Hello all, not strictly home security but I thought your collective know-how would be applicable… I’m getting a puppy in late December, and said pup will need to be toilet trained by being let out to do her business. There’s a gate at the bottom of my garden that the postie uses when delivering our mail. Sometimes it doesn’t get closed properly and there’s a busy road beyond. I’d like to know if there’s a battery powered device that I could use for a month or two* when the puppy is young and needs to be let out for a wee a couple of times per night. Said theoretical device would allow us to see (maybe on our phones?) if the gate is properly closed without us having to traipse out and check.

*Battery life doesn’t need to be the lifespan, natch. A week or so would suffice.

Hi everyone! I am in severe analysis paralysis here on blackfriday/cyber Monday weekend. I want to get a system for our SFH...particularly for when we are away and my teens are home alone overnight. (Not worried about them having parties or anything but more for security and for them to feel safe.) For reference we live in a good neighborhood and don't tend to have many break ins where I live. We do have a dog too.

Here is what I am looking for:

-DIY Install

- Whole home system with add on options for the future (should I want an additional camera or more sensors, etc)

- good quality outdoor wireless cameras
-smart home integration would be a plus should I decide to ever go that route (Alexa, google home, etc)
- ability to be monitored OR self monitored without being locked into a 3 year contract preferred

-Needs: glass break sensor, video door bell, outdoor cameras, key fobs, door/window sensors

-I'd love the ability to record when needed or desired

The problem that I am running into is that the systems that seem to be the best bang for your buck in terms of quality (hello ADT) want to lock me into a 3 year contract...please no. The ones that don't (SimpliSafe and Ring) seem to have QC issues with their cameras. I don't want a hard wired system b/c it is expensive to install. I have gone back and forth and forth and back with no decisions made.

Please tell me what you have and if you love it or hate it. Would you get the same system again if you had a do-over?

Hi everyone! I am in severe analysis paralysis here on blackfriday/cyber Monday weekend. I want to get a system for our SFH...particularly for when we are away and my teens are home alone overnight. (Not worried about them having parties or anything but more for security problems and for them to feel safe.)

Here is what I am looking for:

-DIY Install

- Whole home system with add on options for the future (should I want an additional camera or more sensors, etc)

- good quality outdoor wireless cameras
-smart home integration would be a plus should I decide to ever go that route (Alexa, google home, etc)
- ability to be monitored OR self monitored without being locked into a 3 year contract

-Needs: glass break sensor, video door bell, outdoor cameras, key fobs, door/window sensors

-I'd love the ability to record when needed or desired

The problem that I am running into is that the systems that seem to be the best bang for your buck in terms of quality (hello ADT) want to lock me into a 3 year contract...please no. The ones that don't (SimpliSafe and Ring) seem to have QC issues with their cameras. I don't want a hard wired system b/c it is expensive to install. I have gone back and forth and forth and back with no decisions made.

Please tell me what you have and if you love it or hate it. Would you get the same system again if you had a do-over?

Hi everyone! I am in severe analysis paralysis here on blackfriday/cyber Monday weekend. I want to get a system for our SFH...particularly for when we are away and my teens are home alone overnight. (Not worried about them having parties or anything but more for security problems and for them to feel safe.)

Here is what I am looking for:

-DIY Install

- Whole home system with add on options for the future (should I want an additional camera or more sensors, etc)

- good quality outdoor wireless cameras
-smart home integration would be a plus should I decide to ever go that route (Alexa, google home, etc)
- ability to be monitored OR self monitored without being locked into a 3 year contract

-Needs: glass break sensor, video door bell, outdoor cameras, key fobs, door/window sensors

-I'd love the ability to record when needed or desired

The problem that I am running into is that the systems that seem to be the best bang for your buck in terms of quality (hello ADT) want to lock me into a 3 year contract...please no. The ones that don't (SimpliSafe and Ring) seem to have QC issues with their cameras. I don't want a hard wired system b/c it is expensive to install. I have gone back and forth and forth and back with no decisions made.

Please tell me what you have and if you love it or hate it. Would you get the same system again if you had a do-over?

Hi all - last year we had someone steal the wheels off my truck in front of my house (easily defeated the stock wheel locks). I updated the wheel locks and added cameras as soon as that happened.

Unfortunately, the cameras I added were shitty blink wifi cameras. ...and these thieves cut my coaxial cable line from where it excited the house to underground. Fortunately, the new wheel locks were from Advanced Wheel Locks so they got all the lugs off except that wheel lock and gave up.

Anyway to the question at hand: I'm looking to add a security system that isn't reliant on wifi and can record and store locally. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

We just had xfinity home security cameras installed. I want to edit the footage. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Do I do that in the app or export footage to another app?

Recently moved to a new home that's pretty much isolated from neighbors. I'm actually not used to it as I come from the city. Husband and I agreed that we have home security cameras installed especially we have small children often playing in the yard. Any Cyber Monday deals you can share?

I’m a noob with this and don’t have the skills/confidence to run cables throughout my house. I was looking at the solar powered reolink cameras for alerts and such. My question is, with the battery powered, or WiFi but outlet powered cameras, can I connect them with a non-wifi nvr if the nvr is connected to my router?

I have an existing home camera system running Hikvision software that was set up by some third party company a couple of years ago. I wanted to repurpose the cameras and hook it up to a different DVR that has more modern software. Would it be possible to get a DVR from best buy and reconnect the coaxial cables and ethernet?

I am in the process of replacing my ring wifi cameras with poe reolinks but I do not know which would be the better way to run the cables (yellow vs blue)

I have a conditioned attic surrounded by single piece hard wood soffit. How can I fish through my soffit with minimal damage?

Is it as easy as cutting a square in my soffit at several places then patching it up with a block of wood and screwing the original piece back?

https://imgur.com/a/LLXLNYL

Hey there!

So we've been living at our property for over 10 years now and we've had these neighbors for the past... I wanna say at least 5 years? Anyway, straight to the point. The husband of the family is constantly harassing our and sometimes gets bold enough to open our fence gates in what I'm assuming is an attempt to get the dogs to run off. Of course, we don't have PROOF that it's him doing it, but we're quite confident it's him.

It's gotten to the point where we're now looking into home security cameras to see if we can catch him in the act and take it to the cops or at the very least, the HOA, to have them sort it out, because we're getting tired of it, and I am worried that it's only going to escalate. The last thing I want is for him to feel comfortable enough to start throwing stuff over the fence that could possibly harm our dogs, as we have 2 smaller dogs along with our GSD.

All that being said, I was hoping for some recommendations for affordable outdoor home security cameras that could help us nip this problem in the bud before it gets any worse. Looking for something sub $200 hopefully. Thank you in advance.

I’ve always lived so far out neighbors and crime weren’t an issue but now I live in town and recently vehicles have been broken into. I want to find a good camera system to monitor my home and yard. My ideal goals would be multiple outdoor cameras,no subscription, reasonably priced (under $300), able to check feed on phone and/or monitor but at least phone, clear video and audio, and be able to save recordings. I don’t know too much about camera systems and I’m trying to google search but I don’t fully know what I am looking for. I did my best to read through some posts and the rules and such to see if there was a premade list if I missed it I’m sorry.

We are moving into a new home in a few weeks and it comes with a new Honeywell Home ProSeries 7” touch screen security pad inside. Besides the obvious (buying a Honeywell front door cam) does anyone know what other brands of front door cameras would connect to this system? It would be ideal to see who is at the front door from the security pad, and/or to just have one app to arm the house and check the front door camera.

I am building a new home and looking to install wired security system. I am not against using wireless but don’t know much about them. Any recommendations on what to install for wired or wireless. It’s a 6000 sq home and we have heard about animals in the backyard. I have a toddler and do travel frequently as well.

I've had my Powermax Pro for 13 years using the landline. Its the 315mhz system. If I buy a Powermaster 30 will I need to buy all new door, window motion sensors and remote keyfobs? Or is it possible to add, a Powerlink 3 or a 3.1 to my Powermax?

Hi all, looking for some recommendations for something affordable (preferably non-subscription-based) that can detect audio and is available in the UK. I'm going away for Christmas and have a drunken neighbour who, just last night, accidentally set fire to his couch with a space heater. Thankfully it didn't get far, but if I hadn't been there to call the fire department when I heard his smoke alarm going off, who knows where things may have gone, as that thing blasted for ages before I realized he wasn't doing/couldn't do anything about it. Scared the daylights out of me about leaving this winter as I have 2 cats and some expensive valuables in my own apartment. This isn't the first time he's done something stupid while drunk and now I'm worried it may endanger my pets while I'm away. Anyway would love recommendations for a security system that can detect audio (his alarm or mine) so that SOMEONE can hear it and call the fire department if he won't. Place is thankfully made of brick and stone but can never be too safe. Would an Amazon ring doorbell (or something similar) be sufficient, or does that just do motion? Is there something better?

Not really planning to use it while I'm in, as I work from home and am on-hand most days, but something for while I'm away would be stellar. Thanks again.

First, I apologize for the length (and the not-so-subtle venting). And I have a proven track record of way overthinking stuff, hence the sanity check

Problem:

I am looking for suggestions and considerations for a fire/security system to put in for my 'advanced age' mother.

Background:

The area she lives is the about as far rural as you can get without being totally off the electric grid. Not that the electric company wastes a lot of resources maintaining it. I generally describe the area as where Septic Slough and Toxic Gulch empty into the Superfund Petroswamps. I exaggerate, but only a little. The landline phone company discontinued service last year. Not that the service was that reliable. It wasn't. Never was actually. The 'best' cellphone service is ATT and generally is between zero and one bar at her place. And it's spotty and it comes and goes. The only practical internet is Starlink. One of my cousins visited a couple of months ago and bought her a Starlink setup and is paying the monthly for her. So she does have internet. Most of the time. Some of the time. Well actually it's spotty and comes and goes. Reason I say that is that she still b**ches that the grandkids' (and greats') facebook pages are too slow and the church video service on sunday mornings hangs and other stuff. I dunno. The Starlink may be rock solid ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

They did pave the road about ten years ago so the County doesn't have to handle the drugrunner wrecks as often.

All in all, a lovely place. But of course she's not going to move.

In the early nineties she and her (now deceased) husband had some local-to-them company put in a security system that called a central office. That service changed hands over the years and is now ADT. But since the landline service was discontinued there is of course nothing that the panel can use to use to call the CO. And of course she's heard nothing from ADT except the bill. So next time I go down there I'm going to politely let ADT know their "services" are no longer required.

In the early 2000s I made beer and pizza money while I was in grad school working for a guy installing home and small business security systems. These were mostly Ademco Lynx for homes and Vistas for small businesses, and some GE/Concord systems now and again. I have retained a little bit of that knowledge, as well as the loathing of CO based alerting. When I got my own house it came with a GE/Concord 4 which I set up with a CO (that I can't remember) and soon remembered why I loathed CO based alerting.

Last year when I visited I looked at her current system. It's a Vista 20p (Board stamped with SAVS20P3). It's located in the back of a coat closet, but not difficult to get to.

And (shockingly!) the panel phone line in the box was actually unplugged from the RJ31X. So no telling how long ADT has been getting free money.

Mom never arms it anyway, so the only real 'protection' was the smoke/fire stuff. Except that, well, no landline.

And she's forgotten all the numbers and how to do anything on the panel anyway. And really doesn't see the point in all this hoorah in the first place.

Current:

The system itself is a Vista 20p.

\* No keypad.  Husband wouldn't pay for a keypad, so they were supposed to use the touchtone phone keypad.  

\* 1 wireless motion detector.  

\* 3 wireless door contacts.  

\* A wired horn and flasher going outside.

\* something wireless for smoke which I can't remember what or where it is.  

I would guess that all still works. I'm pretty sure I can pull the codes from the panel with some patience, google and maybe an EPROM reader. I think I tossed my Compass software when I got out of grad school and moved on to real life so that's probably not an option.

In my own junk pile I have "new" (that is "unopened"):

\* 3 ea	5814 Wireless Door/Window transmitters

\* 1 ea	5816 Wireless Door/Window transmitter

\* 1 ea	5853 Wireless Glassbreak detector  

\* 2 ea	5804 4-button wireless keyfobs.

\* 1 ea  ???? Wireless Motion Detector (probably in some other box somewhere)

Here's my current thinking. Please review and pick apart or suggest better/cheaper/more modern ideas and approaches. Don't be shy!

* Continue to use the Vista 20P panel.

* Buy and set up an Envisalink 4 with the Vista 20P. (see discussion below).

* Buy (ebay, whatever) a wired keypad and put it next to the Vista 20P (model number yet to be determined)

* Buy three wireless keypads and put one by each door. (model yet to be determined)

* Install the two keyfobs, one for her purse and one for her bedstand (or wherever) and then buy and install two more and 'hide' them (assuming the V20p will support that many).

* Install glassbreak in her sunroom, and two of the 5814's door/window contacts one on each sunroom door.

* Wireless Smoke Detectors as needed

* Wireless Motion Detector(s) strategically placed.

* Window Contacts strategically placed.

Envisalink:

I've got a basic Home Assistant Core running on a dietpi system that I set up last time I was there because I was bored. It's strictly a monitoring thing. It does no controls right now. From my reading I can connect up the Envisalink to the Home Assistant which will then talk back and forth to the Vista 20p, and maybe help connect the Vista 20p to the outside world via the Starlink. I'm a bit hazy on that right now.

Monitoring:

I have no idea what to do. With spotty to no comms (with the possible exception of Starlink) I'm at a loss. I'm on the other side of the continent so Envisalink or Home Assistant or whatever can't call or SMS me. CO monitoring and alerting used to be "This Is The Way" but they were so expensive and so worse than useless that I don't even know if the CO concept has survived (they probably have...ADT, for example). Is there a better monitoring option than CO?

Is there a much easier approach to all this that I'm completely missing because I'm locked into what I knew?

Thanks in advance. I apologize for the length (and the not-so-subtle venting). And I have a proven track record of way overthinking stuff, hence the sanity check

Hello,

Is it possible to arm the Qolsys IQ Panel 4 in a mode where opening a certain door would trigger a local alarm via the siren? I need it to be more than just the voice notification.

My mother in law is declining with dementia and we're wanting to have a camera where we can keep an eye on her when we're running errands. As a birthday gift, a friend offered to buy us the cameras her sister installed to keep an eye on their mom, but I wanted to check on its secureability first. I have some tech knowledge and ability, but I'm a little out of date and in this case, I'd rather someone explain it to me like I have very little, just so I know I'm doing it right.

What I need:

• To actually have the cameras online so I can check when I'm away.
• Wireless would be easier, but I understand it's less secure. (There's one ethernet cable that has been run to that part of the house for her computer. I could get another switch if needed. Or two? If I need to keep her computer separate, but I'd prefer to keep the costs down if possible, and she'd probably obsess over the cables, since she's in that stage of dementia. Anything new or out of the ordinary is an obsession.) I do live in the sticks though, so it's not likely to be messed with by casual passers by or neighbors.
• Something that can see in dim light
• One or two cameras for indoors and maybe one outdoors for general security and if she wanders

The camera my friend offered to buy me is this one: https://www.amazon.com/Kasa-Smart-Home-Security-Camera/dp/B08GHX9G5L/

Is that reasonably secureable or is it prone to vulnerabilities that would be hard to protect against?

Can you link me good tutorials for setting something like this up securely away from the rest of the network but still internet accessible, or explain how if you have time?

I'd greatly appreciate it. Normally I'd spend a few days rabbit holing on the internet and absorbing all of this, but I'm exhausted and really at the end of what I have the spare mental energy for with everything we've been doing trying to deal with what has been a VERY fast descent into dementia, and having to readjust our lives to keep her safe/fed/happy. I wouldn't usually ask people do do all this work for me, but I don't have a lot left and I don't want to miss something and do it wrong.

Thanks!

ETA: Since the advice seems to be ring cams or any cam that can get online, which is great, can we talk security? I would like to keep these quarantined from the rest of the network but still able to get online, and I am concerned about security vulnerabilities from the cameras themselves.

Ever since we installed a skylight the wires motion sensors downstairs and upstairs are tripping (false positives). Shadow or light? Anyone experience this or have solutions

A family member has a basic Speco camera system (ZIPK8N2). But the remote viewing app for android (Speco Gray) really is trash. And doesn't work on a lot of a devices for some reason.

Is there a better third party alternative? More than happy to pay for it too

Hello everyone, I'm looking for a couple of new cameras for my Annke DVR, I have had several systems over 20 years with the same basic cabling done over the perimeter of the house.
I'll replace the DVR when time is due, but for now, I would like to replace some of the old cameras with shitty resolution for new ones with more features. I saw some ads on some Nightowls, but I'm not a fan of the brand having a shitty experience before, will the cameras be able to plug into my system and work with some of the features?
Is there a better alternative instead of Nightowl, I see that Annke has the same cameras, but just wondering what else is out there from people's experience.

https://nightowlsp.com/products/add-on-wired-1080p-spotlight-cameras-with-audio-alerts-and-sirens-2-pack-white

I'm having trouble finding the impossible. My father bought a wireless security camera from Eckerd's over 20 years ago. It included a receiver to plug into a TV. The camera recently died and I'm trying to find a replacement.

I just need a simple non-wifi wireless camera with a receiver to plug into a TV/monitor. No app/internet or recording required. The cameras I have come across online have their own small monitors with no option for an external display.

Thank you for any suggestions.

Looking for a durable floodlight camera powered by USB-C and solar. My Ring floodlight failed after a year due to rain, so I need something more weatherproof and reliable. Any recommendations for durable models or setups? Thanks!

I just moved into a new place, and the previous owner had quite a bit of older tech that I am upgrading. One of the things is the NVR system. He has a nr32p6-16 which I am guessing is just some Chinese thing that can be branded as a million different things. Hikivision is one I found while searching.

I am locked out of it, he doesn't know the password, which is ok because I want to upgrade it.

Is there a model of NVR that will work with these existing cameras? It seems to use a combination of IP cameras and probably the ones that came with the NVR.

Which NVR has the best app? Do any of them integrate well into homekit, or Hubitat and then homekit? etc?

The cameras are working but some are very out of reach on my house, so I would loe to be able to continue to use them.

Thanks!

I would like to upgrade my front door(s) with fingerprint locks, but is there a way to make them work alongside the existing intercom system?

Wanting a video doorball, but can't find old doorbell transformer to test voltage for a wired setup.

I assume you can't have a wired one installed and use a separate plug in wireless chime with it so you don't need to use the old chime transformer?

My house was built in 1972. We can not find our doorbell transformer anywhere to check if it is powerful enough to handle new wired technology. We've tried every avenue the electricians suggested.

We are not willing to wire a new video doorbell to old transformer, because I was told by an electrician it could blow the old transformer since we couldn't find it to test it, then not only would or old doorbell never work again, but then paying to have a new transformer wired in somewhere.

I understand wireless video doorbells are an option, but I've also read some say they are constantly changing batteries. Is that really an issue?

If batteries are not an issue, could I get a wireless one that then uses a plug in chime in our wall and no wiring involved? If so any you recommend?

Previous owners of the house I moved into had an ADT Security System installed which is not active anymore. I do not want to subscribe to any plans with ADT, but was wondering if I could just reuse the existing sensors they have and subscribe with some local monitoring company. Based on a few other posts in this sub, it seems like it might be possible to use something like konnected to achieve this, but I'm unsure if it'll be compatible with the existing system. Here is a photo of the existing ADT panel if that helps. The model number printed on the panel is SCW9057G-433. Would appreciate any insights!

I want a security camera that I can connect to my 10th Generation HP Windows 11 laptop that has good night vision no Wi-Fi connection. (Wired) on my laptop I have a Two USB connections and one HDMI.