I installed Robin Pro Line Smart Doorbell last week and I thought I would share some of my thoughts on this device.

The reason for this project was to replace a Control 4 doorbell that was embedded on a brick exterior, so I also rinsed RPL. Lucky for me, RPL is almost as big as Control 4 and required only minimal filling around the flush mount box with Quikcrete mortar repair. The flush mount box for RPL is metal and very robust.

Be warned about a few things. The only way to drive this device is via POE (Power over Ethernet) so you need an ethernet connection at your door. At the back of the ethernet cable in my cabinet, I could add the POE injector to run the RPL.
RPL does not have a standard RJ45 ethernet connection, but instead RPL requires you to remove the external insulation from the ethernet cable and separate all the paired wires so that they can be inserted individually into the RPL (sorta as you often find on a stereo system for speaker wires called pin connector). I had to use a small screwdriver to press the spring-loaded arm that reveals the hole for all 8 wires because it is very small. This can be difficult if you do not have much slack on your ethernet cable. Imagine holding the unit steady, pushing the pin hole up with a screwdriver and guiding the wire into the hole at the same time. I removed about 4 inches of the external insulation of the ethernet cable so I had plenty to work with. You only need to remove a very small insulation from each wire. The instruction book is very clear in the order in which the wires must be inserted via the color code on the cable. The wire order is also printed on the RPL.

Once I installed it and connected the POE injector, the device was run without a problem. The homekit code and the QR code are found in the instruction book and on one of the ziplock bags the components come in.

Adding to Homekit was the same standard procedure for all HomeKit devices and was not a problem. When the doorbell is ringing, I get an instant message on my phone and can see the camera and use the microphone to talk to the doorman.

How it works.

This is just a camera and doorbell. No motion sensor and I don't think you can add pushing the doorbell button to any automation (let me know if I'm wrong). I would love some of my lights to come on when the doorbell rings, but I haven't found a way to do it yet.

The camera is only 720p and cannot be moved to change the view. There are no video adjustments that can be made via the Homekit or Robin Pro Line app. My entry is facing north and is quite dark, so during the day everything beyond my entry is typically blown out, and there is very little detail in the picture beyond 8 to 10 meters from the door. RPL also has no night vision (which for the price must be standard).

I love how the finished unit looks. I was able to take the nameplate to a local trophy store and had it engraved with our $ 12 name, which I think is a good touch.

The downside is the lack of functionality and connectivity to Homekit, which is standard on so many other cameras. Also the lack of night vision is a bummer.

Overall, this device feels like something intended for commercial use considering the lack of RJ45 connectors and some of the features that a homeowner wants.

I found this device on Amazon, which was offered by Robin Telecom, which was much easier than ordering through their website, which is priced in euros and for some reason would not accept my US credit card. They accept Paypal.

Bottom line, this device is too expensive for the functionality and video quality. Honestly, I bought it for aesthetic reasons. The look of the device is really clean and modern and fits my home, so I was willing to forgive the lack of functionality (I hope some problems like video control and the ability to add to automation can be remedied by firmware updates). Robin Telecom has announced that it will have an update that will allow you to record video after IOS 13 has been released.

Let me know if you have any questions.