

A Cheapskate Trying to Avoid $40 a Year to Ring

Just some friendly advice, sell your Ring camera and buy something else.

[cardsfan7189]

Sounds like some good friendly advice 👍 Hopefully my last question, since you've given me plenty to work with: would I still be able to access camera data and events from their cloud api without the basic subscription?

[tsightler]

A subscription is not required, you can do anything that the Ring app allows you to do without a subscription, which is effectively basic notifications, no event history or recordings. You can get an event, and, if you have a high powered camera (basically a "Pro" doorbell, or other cameras running on AC/mains power), you can take a snapshot or start a livestream. Battery/low-power cameras can't even do the snapshot because they can't snapshot while recording, and a motion even always starts a recording, however, you can start a live stream and record to a file.

There are already plenty of examples out there of people doing this with ring-mqtt or ring-client-api directly, but it's a significantly sub-par experience vs having a subscription.

[cardsfan7189]

Summary version:

1. Use ring-auth-cli to generate token
2. Use token to connect to API but don't save this initial updated token which now includes Firebase device registration information
3. Push notifications will never work until you delete device from Ring Control Center and regenerate a new token

And finally...item 3 is what did the trick. It's working now. example.ts seems to be already doing item 2.

[tsightler]

Yes, the example project does handle this, however, the point is if the refresh token had ever been used even one time to connect to the API without this, then it will never work and you have to perform step 3 and start over. Note that, after that, you actually can re-use the token without saving it, but that very first time it's absolutely critical to get the new token because it contains the persistent Firebase registration data and, if you miss it, it's gone forever.