Three kinds of doorbell
- Standards-based (ONVIF/RTSP). The doorbell exposes an RTSP video stream and ONVIF events, so it works with almost anything (Home Assistant, Frigate, Blue Iris, openHAB, etc). The catch is that "ONVIF" support on doorbells is patchy: video is usually fine, but the button press event and two-way audio are the features that vary most.
- Vendor API with a local integration. Examples with Home Assistant integrations include Reolink (its doorbell press shows up as a "Visitor" binary sensor) and DoorBird (the HA page lists it as Local Push). These tend to give the best button/event support.
- Cloud-first. Video, push notifications and often the button event go via the vendor's servers. Some can still be pulled into go2rtc (its README lists sources for Ring, DoorBird, Tapo and others), but expect more breakage when the vendor changes something.
- Local RTSP stream: can you get a stream URL without a cloud account? Does it have a lower-resolution substream (useful for detection)?
- Button press event: how does it reach your hub? In Home Assistant's ONVIF integration, a "Digital input" event is the generic ONVIF route, and the docs note Amcrest uses it for the doorbell button on the AD410. With Reolink you get the Visitor sensor via the vendor integration. Ask other owners before assuming a model supports it.
- Two-way audio: ONVIF Profile T devices usually support an audio backchannel, but Frigate's docs warn that support is inconsistent, even for cameras that list the feature. The go2rtc README keeps a list of cameras known to work for two-way audio.
- Power and chime: PoE doorbells are simplest and most reliable for streaming (one cable, wired network). Wi-Fi models are easier to install but depend on signal at the front door. If the doorbell connects to existing low-voltage doorbell wiring, be careful: the transformer is mains-powered, and in Australia mains work must be done by a licensed electrician.
- Chime: check whether the mechanical/plug-in chime still works, or whether you need the vendor's own chime unit. Home Assistant can also play a sound or announce on speakers when the press event arrives.
- Field of view: a taller or squarer aspect ratio helps with parcels on the doorstep.
- Initialise the doorbell with the vendor app and set a strong, unique password (never leave the default).
- Create a separate user for your hub if the device allows it. The Home Assistant ONVIF docs recommend a dedicated user and say a standard (non-admin) user is enough for the current functionality. The Reolink integration, however, needs an admin user on the device.
- Add it to Home Assistant via the vendor integration if there is one, otherwise the ONVIF integration.
- If you want recording and person detection, feed the stream to an NVR such as Frigate (see the NVR forum). Restreaming with go2rtc means the doorbell only has to serve one connection, which matters for low-powered devices.
- Build the automation: button press, then notification with a snapshot, chime on a speaker, and a light on if it is dark.
- Put cameras and doorbells on an isolated IoT/camera VLAN or SSID with no route to the internet unless you need cloud features. Allow only your hub/NVR to reach the device.
- Do not port forward RTSP or the device web page to the internet. Use a VPN (WireGuard, Tailscale, etc) for remote viewing.
- Keep firmware updated, and check what your doorbell does when the internet is blocked. Some models behave badly if you block them, so test before relying on it.
- A doorbell camera watches a public-facing area. Check your local rules on recording audio and on pointing the camera at neighbouring property.
Question for the group: which video doorbell are you running, and does the button press and two-way audio work locally (without the vendor cloud)? If you would not buy the same one again, why?