/r/homesecurity
We're a place to get help with and discuss all topics relating to home security. All topics from beginner questions to help with your esoteric GE panel from 1989 are welcome!
Are you looking for advice on cameras or security systems? Try using the search bar!
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Protecting yourself, your loved ones, and your home is important. This subreddit is a place where you can discuss it.
Home security can be anything from a full blown monitored service and a surveillance system to simple things like having a double cylinder deadbolt on your front door.
Any aspect about home security can be discussed here: alarms, surveillance, locks, personal protection, etc.
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/r/homesecurity
I live in Ontario, is it something I need to be worried about?
I’m hoping to put my own homemade raspberry pi based camera in a housing, but will I need to have a heated lens or something?
Thanks!
My mom forced me into adt after a freak situation caused me to live alone for the first time in my life. I live in a high-crime city, and in one of the most high-crime areas of that high-crime city. So having a security system is ideal.
I like the set up that I have with adt (front and back outdoor cameras. Alarm system hooked up to all windows and both front and back doors). My issue is with their customer service. I’ve been having issues with their cameras saving footage for over a year now, and the only solution they gave me took me HOURS and still doesn’t seem to have helped.
Any companies or systems that can provide the same things that isn’t basically a scam, and that I don’t have to rely on a crappy app to do everything?
To install myself
I just found this sub, sorry if this isn’t the kinda post for it - couldn’t think of a better search term for a community that might have some insight for me.
I live in a rural area, on a long gravel drive, well off the main road. Always felt safe - even pizza delivery has a hard time finding my house.
A guy came to my door on foot, asking for Terry.
I told him he has the wrong house, he said he’d been waiting on our porch the last couple days, waiting and knocking, that our cars looked like Terrys.
He kept talking, looking past me scanning my living room, took a couple minutes before he finally left.
It felt off, like he was maybe casing the joint?
Telling me that he’d been here before made me unnerved. I want to believe it was innocent, but I don’t wanna be a fool - something in my gut told me it was off, tho, so it made me realize I should prob at least get one security cam that faces down my drive.
I guess I’m wanting to ask if this is suspicious, and also, what kind of camera would be a recommend to alert to motion from a good distance (night vision too)
I’m willing to invest but I’d prefer not to buy a subscription - if there’s really a case that it’s worth it, I’m open tho.
I’ve just never felt scared before here, and I’m clueless about tech stuff like this, so, I’d really appreciate some insight from a group that seems to know their chops.
Would really love a suggestion for a newbie naive tech-dummy! I’m pretty shaken. Thanks.
I have recently discovered that the security cameras I own have stopped sending emails when they sense motion. I at first blamed the cameras, but since found out that this problem is widespread. It is caused by changes in Microsoft and Google's authentication requirements. (Transitioning from Basic to Modern Authentication.) For MS, by September 16, 2024
This may not be a problem for email clients like Thunderbird, but it is for device apps that are no longer actively supported. This link shows the limited options we have for setting up the smtp server info: How to set up email alerts on your IP Camera DCS-932L? | D-Link UK
Has anyone discovered a work-around for this specific type of camera (D-Link DCS series)
I have two vertical sliding windows inside of a double patio door. The locks have springs in them (some of which have fallen out) and in order for the window to move up and down, they are holes inside the frame for the lock to sit in place so the window can stay in place.
The locks have been worn down and now are unable to keep the window open (will fall out of the holes and slam down) and will not lock the windows anymore either.
I'm renting my place so these doors could be 5-25 years old. I cannot find what type of window locks these are anywhere online, and the company of the door won't respond to my calls, might be out of business by now.
I have attached a picture of the type of lock I have. There is two of these locks on each door.
Please let me know if have any information on these types of windows locks! I would love to be able to find a solution to replace the locks and not the entire doors.
Hi, I have the following DSC equipment from a previous ADT subscription. I am looking for recommendations on whether I can use DSC equipment with a new control panel. My goal is to buy a panel that also provides an app without subscription. What would be your recommendation?
I have 18 sensors between:
DSC WS4933
ws4916
WLS912L-433
EV- DW4927SS
WS4945NA
Thank you!!
Hello Reddit!
I need some advice on security cameras and equipment.
I am a real estate investor and frequently have 3-5 properties on my balance sheet. Since many of these properties were bought under distressed circumstances (foreclosures), the previous occupants aren’t always the most friendly or trustworthy people.
Right now, I have a mix of various cameras from different brands, and the set up works, but it’s far from perfect.
Right now, I have the following equipment:
6x https://www.amazon.com/Biglory-Wireless-Security-Detection-Instant/dp/B0DCJKX86N (they’re sold under LOTS of different listings, but at the end of the day, it’s the same camera running on the Aiwit platform). Each camera also has a solar panel for charging.
12x https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D8KRR1ZX (also a generic cam running Aiwit)
1x (set of four) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JCS7QKL running LaView
5x T-Mobile 4G WiFi Hotspot Modems (each costs $10 a month for month for unlimited data).
My current set up can be best described as clunky. Sometimes, the modems turn off and/or get unplugged and run out of juice, and the Aiwit software sucks at motion detection with HOARDS of false positives and an avalanche of alerts. If anything, the cameras and signage serve as a great visual deterrent, but as my portfolio grows, I fear it’s not going to be enough.
AiWit charges for monitoring by the camera, which is cost prohibitive, so I just run them in live mode (can only access a week’s worth of recordings if you subscribe, and fortunately, I have not had to.)
I pay $10 a month for 7 days of storage for the LaView cameras, but they require a constant power source which makes their utility somewhat limited.
Here’s what I would like to find:
Platform/software: Ideally, would pay one monthly monitoring fee for ALL cameras and run them in different locations. The software should be relatively well built, and stable. I have access to servers in a data center for my other business with terabytes of available storage, so if I can self host, I would absolutely do so.
Ideally, I should have the ability to easily label the installed location and ID of each camera to track them as they get moved from location to location.
Cameras: I’m hoping to find cameras which are easy/quick to provision, have solid motion detection, solid battery life and micro USB for solar panels, and can be easily mounted/removed. Ideally, the mounts should be readily replaceable so we can just take the cameras and leave the mounts when finishing a project.
Cameras have gone missing on previous projects, so they should be relatively inexpensive and replaceable.
I’m thinking it would be a good idea to buy a bunch of power banks as well, as some properties don’t have electricity, sometimes for a few weeks until service is established.
I also need to find a monitored alarm system which can be deployed and removed quickly, has a loud alarm, and has cheap monthly monitoring. Bonus points if it comes with lots of signage warning of an alarm on the premises.
My latest property:
This one deserves its own paragraph, as it is unchartered territory for me. I bought a commercial building. I don’t think the current occupants are going to be too thrilled with having to leave, so I want to absolutely flood the place with cameras, motion sensors, a monitored alarm, smart smoke detectors and leak sensors…. the works!
I’m willing to spend some money on equipment (up to $1,000) and monthly monitoring ($50 - $75).
Any advice, suggestions, criticism, and other throughs are much appreciated!
I have a rule that my teens can’t have friends over while I am gone. There are some exceptions like I need to run to the grocery. They definitely can’t have friends over while I am work. For reasons, I would like to keep tabs on who comes into my house. What would be the best way to do this? I have looked at previous posts and I get really overwhelmed. I am not tech savvy but I’d consider hiring someone to help me out.
I went with the Surety system, but they don't offer a lot of camera options comparatively. The most I could find was an older Google doc that had some outdated camera options on it. So for 2024, can anyone help me find other camera options?
So I bought our current house in 2021 with a Chorus smartsecure system installed by previous owners. It runs one outdoor camera, a doorbell camera, multiple motion sensors and glass break sensors, two door locks, and 3 separate thermostats. It is controlled via the alarm.com app. I got locked into a 3y contract ($50/month) that is ending soon. I have no need for professional monitoring. It feels like a complete waste of money every month. I would like to keep everything running as is via my wifi and ditch the monitoring. That is not an option with Chorus. Is there a way to use the existing hardware in the house through some kind of main control unit I can buy once and be done with? If not, will I need to replace all the above with a new system(s) that allows for self monitoring? TIA.
Bought my first house a few days ago (I’m kind of a prepper) and I was excited to get some security cameras up as soon as possible.
the concierge talked me up into getting Vivint.
~$2,500 equipment and about $70 monitoring.
Installing on Wednesday….
Then today about an hour ago I found a ADT rep in my house (he knocked first) chatting their options.
He was a nice guy, and I told him I would do a deep dive on comparing my security options [even though I’ve already paid for my vivint equipment and am scheduled to have everything installed on Wednesday].
I start doing my my research… and well. You guys know the rest. I see nothing good online about Vivint or ADT…
Fortunately I was able to call Vivint a few minutes ago and get a refund and cancel my appointment.
I will continue to look into home security options available in my local area.
Thanks, Fellow Redditors for preventing this new home owner from getting looped into a nationwide scam and forcing him to actually do some research on the matter rather than taking up the first offer.
Have a lovely Sunday!
I've had a Vista 20P (v10.23) panel, 6160RF keypad, a wireless motion detector, rf keyfob, EVL-4VG network adapter and a couple of other parts in my basement for close to 10 years, and have just never gotten around to the upgrade. The existing 4110 system works well (although I would like to upgrade/replace the ancient 4 wire smoke detectors after I can get the panel sorted) and the primary reason for upgrade is connectivity (planning on using the EVL-4VG for that).
Not wanting to break everything in place, I've temporarily hooked up the Vista 20P right next to the old 4110XM panel just to start getting a feel for how things work. I'm using22awg solid core ethernet cable for zone testing purposes (more on that in a minute). I powered up the panel, changed the keypad to channel 16 and got into programming mode. First thing I did was disable all 8 hardwired zones to suppress the faults and chirping noises. I then went ahead and did all of the programming from *20 - *95. Upon completion of the programming, I removed the wired door sensor from zone 1 of the 4110XM panel and used ethernet wire to temporarily connect the 2 wires to the 20P panel. Zone 1 is terminals 8 & 9 on both boards, so again, fairly straightforward. I then went into the zone programming on the 20P and configured Zone 1 as a Type 1. After exiting programming, zone 1 shows a fault on the keypad. Not wanting to break my existing system, I decided to stop there and look for some help! I've returned the wires for Zone 1 back to the 4110XM panel and everything is fine there.
For starters, any suggestions as to why this wouldn't "just work"?
I wrote down all of the settings from the 4110XM before starting, and these are the existing zones that I'm migrating over to the Vista 20p:
1 Front/Side Doors (Type 1 - Entry/Exit, Burglary)
2 Interior Motion (Type 4 - Interior/Follower)
3 Sliding Door (Type 3 - Perimiter, Burglary)
4 Basement Door (Type 3 - Perimiter, Burglary)
5 Smoke Detectors (Type 9 - Fire)
6 Low Temp (Type 7 - 24HR Audible)
I know there are some type of devices (polling loop?) that work on the 4110XM but not the Vista 20P. How can check to see if I have any of these devices?
I am in Canada have a fault on my hardwired smoke detector which is a System Sensor 2012JA. The system doesn't use a plug but it has two wires for power (12V I think), plus a yellow and green wire that seem to be for relays. I think the detector was manufactured in 2012 - it says replace in 2027, but since the model is 2012 it is hard to tell if that is the year or model number as well. This is only a smoke detector - and it is right beside another detector which is a carbon monoxide detector.
The exact model only seems available at specialty dealers - can I just buy a "generic" smoke detector on Amazon or wherever that would be compatible? But what would I be looking for? What sort of detector would be compatible with this model?
So, I moved into my house about 3 years ago and it seems that it has a radionics security system d6112 which it says on the keypad. I have 2 keypads and all the doors have wired sensors. I can’t find the control box for it looked everywhere even in the attic and other ideas?
I'm going to be setting up a home security camera system where I need to have live viewing of the video feeds at the nvr, downstairs and master bedroom. The nvr will be in the closet of the master bedroom since that's where all the prewired cable drops come into. My plan is to get a HDMI splitter for the nvr - Output 1 for monitor at nvr and then 2 wireless HDMI transmitters for outputs 2 and 3.
My concerns are: will all this splitting affect the wireless transmitters? Will there be interference I get 2 of the same wireless transmitters? Just want to make sure this will work before dropping money on this plan.
Hi all,
I moved a few years ago, and in my old house we had a system that was custom installed by a private company. From my memory, here is a list of what i think we had in our system. I'm pretty sure it was a mostly hardwired Honeywell/Ademco system, but im not 100% sure.
A mix of Honeywell 5808W3, HM Photoelectric, and 4WT-B Smoke detectors.
A mix of Honeywell keypads. I think all were hardwired, not sure about model numbers.
Some glass break detectors, and some door/window sensors.
My main question is, can anybody help me figure out what CO2 detectors and sirens we could've had?
The old CO2 detectors used to be these small brown circular ones. Hardwired. Something like this.
The sirens, im pretty sure, were ademco 747f's. Can't find the exact one, they had a very specific siren tone.
I know its not very important and I only remember a little information, but suggestions or info would be so helpful about the Co2 detectors and the sirens. Thanks all!!
Has anyone found luck installing a new panel at home? I had to order a new one to unlock the panels and then connect it directly into my ADC portal.
I tried watching a video or two but I’m not too technical and appreciate any advice. Can’t seem to figure it out, thanks
Want to upgrade security at home. Wanting a POE system with 3-4 cameras. Would you recommend just a bundled reolink package or piece together your own?
Hi,
We're moving into our new home next month and are actively looking for an anti-burglary system. We've been living in a flat for many years, which has three access doors, making it unlikely for us to experience a break-in. However, in our new home, the entry door will be off the street, and we're a bit concerned about the possibility of burglary.
I've seen a lot of positive reviews for SimpliSafe, so I naturally started looking into their equipment. It seems quite affordable (especially now with 40% off). Additionally, the 24/7 professional monitoring costs just 97p per day. However, I've noticed that many houses in the neighborhood have the Ring system installed. After checking their site, it seems they don’t offer 24/7 professional monitoring.
Can anyone advise on the best anti-burglary system to go with?
I'm finalizing a POE camera setup for a garage on my property and would like some confirmation that what I'm thinking will work. I'm looking at getting 3 cameras and an NVR:
Camera 1: Dual lens 180 deg FOV for general view of the alley.
Camera 2: Bullet style 4k mounted to side of garage pointing towards gate to alley
Camera 3: Turret style 2k mounted to underside of eaves pointing towards man door
NVR: AMCREST NV4108E-A2 or Reolink RLN8-410'
Because the garage is away from the house, I was planning on running a cat 5e cable from the NVR in the house to a POE switch in the garage that would then feed the cameras. As far as I can tell cat 5e should be able to support the bandwidth required for 3 cams.
As far as reolink vs amcrest goes, reolink will work out to be about $500 cheaper since I'm in Canada and wouldn't have to ship cross border or convert to USD. My sense is that amcrest is a better product, but I really dont have much to base that on. I dont live in a great neighborhood, and will likely be adding more cameras for the rest of the house later but our alley facing garage is the priority right now. Any thoughts or recommendations are appreciated!
Hi, I live on a large rural property without cell coverage. I want to install cameras at my gate- unfortunately the WiFi at this location is spotty at best. Can someone recommend a camera for my gate? Thank you
I’m trying to figure out if it’s possible to upgrade my doorbell camera. I have an IQ 4 panel that’s under contract with ADT/safe haven.
Hi all, I have a Vista 15P with a ECP-ISO isolating the field keypads from the modules/communicator in the panel enclosure. I’m wanting to install a aux power supply for the field keypads and I’m wondering if I should still install a common ground between the aux power supply and the panel? Would this defeat the purpose of the isolator? Thanks in advance!
I am about ready to mount exterior security cameras. The approximate camera location is figured out, but it would help to emulate the view from the security camera before drilling holes.
My phone has a wide-angle lens, but the phone specs only give the focal length, not the FOV. Experimentally, it would not be easy to match the FOV of my phone to the FOV of the security camera, but could be done.
Does this sound worth doing?
Does anyone know if you can use the 1.2 AA NiMH Rechargeable Batteries with this lock? I’m looking on their web site and I can’t see them be specific. But I know these types of devices sometimes are specific on what you can use for their devices.
Thank you in advance!
Hi All,
I recently purchased security from Surety and they provided me with a Quolsys IQ4 Panel. I went with the power G sensors for the windows, doors, etc. and for the door locks, I purchased the Yale Assure Lock 2 Z-wave. I should have checked before but I asked Surely the following question:
"The plan is to tie them into my Surety Quolsys Panel. After adding the locks to the Panel, is it possible to also add them to my Hubitat Hub, so that I can do home automation from there?
They Responded with:
"Z-wave devices cannot be independently paired to two separate controllers. The controllers would need to be linked after the locks are added to one controller.
I would like to use Hubitat as there is much more important automation functionality that can be done - is there really no way for Hubitat to "see and utilize" the Z-wave locks that are paired to the Quolsys Panel?
Hi folks, help me, I have a chinese camera with iCSee software, I also want to have solar and normal cameras, which one is the best? The main thing is to be able to view with iCSee, have ONVIF and good picture quality. Or is it possible to change this software? Hack it? THANKS
We’re upgrading our home security system, which is currently just open/close sensors on doors. We live in a safe neighborhood - the biggest issue is stolen cars parked on the street (rare, but it’s happening more often). We park inside the garage, so not really a concern for us.
I am not keen on cameras or motion detectors inside the house, so prefer to focus on outside. We just installed 2 floodlight cameras by the garage door and back door, and have a doorbell camera by the front door. We could buy additional cameras to monitor the front street, alley, and small side yards - it feels like overkill, but it would essentially cover all the access points to the house, and I do like the idea of having video record of the streets for the neighborhood in case anything happens.
What’s your preferred set-up for a home in a safe neighborhood?
I have looked on alarmgrid and a few other places, all I can find is 12''. In a tight space with no other options.