Ring's Alarm Pro setup article and its setup troubleshooting article start with the basics: use an up-to-date Ring app, keep the phone near the base station, plug it in and follow the prompts, choosing whether the Alarm Pro is your router or an extender. Ring has separate articles for messages during setup and for a base station replacement. For sensors, add each one in the app under Alarm, Connected Devices, following its own setup prompts and holding the pairing button when asked;
The checks in more detail
each sensor uses Z-Wave, so it should be near the base station when pairing, and you can move it afterwards. If a sensor will not add, factory reset it, since a sensor that was paired to another base station will not join a new one until reset. If setup stalls, restart the router and modem, try ethernet, move the base station and retry. A device that shows waiting to connect to a network can be factory reset. If you replace a base station, follow Ring's replacement steps, because sensors must be reset to reconnect.
After setup, run a test of each sensor by opening a door or walking past a motion detector and check the app. Contact Ring Support with the error message if setup keeps failing. Pair sensors one at a time and label each in the app immediately, since a list of unnamed sensors is hard to test afterwards. If a sensor pairs and then drops, move it closer to the base station, complete the setup and move it back in short steps.
Have the app open on Alarm, Connected Devices before you touch the sensor, because the pairing window is short. If two people set up different sensors at once the app can show odd results, so pair one sensor at a time from one phone. If a sensor keeps failing to add after a reset, try a fresh battery from a different pack, since a cell that reads fine on a meter can still sag during the radio burst that pairing needs.
Differential
Likely causes of “Ring Alarm Pro Base Station will not complete setup or pairing”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An old app
What separates it Setup will not start because the Ring app is out of date
How to confirm Update the Ring app and the phone software, then start the setup again
- 2
A network problem
What separates it The base station fails to connect because of a network problem
How to confirm Restart the router and the modem, and try an ethernet connection for the setup
- 3
A sensor paired elsewhere
What separates it A sensor will not add because it is still paired with another base station
How to confirm Factory reset the sensor, which returns it to the unpaired state, then add it again
- 4
Distance to the base station
What separates it Pairing fails because the sensor is too far from the base station
How to confirm Pair the sensor close to the base station, then move it to where you want it afterwards
- 5
A partial setup
What separates it The app keeps waiting to connect because an earlier setup was left half finished
How to confirm Factory reset the device, and then set it up again from the beginning
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The exact message that the app shows during setup
- Whether you chose to use the Alarm Pro as a router or an extender
- Which sensor is failing to pair
- Whether you tried an ethernet connection
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedUpdate the app
ReversibleUpdate the Ring app and the phone software before you start, so the setup runs on current versions.
Plug in the base station
ReversiblePlug in the base station and follow the prompts in the app, which guide you through each step.
Choose router or extender
ReversibleChoose router or extender when the setup asks, because the choice decides how it joins your network.
Add each sensor
ReversibleAdd each sensor through Alarm and then Connected Devices, following the prompts to pair each one.
Pair near the base
ReversiblePair each sensor near the base station first, and then move it to its final place afterwards.
Reset a stuck sensor
ReversibleReset a stuck sensor with a factory reset, which makes it ready to be paired again.
Test every sensor
ReversibleTest every sensor by opening a door or window, and check that the app reports the event.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Sensors
- Each sensor has its own pairing steps.
- Replacement
- A new base station needs sensors reset.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If setup fails after a reset, contact Ring Support
- !If a sensor will not add, contact Ring
- !If replacing a base station, follow Ring's steps
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Setup issues.
Alarm Pro setup.
Alarm reset.
Base station and Z-Wave reconnect steps.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
How do I add a sensor?+
Open Alarm, then Connected Devices in the app, and follow the prompts to add a sensor.
Should I pair near the base station?+
Yes, pair near the base station, so that the connection is as strong as possible.
What is a factory reset of a sensor?+
A factory reset of a sensor returns it to the unpaired state, ready to be added again.
Can I replace the base station?+
Yes, you can replace the base station, by following the steps that Ring provides for it.
Router or extender?+
Choose router or extender during setup, according to how you want it to fit your network.