Q: Can you recommend a home security system that doesn’t require a monitoring contract?
A: The DIY home security market has exploded with internet-connected devices that can monitor just about anything in or around your home.
If you’re willing to be your own “monitoring company” via your smartphone, you’ve got numerous options ranging from complete systems to various individual devices that can be used to create your own custom system.
Self-monitoring means that if you sleep through an alert on your smartphone in the middle of the night, you won’t know about it until you wake up the next morning. It also means that you will have to decide when to call the police or 911 based on what you are seeing on your smartphone.
Wired vs. wireless
Your first step is to access the areas that you want to monitor to determine whether you have electrical power and wired or wireless internet access there.
As internet access goes, opting for wired devices can eliminate a common point of failure when Wi-Fi issues arise.
Devices that plug directly into an electrical outlet also eliminate the possibility of a battery failure, but it can limit where you are able to install devices.
Complete systems
If you have a smaller house or apartment, you may be able to use one of the all-in-one solutions such as Canary or the upcoming Angee.
These single-device security systems are simple to set up and can monitor motion, sound, temperature and humidity while providing video streaming to show you what it’s seeing. The primary device can monitor your primary living space with various sensor options for extending the monitoring area if you need.
The popular SimpliSafe platform offers a much larger variety of monitoring sensors that are still simple to set up, because they’re all wireless.
While their $15 per month monitoring service is optional, you won’t get the full functionality, such as the ability to control everything from your smartphone unless you do. Their monitoring is month to month, so you have the flexibility to turn it on while you’re on vacation and discontinue it on your return.
Lowe’s Iris platform offers a similar package, including the ability to manage your devices remotely via your smartphone without having to pay for one of their monitoring packages.
One of the more complete systems with a lot of options for tinkerers comes from iSmartAlarm; it works with Amazon’s Alexa and the IFTTT platform.
Individual device options
There are a plethora of camera-based monitoring systems that range from the Ring Doorbell, Spot and Floodlight Cams to Nest Cams, which can work with their optional alarm sensors.
For those needing completely wireless security cameras, both Arlo and Blink offer wire-free devices so you can put them virtually anywhere you have a Wi-Fi signal. The batteries generally last one to two years, and both companies offer weatherproof options for outdoor use.
If your Wi-Fi signal range is an issue, don’t forget about my previous suggestion to upgrade to a “mesh network.”
Ken Colburn is the founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. Ask any tech question on his Facebook page or on Twitter.
