Home Security Systems

[mitchjav]

I know this topic has been covered before, but systems change - so thought there might be some updated feedback. We're having a home built and through the builder they offer home security through a company called Guardian but also looking at other options like Simplisafe or RING. Some options that Guardian offers include:

Video Doorbell
Video Camera Monitoring
SmartLocks (Keyless Locks)
Glass Break Detection
Garage Door (Open/Close) Monitoring
Indoor Motion Detection

All we have in our current home is a RING video doorbell and a RING camera on the side of the house (which we like). We are security-minded and particularly since the new home will be single-level would like some increased security. Advantages/Disadvantages of going with Guardian, seem to be:

Advantages - Pre-installed during the build of the house; full suite of services to select from; hear good things about the quality of their product.

Disadvantages - Cost; High-monthly fee with a required long(er) term contract (3 or 5 years) for monitoring

If we choose to go with Simplisafe or Ring instead - we'd have to install ourselves once we move in; I've heard some negatives about the reliability of Simplisafe's system; and I don't think we'll have all the same options as Guardian provides. However, they'll be no long contract and a lower monthly fee. So, I'm a little bit torn - I like the idea of having everything we want pre-installed and ready to go but I chafe a bit at the contract commitment and higher monthly fee.... be interested in everyone's thoughts.

Also, if anyone wants to add any comment on what home security features are most important, I'd welcome that. Do I really need a bunch of motion detectors and glass break detection? Smartlocks seem cool to me, but do I really need it?

 

[Ian S]

We bought an existing home last year. It had what appears to be a built-in wired alarm system. It's not hooked up anymore and I doubt we can even get parts if we wanted/needed to. It also looks like it predates even the thought of a phone app for control LOL! At some point I will have to remove the various parts and repair the drywall holes left behind.

I think the future of home protection is not in hard wired systems. Wireless systems seem to me to be far more flexible. If they are offering a wired system, I'd forgo that. If they are offering a wireless system, I'd do a detailed comparison with other wireless systems before committing to anything.

 

[Jerry1]

I’d want as much as possible to be wired and not required to be on WiFi/internet. I hate the lag in being able to review activity on my Ring. I’m early in the game, but I’m looking at getting wired cameras for a 360 outside view of the house with an in-home control unit to capture video. I’d want to make sure I have the functionality I need even if the internet is down. As for a monitoring service, this is just my opinion, but my main concern is when I’m home. I don’t want any surprises. That’s why I want a good camera system. When I’m not home, as long as I can get notifications, I should be able to call for help if necessary.

Good luck and keep in mind, that just about anything is better than nothing. I’m sure there are a lot of stories about people purchasing a system AFTER their home is broken into.

 

[Koolau]

You forgot these:

Don't have anything worth stealing.
Know your neighbors and watch each others places.
Make your house a bit more difficult to break into than your neighbors.
Get a big honkin' dog.

Funniest thing I ever heard on in-home security was in the movie Larry Crowne. Larry's teacher enters her home and says (words to the effect) "I have 30 seconds to disarm the alarm or the police will arrive in 30 minutes." 'Nuff said about security systems IMHO. And, if you have a false alarm, many jurisdictions now charge you for the police call. So much for dealing with property crimes. Our jurisdiction has all but given up on them. The few solved are the occasional smash-and-grabs by tweakers that end up on 3 o 4 store monitors. Otherwise, you file a report with the police and your insurance co. End of story. YMMV

 

[OldShooter]

When we did a gut and remodel we put in a hard-wired system. My thought was that I didn't see much risk but with the walls wide open the install would be cheap. We did also buy a controller but in 25 years we have never felt the need to subscribe to a service.

We are looking at building a new lake home and if we pull the trigger on that one I will again install the hard-wired door switches, glass break detectors, etc. I will also pick a small number of spots to prep with Cat5 and power for possible cameras. I will not buy a panel.

Re Ring, I found out accidentally that they are a very serious security problem. I bought a single motion detector light and found that they had installed their own WiFi net, bridged it to our home WiFi and zippo! opened my house to whatever security problems their equipment may have. As part of the setup they also insisted on having my street address (for one motion light!) and subscribed me to some kind of neighborhood crime news text messaging network. This, obviously, is to increase paranoia to sell more Ring hardware and services. It is going to be a very big deal when their database is hacked and the security information and location of every customer is for sale on the dark net, together with software tools that remotely disable Ring systems. Their internet bridge box is unplugged and I will never buy another Ring product.

 

[Bamaman]

I inherited ADT on the home we bought 12 mos. ago, and it's just a skeleton example of an alarm--door sensors. They should be ashamed to put out such a basic system.

I previously had Simplisafe, and it was just fine. The $15 monitoring charge was also reasonable. What I like about it is that you can put motion sensors all over the place--in select locations where they trip.

My main alarm is a 135 pound Rottweiler. And in ER during a pandemic, someone's usually home all the time.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

Self installation is really easy these days, every piece comes with double sided tape that works real well. I'd suggest that you check company websites, there will probably be self installation videos. I did it originally with my Lowes Iris system which I absolutely loved until they went out of business. I then did the same with my current Samsung ADT system which is a component of SmartThings however considered obsolete since ADT is no longer affiliated with them. Both my systems have been self monitored and as long as they have a good phone app, you have no need to pay any monitoring fees. Not sure if it still applies but when I checked out Simplisafe, they actually charged an extra $5 for you to use the app which is ridiculous so i passed on them. My daughter has had them for close to ten years now and highly recommends them. Her husband self installed their system as well with no issues. When she was on vacation, i was feeding the dogs and forgot the code and she was out of cellphone reach. Within ten minutes a cop knocked on the door and I had a heck of a time convincing him that I was not a thief, I was almost carted off to jail and at the time I actually owned that home but she lived there. The alarm company did call her but could not reach so the police were dispatched immediately, I have to say I was really impressed with the response time.
The other night I set my alarm and went upstairs to bed however I had a senior moment and opened my balcony door without thinking before I went to bed. I remember vaguely hearing beeping from downstairs and couldn't quite figure out what it was and then the alarm started shrieking my phone blew up up with a call and texts coming in all warning me that their was an intruder alert. Scared the heck out of me and boy did I feel stupid, I'm sure my neighbors heard that alarm ten houses away. Mine is just a basic alarm with all doors protected. I keep meaning to buy window break sensors for downstairs, I just never have.

 

[Midpack]

We bought a SimpliSafe system over a year ago, and we’ve been pleased with it. DIY installation is easy, the base station literally walks you through every step for each element of the system with “spoken instructions” and the keypad (it’s wireless so you can walk from device to device with it). We installed a camera, smoke detector, 2 motion sensors and 6 entry sensors - without issue. Connecting to home WiFi was easy, and the base station has a cellular backup so it functions if you lose WiFi. The system monitors itself, tells you if any element is offline. It even monitors batteries and warns you when you need to replace any - they last years. One of our entry sensors showed a low battery after a few months - SimpliSafe sent us a replacement free of charge, even though it’s a battery you can buy anywhere - a CR-2032 lithium with a 10 year life.

Adding additional elements is easy too. Again you add the new device, and the base station literally instructs you how to add it using the keypad at the device. Couldn’t be easier.

The monitoring service costs 1/2 to 1/3 that of the old hard wired systems, with lots of features.

The smartphone app is excellent - we can operate the system from anywhere and view cameras live.

We’re very pleased so far, and I don’t see any reason to pay $ hundreds for installation and then 2X or 3X $ monitoring for one of the old school systems like CPI, ADT or QSI, especially the hard wired systems.

I did notice you get a huge discount with your initial purchase (we got 50% off and a free camera), but discounts after that are less frequent (but they come every so often). So it’s best to order everything you want initially as you may have to wait to add devices if you want a big discount.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

We bought a SimpliSafe system over a year ago, and we’ve been pleased with it. DIY installation is easy, the base station literally walks you through every step with each element of the system with “spoken instructions” and the keypad (it’s wireless so you can walk from device to device with it). We installed a camera, smoke detector, 2 motion sensors and 6 entry sensors - without issue. Connecting to home WiFi was easy, and the base station has a cellular backup so it functions if you lose WiFi. The system monitors itself, tells you if any element is offline. It even monitors batteries and warns you when you need to replace any - they last years. One of our entry sensors showed a low battery after a few months - SimpliSafe sent us a replacement free of charge, even though it’s a battery you can buy anywhere - a CR-2032 lithium with a 10 year life.

Adding additional elements is easy too. Again you add the device, and the base station literally instructs you how to add it using the keypad at the device. Couldn’t be easier.

The monitoring service costs 1/2 to 1/3 that of the old hard wired systems, with lots of features.

The smartphone app is excellent - we can operate the system from anywhere and view cameras live.

We’re very pleased so far, and I don’t see any reason to pay $ hundreds for installation and then 2X or 3X $ monitoring for one of the old school systems like CPI, ADT or QSI, especially the hard wired systems.

I did notice you get a huge discount with your initial purchase (we got 50% off and a free camera), but discounts after that are less frequent (but they come every so often). So it’s best to order everything you want initially as you may have to wait to add devices if you want a big discount.

What do you pay for the monitoring fee including the app?

 

[Midpack]

What do you pay for the monitoring fee including the app?

The plans are $14.99 or $24.99/month, no contracts. The app is free.

https://simplisafe.com/features-alarm-monitoring

 

[rk911]

before we left on our first snowbird trip 4-years ago i put in a Ring doorbell and then had a friend who works in security and moonlights put in a series of 10-cameras, 5 outside looking at points of entry and 5 inside. all are set to constantly record 24/7 as well as alert me on my devices when motion is detected on a schedule i control. before this i had talked with ADT but they wanted both arms and legs. i have one spot at a gate that i can't completely see so i'm thinking of adding another cam.

 

[Ready]

I think buying a hardwired system like the ones ADT sells is sort of like buying a VCR to record TV shows. There was a time and place where they were relevant but that time has passed.

There are a variety of wireless systems available today. Technology is changing fast so whatever you buy today will likely be obsolete in five years. So I would go with something simple that is easy to manage.

We use Arlo Pro cameras around the house because they work on rechargeable batteries and wifi. It's not convenient for us to locate our cameras near outlets. The batteries usually last about 6-8 weeks before they need to be charged up. We get motion alerts and cloud based recording of any activity. It's worked well for us.

 

[txtig]

before we left on our first snowbird trip 4-years ago i put in a Ring doorbell and then had a friend who works in security and moonlights put in a series of 10-cameras, 5 outside looking at points of entry and 5 inside. all are set to constantly record 24/7 as well as alert me on my devices when motion is detected on a schedule i control.

I didn’t think the Ring cams had the capability of 24/7 recording. I know they had said they would eventually roll it out, but I m not aware that they ever did. Am I missing something?

 

[Music Lover]

I know this topic has been covered before, but systems change - so thought there might be some updated feedback. We're having a home built and through the builder they offer home security through a company called Guardian but also looking at other options like Simplisafe or RING.

If my house was in the process of being built, I would build a safe into the structure for my valuables and not have the hassle of false alarms and a monthly fee. And I would beef up the door framing and get better locks.

An alarm helps if your house is easy to get into, but all it really does is remind the burglar that they need to be quick. If they can't get past the door they're very likely to move to an easier target.

 

[rk911]

I think buying a hardwired system like the ones ADT sells is sort of like buying a VCR to record TV shows. There was a time and place where they were relevant but that time has passed.

There are a variety of wireless systems available today. Technology is changing fast so whatever you buy today will likely be obsolete in five years. So I would go with something simple that is easy to manage.

We use Arlo Pro cameras around the house because they work on rechargeable batteries and wifi. It's not convenient for us to locate our cameras near outlets. The batteries usually last about 6-8 weeks before they need to be charged up. We get motion alerts and cloud based recording of any activity. It's worked well for us.

our hardwired cams get their power via the cable connected to the DVR. i have one wifi cam on our detached garage that is up about 12'ft so i had that connected to a 120vac power source in the garage.

 

[rk911]

I didn’t think the Ring cams had the capability of 24/7 recording. I know they had said they would eventually roll it out, but I m not aware that they ever did. Am I missing something?

apologies for imprecise sentence structure on my part. my security cams record 24/7 onto a DVR which uploads to the cloud. Ring cam activations are uploaded to their cloud ($30 p/y) and stored there for 69-days.

 

[Jerry1]

apologies for imprecise sentence structure on my part. my security cams record 24/7 onto a DVR which uploads to the cloud. Ring cam activations are uploaded to their cloud ($30 p/y) and stored there for 69-days.

$30 per year per camera. I think up to $100 per year. So anything over 3 cameras is capped out at $100 per year.

The biggest problem I have with my Ring is the lag. And, it’s critical enough that I can’t even call it a security camera. A surveillance camera, but not security.

When you get a notice (for me, a bell goes off when there’s motion), first, it takes a bit of time before you can see what the camera is seeing. Let’s say about 20 seconds. That’s probably typical but it assumes you have your phone in your hand and click on the notice immediately. The problem comes in if there’s nothing there, as in the subject has moved out of the frame, which is very easy to do in a few seconds between the notice and the ability to view the camera live.

No problem, because it was recorded and you’ll just look at the recording and figure out what just happened. This is where the big problem comes in. The Ring captures video for one minute. Then it takes a little bit of time to process the video. So, you can’t view the video for at least a minute. From a security prospective, too much can happen in one minute.

There may be work arounds for this issue, but I don’t know them and it makes the security part of the system sorely lacking.

 

[Sunset]

We have had simpliSafe for 4 yrs.
We are VERY happy with it.
You can have it without monitoring, then add monitoring for a month or more, then stop it, etc.. NO Commitment.
We know it works as one night we accidentally pushed the panic button, and I was so flustered, I couldn't answer my cell phone as it was in a different part of the house.
So 4 cops showed up in about 5 minutes...
I like that any year I can add more parts to it cheaply (cannot do that with a wired system).
They have all the sensors (glass breakage, motion, temp, flooding, fire, carbon monoxide, windows/doors, cameras, .. etc...) Just add what you want.
I can move it , when I move.
When I first got it, the cellular connection was poor, so I called SimpliSafe, and they sent out a different carrier cellular circuit board to exchange the one I had. (it was easy).

 

[tb001]

If you’re building now and can add a wired system without a contract, I would do that. Wired sensors will always be a better backbone for a home security system. If they’re in place, controllers are easier to swap out or modify if you want to modernize later. I would also second running hardwired cameras and a local dvr.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

A couple of points that I don't think have been mentioned.

Simplisafe and Ring are decent systems but are IoTs and are susceptible to hacking. Not saying this is common, but it can happen and the vulnerabilities to getting past Simplisafe is widely known in the security field (lots of YT videos out there telling you how to do it). Not saying that your average street level crack head is going to hack your system...but there is possibility

Second, while a lot of houses can/are hardwired, that doesn't mean the system has to stay as a legacy system. Our house was built in 2007 and has a hardwired system. We upgraded the control box for not too much $$ and have digitized the system to include cellular back up and remote monitoring on our phone. Lots of information out there on updating a legacy system and for the most part...it's not expensive and fairly easy to do.

We are NOT using police dispatch because I don't want them rolling up and shooting my dog when if we have an alarm. I simply want the alarm as a situational awareness tool...I have ZERO desire to come home to a burglary in progress. If stuff gets stolen, that is what insurance is for.

Last point: cameras. Our last house had hardwired cameras that went to a dedicated DVR as well could see via internet. That system was complex and a pain to deal with. Today, we have 5 Yi cameras that cost about $20 a piece. They are WiFi capable, there is a cloud recording option for $99 a year and also can record on a SD card. They work perfectly but knowing that they are also IoTs, I have them connected via a dedicated WiFi network that is firewalled from our primary WiFi. For external cameras, I have a couple of hidden game cameras that would be helpful in identifying any riff raff that comes around looking for trouble.

 

[Midpack]

If my house was in the process of being built, I would build a safe into the structure for my valuables and not have the hassle of false alarms and a monthly fee. And I would beef up the door framing and get better locks.

An alarm helps if your house is easy to get into, but all it really does is remind the burglar that they need to be quick. If they can't get past the door they're very likely to move to an easier target.

Or do them all like we did, security system, fireproof safe, hardened hinges on all exterior doors, etc.

 

[rk911]

$30 per year per camera. I think up to $100 per year. So anything over 3 cameras is capped out at $100 per year.

we just have one Ring cam but you're correct.

The biggest problem I have with my Ring is the lag. And, it’s critical enough that I can’t even call it a security camera. A surveillance camera, but not security. When you get a notice (for me, a bell goes off when there’s motion), first, it takes a bit of time before you can see what the camera is seeing. Let’s say about 20 seconds. That’s probably typical but it assumes you have your phone in your hand and click on the notice immediately. The problem comes in if there’s nothing there, as in the subject has moved out of the frame, which is very easy to do in a few seconds between the notice and the ability to view the camera live.

had the same issue and did a bit of digging. i found a second app called "Rapid Ring". you configure it to open on alerts and use the original app for everything else. this cut the lag time for us to virtually nothing.

 

[Jerry1]

had the same issue and did a bit of digging. i found a second app called "Rapid Ring". you configure it to open on alerts and use the original app for everything else. this cut the lag time for us to virtually nothing.

I’ll look into that. Thanks. Still doesn’t address the lag in viewing the recording, but it will help.

 

[rk911]

I’ll look into that. Thanks. Still doesn’t address the lag in viewing the recording, but it will help.

no, it won't but the live video will be available a lot sooner.

 

[Cobra9777]

We have an old legacy DSC system with a houseful of hardwired sensors and detectors. We use a regional monitoring service that's $16/mo with no contract.

However, they also offer an upgrade to a Qolsys IQ2 system with touchscreen panel and smartphone control using the alarm.com app. This can utilize all of our existing hardwired sensors, which greatly reduces the upfront cost. But it also opens up the system for integration with any Z-Wave home automation and security devices.

To convert the system, they charge a one-time fee of $399 plus $29/mo monitoring. Still no contract. On the downside, they require that any additional devices on the system be purchased from and installed by them. Their prices are "OK" but the selection is somewhat limited. So I've also thought about a DIY solution using a Qolsys panel. But every time I start researching this, it makes my head hurt. Plus, DW really likes the professional monitoring.

So I may pull the trigger on this upgrade soon. I like the idea of a central touchscreen panel plus smartphone app to control both the security system and all of our IoT home automation devices. I can always drop the monitoring at any time and start adding my own devices, as long as I can convince DW that self-monitoring is a... "thing."