Ring’s contact sensors communicate with SmartRent’s internet-connected hub, allowing you to monitor doors, windows, and cabinets remotely via SmartRent Manager Web or SmartRent Manager Mobile. If a Ring Contact Sensor is installed in a resident’s home, they will be able to monitor doors, windows, or cabinets in the given area with the SmartRent App and the Resident Web Portal once they are moved-in. Once occupied, however, community managers and site teams will no longer be able to monitor the sensor beyond battery levels.
These steps are for the Gen 1 (DW-SS) contact sensor only. For instructions on pairing the Gen 1 Ring Contact Sensor, check out our How Do I Include and Exclude a Ring Contact Sensor Gen 2? article.
Including the Sensor:
Before the Ring Contact Sensor can be used, you will first need to include it into the home’s Z-Wave network.
To include the sensor, follow these steps:
Put the hub into inclusion mode (refer to our SmartRent Manager Web or Alloy Install articles for additional instructions)
While the hub is in inclusion mode, remove the battery tab (if the battery tab is missing, open the sensor, remove the battery, and then quickly reinsert it)
The device should be discovered within a minute
If the device is not discovered, try excluding the device first (see steps below), then return to Step 1
Once discovered, enter the device’s DSK Number (this will be the PIN on the back of the contact sensor located next to the QR code)
Click Submit DSK
Configuring the Ring Contact Sensor:
Once the sensor is discovered, it will populate on the Hub page in SmartRent Manager. There will be three additional steps to finalize the device installation process.
To configure the contact sensor, follow these steps:
Configure the device
To configure the device, you’ll first need to trigger a contact event
Move the magnet and sensor close together to simulate a Close event then spread them apart to simulate an Open event
The contact sensor should have reported its state change (switching from Close to Open) completing Step 1 of the configuration automatically
If not, click Configure Device in SmartRent Manager, or Search for Attributes in Alloy Install
When configured successfully, the device’s states (Contact Broken Yes and Contact Broken No) will appear in the Device Attributes section (Alloy Install will simply proceed to the next step)
Name the device
Choose your desired name for the device
Click Save and Continue in SmartRent Manager, or Name Device in Alloy Install
Click Complete Installation
Excluding the Sensor:
An exclusion is a way to reset a Z-Wave device’s settings. If the Ring Contact Sensor is not discovered during the inclusion process, it may need to be excluded. This may be necessary if the device was included in a Z-Wave network previously.
To exclude the Ring Contact Sensor, follow these steps:
Remove the back of the sensor
Put the hub into exclusion mode (refer to our SmartRent Manager Web or Alloy Install articles for additional instructions)
While the hub is in exclusion mode, remove the battery and quickly reinsert it
The device should be excluded within a minute
Mounting the Sensor:
Once the sensor is included into the Z-Wave network, it can be installed in its desired location using the mounting hardware included with the sensor.
Here a few key tips when choosing the best location for your contact sensor:
Mount the sensor in the top corner of doors to keep it from being bumped or disturbed
When the door or window is closed, the gap between the sensor and magnet should be no more than ½” apart
When mounting on a sliding door, mount the sensor at the end of the door (as opposed to above the door) so the magnet is pulled away from the sensor and not slid across it, as this could cause multiple open and close events