I am looking into home security systems: monitored ? self installed - non monitored ?? (installing, lights)

[StrkAliteN]

My mind is overwhelmed by all the options - choices - endless good reviews - bad reviews dos and don'ts

Rarely have I ventured into something that has left me as befuddled as this

I need a good starting point.

I prefer a wireless self installed system w/o monthly fees for monitoring. May consider other options as it seems wireless / self monitoring has limited camera options ??

If I did choose a monitoring company / install ... who is best ? I swear I have researched this for the past 36-48 hours and I feel like I have been Jedi mind tricked everywhich way possible.

[SonorityGenius]

I was in the same boat. I chose SimpliSafe.

[riteshjain82]

Look at abode. goabode.com

[AksarbeN]

Originally Posted by StrkAliteN

My mind is overwhelmed by all the options - choices - endless good reviews - bad reviews dos and don'ts

Rarely have I ventured into something that has left me as befuddled as this

I need a good starting point.

I prefer a wireless self installed system w/o monthly fees for monitoring. May consider other options as it seems wireless / self monitoring has limited camera options ??

If I did choose a monitoring company / install ... who is best ? I swear I have researched this for the past 36-48 hours and I feel like I have been Jedi mind tricked everywhich way possible.

My neighbor down the street has a several wireless cameras. He found out after buying them that he needed a power outlet at each camera. He then found out that his PC & router couldn’t be “on” while he was monitoring the cameras with his cellphone. The company said it needed a separate IP address and router for the cameras to be viewed and notify him remotely. He wasn’t happy when he found that out after installing them.

Drive around your area and look at homes that have camera monitoring systems on their homes. Ask them what they use and who installed it for them in your area, unless you want to do it yourself. Check with the local police department and talk with some officers. They have good ideas and information that might give you some ideas of what works best for you in your neighborhood. Funny that I'm in a nicer neighborhood and have little crime but I've loaded up on security here doing a little at a time and working within a budget. Knowing what others in my neighborhood do or did helped me understand more about what I could do. Layers of security always works best. The bad guys look at my house and walk on down the street to the one without the lights and cameras that can be seen from the street, they try to avoid being seen and videoed.

[grampaTom]

We have ADT monitored system and glad of it. We were in Nashville for a wedding when our house was broken into. The alarm:
1) alerted neighbor who lit his house up pronto
2) notified law enforcement who arrived within 10 minutes
3) scared the thieves who ran away without taking anything
4) called us to ask if we were home and let us know what was going on
I feel like it paid for itself that night

[Nonesuch]

I believe SimpliSafe still has not addressed their significant security vulnerabilities?

There is a world of difference between the minimalist self-installed one-box homeowner products and a professionally installed monitored alarm. The tricky part with alarm system installers is avoiding the "free install" with upsell, high monthly rate, and long service contract.

When you get a "real" alarm installed by ADT or your local cable company, they generally use a local installer. If you contact a local directly, you can negotiate the installation price, avoid a contract, and get a monthly monitoring rate under ten bucks.

Originally Posted by AksarbeN

My neighbor down the street has a several wireless cameras. He found out after buying them that he needed a power outlet at each camera. He then found out that his PC & router couldn’t be “on” while he was monitoring the cameras with his cellphone. The company said it needed a separate IP address and router for the cameras to be viewed and notify him remotely. He wasn’t happy when he found that out after installing them.

All of that could have been prevented/solved with higher grade cameras and an experienced installer. Best approach for IP cameras is to go with standards-based: PoE 802.3xx and ONVIF Profile S.

There is very little integration between cameras and alarm systems, don't make your decision on alarm system provider based on their camera offerings -- aside from the fact that they're already drilling holes in the walls there's no reason to use the same company for both. If you go with a local installer, you can have them run Cat5e cable to where you want cameras, then install your own PoE cameras later.

[LAB6120]

You can buy a self-installed security system from Livewatch or Frontpoint, pretty easy install and they do offer indoor cameras. I went with Livewatch due to Frontpoint wanting a 36 month commitment but the equipment is the same. I then bought a wireless security camera system on Amazon and installed, what I like about this is it comes with a hard-drive(non-cloud) storage and connects to my router so I can view remotely.