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Home security systems?

ace2000

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Anyone have any recommendations for a decent home security system? Not sure if I need the outdoor cameras or not, so perhaps all I need is just one indoor camera. I see decent indoor cameras for less than $50 on Amazon right now. Any thoughts on an outdoor or indoor configuration would be appreciated.
 

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I guess it depends on your needs/intended usage, but I have a cheap indoor wi-fi connected cam with motion detection. It sends me a text when it detects motion, at which time I can open the device's app and view what the camera is seeing. Motion detection can be turned on/off via the app, so I only enable it when we're away for an extended period. Initially, I had the sensitivity for the motion detection set too high, and just the casting of shadows would trigger the motion detector, and I was getting multiple texts per day while on vacation, which was disconcerting. At that point in time I thought the device was going to be semi-useless. But after adjusting the sensitivity and the target "motion field", I've been pretty pleased.

Obviously, this is a very low tech, unsophisticated solution, but it's pretty good for first order security.
 

ace2000

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Both options sound intriguing to me right now - buying a cheap indoor wi-fi camera vs. a full setup such as Arlo. I guess it would depend on the total cost and setup issues. Does the indoor wifi option allow you to store video somewhere?

One other commment - I am not interested in paying for a monthly service... unless someone could convince me on the benefits. :)
 

VacationForever

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Arlo is cheap, uses wifi. Includes storage in the cloud. I think it is $99 per year, stores rolling 30 days. I think you can get a package with 2 cameras plus base unit for 199 or 299. You can add on up to 11 or 15 cameras. I buy plug in AC ones for add ons. Both sound and motion. You can also have 2 way conversations. Video quality is very good. Works in low light environment as well.

I lead a security committee for our condo building and we are shortlisting solutions for the building. Arlo is one we are familiar with because we have it in our home. There are also door ones (Ring) and for the perimeter around the building which includes camera and light, triggered by motion etc...
 

Elan

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Both options sound intriguing to me right now - buying a cheap indoor wi-fi camera vs. a full setup such as Arlo. I guess it would depend on the total cost and setup issues. Does the indoor wifi option allow you to store video somewhere?

One other commment - I am not interested in paying for a monthly service... unless someone could convince me on the benefits. :)

Mine does not store video natively, but there are ways to make it do so (over the network). There are also more expensive, yet still simple, similar solutions that include storing video.

Again, I think it depends on what you're security concerns are. For me, I primarily wanted to know if someone entered my home while I was away. My solution works very well for that. If you are concerned about catching hoodlums vandalizing your car in your driveway while you sleep, then that requires a different solution.

Like you, I wasn't interested in a subscription of any kind, and even if I opted for a full blown security solution, I wouldn't likely wouldn't opt for a subscription-based solution.
 

ace2000

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Mine does not store video natively, but there are ways to make it do so (over the network). There are also more expensive, yet still simple, similar solutions that include storing video.

So, obviously then, if someone broke in to your home and then noticed the camera, all they have to do is take your camera and then you have no video proof - correct? That is my understanding, at least until you purchase the cloud option.
 

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We have 4.

Our two dogs, and Smith & Wesson.
 

Luanne

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Elan

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So, obviously then, if someone broke in to your home and then noticed the camera, all they have to do is take your camera and then you have no video proof - correct? That is my understanding, at least until you purchase the cloud option.

Absolutely. But one can place a camera in a location that's inconspicuous and/or not easy to get to, and furthermore, IMO, a criminal isn't likely to want to take the time to steal or disable a camera, knowing (or presuming, at least) that there's security present and someone's been notified. Criminals can't get to a camera without tripping the motion detection and triggering a notification.

Again, I think everyone's needs and expectations for a security system are different. But I do think that there's a point of diminishing returns that's reached very quickly. Pro's would cut power, disable networks, etc before entering your home. It takes a lot of time/effort/money to attempt to defeat all possibilities, and even then...........

What are your specific needs?
 

ace2000

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What are your specific needs?

For various reasons, without going into a lot of detail, I'd like to be able to monitor if anyone has entered my home (friend or foe) and to be able to monitor my driveway area while my wife and I are away.

Being able to only monitor the inside of the house may be perfectly acceptable, depending on the price for the equipment and installation of an outdoor setup. So, maybe a $50 indoor solution with sound may be all we need. Also, I do like the idea of being able to store a certain amount of history, if the price was right.
 
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VacationForever

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For various reasons, without going into a lot of detail, I'd like to be able to monitor if anyone has entered my home (friend or foe) and to be able to monitor my driveway area while my wife and I are away.

Being able to only monitor the inside of the house may be perfectly acceptable, depending on the price for the equipment and installation of an outdoor setup. So, maybe a $50 indoor solution with sound may be all we need. Also, I do like the idea of being able to store a certain amount of history, if the price was right.
I am not certain if Arlo charges $99 per year or up too certain amount of storage it is free. I haven't see a charge from them, so maybe the basic storage is free. Ring has 2 products that monitor outside that are called Stickup Cam and Floodlight Cam. Stickup Cam is just a camera. Floodlight Cam has 2 floodlights plus a camera, storage is also in the cloud. We also have Ring. :)

We installed Arlo and Ring on our own, pretty easy setup.
 

Elan

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For various reasons, without going into a lot of detail, I'd like to be able to monitor if anyone has entered my home (friend or foe) and to be able to monitor my driveway area while my wife and I are away.

Being able to only monitor the inside of the house may be perfectly acceptable, depending on the price for the equipment and installation of an outdoor setup. So, maybe a $50 indoor solution with sound may be the proper choice.

Maybe start with a low-tech, cheap solution and go from there. If nothing else, it will help you identify what your security holes are and perhaps help prioritize features you'd like to have. One nice thing is that most solutions are stand-alone, so if you buy a cheap camera and then end up opting for a full-blown system later, you can still get some utility from the camera by putting it in a different area (garage, shop, etc).
 

DebBrown

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We bought a vacation home recently and it had foscam cameras installed so I don't have any idea of price. There is one external camera that monitors the entrance to the house. I pay $4/month for 7 days cloud storage and it sends me messages when any motion is detected. I have the sensitivity at the lowest level but still get a lot of messages when it is windy. There are also 3 indoor cameras. These do not have any video storage but I am able to scan pretty much the whole house with these. (It's a small house.)

The system depends on a wifi connection so if my internet is down, then they are useless. But not ever having security cameras before, I've come to depend on them. I like the comfort factor of seeing my house intact. I can also review the exterior camera footage to see when packages are delivered, etc.

Deb
 

DeniseM

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We have 2 Nest Cams which are located inside the house with a view through the window of the front and back entrances. The data is saved to the cloud and is accessible for 10 days. I can view it live, or for the past 10 days, on my phone, tablet, or computer, and the set up was super easy.
 

ace2000

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Thanks everyone. Now I have to decide how badly I need one of these things, and if the benefits outweigh the costs (I'm leaning towards the sub $50 inside option). It was checking out the deals on Prime day that got me interested, and I noticed how cheap they've become.
 

Elan

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I had been looking at these again a few weeks ago, and this was the one I ended up putting in my Amazon cart ($40):

YI Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System (US Edition) White

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 

KevSki

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We use the Nest cams, 2 inside and 2 outside. It even picks up our Yorkie walking over to get a drink in the kitchen. Super easy to set up and as Denise said you can view the video real time or for the next 10 days.
 

isisdave

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I have Blink cameras (blinkforhome.com) and they're wireless, including power -- they run on batteries which are supposed to last two years. I suspect that won't happen, and worse, they'll run out when we're far away. But they do have power level monitoring.

And they record a short clip, up to 15 seconds, when triggered, and upload via WiFi. A reasonable amount of storage is free.

I think the most secure would be wireless cameras with a local recorder and SMS notification. Better if you have the recorder and router on UPS backup. Then you'll always have a record, and notification unless they cut your internet connection (and there are fallover-to-cell systems if that's an issue).

Don't forget the big sign ("Owner collects firearms and angry dogs?") and perhaps dummy cameras at all doors and gates.
 

WinniWoman

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We have a professionally installed system (done many years ago. Works via the landline. Has a battery backup, but we also have a whole house generator for when the power goes out anyway) with smoke detectors as well that is monitored. We pay a yearly fee for the monitoring. No cameras. We do have signs posted as well. As we live in a secluded area we felt this was the best way to go.
 

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And how does that work for you if you're not home?

Very, very well. If anyone approaches our home while we're away, our dogs are barking non-stop. And it isn't a yippy bark either, if you know what I mean. If that isn't a deterrent, I really have no faith that any security system would be. Further, there are signs on the door that leads from the garage to the living space that convey entering our home uninvited is a very dangerous thing. We don't keep that door locked for our protection, but rather for the person entering uninvited. ;)

Thanks for asking!
 
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ace2000

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I had been looking at these again a few weeks ago, and this was the one I ended up putting in my Amazon cart ($40):

YI Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System (US Edition) White

Funny you mention that one, because that was the one I was actually going to buy. It had good ratings and was on sale for Prime Day for $40. You mentioned it was $40 a few weeks ago, so it may not be the exact same one (this one is $59 today). I didn't mention that specific one on my post because the deal wasn't valid yesterday. Here's the link to the information though, with some comments below the Slick Deals ad that may be helpful to anyone interested.


https://slickdeals.net/f/10342260-y...mazon-prime?src=SiteSearchV2_SearchBarV2Algo1

The reason I didn't pull the trigger on Prime day was because I felt I needed to do a little more research into what I actually want - again, I may just decide the benefits don't outweigh the costs. But, for $40 I really couldn't go wrong... Ha!, maybe I should've just bought it two days ago on Prime day anyway. :)
 
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Elan

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Funny you mention that one, because that was the one I was actually going to buy. It had good ratings and was on sale for Prime Day for $40. You mentioned it was $40 a few weeks ago, so it may not be the exact same one (this one is $59 today). I didn't mention that specific one on my post because the deal wasn't valid yesterday. Here's the link to the information though, with some comments below the Slick Deals ad that may be helpful to anyone interested.


https://slickdeals.net/f/10342260-y...mazon-prime?src=SiteSearchV2_SearchBarV2Algo1

The reason I didn't pull the trigger on Prime day was because I felt I needed to do a little more research into what I actually want - again, I may just decide the benefits don't outweigh the costs. But, for $40 I really couldn't go wrong... Ha!, maybe I should've just bought it two days ago on Prime day anyway. :)

To be honest, I cleaned out my cart recently, so it might have been the 720p version and not the 1080p version that I had saved. But I remembered the brand and what it looked like.
 

Luanne

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Very, very well. If anyone approaches our home while we're away, our dogs are barking non-stop. And it isn't a yippy bark either, if you know what I mean. If that isn't a deterrent, I really have no faith that any security system would be. Further, there are signs on the door that leads from the garage to the living space that convey entering our home uninvited is a very dangerous thing. We don't keep that door locked for our protection, but rather for the person entering uninvited. ;)

Thanks for asking!
My sister and her husband thought their dogs would be a deterrent as well. That is until the dogs (and my sister and bil) all slept through it when someone stole my bil's truck which was parked on their driveway. Oh yeah, the thief also opened their garage door using the opener in the truck. Great watch dogs. These dogs would go ballistic if anyone came to the front door however.
 
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