(5 Fixes) ADT Doorbell Camera Blinking Red [Updated 2023]

You’re tired of kids pushing your doorbell and running away.

So you bought an ADT Doorbell hoping to catch those pesky teenagers.

But, looking through its camera using your phone…

All you see are bright red blinking lights covering its field of vision.

Don’t fret.

I have the solution that you seek.

Keep reading to discover:

5 reliable ways to get rid of the red blinking lights on an ADT Doorbell.
5 surefire solutions to improve your internet connection and remove the red lights.
3 fantastic surge protectors that can remove the red blinking lights on your ADT device.
And so much more…

Why is my ADT doorbell camera blinking red?

Your ADT Doorbell Camera is blinking red because of a bad network connection. Another common cause is power issues. If you just bought your ADT Doorbell, you’ll need to finish the setup to get rid of the red lights. Otherwise, it’s because of a glitch that you can remove with a factory reset.

ADT doorbell camera blinking red: 5 fixes

#1: Finish your doorbell setup

Is your ADT Doorbell new? New, as in “I’ve just finished installing it on my doorstep” kind of new?

If so, you might’ve encountered the red lights as soon as you plugged the doorbell into a power source.

In this case, don’t worry. This is completely normal behavior.

The red blinking lights simply mean that your ADT Doorbell is ready for the next step:

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

To get rid of the red blinking lights, all you need is a laptop and these directions:

Step 1: Prepare the ADT Doorbell

Ensure that your ADT Doorbell is on.
Remove the ADT Doorbell from its mount.
Boot up any laptop (or any PC with Wi-Fi).
Place the ADT Doorbell next to the PC.

Step 2: Open the Pulse Portal

On your laptop, open any web browser.
Go to the Pulse Portal website.
Sign in using your account credentials.

Note: If you forgot your login credentials, contact ADT.

Step 3: Add your device to the Pulse System

Go to the System tab.
Select the Manage Devices button.
Once it’s finished loading, click the Cameras card.
Tap Add Using WPS.
Get the PIN code at the back of your ADT Doorbell.
Type and enter the PIN Code in the prompt on your PC screen.
Wait for your ADT Doorbell to finish upgrading its firmware.

And you should be good to go.

But if you’re having trouble following these written instructions…

You can always watch this video demonstration:

#2: Address network issues

When your ADT Doorbell is blinking red, it usually means one thing:

You have a failed network connection.

This either means that:

The ADT Doorbell can’t connect to your Wi-Fi.
Your Wi-Fi speed is too slow for your ADT Doorbell to transmit videos properly.

But don’t worry. I’ve got 5 reliable fixes for both.

To fix your network issues on the ADT Doorbell, here’s what you need to do:

Remove physical obstructions

The first thing you should do is look around the area between the router and your doorbell.

Do you see any of the following:

Steel.
Plaster.
Concrete.
Synthetics.
Brick and marble.
Containers filled with water.

If the answer is yes, remove what you can. These objects are known to block Wi-Fi signals.

Furthermore, other signal-emitting objects can also scramble Wi-Fi waves. Some examples of these are:

Radios.
Microwaves.
Baby monitors.
Fluorescent lights.
Bluetooth devices.
Other Wi-Fi networks.

Place your router strategically

Another thing you can try is placing your router closer to the ADT Doorbell.

This way, you can limit Wi-Fi interference while ensuring a solid connection.

Now, how close should they be?

According to Beambox, here are the Wi-Fi figures that you should follow:

For 2.4 GHz: 150 feet or 45.72 meters indoors & 300 feet or 91 meters outdoors.
For 5.0 GHz: 50 feet or 15.24 meters indoors & 100 feet or 30.48 meters outdoors.

However, that doesn’t mean you should maximize these figures.

Instead, ensure that your router is as close as possible to the doorbell. The sweet spot should be around 15 feet or about 5 meters.

Get Wi-Fi Range Extenders

Otherwise, you can also throw a little money at the problem.

What do I mean by that?

Buy a Wi-Fi Range Extender.

This way, all devices in your home can get the most out of your Wi-Fi.

Now, here are my recommendations for the best Wi-Fi Extenders in the market today:

Asus RP-AC51 Dual-band.
TP-Link AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender.
Amped Wireless AC1750 Wi-Fi Range Extender.
Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 Wi-Fi Range Extender.
Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900+ Wi-Fi Range Extender.

Switch from 5.0 GHz to 2.4 GHz

Now, let’s tackle router settings.

There are 2 in particular that I have in mind. These are:

The frequency bands.
And the connection limit.

Let’s start with the former first.

There are 3 frequency bands available for Wi-Fi today:

2.4 GHz.
5.0 GHz.
6.0 GHz.

But don’t mind 6.0 GHz, as it’s not widely used for smart appliances yet.

Instead, let’s talk about 2.4 GHz vs. 5.0 GHz.

You see, 5.0 GHz is the faster option of the 2. However, the 5.0 GHz technology is so new that some devices can’t use it yet.

Case in point: ADT Doorbells can’t connect to 5.0 GHz networks.

That’s why you need to switch from 5.0 GHz to 2.4 GHz. And that’s possible with these 3 steps:

Step 1: Access the router interface

To change your Wi-Fi settings, you must first access its router interface.

And to access your interface, you need your IP address. Commonly, these should be:

192.168.0.1.
192.168.1.1.

However, this isn’t always the case.

So, to know your IP address, you need to grab your laptop and follow these instructions:

Open the Command Prompt app.
Type and enter “ipconfig/all.”
Look for the Default Gateway.
Copy the numbers next to the Default Gateway. This is your IP address.
Next, open any web browser.
Paste the IP address into the address bar and hit enter.

Step 2: Sign in to your account

Following the directions above, you should now be on a page asking for your login credentials.

By default, this should be:

“admin” for the username.
“password” for the password.

However, if you changed yours and forgot about it…

Contact your ISP immediately.

Step 3: Switch from 5.0 GHz to 2.4 GHz

Go to the Advanced Settings tab.
Select Wireless.
Click the Wireless Signal option.
Switch Channel Optimization to Off.
Toggle on 2.4 GHz.
Toggle off 5.0 GHz.

Note: The steps above are for Netgear routers. The steps should be different if you don’t have the same router manufacturer. However, the steps should remain similar.

Remove connection limit

Lastly, count the number of devices connected to your Wi-Fi.

Chances are, you’ve already exceeded the connection limit on your router.

But don’t fret…

You can easily disable the limit by going back to your interface and following these steps:

Head to the Wi-Fi tab on the left side of your screen.
Go to the Wi-Fi Options submenu.
Select Max Wi-Fi.
Choose the maximum amount of devices that can connect to your network.

#3: Splice your power cord

Did you request your ADT Doorbell to be hardwired?

If so, red blinking lights can also signify a faulty power connection.

And this is usually a product of an exposed wire.

Now, it might be tempting to contact a technician and have your cord replaced…

But what if you want to save a couple of bucks?

You just need to splice your power cord. This is the process of removing the exposed part of any cord by connecting two other parts.

To splice your power cord, here’s what you need to do:

Locate the exposed part of the cable and measure 1-inch from both sides.
Split the cable into 2.
Unsheath the cable using the measurements from the first step.
Do steps #1 to #3 for the smaller wires inside.
Partner the wires and put a heat shrink tubing over them.
Bind the tubing using a heat gun.
Repeat for the main cable.

You may also be interested in: Ring Doorbell Keeps Ringing

#4: Replace your surge protector

Now that we’re still on the topic of faulty power connections:

Do you use a surge protector with your ADT Doorbell? Because a faulty one could be the cause of your power issues.

You might be wondering:

“How can a surge protector become faulty?”

Protectors work by redirecting excess energy from an outlet into a grounding wire. This is a wire that doesn’t do anything except weaken electricity.

The thing is, age can break surge protectors. And once they’re broken, they can do the opposite and direct more energy to your device.

But you shouldn’t think twice about buying a surge protector.

In fact, I highly recommend buying one. Just ensure that it’s a good surge protector. Here are my recommendations:

Anker PowerPort Strip 12.
Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector.
APC Performance SurgeArrest 12.

#5: Factory reset ADT Doorbell

Lastly, there’s also a chance that the red blinking lights are just a software glitch.

In that case, the best thing you can do for your ADT Doorbell is to factory reset it.

Don’t worry. You won’t lose anything of importance except your saved settings.

Now, here’s how you can reset an ADT Doorbell:

Ensure that your ADT Doorbell is on.
Remove the ADT Doorbell from its mount.
Flip over your ADT Doorbell.
Locate the Reset button.
Press it for 10 seconds.

Note: Once you finish resetting, you’ll need to set up your device again. For that, simply follow the instructions under “#1: Finish your doorbell setup.”

BONUS: Get in touch with ADT

Sometimes, you just can’t fix a problem on your own.

And, in the case of your ADT Doorbell…

The best person you can phone is your local ADT representative.

You can get in touch with ADT using the chat button on this website. Or by calling (800) 716-3640 if you’re in the USA.