LOREX Smart Doorbell Installation, Test & Review | FOUND A MAJOR SECURITY FLAW!!!

Рет қаралды 11,258

Күн бұрын

Hey KZfaq, just wanted to share a video with you where I've installed and tested the new LOREX Smart Doorbell. This is an alternative to other doorbells such as Ring, Blink and Eufy.
Whilst the camera itself wasn't bad, the app was woeful and more worryingly there is a major security flaw whereby someone can easily steal the doorbell and access your images via the SD card as this isn't encrypted or password protected.
0:00 - Intro
0:32 - Existing Bell
1:11 - Whats in the box
2:09 - Removing the Bell
3:08 - Replacing the Transformer
5:47 - Disconnecting the Bell/Chime
6:22 - Installing the Lorex Doorbell
7:16 - Setting Up the Lorex Doorbell
7:38 - Positive Feedback
8:09 - Negative Feedback
10:11 - Security Risk
12:08 - Summary & Outro
Hope you find this video useful and check out some of the other hints, tips and reviews on my channel.
Please don't forget to like, leave a comment and subscribe

Пікірлер: 50

@tool360kl Жыл бұрын

if you have a fusion set up you can have the recordings in the nvr like I do and I have my house doorbell with the chime set up it came with and it works great

@sanjdesigns Жыл бұрын

Thanks for getting in touch. This was an 'out of the box' review based on what you get and assuming you don't have access to the Lorex CCTV (as most people don't) and don't want to purchase extra bits of kit such as fusion. Felt the doorbell was too unreliable and lacked basic security hence the reason for the 1 star review and returning back to Lorex for a refund. A couple of people have confirmed the same problems as me - see posts above.

@dmana3172 Жыл бұрын

I have lorex 2k doorbell and I hope to receive an upgrade firmware and software too. Ring is good, but it cost monthly subscription and is a waste of money. If Ring was free like Lorex, I would had gone with it.

@sanjdesigns Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the update. I hope the firmware sorts out the security and notifications issue. Mine has been returned

@000219 5 ай бұрын

General tip: Dont forget by Android to give the app full permission and turn of battery optimalistion and enable background use of network. I have Android 14 and have a lot of restrictions

@ThawtSanctuary 8 ай бұрын

B241AJC model works with your existing chime. As for the lags, this is typically a routing issue with the ISP.

@sanjdesigns 8 ай бұрын

I believe the bell was the problem as the wifi router was close to the door bell and since I’ve had the Ring never had a problem with lag

@theoriginallacey 8 ай бұрын

@@sanjdesignsI have the same lag and notification problems with the Ring, and I pay for it yearly…

@sanjdesigns 8 ай бұрын

Never had a problem with lag with the Ring at my house. Like others don’t like paying a Ring subscription but security is more important.

@theoriginallacey 8 ай бұрын

@@sanjdesigns Well, you’re lucky. By the time I can pull up the live view of the front door, the person is gone already.

@princedesi29 Жыл бұрын

So this video is slightly incorrect. Out of the box it's programmed the 2k door camera is programmed to record to micro SD card. If you have an NVR you can go into admin settings is to have recording sent to your unit. I had this issue as well but after some research found out it was possible to record on ur unit inside your house. And I actually changed it earlier today. Only strange thing is when connecting it that way some features are not available if u directly watch it in NVR but in app u still have standalone so it's all good. The problem with this camera I what he's saying is basically if u don't have an NVR unit. And this camera doesn't support cloud. But purpose of this Lorex was never to pay subscription Anyways video to setup to NVR is on KZfaq and hope this help the partial false info.

@sanjdesigns Жыл бұрын

Hi and thank you for your comment. I think you have misunderstood the principle of 'out of the box' this means I have provided an honest review of exactly what you get in the box and doesn't mean you have to spend $00s to purchase an NVR which lets face it most people don't want to. The system should work without the need for an NVR to work properly and if you're going to spend extra on peripherals such as an NVR why not pay for a subscription for say a Ring which by the way would work our cheaper than purchasing a Lorex NVR. I know a lot of the criticism for my review has come from Lorex employees and sorry if i have offended you, but some of the honest feedback below has come from others who have shared the same problems. It shouldn't take me to identify these flaws as Lorex have very bright engineers who should have assessed these risks/bugs and prevented them. So don't agree with the "partial false info" comment

@princedesi29 Жыл бұрын

@@sanjdesigns I definitely don't work for Lorex. And I was just correcting how you are relaying the info. Remember the Lorex system is for people that don't want a subscription. So to compare it to ring which is a subscription based service and then knocking by saying how it records wasn't completely correct. I was just helping you and people with an updated info since I do have the NVR and doorbell. Funny part is I stumbled on this video to find the answer of how to get unit to record on NVR instead of micro SD and the people in chat room that said it could be done had me find the answer in a forum which I later found the Lorex video to. Also Ring isn't cheaper if your buying unit and paying endlessly, but I do know what your trying to say. And you are correct about the flaw in recording being directly on micro SD if doorbell was stolen. This is why a few mentioned the alternative.

@felipereynoso2964 Жыл бұрын

If you already have Lorex why wouldn't you add it to your NVR and remove the SD card like I did no storage on the device just on your recorder inside and all door bells are removed just about the same. Also they do have a chime box for it just so you know. Hope this helps I install just about every type door bell they all have ups and downs.

@sanjdesigns Жыл бұрын

Thank you and agreed Felipe all door bells have ups and downs, but I felt this one had more downsides than upsides. Not everyone has a Lorex CCTV system so wouldn't be able to link to an NVR which means you are left with a device that can be easily stolen and the content looked at without any encryption or security. The other flaws like the lack of notifications are also annoying. There maybe a Lorex chime but this is not available in the UK. I swapped the Lorex for a Ring and a lot happier because in my view its more reliable and secure. Thanks

@tman111195 Жыл бұрын

@@sanjdesigns not sure I understand the “no notifications “ I get a notification within a couple seconds every time the doorbell is rung, with motion, or a person is detected. Also our Lorex came with a ‘chime kit’ that takes literally 2 minutes to install and allows ur current doorbell to work with the Lorex doorbell. How old is ur home? We built our home in 2006 n I did NOT have to install an upgraded transformer, maybe UK building code is different than in US not sure but for whatever reason we have the proper transformer voltage. Aside from ur Alexa con which we’ve never tested, (Not a deal breaker for us as we don’t use Alexa) we’ve not had any of the issues u mentioned. We couldn’t be happier with our Lorex doorbell camera.

@sanjdesigns Жыл бұрын

Hi and thanks for your comments. As mentioned in the video, cannot buy a chime kit in the UK so you are reliant solely on your phone. Yes our house is old (1850s), but the transformer needed to be upgraded as it was 8v rather than 16-24v as recommended by Lorex. Not an issue as it was relatively quick and inexpensive and I'm using on the Ring. The notifications you can see in the video 09:05 onwards constantly dropped (despite the wifi router being 3 meters away). These are all incidental as the biggest risk to me (and I'm sure others) is how easily the doorbell can be removed and the SD card viewed without any encryption. If you're comfortable with that then great. I was just being honest and objective.

@tman111195 Жыл бұрын

@@sanjdesigns While honesty is appreciated surely you’ve realized ur opinions don’t apply to everyone. As an engineer by trade, this product was beyond easy to install n meets all our care n concerns for a doorbell camera. Most folks in the US are literally tired of being inundated with monthly fees/costs with a lot purchases hence the fiery popularity here with items that don’t have, such as this. Not sure what to tell u other than after 2 1/2 years of using we’ve not encountered ANY of the issues u claim. Also Lorex were the founders of 4k security n have been in business since 1991 n is an extremely reputable Canadian company. Having said this glad u found peace with ‘Ring’ n do appreciate ur honesty/transparency on ur experience with Lorex. God Bless !!

@robertdsaba 6 ай бұрын

I have the Lorex 4K wired only system with NVR (not the wired/wireless hybrid) with the bullet cameras. I got the Lorex 4K wired doorbell. Is there a way to modify it for the wired-only NVR?

@rommeldizon1868 7 ай бұрын

I have the lorex doorbell and I do not have all cons you mentioned in the video.

@sanjdesigns 7 ай бұрын

Sorry to hear that. I’m glad I ditched the Lorex for the Ring. It’s not great having to pay a subscription but it works which is the most important thing

@KevMc64Ware 13 сағат бұрын

I bought a lorex 2k wired and whilst testing it I noticed that it got very very warm. I measured the temperature and it peaked at 48.5° centigrade. Wow. Sent it back. Anyone else noticed that?

@sanjdesigns 7 сағат бұрын

To be honest I didn’t as I only kept it for a couple of days before returning. Doesn’t sound very safe at all!

@mskiara18 Жыл бұрын

After having Lorex since 2021, I definitely have the same problems as you have including with the doorbell chime being too low and the sorry try again later message. I believe I began experiencing malfunctions with my model since I rarely see notifications now, have had trouble accessing my old recordings by seeing a No recordings message and the doorbell has went offline more than once despite the wires are connected. I would not recommend this doorbell. I can't afford Ring's subscription, so I would search other brands to replace my Lorex.

@sanjdesigns Жыл бұрын

Thanks for getting in touch. I would contact Lorex and ask for a refund if it’s clearly not ‘fit for purpose’ and don’t let them fob you off about it’s out of warranty period. Understand your comments about Ring subscription which was why I also chose Lorex. But picked up a good Ring deal on Black Friday with an Amazon Echo for less than the cost of the Lorex and the sub is around £30 per year. Not ideal but working fine and have to say I’m happy with it. Security is about piece of mind so sometimes it’s worth paying a little bit more.

@mskiara18 Жыл бұрын

@@sanjdesigns Thank you, I am trying to contact Lorex despite having a bad experience a few days ago with customer support. I regret buying the doorbell camera since I was hoping this brand would be an affordable option for now. I hope your video warns others about this model

@theoriginallacey 2 ай бұрын

Someone gave us a Lorex camera before we installed the doorbell. I’m already wondering if I want to bother because the camera is so lame.

@sanjdesigns 2 ай бұрын

I have the Lorex CCTV Cameras and they're pretty good and reliable so no problem recommending those. The doorbell is however, as you said, lame. It all depends on how much work you need to do to install it. If it's just connecting to existing wires then go for it. If you need to install new wiring and transformer then I wouldn't bother. Concept of the Lorex doorbell is good, but the execution and reliability is really poor. I know Ring has increased its prices which is disgraceful, but it's still better in my honest opinion. Hope that helps mate

@theoriginallacey 2 ай бұрын

@@sanjdesigns we have the pan and tilt camera and no mater how I set it I get notifications every time a car drives by. I turned off the notifications because it was so annoying.

@sanjdesigns 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, know exactly what you mean. No matter how and where you set the 'zone' it goes off too frequently so it makes sense to turn notifications off - especially where there is a lot of traffic. That aside, the cameras work well and the resolution is better than some of the competitors. Just my thoughts

@ThawtSanctuary 8 ай бұрын

The lack of encryption at rest is a serious flaw

@sanjdesigns 8 ай бұрын

Agree, and the main reason for returning back to Lorex…would have expected the engineers to have considered this as part of the design

@rob1261a Ай бұрын

There are too many good options to Ring without subscription. Ring just raised it to $5/month, $50 annual. I installed the Lorex 2K Battery for my niece and they love it. Many great features. And works flawlessly with Alexa. And no fees, like Ring. Eufy also makes many capable video doorbells with no subscriptions and free chimes / base stations. I have the Eufy Battery 2E (2K HD) with base station (chime, 16GB, WiFi extender). It’s only $75 on Amazon (regular price $150). If you want a more advanced model, the Eufy E340 / S330 offers build in video storage (with or without a base station) and dual cameras with package detection / protection. If you must have a name brand, the Google Nest doorbell is also very good. It includes 3 hours of free video. Plus subscriptions if needed. Like many I started with Ring. But will probably never go back. Note: Currently Eufy only works with 2.4 GHz WiFi. If you only have 5 GHz to work with go with Lorex or Nest.

@sanjdesigns Ай бұрын

Thank you and agree that the Ring hike in their subscription is disgraceful. Am aware of Eufy but never installed so cannot comment. If they use an unencrypted SD card similar to the Lorex then I wouldn’t want to take the risk for the sake of $50 a year. This was an honest review and given the choice between Ring and Lorex would still choose Ring - despite the extra subscription cost. Hope that helps.

@rob1261a Ай бұрын

@@sanjdesigns Hi, I’m still confused. How are they going to steal data from your SD card? What are they doing with it? And who cares? Just curious.

@sanjdesigns Ай бұрын

So as you could see in my video, it’s really easy to remove/steal the device and remove the SD Card. The SD card can then be placed into any laptop/PC without a password and all the images, videos and timelines can viewed. This to me is a massive flaw and I wouldn’t be comfortable with that. Whilst the Ring is expensive, it’s cloud based so if your bell gets stolen or removed no one can see the images. Just my thoughts.

@sanjdesigns Ай бұрын

Some people face stalking and domestic abuse so these are the people that are most at risk.

@rob1261a Ай бұрын

@@sanjdesigns Hi, I have since upgraded to the Eufy E340 dual camera doorbell, one camera for people and one for packages and it works really well. Definitely the best video coverage I have seen yet in a doorbell. I’ve previously used Ring, Nest, Lorex and Eufy. The Eufy does have a build in SD card but has the options for an in house base station or online storage. Personally I’m just not concerned about someone getting my doorbell videos. I think the best deal in video doorbells is the Eufy Battery 2E (2K HD), It’s $75 from Amazon (cheaper on eBay) and includes a base station (chime and 16 GB of video storage). No built in SD. I’ve used and it works well.

@planethedgehog2427 3 ай бұрын

10:50 Encrypted.

@RM-wt9hi 10 күн бұрын

These doorbells are garbage. They often fail in 16 months or so. The delay for notifications is terrible. Often the weird"Oops" message that you showed. You can take the chip out and just have it connect to your NVR where the video will be saved. That said, I would stay away for these Lorex cameras. Support is awful. Search KZfaq universe and you see guys posting about failed AC power supplies. One guy said there is a battery inside that swells causing all kinds of power problems.

@sanjdesigns 9 күн бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. Returned mine soon after the published the video and glad I did. Didn’t want to link it to the NVR as wanted to show what it was like to live with without an NVR and the results are there for all to see