You might have caught our interview with Ring last year covering the company’s Access Controller Pro that allows users to add remote access capabilities to their electronic gates. Now, Ring has launched the next generation of this controller, called the Access Controller Pro 2.
Electronic gates are gates that surround a home or business’s property that can be remotely opened from somewhere within the home/building. Normally you have to be present to buzz someone in. However, if you have a Ring system/account, you can also do it from anywhere in the world thanks to this device. It taps into the control box (relay system) for your gate, kind of like a smart home controller would for a non-smart garage door opener. It ties inline allowing it to send the message to open the gate, just as if you hit the button from inside the home or building.
The Access Controller Pro 2 is able to operate off both Ethernet (hard-wired) as well as an onboard cellular network (via eSIM). The cellular feature does not cost extra, which is quite the bonus given the price of the unit itself (operates via LTE CAT-M1 with GPRS/2G fallback).
You don’t even need another Ring device, although it does help to visually see who is there. Although, you may already have another camera watching the area that you have remote access to. So you have a lot of flexibility in case you already have a camera security system in place.
Ring does recommend that you get it professionally installed. If you are savvy enough with electronics and working around electricity, you can likely accomplish it yourself. Especially, if the relay box is inside the home/building. However, if it is outside and dependent on the cellular connection, you have to consider the fact that it would require its own water-proof box to protect everything with since it likely wouldn’t be able to be jammed into the relay box (in regards to reception). A professional would be able to install something like this with ease, regardless of its location.
The unit is available now from limited retailers like Amazon with an MSRP of $299. It also supports Key by Amazon for deliveries.
| Availability Available Now | Average Price* $299.99 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Video – 2020 Interview surrounding previous-gen controller:
