Home security (and integration) systems in 2022?

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

We are having all the old wood windows replaced in our house, so I’ll have to replace the burglar alarm sensors in those. The house was redone in 1990 and we right now have the legacy wired and some wireless modules that we have monitored by some company, they used to be a big name. We have three key pads.

We have to keep the security system for insurance- and local crime is going up, luckily not in our exact location as much- so I need security system.

We are LIT up, more than anyone else around. Lady before us got broken into twice in the 90s and lit the house perimeter like the Berlin Wall. I have a Ring door bell (3 years) and Arlo (7years old?).

What I’m looking for is what is the best gear and service out there? It has to be easy to use for my MIL that comes over a lot. I’m not really looking for home automation- but mainly want to leave that option for moving forward selling. But I know that anything electronic is outdated the moment you put it in.

I’d like to integrate the alarm, lights, and cameras- with the main features being robustness and easy of use (as in I don’t want to wait for the fricking Amazon server in Ireland to stream back to me what is happening on my front porch. Also, be able to signal to would be intruders that this is not the house to F with.

I normally say that I want the ‘BCM grade’, but for this, I’m willing to go “Knights grade’. Not against getting a pro to install and set it up so that when things don’t work, I just tell my wife to call someone. I’m getting too old, and I have to many other toys to learn to screw around with home security systems.

What is the right way to do a urban-city house security in 2022?

[Adrenaline_6]

We are having all the old wood windows replaced in our house, so I’ll have to replace the burglar alarm sensors in those. The house was redone in 1990 and we right now have the legacy wired and some wireless modules that we have monitored by some company, they used to be a big name. We have three key pads.

We have to keep the security system for insurance- and local crime is going up, luckily not in our exact location as much- so I need security system.

We are LIT up, more than anyone else around. Lady before us got broken into twice in the 90s and lit the house perimeter like the Berlin Wall. I have a Ring door bell (3 years) and Arlo (7years old?).

What I’m looking for is what is the best gear and service out there? It has to be easy to use for my MIL that comes over a lot. I’m not really looking for home automation- but mainly want to leave that option for moving forward selling. But I know that anything electronic is outdated the moment you put it in.

I’d like to integrate the alarm, lights, and cameras- with the main features being robustness and easy of use (as in I don’t want to wait for the fricking Amazon server in Ireland to stream back to me what is happening on my front porch. Also, be able to signal to would be intruders that this is not the house to F with.

I normally say that I want the ‘BCM grade’, but for this, I’m willing to go “Knights grade’. Not against getting a pro to install and set it up so that when things don’t work, I just tell my wife to call someone. I’m getting too old, and I have to many other toys to learn to screw around with home security systems.

What is the right way to do a urban-city house security in 2022?

What alarm panel do you have in there now? If it works fine, all you might have to do is upgrade the communicator. It can be dual path (internet and cell) or just cell if you can't get a network cable to it. Alarm.com make communicators that talk on the comm busses of a bunch of older panels. They have a mobile app with a bunch of features. They have available integrated cameras and video doorbells. You can integrate many 3rd party devices like locks, garage door openers, etc. into it and also has it's own Zwave device built into it to add devices into.

You just need to find an alarm company that deals with Alarm.com products.

If the panel doesn't integrate then you will have to change the alarm panel with something like DSC (a brand of alarm products), 3 of it's keypads, it's wireless receiver and wireless transmitters, and can reuse the existing wiring for all else.

[czgunner]

No break ins, but we have a simplisafe system that been good for the last 3 years. Makes my wife feel better if I'm out of town. Had a few false alarms and they are super quick to call and check if you are OK.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Our current security company uses the Alarm.com euipement.

Of course, my wife gets on the website and sees all the bad reviews- and I almost just hand her the project.

It sounds like all the residential systems are cloud based…. I think as much of our issue is with our internet- old house, old neighborhood with above ground cabling. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind going with a small business system if it ends be locally/on-site resourced.

[camoman]

I have 3 Eufy cams around my house. One is solar, two are hardwired. The alerts are instant if you have good Wi-Fi. The service is completely free, Onboard storage, Adjustable floodlights, piercing alarms…etc. my main one is a bubble cam that tracks targets.
I’m pretty happy with them.

[Adrenaline_6]

All alarm systems pretty much operate the same way. Door/window contacts have a sealed reed switch that close the circuit with a magnet. Motion detectors use IR, and if ising dual tech ir along with microwave which opens the circuit on detection.

If you are getting false alarms, it isn't the alarm systems fault, it is doing what it supposed to do. Notify the end user/ monitoring station of an alarm.

The wiring and sensors are the devices that are responsible for tripping the alarm. It could be a crappy install, low quality motion sensors that trip too easily or installed in the wrong place to begin with.

Not sure what you are having a problem with but commercial grade alarm panels won't really help you. They just have the ability to hold more user codes and options that you won't use to begin with. Other than that, the panel is pretty much the same. The communicator most times is exactly the same.

You could have 2 exact alarm systems, but the install itself can make all the difference between a good experience and a bad one

[newyork]

Alarm.com works well. If your system is an older DSC Power Series or Ademco , Alarm.com offers their SEM module. They’re on the 2.0 version now.

You can download an app to your phone once your alarm company sets it up and you can add all kinds of things like door locks, cameras, lighting, thermostats and doorbell cameras and monitor and control them from the app.

Alarm.coms flagship cell works with the newer DSC Neo panel but the SEM is for the older panels.

Find out what exact panel you have. Should be written inside the alarm box in your basement or wherever it is. Then make sure it’s compatible with the SEM.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

I don’t so much have a problem with the equipment, it’s the cloud-based, non-local stuff. i’d rather see something direct live from a camera, then be streaming something from an Amazon server in Ireland.
I like the cloud base stuff for when I’m not at home, but I’m am at home it is such a lag and only seems to connect right 50% of the time. Like I said, I think it’s something to do with my Internet because other people have said that they have not had such laggy stuff.

also been some reports of some more sophisticated crews, working the area that turn off security systems and web based video.

[Adrenaline_6]

I don’t so much have a problem with the equipment, it’s the cloud-based, non-local stuff. i’d rather see something direct live from a camera, then be streaming something from an Amazon server in Ireland.
I like the cloud base stuff for when I’m not at home, but I’m am at home it is such a lag and only seems to connect right 50% of the time. Like I said, I think it’s something to do with my Internet because other people have said that they have not had such laggy stuff.

also been some reports of some more sophisticated crews, working the area that turn off security systems and web based video.

Therein lies the problem. If you don't have the cameras/recorder reach out to the cloud server, you wouldn't be able to access the video because it's behind your router firewall short of using a VPN or port forwarding. Not very ideal and simple for the consumer user. You might want to check your upload speeds. You can have all the download speed in the world, but if your streaming video from your house, you need upload speed.

[pinzgauer]

Therein lies the problem. If you don't have the cameras/recorder reach out to the cloud server, you wouldn't be able to access the video because it's behind your router firewall short of using a VPN or port forwarding. Not very ideal and simple for the consumer user. You might want to check your upload speeds. You can have all the download speed in the world, but if your streaming video from your house, you need upload speed.Ubiquity protect has a robust solution for this. I'm very pleased with the system and the cameras, but they are expensive relative to chinesium cloud-based alternatives.

The NVR phones home to ubiquity's front end. Which allows the app to talk to the NVR as needed through a secure encrypted API. No firewall holes or port forwarding needed.

If you're on your local network your app connects directly to the NVR. It's a very well thought out system.

[DG23]

What is the right way to do a urban-city house security in 2022?

https://i.imgur.com/0I1iz8k.jpg

[Adrenaline_6]

Ubiquity protect has a robust solution for this. I'm very pleased with the system and the cameras, but they are expensive relative to chinesium cloud-based alternatives.

The NVR phones home to ubiquity's front end. Which allows the app to talk to the NVR as needed through a secure encrypted API. No firewall holes or port forwarding needed.

If you're on your local network your app connects directly to the NVR. It's a very well thought out system.

Yes, but he was talking about alarms. Ubiquity is great...I use their AP at my house. I have an Axis Companion NVR and Axis cameras for video though. It's connection to video is cloud based...but is smooth and user friendly. One touch firmware upgrades. A lot more camera models to choose from with Axis. I wish Ubiquiti would allow 3rd party cameras.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Thanks for the input.I am looking to do an integrated system because I 'think' I know what I want, or at least what I don't want. Plus the integration is key for the wife and MIL to use it.

[pinzgauer]

Yes, but he was talking about alarms. Ubiquity is great...I use their AP at my house. I have an Axis Companion NVR and Axis cameras for video though. It's connection to video is cloud based...but is smooth and user friendly. One touch firmware upgrades. A lot more camera models to choose from with Axis. I wish Ubiquiti would allow 3rd party cameras.My point in mentioning it is that there are robust technical solutions that do not require you opening a hole in your firewall. Ubiquity protect video is just one of those.

Personally I would not trust a cloud/internet based video system.

I want the hard drive local, safely out of sight, and not depend on the internet. Or even a wireless for important cams.

If you look very deeply into who makes most of the cloud-based video systems, and where they're hosted, you will realize the risk.

Put simply, you should not be having any national security/confidential, or even proprietary business level discussions inside of them :-)!

[Adrenaline_6]

My point in mentioning it is that there are robust technical solutions that do not require you opening a hole in your firewall. Ubiquity protect video is just one of those.

Personally I would not trust a cloud/internet based video system.

I want the hard drive local, safely out of sight, and not depend on the internet. Or even a wireless for important cams.

If you look very deeply into who makes most of the cloud-based video systems, and where they're hosted, you will realize the risk.

Put simply, you should not be having any national security/confidential, or even proprietary business level discussions inside of them :-)!

Axis is Swedish. They take security seriously. The video is stored locally on an NVR, the connection is cloud based. The NVR reaches out to the MyAxis cloud site and is tied to your MyAxis account. No firewall issues...factory camera and NVR firmware update notifications with one click updates..factory software updates done automatically. Cameras are wired...powered PoE.