Reddit mentions: The best home security systems

I have recently gone down the road of automating my home. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Try not to lock yourself into an eco-system.
   
2. Google Home and Amazon Echo have similar capabilities, if you already have an Amazon, echo and if you like it go with more Alexa devices. As /u/TwiceBakedTomato already mentioned, Google Home or Amazon Alexa are only going to be voice-control part of your home automation. Also, if you already have a pixel phone, you can check out google's home skills, by using the google assistant.
   
3. Do not overlook Zwave. You can get a USB Zwave hub like this, and you won't have a bunch of bulbs and switches crowding your wifi network.
   
4. Check out Home Assistant. It is not really a works out-of-the-box solution (I can't speak for hass.io), but it is not hard to setup and has a lot of resources online. The possibilities with it are quite endless. The kind of automations you can have are only limited by the inputs/components you have configured and your imagination :)
   You can check all the components Home Assistant supports here. I have it configured with my TP-Link bulbs, switches, LIFX Bulbs, ZWave sensors, Zwave switches, Schalge Smart Lock, Roomba, NAS, Nest Cameras, Thermostat, etc...
   
5. For the doorbell, I would suggest going with the Nest Doorbell, Keep in mind there is an extra $50/yr (or $30/yr for each extra Nest cam) for Nest to save 24x7 video feed. It has however performed better than my older Ring doorbell which kept failing. Make sure your apartment doorbell is wired.
   
6. If you are getting more cameras, there are 2 options, going for a solution like Nest or Arlo, where the video feed storage, notification, etc is all handled by an external company; or getting cheaper IP/ONVIF Cameras and using your own surveillance/storage solution. I personally have a mix of both. I have a few nest cameras and a few cheaper IP cameras that record to my NAS. This gives me the peace of mind that in case someone breaks into my home and steals my NAS as well, I can still depend on Nest to have the break-in recorded and stored on their servers. I can also see the feed from all my cameras in a single place in Home Assistant.
   
   
   Miscellaneous thoughts:
   
   
7. Replacing wall switches are really easy, so don't restrict yourself to using only smart plugs. Just keep the older switches and put them back when you're moving out of your rental. (Obviously take appropriate safety precautions when working with live electric wires). They are also better when you have a multi-bulb lamp (like a chandelier), instead of getting 3-5 smart bulbs to make the chandelier smart, you can just get a single smart-switch which controls it.
   
8. Look into a smart lock, they are easy to install and are great! I currently have this one.
   
9. You can setup Home Assistant in something as small as a raspberry pi. Or if you have a older laptop lying around you can easily install Home Assistant, an MQTT server, Grafana, etc on docker containers on the same system
   
10. If you like DIY stuff, instead of getting a $35-$60 multi sensor like this, you can easily put together one with a ESP8266 and sensors which would cost about $8-$10 in total.
    
11. Make sure you set a budget. It's very easy to start buying stuff and a lot of approx. $30 stuff will add up quickly :)
    
    Hope this wall of text helps you. Happy Automating!
    
    e: spelling

You'll want to look at Smart things by Samsung or even a hubitat with z wave motion sensors, door sensors and z wave light switches.

Smart things

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SmartThings-Generation-GP-U999SJVLGDA-Automation/dp/B07FJGGWJL/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=smartthings&qid=1568218834&s=hi&sr=1-4

Hubitat

https://www.amazon.com/Hubitat-Elevation-Home-Automation-Hub/dp/B07D19VVTX/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11LGAJMZT4XTM&keywords=hubitat&qid=1568218857&s=hi&sprefix=Hubitat%2Ctools%2C181&sr=1-4

If you go the z wave /z wave plus route things tend to be much more stable and you can build a interference free IOT network. Zigbee runs on 2.4ghz so its generally less preferred to z wave that operates at a interferance-FREE 800-900 MHz.

Things like the GE Z wave light switches are great for a good reliable IOT network.


GE Z wave light switch & Extender

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Extender-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=zwave+ge+light+switch&qid=1568218742&s=gateway&sr=8-2

For locks I highly recommend the Keyless Yale locks. $98 a piece, very reliable and they work great with a z wave network. They also use a hardened steel strike plate, a solid steel body, a tamper alarm, a anti saw dead bolt core and cant be picked.

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You'll want a good quality door sensor, good reliable ones are few and far between so make sure you get something that has great amazon reviews. Dont cheap out here as flaky contact sensors are everywhere and its not worth the $5 when it doesn work half the time.


Z Wave Door Sensor


https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=29QS4YGELWFZR&keywords=zwave+door+sensor&qid=1568220339&s=hi&sprefix=Z+wave+door%2Ctools%2C170&sr=1-4


Yale Z wave YRD110ZW619 Dead bolt

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PM6V1XW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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I also use an Abode Security System thats z wave based with my z wave locks feeding in to it. Abode is great as its got all the fancy features other alarm systems offer but has no monthly charge!!


Abode Security System

https://goabode.com/?rfsn=2685339.3291b5


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For Smart outlets I dont have any z wave ones yet, just a couple of TP-Link kasa ones. I would probably go for GE in wall outlets though. DONT SKIMP on your outlets, lesser known brands have been know to catch on fire!

I have 19 kasa light bulbs and they work pretty darn good, but I would recommend GE outlets for much better home automation. Smart light bulbs are good for basic stuff but once someone turns off the light switch you cant turn them back on until you flip the switch.


Kasa Light Bulbs LB110

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-LB110-Smart-Wi-Fi-Dimmable/dp/B01HXM8XE2/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Kasa+bulbs&qid=1568220252&s=hi&sr=1-5

Please note that Smart things and Hubitat are booth good in there own respects, Smart things is good for people who know how to use a computer but are not power users. Hubitat is great for people who own a github account and really want the full automation experience. Hubitat runs most/all IOT commands locally and doesn't rely on the cloud for processing.

I skipped hubitat and went for HASSIO, I really, REALLY, dont recommend this rout unless your a computer tech as the learning curb can be really steep!!! It runs on your own server, I use the VB version


HASSIO

https://www.home-assistant.io/hassio/

So my suggestions: I've linked the things I use, but they're just suggestions.

• Lighting: Philips hue. This is because you don't want to wire up any new light switches. If you get a starter pack like this one it comes with a light switch you can place on the wall with double sided tape. You just have to teach the people in your house not to use the old switch anymore. In the case of kids rooms, the switch actually pops out of the holder and you could put it on their nightstand or whatnot so they can turn the lights on if they need to. The stand alone accent lights they have are really good as well, I have a few behind my TV that make the room pop somewhat.
  
• Zwave door / window sensors. With the dongle these are more useful then you'd think. If you have these and hue bulbs you could have hall lights turn on at like 10% brightness at night so you can see if you need to get up at night. I use them for my back patio so when I take the dogs out at night the lights automatically turn on, then turn off 15 min later on their own. If you're new to Zwave remember that these sensors do not repeat the signal. In your case since you don't want wire in powered devices you would need to get some repeaters to make sure you have enough signal strength or you won't receive events.
  
• Smart plugs: Weemo are good, but if you don't want to have a whole bunch of different types of devices, zwave would work just as well and it would also help with your signal strength. I actuallly use both in my setup to control things like air-purifiers and I have a few that report how much energy they use so I can automate things like when the dishwasher is running or laundry is done.
  
• Thermostat: I'm not sure if I can help you with that. I use a Nest for my whole house, but sounds like your setup may be different. There are plenty of good zwave thermostats out there you could hook up to this setup tho.
  
  

I think it's easier to search for minor inconveniences and annoyances around your house, then search for ways to automate it away.

I gotta watch out with this site or I'll end up in the non-automated poorhouse, but it's awesome for product discovery
http://www.smarthomedb.com/products

Since you mentioned OpenHAB, the supported technologies list is a good place to start a wishlist too
http://www.openhab.org/features/supported-technologies.html

I'm using z-wave for most of my devices, so the product database is full of devices that are more likely to be compatible
https://github.com/openhab/openhab/blob/master/bundles/binding/org.openhab.binding.zwave/database/products.xml

This forum thread is also great for seeing what other people have gotten working
https://community.openhab.org/t/collection-of-working-z-wave-configs/1407

Personally, I've had great luck with these devices:

Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Z-Stick, Gen5 Z-Wave Plus - ZW090 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_cIbCwbYMNV0A4

2gig CT100 Z-Wave Programmable Thermostat (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008CQ4V3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_3IbCwbNFR9PQ6

MIMOLite - Z-wave Mulit-Input/Output Dry Contact Bridge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6RZ7MM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_uKbCwbF1ZBAXK

GE12722 Z-Wave Wireless Lighting Control On/Off Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035YRCR2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_oLbCwbQCFR48K

GoControl WNK01-21KIT Z-Wave Essentials Wink Enabled Security Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUXYSWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_p5bCwbRY8TXQ5

I have an old ADT installed Safewatch pro 3000 alarm, and this ties it into OpenHAB really nicely.
http://www.alarmdecoder.com/

I'm comfortable pulling wires through the walls, so I use one of these for TTS playback from my OpenHAB box:
Elk ELK-70 Echo Speaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XP1HZ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_kZbCwb799TN4C

Driven by one of these:
Lepai LP-2020A+ Tripath TA2020 Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amplifier with Power Supply https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049P6OTI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_X0bCwb7MYGM47

A few scenarios might help with inspiration.

I have a sensor on my garage entry door that kicks on the laundry room light when the door is opened so I never enter a dark house with my hands full.

If it's 00:00 - 06:00 and any perimeter sensors on the alarm are tripped, all outside and main level lights come on at full brightness

I have a sensor on my garage door to send me an alert if it has been open for more than 15 minutes, and a camera and a mimolite to close it remotely

My wife works nights so I have a mimolite to disable the upstairs doorbell while she's sleeping during the day. It sends our phones alerts if the doorbell is rung while silenced

Sure thing!

So I used a Raspberry Pi, but you could also use a virtual server or old desktop. The nice thing about the Pi is it is super cheap and uses very little energy since you have to leave it on all the time. It is far cheaper to buy the Pi than to use an old desktop that is sitting around. Use Z-Wave Plus (aka Gen5) devices, the older non-plus devices can't be upgraded and most do not support encryption.

So, things you'll need:

A Raspberry Pi: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CD5VC92/

A Z-wave plus controller (I went with the Aeotec Gen5 because it is well supported by the project): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00X0AWA6E/

A cheap Raspberry Pi case: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J1BNANM/

Z-wave plus devices you want to control. For the outdoor lights I used: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W9NWFM3/

A MicroSD card (At least 8GB, the higher the class the better, but you don't need to go overboard) : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KFXIDO/

An old micro USB phone charger

A MicroSD card reader


So there are several ways to install Home Assistant (https://home-assistant.io). I started trying out trying their new Hass.io operating system and found it just wasn't as stable as I would have liked as of yet and documentation was lacking. I'm not knocking the OS, but personally I ended up installing it on top of Raspbian Lite. To install, you’ll want to head over here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/downloads/noobs/  and follow the instructions on copying the files to your MicroSD card. When you get to the point of installing an OS, choose Raspbian Lite.

After you get done installing head over here: https://home-assistant.io/docs/installation/raspberry-pi/ . This gives a pretty straightforward installation guide on how to install on Raspbian Lite. It helps to have some familiarity with POSIX-oriented operating systems.

From this point on you can branch out in many directions depending on what you want to do. Home Assistant is highly customizable. Read the docs and follow examples. There are forums if you get stuck and I’d be happy to answer any questions or give suggestions for whatever use case you might have.

Hope that helps :-)

HA is definitely more user friendly. Its discovery process does an excellent job of finding most entities. I find openahb to be more stable with the z-wave protocol, but it's a more established product. HA has a lot of momentum. They are prolific with updates and feature additions.

I'm currently running Openhab because I have z-wave stability issues in HA, but I have a feeling I will switch to HA eventually once it irons it out. The beauty of raspberry pi is that cheap SD cards can act as swappable hard drives. So I actually have one card with Openhab and another with HA. I simply shutdown, swap cards and I can run the other system. 8GB is plenty if home automation is all you're running on an image.. those can be bough for $6 nowadays.

One thing you'll want to do is research protocols before setting it up. In addition to HA or Openhab, many protocols require additonal hubs or controllers to talk the language to those devices. So for Z-wave, you would need something like this. HA and Openhab are very flexible and can talk many protocols, but just keep in mind that talking multiple protocols may or may not be exactly free (depending on the protocol/technology).

I had never lived alone either, I went straight from my mum's to a friends and then in with my STBX. I was in the house for a couple weeks on my own and now in my own apartment since the beginning of this month. I am a very anxious person. I'm also very paranoid. I got an apartment with a garage. It was more expensive and obviously not possible everywhere, but something like that made me feel safe. A few other things I did: got a taser, got an addalock, got an alarm system (simpli safe, it includes a panic button next to my bed), got a baseball bat and got these two little cheap alarms off amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/GE-Protection-Installation-Apartment-45115/dp/B00178HMCI ) that I turn on at night so if anyone opens my doors I can hear them. Don't know what I will do if I hear it, grab the baseball bat and hide in the bathroom?

I have 2 cats, they are pretty good about looking up if they hear a noise, but the fridge spooks them, so, I don't rely on them. A lot of people suggested a dog, but I'm only allowed 2 pets and my cats would likely murder me. I keep the light above the oven on all night, it's enough light so I can see out my bedroom doorway at night. I don't know when I became afraid of the dark, but there you go. Hopefully I'll get over it.

Before I moved out, I read a lot of articles about women living alone. Everything said get a dog, make friends with your neighbours (they'll notice if something odd happens or if they hear anything), don't do anything stupid, like be alone with delivery men or share a bunch on social media about where you live. I've posted things about living alone, but nothing really outside or local where people could figure out what apartment complex I'm at. not that I think they would, but like I said, I am an anxious and paranoid person.

I'm an introvert, but my love language is quality time lol... so I get lonely very easily. I've had people over, even to just watch a movie, or I go out to Target because it's a few mins away and I just wander the aisles. I've watched more TV than I used to and I do spend a bit more time on reddit. I'm sure I'll get used to being alone soon, but it's hard to adjust. This might seem silly because it doesn't directly have to do with loneliness or anxiety, but focusing on all the advantages of living alone helps as well - like I can buy certain foods without worrying someone will eat them all in one sitting! I can have my music on without annoying anyone watching football... hey, football never has to be on in my home again! I can leave a light on without anyone coming behind me and switching it off. I can have chips and dip for dinner. I can watch dorky cheesy movies without listening to someone's commentary on how dorky and cheesy the movie is. Reminding myself of all those silly little things chips away at the loneliness, which makes me feel more comfortable which makes me less anxious.

So, long story long, for my anxiety, the alarm system helps make me feel safe and I appreciate having the light on in the kitchen overnight. Find those things for you, and do them, regardless of how silly they might make you feel. Hope this helps, sorry for the novel :)

I'm not a EE so don't know much about noise and cable length, but my hunch is that you should be able to run something that long with shielded cable, as opposed to just regular old unshielded hookup wire.

Are you going to build the actual sensors yourself? If you're running a whole bunch of cable it might be just as simple as creating two metal contacts for each door that touch/don't touch when the door is closed/open respectively, creating a closed or open circuit. If you want something fancier, there are a bajillion varieties of window/door alarms like this that you could probably hack.

While "drill a hole in the wall" is probably the easiest solution, as you mentioned, it's not that elegant...I haven't done anything with wireless transmitting before, but it looks like SparkFun carries relatively cheap RF transmitters and receivers. I didn't look at the data sheets so I don't know if you can just continuously broadcast analog data from the transmitters and have the receivers hooked up to your Arduino inside, or if you'd need one on both ends. If you do need a second Arduino, there are cheaper options like the Pro Mini - I just ordered one a few days ago (haven't gotten it yet), but my impression is that it's smaller, and basically the same thing as the Uno but you have to solder everything yourself, making it nicer for permanent embedded projects.

I'd be interested to see how this turns out to set up something similar in my own house, in case you feel like posting pics/code/circuit diagrams when you're done.

I was looking for something similar. My requirements were as follows:

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Powered by doorbell transformer (16-24VAC) not batteries
Small footprint (width <= 2" wide)
Wifi
No cloud dependency
Unobtrusive, doesn't look ridiculous (subjective)
Doesn't cost a fortune ($200 or less)

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I found this one and am very happy with it. From what I've been able to find for info it appears to be an OEM version of a Hikvision NDB313-W and is very similar to the LaView Halo One and the RCA Video Doorbell versions but without the associated branding and reliance on their branded apps. It costs $140 shipped and uses a micro SD card (16GB card included) for local storage. As a bonus and though undocumented, it appears to be ONVIF compliant and I was able to add it to my Amcrest NVR as an ONVIF camera and am recording video 24/7. I've only had it installed for a week or so and installation was simple. It uses the EzViz app, which while a bit clunky is very workable.

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I initially had issues getting my indoor mechanical chime working with it but the issue turned out to be existing transformer was too underpowered (10 volt 5 VA) to pull in the chime's solenoid. I replaced it with a 24V 40VA transformer and all has been fine since. Nelly's Security tech support was very responsive and helpful and my only complaint with the doorbell is that it plays a "ding dong" sound from its' internal speaker when the doorbell button is pressed. Nelly's is looking in to the issue it pretty sure it can be disabled.

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As far as your particular use case goes you obviously won't get the "someone is ringing your door bell" notifications if you're away from home and the doorbell might not have internet access. But it will record motion events on its' internal micro SD card and you should be able to view them using the EzViz app when you're connected to your local network. And if you have an ONVIF compliant NVR you should be able to record the video from the doorbell cam.

You could try fishing a neutral wire from the ceiling fixturewall outlet to the switchbox. I've done it in my house, but I don't know if I would try it in an apartment.

Alternative products: Since this switch controls an outlet, it's against code to use a dimmer switch on it. And dimmer switches are the only "smart" products I'm aware of that can operate without a neutral.

You're probably better off replacing the wall outlet with a smart outlet or any smart wall wart. Here's GE's in-wall smart outlet since you seem to be leaning toward zwave already.

You can control that smart outlet with something like GE's wall controller or velcro an aeotec minimote to the wall and use that. Even better - you could use an Amazon Echo for control - I rarely physically interact with smart switches since I got a modicum of automation running and a few Echos around the house for voice control.

Pretty much most custom setups here use the aeotec z-wave stick and either Open Hab or Home Assistant. Open Hab has a pretty new configuration UI but its not finished yet so there is still a far amount of not so trivial configuring that you have to do. Home assistant is just writing config files (YAML) but the documentation is amazing and its pretty easy if you are even remotely tech savvy. As stated already in the thread you do need a spare computer to essentially act as a hub.


I've been running this setup for almost a year (home assistant) and I haven't had any problems so far, its very stable.


Also you can give home assistant a shot before you switch as it supports the smart things hub!

I'm glad they are taking this seriously for you! Terrifying incident and not something I would ever want to experience.

A few things you can do to help you feel better about being home alone. Obviously make sure your doors are locked (thankfully in this case it seems like they were) just to help prevent someone coming in by opening it. There is also something called "door Jam armor" that I was recommended here to prevent someone from kicking in your door. It's not expensive, really easy to install and unobtrusive.

There are little chimes you can get for windows Amazon link that are equally unobtrusive and just make a very loud chirping noise if the window is opened without them being disengaged. These would wake you up similar to a smoke detector but louder.

You can also pick up keychain mace, or just regular mace to carry around and have at home so that if someone physically stronger than you breaks in, or tries to attack you there is a way to respond.

If you are comfortable with it having a gun at home can give you a means of self defense in the case of someone larger breaking in. It's not for everyone, but it is a tool that helps some people feel more comfortable after incidents like this. My mother experienced a very traumatic incident with a neighbors home and could not stand to be at home alone until she had picked up a gun. She's never had to use it but it made her feel much safer being a smaller, single woman.

Ultimately you are unlikely to ever have an incident like this occur again, thankfully! But taking a few steps to make yourself feel more comfortable in your own home, and be prepared just in case something happens is not the worst move.

Hi! Welcome to the expensive, frustrating and exciting world of home automation!

You will find people using all sorts of things for switches, from arduinos shoved behind a wall plate, to multi-hundred dollar crestron panels.

I would suggest diving into the world of z-wave for this particular niche. I did a lot of research on this subject, and I think it will best accomplish your goal. GE makes a line of z-wave switches. They aren't cheap, but they work really well with home assistant. I would check those out! Feel free to PM me or reply below with any other questions.

Good luck!!

Edit: You might also want to check out something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OUWABU

That's an interesting approach. But 2x $32 micro switch/dimmer, plus $40 scene controller is $100 minimum. Even if I was happy with my old fan, that set up won't give me control over the speed of the fan remotely. I thought that dimmers should not be used to control fan speed.

Unless I am looking at the wrong parts:
Aeon Labs DSC26103-ZWUS - Z-Wave In-Wall Micro Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VWBNAU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SZ6CzbJ281ENH

GE 45631 Z-Wave Wireless Keypad Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OUWABU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_P06CzbWC2KG9Z

For half that price I can get this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Wink-Enabled-White-Universal-Ceiling-Fan-Premier-Remote-Control-99432/206591100

That controller gives me speed and light control (with dimming) at a remote on the wall and in Wink. I would guess it's just zwave, so SmartThings might work with it too.

I would go for the $50 controller if I liked my existing fans, but part of the drive is that I don't like the style, and one fan is dying. I like that $200 fan that includes the automation better than any $150 fan I have seen, so it's a net savings too.

I also have a situation that may not work with those micro components anyway. My fan was wired power to fixture, then switches. So I don't have any real neutrals at my switches for the scene controller. Like this:
http://www.easy-do-it-yourself-home-improvements.com/images/wiring-a-4-way-switch.jpg

Congratulations! I recently moved into my own place and have found a few things that helped.


Depending on your budget, I'd recommend the Canary ($200). It's a wireless camera that instantly alerts you if there's any activity in your house while you're away. You can also check in via wireless video at any time.


I also use a door alarm for extra peace of mind while I'm home.


I now always carry readily-accessible pepper spray and a small flashlight when I'm going out or coming home in the dark.


A final random tip: I keep my energy bill low by using a space heater in the room I'm hanging out in.


Hope that helps! Best of luck with the new place. :)

Welcome to OpenHab! I've been using OpenHabian on a Raspberry PI for over a year and I love it.

Here's a link for steps to install OpenHabian on a Raspberry PI.

I'm not sure if it's the best Zwave stick but I use the Aeotec Z-stick Gen 5. I've been using it for over a year and it works great, I haven't had any problems. Getting my Zwave stuff working was the first thing I did when I started using OpenHab, so I'm a little foggy on the setup steps. I think I referenced this link to setup my Zwave stick with my OpenHabian. I don't remember using a guide to setup the Zwave stick. I'll poke around to see if I can find one.

If you haven't already, I would recommend reading through the Overview section on the OpenHab website before starting to setup the Zwave stick. That will walk you though the main concepts of OpenHab. If you need more help let me know. I would be happy to offer recommendations for different sensors and actuators that have worked well for me.

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I'm not too surprised she wouldn't think anything of someone taking the car. The car comes and goes, that isn't unusual, and she may have forgotten that it is your car, not the neighbors (not saying the neighbors were the ones that took it, but she may have thought the car was theirs, so it wasn't something she had to worry about). I'm more worried that she might wander out on her own, let someone in the house, or leave the door unlocked. So my suggestions are going to be aimed at keeping her safe.

Door chimes, so she can't sneak out.

Consider the locks:
This does not mean you should change the locks in your loved one’s home so that they can never leave, but instead, have them moved to a higher or lower position on the door. If your loved one has to bend down or stand on their tippy-toes to reach the door lock, they will have a harder time opening doors. This small amount of extra effort gives them enough time to stop and think about why they’re trying to open the door, often giving themselves time to realize they have no reason to leave, and instead deciding to stay inside the safety of the house. Simply put, keeping locks out of eyesight leads to less chance they will wander outside of their home.

Motion sensor lights, both inside and out. Inside, they keep her from getting hurt because she forgot to turn on the lights. Outside, the regular reason for having motion lights.

And become more than passing acquaintances with you neighbors. If they are people you can trust (won't take advantage of her condition), let them know the basics of her condition and invite them over for coffee so she can get to know them. If they know what is going on, they are more likely to check in if they see something unusual, and if she has met them a few times, even if she can't remember who they are, she will be more likely to respond positively if they catch her wandering. Also, neighbors can be great security systems.

You are correct to be paranoid, but thats just a natural reaction. Increase your security, and the paranoia should subside.

Some ways to beef up your urban living security situation

• Get a dog. Best. Security. Ever.
  
• Add a little security tech to your pad. Doesn't matter how broke you are, you can afford a $12 Door Stop Alarm. You could also splurge $40 on a motion detector that will email you when the door is opened.
  
• Get some creepy security alarm stickers for the windows. You make think that is ridiculous, but its cheap, easy, and makes you at least a slightly less attractive target.
  
• Lock your doors

Hi,

If you want a primer on current security camera technology, my guide to IP cameras may help. As you will find though, I am not one who recommends storing everything on the cloud.

For a doorbell, if you want a ready to use device, consider the Ring Doorbell. If you are happy to go the DIY home automation route, you can use a standard bell linked to a home automation gateway device which can then pretty much trigger any event/action you need. Eg. Play a sound through your home theatre or SONOS, take a picture from the security camera and email to your phone, send a push notification to your phone, automatically play a recorded greeting etc. An example of a gateway device is the Vera Plus.

In fact this is going to be my next project!

Daniel

We use a Dropcam and it works out pretty well. Wireless, streams great, audio and video quality is acceptable, night vision is pretty good, cost isn't bad, works with Android/iPhone with push alerts (configurable audio/video) as well as an optional offsite DVR service (Free for one month). It doesn't have a motorized base for pan/tilt and does not zoom if that's important to you.

Ok, I have a couple of suggestions.

First, what is your door made of, and how sturdy does the jamb look? I'll give you a hint: the jamb isn't sturdy enough. There are kits you can buy online to reinforce the door jamb (like the strikemaster pro 2). A good kit will have a steel bar that spans most of the jamb, hinge reinforcement, and a strike plate that goes around the deadbolt. The major advantage is that the door/hinge reinforcements have about a dozen 3" screws on these kits that go all the way into a stud, making it much more difficult to kick in. The door itself is much, much stronger than the jamb, which is usually very thin wood and not secured to much. Nothing will make the door impenetrable, but jamb reinforcement will help. At the least, an intruder may bail and break into someplace that's easier to enter. As for the door itself, you can consider replacing it with a steel door or a stronger wooden door. Odds are pretty good that it's plenty sturdy though - the real point of weakness is the jamb.

Your locks... That's another story. Ever hear of bumping? This is how easy it is to open most deadbolts with a $2 bump key that can be bought online or made at home. Unless your lock has an unusual key shape, it's probably susceptible to this "technique". There are locks on the market that make this more difficult or impossible if it's something you're worried about. Most thieves seem to prefer (based on what statistics I've seen) just kicking the damn thing in, but it's something to consider. But anybody who wants in badly enough is going to gain entry somehow. Once they're in, you want to make sure you know about it and hopefully they get scared off. On to alarm systems.

As for an alarm system, I cannot recommend the SkyLink system (based on the SC-100 control panel) enough. It's about $100 on Amazon. It's all wireless, control panel has battery backup, and it can be quickly and easily customized by adding extra sensors for door/window, motion, flood and vibration. You can attach extra keypads and sirens, program zones and alarm modes, and even attach an auto-dialer if you have a landline. It can't directly call 911, but you can have it send a recording to like 8 different numbers if the alarm is tripped. I had a simple set up in an apartment (control panel, extra keypad, door sensor, and extra siren) with it in about 15 minutes. I've since moved to a townhouse and expanded the system to about 10 sensors, 3 keypads, 3 sirens... It's cheap, reliable, and effective. While it doesn't give you the "cops are on the way" effect of a pro-monitored system, it gives you peace of mind that nobody is getting into your home while you're there without you knowing about it. Plus, any petty thief will hear the alarm run like hell (seriously, who puts an alarm in an apartment??). Effective range advertised is 100 yards, in actuality it's about 100 feet through walls, further if there's nothing blocking the signal.

There are lots of alarm options out there to look at, though... You can get an Ademco from many sites -- it's professional equipment and you'll need to know what you're doing to install it. This is the exact same equipment you'll get if you buy a monitored system (well, models vary but you know what I mean). You can get some wireless gadgets, but it's far more complicated and expensive than the skylink. There are also some smaller-scale systems to consider as well (which may be just fine if you're only securing two doors and aren't looking to expand the system) like this one by GE and this other one by skylink (does not include the master control panel, armed and disarmed by key fobs). Look around on Amazon, there's a pretty decent market for these types of alarms.

Sorry for the wall of text -- I've been researching door reinforcement recently, and no kidding, I love my skylink system.

Edit: added link for SC-100 system

You could do this using zwave devices. It will cost some money up front but you'll have a solid base to build out more complex home automation tasks if you want to.

You can turn any computer into a local "hub" with a Zwave USB dongle. This one is pricey but works really well. Plug that into a spare laptop lying around the house or buy a Raspberry PI.

Install the Home Assistant package on the computer or PI that you plugged the dongle into. This makes it easy to send and receive signals from Zwave devices without having to learn a bunch of low level APIs. You can write automation commands using YAML markup or write complex, custom tasks using Python. Home Assistant is just a bundle of open source free software, so I don't think of it as a "service", but you could roll your own software if you like that replaces it. It all runs locally, not in the cloud, so you own and control it.

Now you can buy any Zwave switch you want. GE has a bunch of reasonable priced switches.

You can get an "add on" switch that does not hook into your home power but controls smart light bulbs like Hue using over the air signals.

Or you can buy a real switch that does control existing lights through the power in your home -- this will let you send signals to your switch using your Home Assistant "hub" to turn lights on or off and dim them without having to replace existing bulbs.

Have fun.

I bought these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00032AVN6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_ao4PwbVEVD67Y

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UD5HJE/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_Mo4PwbCFS61SJ


I'm from a extremely small town maybe 2 murders in like 20 years or more. Break ins unheard of etc. I'm in a place literally over 200xs bigger I'm was so paranoid all the time. I know the wireless alarms won't do much to protect but it's an awesome deterrence.

Bake some cookies and give them to your neighbors extra eyes are always welcome. Our apartment has security and everyone is pretty nice.

If you know anything about Linux it should be easy to pick up. If you don't know anything about Linux and you want to learn by doing, this is a great way to start. I'm somewhere it the middle, and it taught me a few things without being totally annoying.

Grab a Raspberry Pi and follow the instructions in the Getting Started section of http://home-assistant.io. Since it runs a database on your Pi, get a fast SD card; that will be the bottleneck in speed for the UI.

The Z-Wave contoller I'm using is one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-ZW090-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E/

It holds all of the information regarding your Z-Wave devices direcly onboard the dongle.

The Z-Wave controller plus the Raspberry Pi running Home Assistant are the equivalent of the "hub" you're talking about. You can expand it to do pretty much whatever you want, too.

Yes, it's more complicated to get set up, but you can do a lot more than the name brand hubs once you're comfortable with it.

Their forums are a good source of help, but if you take the dive and get stuck feel free to PM me.

Thanks for the information.

I thought Zigbee/Z-Wave wireless sensors were generally compatible with any transceiver (as long as they're the same protocol)? So if I had (for example) a Z-Wave USB dongle that provided a generic virtual serial port or some other interface, I could send and receive messages from a computer to Z-Wave sensors that were paired to the wireless network? (Note: I just randomly selected those two links from Google for examples -- I have no idea if they're compatible or anything, I'm totally new to these technologies and this is what I'm researching.)

I don't have a Raspberry Pi, but I read a few articles talking about modules that could communicate with Zigbee and ZWave, so that's why I mentioned it. I'd rather just use a USB dongle transceiver/antenna with my existing Linux server.

My NVR is just a basic Python application I wrote that's running on the Linux server that records my camera streams to disk with a web interface to view them live or from recordings. It'd be easy to additionally listen to wireless sensor messages, and then log them, tag the recordings and send an alert. That's what I want to do, but I don't know what kind of hardware to look at.

I could set up a motion detection zone on each camera and capture ONVIF events but I feel like a simple door is open or closed sensor would have less false positives. Plus, I want to learn about wireless sensor tech. :)

You can get something like this in the meantime. They tend to carry them at home improvement stores. Place them on your front door and your sliding door, as well as any bedroom windows.

Also with regards to changing the locks—most places state that if you change them yourself it’s allowed, provided you return the new keys upon moving out and immediately give the landlord/office a copy for their master set. Look over your lease and see.

If you’re in a US state with no waiting period and can afford it OR you can borrow one, get a shotgun. You don’t need bullets/shells. Hear me out. The point is not to keep a loaded gun or be prepared to use it; the point is to use the sound of the shotgun slide racking to scare someone off if they happen to make it inside. You can ask the gun shop to show you how to rack it. It’ll make a very loud “ch-chuck” sound that is enough to scare just about any intruder away. Guns hold their value extremely well so once this gets sorted out you can sell it without taking a financial loss.

Alternatively if you have a webcam you can turn it into a security cam with software until your security system arrives. Just point your laptop or webcam at the door and it can be programmed to start recording/snapping pics when it detects motion. I used one when I lived in an old apartment before leaving on vacation. The quality usually isn’t great but you’ll have the images saved on your phone.

I hope you stay safe! Please update us!

There are products like this, but the reviews show people having a good amount of success as well as people who say it doesn't work.

Also, there are things like this, where it will merely alert you to your door opening.

/u/DavidAg02 answered all the questions. I'll just add to it.

Lights: The Philips Hue Starter Kit would be great because it supports the Google Assistant which works with the Google Home & Homekit which works with Siri. I got the iHome ISP6X Wi-FI Smart Plug for the same reason.

TV: Make sure you keep the Chromecast plugged into the wall if you want it turn the TV on & off. This feature won't work it's plugged into the TV's USB. Also get the 2nd generation.

Speakers: The Google home & Chromecast audio works great together especially if you want multi room support.

That's a nice price. Too bad they apparently don't work (based on the other article).

The GoControl ones work, but cost more, unless you get them in a kit.

Home Depot link

Apparently, they're rebranded under a lot of names. Monoprice sells them, too. Honestly, I wonder what's inside the one you linked.

I picked them up for $41.23 (check the price history on camelcamelcamel) in this bundle on Amazon

... and these, also at Home Depot, look suspiciously similar.

I'm still experimenting with the motion sensor; once you understand how it sleeps between motion alerts, it seems to be working fine. I installed it at the recommended 6', enabled small pet, and it still detects my cats. I'm entertaining raising it or trying the large pet setting.

The sleep value is programmable with a compatible system, but can't be programmed (currently/if ever?) with Wink. You can override it completely via a jumper (always on), but at cost to battery life.

It also includes a temp sensor that says it updates every 1 degree, but the Wink app will often say it's been 68 for five or more hours; no way the temp in my house is THAT stable. I'm left wondering if it reports temp when there's no motion in the room.

These window/door sensors also have TWO contacts; the first one is obvious (the included internal sensor); there are terminals inside that let you add another external sensor contact; it can sense two doors/windows from the one remote, but Wink doesn't (currently/if ever) respond to the code from the external sensor. I hope they will, as I want to use another on my french door refrigerator. One wireless remote monitoring two door sensors.

I'm using one right now on our freezer, and was able to hide it fairly well, too, especially after removing the magnet from its plastic housing that makes it 5 times the size (and any powerful enough magnet would do the trick); our freezer door has never closed very well, without an extra push ... and is often left .5" - 2" open until someone notices hours later after the temp has risen to 17, it's been running all day trying to get back down to 0, and everthing inside is slushy and covered in frost; we now get an alert if it remains open 3 minutes and 5 minutes.

I plan to get more of those kits from Amazon and use the motion sensors as vacancy sensors to turn off lights in empty rooms.

... and here's a comparison review I just found.

I have a couple of these on a sliding glass door. They work pretty well and they are sensitive enough to trigger when you're opening the door. Problem is if my cat messes with them they can go off.

As for door opening something like this or this

Now granted I'm no guru when it comes to home defense. I live in a nice area where people can leave their bikes out over night unlocked and expect them to be there in the morning.

I have insurance so if I do get robbed I'm covered. I have valuables secured as best as I can since i'm renting. My concern is when my gf or I are home and someone tries to get in or something I want to be awake.

r/letnotmeet has an official guide on the sidebar that has good tips as far as safety/physical security goes. one thing that's not on there are what's called "security bars" that you can buy from amazon. they block in doors/windows/sliding doors from being broken in while you're at home, like when you're sleeping.

i'd also consider posting on trollx for advice as well. there's some of us trolls who've gone through some shit and may be able to give good advice.

for restraining order, for one thing, he'll need the exact address of where he needs to stay away from. since he already knows her home address, i would just be careful putting on there specific locations that he doesn't know about, if that makes sense. restraining orders might only be half as helpful if there isn't some way to catch him violating it. i'd recommend some sort of night security camera. i put these on my tech wishlist after ppl recommended them on the recent r/aww post on the cat triggering the night camera:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=I32NXUP8ELY3US&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MMRV1M/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=IXT7HPA0HMC8D&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BG4K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=I2NHMUTKAQWLNC&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=IYEA8OCV4N4GA&psc=1

as for stopping cold turkey or de-escalating, that's up to her. but whatever she chooses, and hell, even now, she NEEDS to be prepared for his possible actions when she does do it, cuz he's gonna get pissed, which might lead to silent insidious revenge or straight out attack.

that means not going anywhere alone, securing her house and car when she's alone, setting up apps that can be immediately triggered quietly to call for help, carrying pepper sprays/defense stuff depending on local laws, etc etc, there's a lot you can do. and making sure her friends/family/coworkers/employer knows -the more eyes keeping a lookout for him the better (show them a picture of him). these fuckers relish on getting the upper hand and she needs to get in control of the situation. (and yes, i know a lot of this stuff from reading that sub)

also, breaking and entering IS a crime, wherever you are. if she catches that on tape she's golden as far as restraining order or even straight up charging him with it. she should start a journal log, writing down exact dates/times/details of any event, small or big. if it ever goes to the police or court, it'll help tremendously. she can also low-key record conversations with him on her phone, just turn the indicator light switch off.

best of luck and safety to you and your friend.

-trollx

@Gottria

I was really trying to make the RP3 version work, but it had two limitations:

1. Only 5 plugins allowed ( I'm already way past that)
   
2. It is linux based, which would normally be a good thing - but since HS is .NET, there were a fair number of plugins that did not run (or get supported) on Linux / Mono.
   
   
   I bought the HS3 software only (not pro, just regular). My understanding is HS does a 50% off deal 2x a year, so I'll wait for that and upgrade to pro. (TIP: put it in your cart, and leave the site for a day or so. I got an email with a 25% off coupon for it)
   
   I bought my own mini windows box (this thing is tiny, and it's actually really cool) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1LA8MB/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   And this Z-Wave USB device (in my reading it had better reviews than the HS one, and it works great) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X0AWA6E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   So far this stack has worked out great for me

Usually these kind of hairpins look like this.

The item in your photo looks like a lock picking tool.

If it were me, I'd put any valuables in a safe deposit box and carry some mace or other self defense items.

As another poster suggested, you can get inexpensive alarms for your doors and windows to use while you're at home.

Please stay safe. It may be a neighbor since they seem to know when you're out. There are ways to use an old cell phone as a security camera if you need an inexpensive alternative.

I replaced my year old (and mostly inconsistent) RingPro with this RCA and LOVE it! I heard about it on IPCamTalk.

A month with it and I have been VERY happy! It works great with my BlueIris setup as well.

I've got a pretty fun set up in my Sunroom

Lights: some basic string lights, and a couple Ikea MAGNARP lamps plugged into some iHome Smart Plugs, along with Hue Full color bulbs in the ceiling with a Hue Dimmer Switch

The dimmer switch can not control anything but Phillips Hue bulbs but I wanted to use it to set a scene that turned on the string lights and lamps so I set the second press of the dimmer switch to turn the hue lights to a 1% brightness.
From within the Elgato Eve App I set an automation triggered by the Hue lights being set to 1% that turns the lamps and string lights on.

Fans:

It can get pretty hot in the sunroom in the summer with a lot of activity from booth the people and the cat in the house. So I set up a system with Eve Room Sensor, Eve Door Sensor (used on windows) and iHome Smart Plugs to automate 2 fans set up in windows on opposite sides of the room. The Room sensor tracks the air quality and if it is low the fans will kick on, as long as the windows are open, (tracked by door sensor)
when the quality is good again, the fans turn off automatically, and they don't turn on while the string lights are on, since they are kinda loud.

Unfortunately our AC unit has a NEMA 6-15P plug so its not compatible with HomeKit.

This would be your best bet, but you do have to know/learn how to get the code up and running on both the Arduino and SmartThings IDE, so maybe a bit intense for some. Plus they stopped selling it a while ago... I'm still mad I didn't buy more.

I've made a few customish sensors (i.e.: doorbell) with these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XUXYSWU - they're relatively cheap, and it's super easy to add external sensors to them. You're stuck with the motion sensors, but I can always find a use for those. But on the contact sensors, just snip the hall sensor out to disable the contact feature, then connect your wired sensor to the provided terminals. Thats it, but If you're feeling ambitious you can copy the device handler in the IDE and edit it to represent what you're actually sensing. May find this handy if you're combining sensors or something similar (i.e. need to know all 1st floor windows are closed, not listed individually).

All that said, I would just stick to straight wireless wherever possible, because the mesh network is strengthened with each device you have scattered around the house. But if you can find an Arduino shield, that would be wayyy cheaper since you could use one device to integrate all pre-wired sensors.

if you already know about a smart dongle thing that lets you talk to wireless smart devices, and you know about smart door contacts... your question is more about which smart vendor might be open source? i'm afraid i can't advise about that, i just don't know.

-

i am unfamiliar with most of the wireless home automation stuff, the likes of Z-Wave, so there certainly may be a solution from that vendor i don't know about. i am familiar with wireless security equipment, and generally speaking vendors are very protective over the channel encryption and usually don't like to share frequencies.

there are usb I/O boards : https://numato.com/product/8-channel-usb-gpio-module-with-analog-inputs

could be combined with z-wave relays : https://www.amazon.com/s?k=zwave+relay+module

and a z-wave door contact : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5HB4U5/

Several issues with that article but the main one is the Amazon links to the two cameras below their lists of features (itself a bit of a mess). First, both of the links are to the same product, the Arlo Pro. Second the link is to the add-on camera, which currently shows a price of $169.99. The add-on camera is useless by itself. The link should be to the Arlo Pro Security System with Siren, which is $227.00 with free shipping. The other link should be to the the Arlo VMS3130 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Security System with 1 Wire-Free HD Camera, which is $149.00 with free shipping.

I have really liked the iHome smart plugs. I even have one for outside lights and they’ve all worked like a charm.

[](iHome ISP6X Wi-FI Smart Plug, Use your voice to control connected devices, Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit enabled smart speakers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCVG9NG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_q8QSBb5EGBDY6)

>From what I am reading I can just buy a Z-Wave USB stick and use it on the PC that is hosting HASS?

Yup. I have one of these, works great: https://smile.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-ZW090-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E/

>Are there zwave switches that arent a physical switch?

How about just getting one of these? https://smile.amazon.com/Light-Switch-Guard-Toggle-Shields/dp/B00DTXKOTM/

>Are there any zwave relays?

There are, though I'm not aware of anything 12v.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01G7OD1F8/

https://smile.amazon.com/Vision-Z-Wave-Micro-Switch-relay/dp/B00R883YKU/

>Any ideas on how that can be accomplished?

No idea on this on. I'm sure it's possible with HASS. At the very least you can call and external script to make said announcement. You might ask out on the forums, they have a good community: https://community.home-assistant.io/

Cheers!

Alrighty that looks like what I was thinking. I was checking on this stick from amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Z-Stick-Z-Wave-create-gateway/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=z-wave+usb&qid=1565731713&s=gateway&sr=8-3

​

I have read reports of some users stating that they had an easy time allowing the USB pass through from the ESXi host running the HA VM.

​

Thanks for the additional info about the flashing part, something I will need to consider as I would prefer to make my devices linear rather than buying all different types of Smart products.

OP, you can easily install electric doors with smarts for way less.

The key ingredient is an electric door strike.
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Mechanism-Security-Intercom-Systems/dp/B00164SFFQ
Ever get buzzed into a business? They were using an electric strike. Emergency exit handles and such work like before.
Usually you get a lock that's always locked, power or not (fail secure) - then when somebody wants in, current is applied to the strike's electro magnet, which opens the strike, and bam, you can open the door.

Now. What do you want to be smart? How do folks come in? Keypad? Biometric? RFID smart card?

Google around for DIY access control smart door strike. Also, this solution is called "access control", instead of "smart Lock".

Here are some kits on Amazon: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.amazon.com/slp/door-access-control-system/pt3mx6t56dan6vv&ved=2ahUKEwjD-OCZzp3iAhUJ2qwKHfbfDh4QFjARegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0NDQnHOO_PZzQl8j2BpaNt&cshid=1557925988852

install your own lock on the door, you don't need some asswipe lazy super to do it for you. also invest in a security camera system please

edit: jimmy-proof deadbolt or if you can't or don't want to modify the door, install one (or actually two, one on top and one on bottom) of these

You should also look into security alarms for your windows and doors, something like one of these. Or if you go through with the security system, you can get sensors that will let you know when doors are opened/closed.

People are psychopaths and can do really horrible things. People are also lazy (like your super or 311) and will only do as little as required. No one in this city will care about your security and well-being as much as you.

I ended up buying the Doorbird D101S for $378. It’s important to me to keep my own data. I don’t care about a monthly fee, but I do care about who sees my home activity as part of my freedom of being American. And I have a 12TB qnap.

>Control smartthings without going through the cloud

OMG. That would be perfect. If that is the case, it would solve any hesitation i have about migrating to Home Assistant. Do you by chance have a link to the code base?

>Some of the Zwave sticks dont support...

Do you have any recommendation as to which one to get? I was thinking about the Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Z-Stick Because that seems to be the one with the most support. Like I said, I've only done a cursory glance at rolling my own because as "Unreliable" as smartthings is, Its still "Good enough."

Get one of these door alarms to turn on for when you're not home. They pretty loud, and night scare away a burglar during a break in. Not as good as paying for actual security monitoring of your apartment, but it's something.

There are IP cameras you can setup and use (they record locally to a microSD card) without having internet, but most require at least a cheap router to broadcast a wireless network (wifi but no internet) so you can connect to them from a computer and setup via their admin web page.

You might benefit from a LTE router/modem which uses a cell provider's data plan to provide you wifi. Not sure of your location but AT&T and Verizon both offer that... pricewise though YMMV.

As far as the car, best advice I can give is the usual: Don't leave items of value visible in it, always lock the car (you'd be surprised how many people leave their cars unlocked), park the car where you can see it, or in a well lit area of the parking lot.

This is terrible, and I'm so sorry you aren't being taken seriously.

You said you're in southern PA - try reaching out to the people at Laurel House. If you're not in the area they serve, they should be familiar with other regional resources and be able to refer you appropriately. They have a hotline number to call (1-800-642-3150), and I'm sure that they'll have advice and suggestions that we won't come up with.

I agree with the restraining order. Some thoughts off the top of my head about living alone:

1. Did he have a key to your place? Or access to your keys at any point where he could have made a copy (say, while he was bringing in your mail while you were out of town)? Change the locks.
   
   
2. Look into some kind of home security system. If you can't afford to go the ADT route, there are alternatives that may give you some peace of mind, like this door stop alarm. Check out what other home security options show up for windows, sliding glass doors, as they apply to your place. A motion sensor light may be helpful.
   
   
3. Ask your neighbors to take any alarms seriously!
   
   
4. Lock down your social media so that he can't find out where you are, what you're doing, and when you will or won't be home. If you're on Facebook and you have mutual friends, make sure you have everything set to "Friends only" - if you have it set to "Friends of Friends," any friend the two of you share can be his gateway into seeing your info. I believe you can flat out block certain members, too.
   
   
5. I know it's a PITA, but you could change cell phone numbers - although if he finds out your new number, you've done all that for nothing. As an alternative, I know that Verizon lets you block up to 5(ish) phone numbers for a few months for free. After a few months, you have to reblock them. There may be a paid service that lets you block them indefinitely. See if your provider has a similar service.
   
   But really, call that hotline I listed above, because I'm just spinning my wheels thinking of anything that could be useful and those people handle this stuff every day!
   
   edit: added the hotline # since it's not on the Laurel House main homepage.
   
   

Logitech seems to be the next best option:
https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Outdoor-Security-Wide-Angle-24-Hours/dp/B0711V3LSQ/?th=1

https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/circle-2-home-security-camera/page/circle-2-safe

• 24-hours cloud storage
  
• Unlimited streaming and downloads
  
• Smart Time-lapse Day Brief
  
• Smart Alerts
  
  Unlimited cameras: Free

I'd also like to recommend the new "smart" camera systems that are getting very popular. Many of them have the same constant monitoring, cloud backups and they can even notify you on your phone if they detect motion in a certain area.

Many of these have night vision and audio pickup. Some, like the doorbell even have two-way communication so you can talk to someone at your door. you'd get notified on your phone when someone rings the doorbell.

https://www.amazon.com/Nest-Cam-Outdoor-Security-Camera/dp/B01I3I9L8M/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493922214&sr=1-4&keywords=nest+camera

https://www.amazon.com/Ring-88LP000CH000-Video-Doorbell-Pro/dp/B01DM6BDA4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493922243&sr=1-1&keywords=ring+home+doorbell+pro

https://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Security-System-Wire-Free-Cameras/dp/B00P7EVST6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493922286&sr=1-1&keywords=arlo+camera

The one I've heard good things about is [Ring] (https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Video-Doorbell/dp/B00N2ZDXW2) which isn't the cheapest option, but seems pretty simple and easy to set up with your home wifi.

Stay on alert, you never know what they're going to decide is the correct response to not getting Nsupply. . .

HomeAssistant. You can even use your Smartthings hub to connect to your devices, but control everything through HomeAssistant without the flakiness.

A Raspberry Pi 3 is all you need.

However, if you need to throw your Smartthings hub in the trash and want everything local, you can buy this dongle for the Pi.

HomeAssistant is much more user friendly than OpenHAB, has phenomenal community support, and development is fast with improvements coming out on a very regular basis.

Yes, I use the Aeotec Zwave Stick and have had great success with it (as well as other non-Aeotec products talking to it).

The wiki goes over the different home automation protocols. The biggest reason these protocols exist is because a lot of HA devices need to run on batteries, so they need to be extremely power efficient, and bandwidth isn't a big concern for HA. There are some newer devices such as LIFX that just connect to your WiFi, and don't require a special protocol or gateway.

To link all of your devices together, you want a hub that can communicate with all these different protocols. Right now Home Assistant is quickly becoming the dominant player in open source home automation hubs. If you run Home Assistant on your desktop you can immediately connect to any networked devices, such as Chromecasts, and can monitor whether your phone is connected to the network to trigger automations. If you want to talk to one of the HA protocols, you need to buy an adapter, such as the Z-Stick that allows your PC to communicate on the ZWave frequency.

When my autistic daughter was younger, we got these. It would be hard to find a solution much cheaper. It worked well enough - they're loud enough to be heard from a few rooms away. It's not "smart" but it's very cheap and reasonably effective.

Though if you already have everything set up through zwave and wifi, maybe you just need to add a z-wave siren to the mix? Though none of the ones on Amazon seem to have good reviews.

Your worst case scenario is to put 2 remote zwave switches up in the ceiling fan. This will require bypassing the remote module in the fan, and wiring the lights driectly to one of these zwave switches. Secondly, You would remove the wall switch as it won't help this setup (wire it straight through and put a cover on the box.) And finally, you would still have to use the original remote to control fan speed. Maybe put a zwave scene controller panel over the unused wall switch box.

If you open the wall switch box and you find that 14-3 wire was run between the switch and fan, then your options just got alot better. You could expand the box to be 2 gangs, Put in a zwave switch for the lights, zwave fan controller, and send the power down that the black wire, and the other the red. You'll still have to bypass the fan's remote control module, but now for the fan and the lights as the zwave in wall fan controller will handle the speed.

It depends on your platform. I use SmartThings, you can set something up that when one light is turned on, others do as well. Kind of like grouping them as a scene selection. With other HA systems, you can set up where a quick double tap to one switch turns on others.

If you're on straight z wave, then you could use the GE zwave keypad and group scenes. It's a nice item, doesn't need a gang box, just mount to the wall. Available on Amazon.

I'm not up on CA stun gun regulations, but here in Louisiana, my wife and I both have this stun gun from Academy Sports. It's nice that it doubles as a pretty decent flashlight as well as having some pretty mean prongs on the front that I wouldn't want to be hit with.

For the house, you could look into those stick on alarm systems which you can usually find at Lowe's or Home Depot.

You could look into self defense classes for her as well.

Z-Wave is a popular protocol for HA devices that creates a mesh network so that even if the furthest device can't directly see the "hub," if it can see a device that can see the hub, messages will hop from one to the other. There are a bunch of inexpensive Z-wave devices from garage door openers, switches, plugs, outlets, etc... that all work with Home Assistant. You will however need a "hub" to control them. Fortunately you can get a usb stick to act as the hub and just plug it into the computer you are running HomeAssistant on and you don't need another big device, just the usb stick. (Though you can use something like smarthings to act as the hub interface but I don't really recommend it)

The two most popular usb sticks are the Aeotec and the HUSBZB-1 (note: the HUSBZB-1 also has Zigbee, another popular protocol)

If you'd rather stay with wifi, I have seen some people take a sonoff that they've put inside a waterproof box. Though I have not tried it myself.

One thing that is worth considering for your husband is to carry a firearm while in the house. A comfortable OWB holster and a good belt places the loaded firearm in his direct control at all times. The other guns can then go into the safe.

If he's not inclined to do that for comfort reasons or just not wanting to carry in the house, there are numerous "quick access" vaults that can keep curious hands away without necessarily adding too much time for accessing the weapon. I would go for a mechanically actuated vault vs those electronic ones with buttons or fingerprint scanners. You don't want to be fumbling with electronics and sweaty fingers when time is of the essence.

Depending on the level of "readiness" that your husband wants to achieve, storing the firearms with loaded magazines but closed bolts/slides on empty chambers can add another layer of security/complexity towards discharging the firearms. Some may view it as a hindrance or something to forget in times of stress or injury, but it's worth considering all the options.

It's worth discussing with your husband the level of readiness he desires along with the element of risk that you both are willing to accept. Currently, it's pretty much grab-and-go from the closet. Does he move a gun closer to the bed when sleeping? If someone's trying to break in when everyone's around, is it a "honey go grab the gun" sort of situation? You already mentioned having to lock the bedroom door when family/friends are around. How does he feel about security when no one is home? While you live in a low crime neighborhood, most crimes happen during the day when most people are away. Also consider investing in upgraded/reinforced door frames, deadbolts, sliding doors, and windows. Those are elements that can buy you precious time in the hypothetical home intrusion to access the guns however they are stored.

Most importantly, make sure that you and your husband have a plan for such incidents. Make sure you know how to communicate with each other and have a plan for who goes where, does what, calls 911, etc. Might be worth stocking some basic first aid such as tourniquets and gauze as well.

Here are some mechanically actuated safes that seem to be relatively well-received:

Pistol shot-lock

AR-15 shot-lock


Here's an RFID vault

RFID Pistol

EDIT:
Here's some more mechanical vaults

Fort Knox


V-Line

https://www.amazon.com/GOCONTROL-WNK01-21KIT-Essential-Z-Wave-Security/dp/B00XUXYSWU?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_img_sims

This is by far the best deal that's been going on for a long time now, so more like standard price (though it goes up to $42 sometimes.)

Not ST brand but compatible and well reviewed. Great price for all three sensors (2 open close and 1 motion). $38 right now.

I'd recommend a Sig Sauer P320 in 9mm - it's a striker-fired pistol that's easy to shoot in Full, Carry or Compact - but any similar set-up from Glock, S&W or Walther should work for you. Regardless of what you buy, though, I'd recommend a lockbox to store it securely. I prefer a mechanical lock like on this V-Line box - this is the model that I have.

I live in an apartment as well and was unsure about how to add things to make the place more secure while not breaching anything in the lease.

• First thing I decided on was the Skylink SC1000. It's completely wireless except for the main panel, and everything goes up with Double Sided foam tape. You can add sensors on, add an additional siren (I have a second one in my bedroom window cutout so I hear it in the middle of the night, and its also audible outside for passerby's to hear). I also have a second panel in the bedroom for arming/unarming. It also has "home" and "away" modes so you can set a 0 second delay on the siren and not include motion detectors when home or locking up for the night. Super affordable and very easy to install and use. They also offer a remote dialer but check with your local 911 PSAP to see if they are ok for use. (in my area they are not, but the dialer calls a relative). I've given the code to my landlord although with 24 hours notice required for non-emergency 'drop-ins', it hasn't been needed.
  
  
• Number 2: I spoke to the landlord and changed the locks and upgraded to a Schlage deadbolt and knob. You know they aren't changing the locks when people move out so there is no telling who has a key still. I just had to give one to my landlord. Schlage also gives you the tool to 're-key' a lock if you key should become lost.
  
  
• Number 3: I put a Brinks outdoor locking lever on my bedroom door. I wanted to ensure a safe place to retreat in the event of a home invasion and I sleep sounder knowing the door is locked and there's a barrier creating a delay between the alarm sounding and someone being in my face.
  
  
• Number 4: A relatively inexpensive IP Camera with Pan/Tilt/Zoom in the living room that covers the bedroom door and main door depending on angle, and another inside my living room window pointed at the walk up for the building.
  
  The last thing that is still on my wish list is a Peephole camera. For now I just throw a hat over the peephole to keep the light from showing whether i'm home or not or if my face just got right against the door.
  
  
  My last piece of advice is that if there is a landline phone, call your 911 center's non-emergency line and ask to test the information received by their system when 911 is dialed. With VOIP, the information could be totally wrong and even misdirected to the incorrect agency. If cell phones are the only thing in use at the house, make sure the cell phone company has the correct address on file. If a cell phone calls 911 and it sounds like there is an obvious emergency (eg: someone screaming) but the person on the line is unable to give clear information or an address, they can contact the cell provider and get a billing address. If the bill is sent elsewhere, an alternative address can usually be added to the account.

Ahh yeah, family complicates what should be a business matter.

The temporary lock, i think, would technically still be a violation, but it'd at least protect you from light attempts to enter, at least while you're at home. You could probably accomplish a similar result by using a doorstop. And I see one that has an alarm; that'd be nice so if someone tried to get in, it'd wake you.

-Old Englishman - Diapers! Because I'm old and I probs pee my pants

-Never be seen in public with - This camera for watching the baby when it's born. It's creepy to video tape people.

-Phallic? HARRY POTTER'S WAND!

...

-Geeky - HARRY POTTER'S WAND!

-Achieve a goal - Keep my baby boy safe on car rides.

-Deserted Island - Baby wrap so I don't drop my child

Thanks. =)

I have a few circuits in my home where I can't easily install remote controllable switches or dimmers. I ended up using hue bulbs in those fixtures and it works great. The hue (white only) bulbs are as low as $13 each at amazon. IMO getting the hue hub and bulbs is worth it. It is reliable and integrates with everything. I also like that I have the option to add some colored accent lights later.

I use these z-wave motion sensors and they work really well. They are small, accurate, also read temperature and brightness, and they don't actually look like eyes as in the marketing pictures.

I run all of this off of Home Assistant on a raspberry pi 2 with an aeotec zwave stick.

If you like to tinker, you could potentially get a cheaper hub by creating your own with Home Assistant. I'm running it on a spare PC, though it would probably work on a Raspberry Pi 3 just fine.

There are two potential downsides though:

1. It's not as plug-and-play as ST. Be prepared to spend time customizing, maintaining, and tinkering with things.
   
2. You'll need a USB dongle for Z-Wave connectivity. My recommendation would be the ZW090 Z-Stick.
   
   If you're not interested in that, I think ST would be a great choice.

Do you have any interest in going a different route, such as an electronic camera doorbell? My parents have one, and it shows up on your phone when the doorbell rings. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Video-Doorbell/dp/B00N2ZDXW2

You could keep your big hulking wood door, which would be my preference! Yes, someone could break your glass patio door. That doesn't mean you should abandon all other areas of security. :)

We use 8 of these with Blue Iris recording at 720p 25-30fps, then 2 of these recording at 1080p 30fps (during the day and 10fps at night). . I use the Blue Iris plugin for HomeSeer to monitor whether a camera has dropped offline or something similar like that. You can also set it to send you notifications based on motion/etc (either through Blue Iris itself or through HomeSeer). We also use DoorBird for our doorbell that allows us to get push notifications and talk to the person at the door but also have the (720p) RTSP stream live to Blue Iris as well.

The PC running Blue Iris is this. Somehow the i5 inside works perfectly with only medium-high CPU-usage, even with 10 total HD cameras.

Not sure how much this means but I've always installed these things.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FGPM1SS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_G-jkDbCY0Z6FD

If someone open your door, window they will ring. They are pretty loud maybe not enough for your neighbors but could also kinda of give you a bit more peace in your mind. Sorry it happened to you.

This is the closest thing to that I know of: https://www.amazon.com/GE-45631-Z-Wave-Wireless-Controller/dp/B003OUWABU/ref=sr_1_13

It's not wall-mounted but I've got one of these, as well as it's smaller brother, the HA09: https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-Settings-Wireless-Master-Control/dp/B000BRGU2E/ref=sr_1_1

Both of those works pretty well but now I need to add them to Home Assistant properly so that things stay in sync when I use them.

1. Make friends with the neighbors
   
2. Reinforced door frames
   
3. Motion activated lights
   
4. 12 mil window film
   
5. These 2 security systems are well liked: Skylink and SimpliSafe
   
   See also: http://www.reddit.com/r/homedefense

I hope your have better luck than me. When I posted my review on Amazon, I got a few responses from people having the same problem.

I moved them from doors to windows since they weren't reliable enough to monitor my doors. I figured if I used them less, they'd be more reliable. However, I'd open the kitchen window to let some fresh air in, and the sensor wouldn't pick up that the window opened. That was the last straw, and I returned them as defective to Amazon. Replaced them with Ecolink units, and they've been bang on reliable. Ecolink's motion sensors have also been pretty solid, although they lack the feature set of more expensive multisensor units.

I use this with Blue Iris:

Doorbell Video Ring Security Camera by RCA New and Improved - with Mobile Doorbell Ring, 3MP HD Video, Live Stream, No Recording Storage Fees, Night Vision and Motion Detection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GN355R6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qABXDbSHE5XM2

The app is garbage and mostly unusable (by the time you can open up the app, put in the password, and view, the person is gone) but it works great with Blue Iris.

Maybe something like the Aeotec Multisensor


You would just stick it in. They promise about 2 years on battery life.

This is Z-wave, so you would also need something like the Aeotec Z-Stick and leave that in a computer you leave on. I have one at home on a Raspberry PI running home assistant, and view the sensor data there.

I'm sure this isn't the cheapest solution, but it would allow you to expand with other z-wave devices in the future.

Wow. I've got 2 of the SC7s and they are really great, especially for the price. I found 2 sites selling them for ~44 + shipping, but I got them originally for <$40 shipped. There is the GE 45631, but it appears to work as a full secondary controller rather than a scene controller. Even the Levitons are more expensive now!

Aeotec has the minimote, but it's not wall-mounted--there's this Eaton controller, but it's still more than the Enerwaves for fewer buttons. The only other ones I know of are the Evolve LCD scene controllers, but they're way expensive. Really not sure what happened to the trusty Enerwaves...

I think a mechanical button lock is the best bet for quick access while still being secure.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000T24OFG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=FM4JGE9SFLIN&coliid=I3CY04WYMTMX15

maybe not that exact model but that is the kind of locking mechanism I'm talking about.

Also, the biggest safety measure needed to be taken? Educate your kid about guns and gun safety.

http://www.corneredcat.com/article/kids-and-guns/the-first-lesson/

IANAL, but I work in digital forensics: Make sure Bluetooth is turned off; that is a huge entryway into your phone. Disabling automatic Wi-Fi connections will help.

Change the password on your home wi-fi network. Make sure your wi-fi has encryption (e.g. WPA2).

Consider getting an alarm system for your home; Amazon has some cheap ones you can install.. Maybe consider getting a camera, or at least a fake camera.

Check your home computer for any devices you don't recognize. A keylogger can look like anything that plugs into a USB port. It can also look like a USB adapter.

Backup any critical data to a cloud account, particularly anything that you're using to document your stalker. Save screenshots of his texts to you there.

I build my own, from WanView IP cameras and a Raspberry PI battery powered micro-server DVR with email capabilities. The sensors are from harbor freight (driveway type)
http://www.amazon.com/Wansview-Wireless-Surveillance-Microphone-monitoring/dp/B003JLPWAK
You could have one pointed at your gun safe, or entry to your safe area (I do). The IP traffic is encrypted with a strong passphrase, as is the web site. My SO and I are on the email list for notification. Most of the time it is FEdEX or UPS delivering packages that set it off, as well as the Boys with white shirts/black ties/pants.

If you're looking to use openHAB, I would start by consulting the supported hardware list: http://www.openhab.org/features/supported-technologies.html

However, don't let that dissuade you from trying other technologies as I've typically never run into issues finding a round-about way to integrate my devices.

For a Z-Wave stick I would recommend Aeon's: http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeotec-Z-Wave-Z-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E

If you just want to toy around with Z-Wave devices and not break the bank, I would recommend starting with turning something on/off using a wall plug: http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-DSC06106-ZWUS-Z-Wave-Energy/dp/B007UZH7B8

I'm not an Aeon rep, I just happen to know both of those products take very little time to get working on openHAB and tend to work flawlessly with it.

I would start there and then decide how much further you want to go with automation.

I had the same issue. The image based motion detection just is not ideal for this use outdoors. It works well indoors where you don't have wind or car headlights usually. I ended up setting up PIR motion detectors outdoors in conjunction with a Raspberry Pi running Domoticz. Configuration was not at all easy, but I'm much happier with the alerts I'm getting now. Just getting Domoticz setup as well as adding the motion detectors to it was a chore. Then there was the added hassle of handling the motion events in Domoticz to trigger an HTTP request to a node server I setup, which then made a call to Blue Iris itself.

I used these motion detectors and this z-wave adapter in the setup.

I would get an Aeon Z-Stick Gen5. I have one and it works (so far) i got a few devices connect. So far so good.

They are fairly low cost, and support ZWave Plus (I have a few sensors that are zwave plus).

Note it is the WHITE ONE. The black ones are the S2, they work great as well. But no zwave plus support, spend the extra 4-5$ for the current gen.

V-Line makes a great safe too!

http://www.amazon.com/V-Line-Draw-Security-Case-Black/dp/B000T24OFG

Not legal advice, but since you said you have to be awake at night to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone, I would suggest getting these magnetic door alarms and put on his bedroom door to let you know if he leaves his room at night. If he's not allowed a bedroom door, then put them on your door & the other children's doors. They're cheap and yes they may wake the entire house up, but that's better than him skulking around with a knife or a lighter.

They also make wifi cameras that can send notifications to your phone when they sense motion or noise. Video footage may also be useful if he gets violent again or self-harms (self-endangering behavior can be common with RAD) and tries to make accusations against you.

Sounds like you've done everything I would think to do in this situation. Your mother (and perhaps, you) may have lost the sense of security inside her own home at this point, so caring for that aspect will be important. If you'd like, I'd be willing to purchase some anti-theft items for your home to relieve just a bit of that stress. Some things I found on Amazon with Prime shipping and decent reviews are Addalock, Door Jammer, and Door Stop Alarm. The last one might quickly become a nuisance from false triggers or if people in your household go in and out of your home at random hours. PM me your mailing address if you'd like me to send any of these to you.

Its just a zwave motion detector. I took it apart so that it doesn't detect 180 degrees of motion. I just put some white tape on the internal sides of the translucent lens. There is still a bit of light that can come through, but I have that limited to a smaller degree. This is because sunlight can sometimes set the sensor off. I have it secured to my porch ceiling looking straight down. It seems to be very accurate. I suppose if you entered my porch from behind the bushes, you could bypass it, but thats not really the point. I wanted more accurate notifications vs 100 a day. I am using this https://www.amazon.com/GOCONTROL-WNK01-21KIT-Essential-Z-Wave-Security/dp/B00XUXYSWU/

I'm not really having issues with it, its not supposed to be outdoors, the only issue seems to be that after freezing, the temp sensor is inaccurate. That's not really a problem for me. I just hide the temp sensor for that particular device. I originally bought these units because I have a wink system, but I am getting away from that. Really any motion detector would take care of business.

I don't have Aeotec's door sensor but I do have the multisensor 6. I also will not be buying any more sensors after that experience. Hardwired the motion sensor works ok but I question the readings I get from the other sensors. On batteries it's a crapshoot, which sucks because I really want more to use some more of those types of sensors.

For door sensors I'm using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5 and they work great.

Logitech Circle 2 - tried a bunch and liked it best for a grow tent

This might seem silly, but have you tried skypeing with your husband as you fall asleep? It might ease your mind being able to talk to and see your husband next to you as you're drifting off.


Edit: As for actually safety (as opposed to just feeling safer), I just saw this in another thread: http://www.amazon.com/GE-Personal-Security-Door-Alarm/dp/B0000YNR4M

I had that exact same issue in our house and I used it as an excuse reason to start some home automation. I installed zwave switches and then some keypad controllers to be able to control the lights from more normal locations.

I also had secondary switches (second switch on a three-way setup) that annoyingly controlled things that weren't the closest, so I was able to use auxiliary switches and set them to control what I wanted them to.

But all that said, Lutron makes great stuff and based on the comments from /u/jehovahs_waitress if they have an option that makes sense, it would be much easier to do that than to start the path of home automation.

We use Dropcam and it works great for us. We are able to see the video stream through Dropcam app on our smart phones

I personally love the Arlo system (we got it on Amazon). It's wireless so it's easy to put up anywhere. It records in color, can see in the dark and sends alerts to our phones if movement or sound happens. You can also adjust the brightness and pan around (a little bit) remotely.

EDIT: This is the system we got, we plan to add more cameras later:
https://www.amazon.com/Arlo-NETGEAR-Security-System-Wire-Free/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1511468599&sr=8-24&keywords=arlo+system

https://www.amazon.com/GOCONTROL-WNK01-21KIT-Essential-Z-Wave-Security/dp/B00XUXYSWU/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1484259929&sr=1-2&keywords=wink+go+control

I imagine these would work. I use them on my front door.

I'm using a MyQ, it's more expensive but works great.

https://www.amazon.com/RCA-Doorbell-Security-Camera-Improved/dp/B07GN355R6 I have this one RCA DB2 its a rebranded Hikvision (hikvision branded ones are available but not in the 3MP model) there is a Laview one that i believe is the same.

I have it set up recording video, audio and motion events in blue iris and use the RCA app for doorbell rings and 2-way audio. It does communicate with a hikvision server but no subscription is required.

Supports a mechanical chime which I am also using.

I'm sure you can integrate video and order into homassistant either using the rstp stream or via mqttt through blue iris if you use it. As far as I know the old model people have been able to do 2 way audio in other software like blue iris but as yet nobody has been able to send voice to it's speaker on the new one.

Why not just get a zwave dongle for your ha server and then a zwave ge switch?

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Repeater-Extender-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R

https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Z-Stick-Z-Wave-create-gateway/dp/B00X0AWA6E

​

Have had this setup running for about 2 years now. I use the dimmers as well. I run HA in a docker on an unraid server without issues having it pickup the zwave stick.

> So, what are my options if I don't want this internet connected / PC controllable?

That seems like an odd question. What exactly do you mean you don't want it internet connected? Do you just mean you don't want to have to rely on the cloud services. In other words do you just want to be sure your HA system will continue working if your internet goes out?

If thats the case i would go with a

raspberry pi

https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Raspberry-Complete-Starter-Kit/dp/B01C6Q2GSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1483394601&sr=1-2&keywords=raspberry+pi

A zwave usb stick

https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Aeon-Labs-ZW090-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1483394649&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=zwave+usb+stick

And then from there just start grabbing some zwave switches/outlets

You can choose whether the system is accessible outside of the network while still having access to the system through your phone/tablet/pc/switches/remotes from in the home.

You'll also need a z-stick to manage the z-wave network.

edit: some more detail, sorry. I use an off-the-shelf hub myself, but to the best of my knowledge you'll need a z-stick to act as your primary controller. Plug this into OpenHAB or HomeAssistant and they'll interact with the network through the z-stick.

Also, you can get a comparable door sensor from Monoprice for much less.

Is it an apartment or condo? Start by talking to the landlord to see if they'll allow you to have and alarm installed. I did once and the landlord allowed me to deduct most of the cost from a month's rent!

If you can't have an alarm system professionally installed, these kinds of things work pretty well.
http://www.amazon.com/Skylink-SC-1000-Complete-Wireless-System/dp/B003MP93BW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370012062&sr=8-2&keywords=alarm+system

Use command adhesive strips instead of the adhesive they come with so that when it's time to move you don't have to pull the paint off.

A basic alarm install will probably run about 700-1k, depending on where you live. The roll your own option is certainly cheaper, but the hardwired system has advantages.

Am a Hikvsion fan, personally.

• If you want good audio, install a microphone, as most outdoor-rated cams have terrible audio. Most NVRs have at least one analog audio in.
  
  
• Hikvision indoor cube (DS-2CD2432F), OTOH, has great audio.
  
  
• http://www.cnet.com/products/august-doorbell-cam/
  
  
• http://www.cepro.com/article/doorbird_is_best_diy_pro_doorbell_camera_for_home_automation_integration
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Video-Doorbell/dp/B00N2ZDXW2/ref=pd_lpo_421_tr_t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6AFYZ2128T6J9T9K5QHF
  
  

You want one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JLPWAK/ref=oh_o06_s00_i00_details

It's awesome. You hook it up to your wireless network, then tell it when to monitor (either all the time or specific dates & times). When it detects motion, it can:
email you pictures every few seconds
upload pictures and video to a ftp

It also switch to infrared mode so it can be used as night vision.

A sliding door, as in the supermarket, would be easy to make "smart". Just replace the motion sensor with a wifi controlled unit. So instead of having a smart lock, the same type of logic could slide open the door.

​

That's not too helpful for a home, though. For this you would need an electronic door strike (similar to some office security systems - eg https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Mechanism-Security-Intercom-Systems/dp/B00164SFFQ ) and a motor. So when triggered the latch would let the door open and the motor would swing it; a heavier version of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLzhKSH5cBc perhaps.

This is the new version of that. It appears to still be Hikvision on the backend so it should be ONVIF or at least RTSP streamable locally. There isn’t much known yet because it just showed up. It should fix a lot of the problems with the one linked about though because of the 5ghz Wi-Fi. Here is the IPCamTalk thread on the doorbell where someone has been doing packet captures to try and figure out how to stream from it. It looked like someone had it working in BlueIris.

Side note, I have the RCA rebrand of the Uniden one and it works really well. I have an AP within 5 feet of it, so that pretty much eliminates he Wi-Fi issues. Have it recording to a Hikvision NVR locally and works great.

Hey OP, my advice is grab your self a couple of these: http://www.amazon.com/Wansview-Wireless-Surveillance-Microphone-monitoring/dp/B003JLPWAK All you'll need is a way to power them and a computer to record with.

They're home security on a budget. Just be aware that you can't point them directly at your neighbours property. You can however cover any part of land that's on your property or immediately in front of it safely. Put up a sign that states CCTV is in use on your property, perhaps even a sign that trespassers will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law (Which you are entitled to do). As for your dogs, keep an eye on them. Make sure that they don't eat strange food, especially anything around your property. Any areas your dogs go outside the property try to keep covered by cameras.

Once you have the cameras make it obvious you own a firearm. Don't do it threateningly, do so in a way to show that you will protect your self if you need to, the cameras act as an insurance policy against any false accusations they may make.

Show them that you mean business and that if they threaten or harass you in any way, including trespassing on your property you will absolutely protect your self, make it categorically clear that any threatening behaviour toward you will be reported to the police along with supporting evidence. Essentially make it crystal clear that you can make their life far worse than they can make yours, even if it's a bluff.

Which ecosystems are you already using (zwave, zigbee, wifi, 433 etc..)?

I've been using these zwave door sensors for a while and they are ok. Funky little batteries (you can get rechargeable ones on amazon), but they pair pretty easily and respond quickly for both open and close events.

For my master bedroom, I've wired magnetic contact switches to a wemo d1 mini. So far so good. I wish I was able to hardwire all of my doors and windows to a central location. Seems more reliable, no batteries and a *lot* cheaper than wireless devices on every door and window.

Netgear makes some. Arlo Smart Home Security Camera System - 2 HD, 100% Wire-Free, Indoor/Outdoor Cameras with Night Vision (VMS3230) by NETGEAR https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7EVST6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_OYwzxb1HS9Y9E

Any smart switch or dimmer functions by replacing the existing switch with a relay or dimmer, and that relay is controller by the buttons on the front of the switch. When you say multi-zone, are you talking about multi-way? As in, 3-way, 4-way, etc? In that case, the idea is not to control multiple loads from one location, but rather, one load from multiple locations. If you want to control multiple loads from one location, you could pick up some aeotech micro switches for each fixture, and associate those to a scene controller, like this one.

We got these ones. Cheap, effective, easy to stick on.

You can get 4-zone wall controllers.

Like this. GE 45631 Z-Wave Wireless Keypad Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OUWABU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_MopxwbJ3M98R3

Then get one of these for each group you want to control

Aeon Labs DSC26103-ZWUS - Z-Wave In-Wall Micro Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008VWBNAU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_LppxwbZ9DQ7SX

That should do it. You might need an electrician to safely install the relays for each group.

TL;DR Wink Hub 2, Cheap Z-Wave Lock, Ring. Alexa with screen for added functionality. Check links below.

I recommend a wink hub 2 and a cheap $150 z-wave doorlock with a ring. As a bonus, if you don't already have one you can get a Alexa show (what I have) or spot to view the video feed from the doorbell and lock the door (unlocking functionality is not available so people cant tell through the door). Links Below.

Here's stuff I use:

Lock:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004F1F1PY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_PMIheKkvD1wxT

Hub:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KW8WGZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4lTYAbNCH8TAT

Doorbell:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2ZDXW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VkTYAb2ZMKX7Y

Echo Spot:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073SQYXTW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BoTYAbF56H4XE

Echo Show:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J24C0TI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gpTYAbRS910HE

Sure u can. U just need a zwave dongle like Aeotec Z-Stick Gen5, Z-Wave Plus USB to create gateway https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6q0SAbXGTH2H7

Welcome in the automation world ! You will need a USB key to be able to communicate with your Z-WAVE devices
something like this https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00X0AWA6E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ordered.
door alarm

door security guard

hook and eye qty 2

probably more than you need but that means you will have what you need.

Find someone to help someday on reddit or IRL. today you tomorrow me.

ditto. the simplex hit the sweet spot for me in terms of something i can open very quickly, potentially in the dark, and potentially while my adrenaline is pumping. i bought this one and i've very happy with it. come pre-drilled with holes so i bolted it onto the bottom of my nightstand with carriage bolts. no way it's going anywhere without my nightstand.

Here's the zwave device I used with the wire terminals: https://www.amazon.com/Z-Wave-Magnets-Window-Sensor-DWZWAVE2-5-ECO/dp/B01N5HB4U5

Edit: More details about how I wired it...

Took the chime box off the wall and there were two cables, each with a pair of wires inside. One pair of wires goes to the transformer in the basement. The other pair of wires goes to the doorbell itself. That's what you want to plug into the doohickey linked above. Someone presses the doorbell and it closes the contact. Home Assistant will see the zwave device status as "open" as if a door is open. This is what you trigger your automation off of.

How to know which pair of wires is the one you want? Either get a multimeter and put it across a pair while you're five year old pushes the doorbell. Does resistance go to zero? If so, you found it.

The other method is to just rub the wires in a pair together. The one that sparks is not the one you want because that goes to your transformer (you're seeing 12 volts spark across it. Not much more dangerous than licking a 9v battery). Grab the other pair and plug them into the doohickey. This is the method I used.

I just taped the door sensor to the top of the chime box and I can't see it from the ground.

We recently got this doorbell / camera combo for under $200, and it can run on batteries and set up temporarily in a rental rather than being wired in like others.

It's wireless, so you can "answer" the door and talk to visitors via your cell phone if you're not home. You can also set it up to ping you when there's even movement outside your door, and you can startle people who didn't ring the bell, but are snooping around outside your door by talking to them too. The potential MIL fun to be had is endless.

This is what I'm currently using. Much faster than the pi1+b that I was using previously and no real issues with getting it working.

• Freenas box
  
  • InWin IW-MS04 ITX Case
    
  • AsRock J3710
    
  • 8GB Crucial Ram x 1
    
  • HGST Ultrastar 7k4000 3TB x 2
    
  • Aeotec z-wave adapter
    
  • Intel PRO/1000 Pt Network adapter
    
    • !! Note, x4 PCI slot where motherboard only has x1. I modified motherboard to fit card, don't really recommend. Still better than Realtek.
      
  • 16GB USB drive x2

You could do this with HomeSeer.

Their RPi-based hub is $150 and a Z-Wave door sensor is another $30.

Add the sensor to HomeSeer. Then create a timer. And create two events- 1. when the door is opened, set the timer to 0:00:00 and restart it. and 2. when the timer reaches 48hrs, send an email.

Personally I'd create a 3rd event- when the time is Sunday at midnight (or whatever) send you an email so you know the system is working. That way if she changes her internet or whatever you know this still works.

The issue I had when trying to figure this out was that any Z-Wave contact sensor I tried to use while it was mounted inside the mailbox was unreliable, at best. The RF signal was getting blocked by the mailbox when it was closed. I solved it by mounting this open/close sensor to the underside of the mailbox, mounting this magnetic sensor inside the mailbox at the door, and running the lead from the magnetic sensor through a tiny hole in the bottom of the mailbox, connecting it to the auxiliary input terminals hidden inside the z-wave sensor. If that doesn't make sense, DM me.

​

Edit: Obviously this would also require a hub such as SmartThings, etc., to send out the notifications.

Edit 2: After a quick search, it appears there may be some WiFi dry contact sensors out there that would probably do what you want without the need for a separate hub, if you have signal at the mailbox.

+1 to this. I used the RCA version which had the extra faceplates (which allows the camera to be angled to the side). Works great with Surveillance Station. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GN355R6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Oh, so I don't even need the expensive Vera hub, right?

• Aotec Z-Stick - $45 - https://amazon.com/dp/B00X0AWA6E/
  
• List of supported Z-Wave sticks in HA: https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/z-wave/controllers/

I would suggest a pistol safe with a simplex lock. i keep mine on my nightstand and I can get into it in about two to three seconds. Mine is something like what is linked (http://www.amazon.com/V-Line-Draw-Security-Case-Black/dp/B000T24OFG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422103489&sr=8-2&keywords=simplex+lock+pistol+safe)

These? iHome ISP6X Wi-FI Smart Plug , Use your voice to control connected devices, Works with Alexa, Google Assistant and HomeKit enabled smart speakers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCVG9NG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fAxEDbDB1PDWB

I'm using the CT100 and I'm very happy with it so far. You need a Z-Stick though (since that's how all the Z-Wave devices communicate) and some sort of software/controller like Home Assistant, OpenHAB, or a closed-source alternative.

I think a combo of a safe and one of these is the best.
http://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Smart-Security-Camera-System/dp/B00P7EVST6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1448995782&sr=8-3&keywords=arlo

There was a AMA a while back from a former burglar. He said that if he sees a camera he wouldnt hit that house. Or any house on that block for that matter.

Most people use the Aotech Zwave dongle here: https://www.amazon.com/Aeotec-Z-Stick-Z-Wave-create-gateway/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537259191&sr=8-1&keywords=aotech+zstick&dpID=41%252BuCNE13iL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
You could also get a combination Zwave/Zigbee dongle for even less: https://www.amazon.com/GoControl-CECOMINOD016164-Linear-HUSBZB-1/dp/B01GJ826F8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537259245&sr=8-3&keywords=zigbee+dongle&dpID=41GzEBEgWSL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Alot of people start with Zwave or Zigbee controlled lights, but most people end up with Zwave switches instead, because humans need to also turn those devices on and off. The easiest Zwave switches/dimmers to acquire are the GE Line of Jasco switches, which are sold by https://www.amazon.com/GE-Lighting-Required-SmartThings-14291/dp/B01M1AHC3R/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1537259343&sr=8-2&keywords=ge+wave&dpID=51rDfQfpEAL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

You could just replace can switch one for one.

Or use something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003OUWABU?pc_redir=T1

Though I think that'd require each light to be a smart bulb/outlet.

I think this is probably the best you're going to get:
http://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Smart-Home-Wire-Free-VMS3130-100NAS/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449101483&sr=8-2&keywords=netgear+arlo

I would just use 3M strips to mount it if you can't drill depending on how heavy the camera is.

For the doorbird users (and many thanks for all the replies), is this model decent? Reviews seem mixed;

​

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G2HU8QA/ref=sxts_kp_tr_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=8778bc68-27e7-403f-8460-de48b6e788fb&pd_rd_wg=PxtF5&pf_rd_r=5Y28894G078JWHQ2B09H&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B01G2HU8QA&pd_rd_w=O1IDh&pf_rd_i=doorbird&pd_rd_r=4ccc4338-7241-403f-8b8b-d9f4fb674d9a&ie=UTF8&qid=1537207329&sr=2

​

For your Blueiris integration, what do you suggest for hardware? For example, in the above product--since it has POE--if I ran just a regular ethernet cable (without POE) into a switch/router--which my media server is also on the same swich--I could in theory just capture that feed to my media server (which acts as a NVR)? I obviously need to do some reading up on Blueiris! I was just originally looking at an established NVR connection.

http://www.amazon.com/GE-50246-Smart-Home-Alarm/dp/B0000YNR4M

Put it far enough from the door that you can open the door without triggering it, but close enough that they trigger it because they don't know it's there. If you're friends with one of your neighbors, let them in on it. Tell them to call the cops when they hear it go off.

I had already been leaning towards creating an alarm solution through Wink and getting rid of my alarm company, but this has pushed me over the edge. Ordered the GoControl WNK01-21KIT Z-Wave Essentials Wink Enabled Security Kit and have already set up most of the shortcuts/robots/IFTTT stuff you mentioned. I'm only planning to start with Wink notifications for the alarm for now, but might set up phone calls for the smoke detector. Need to determine if I can get the Z-Wave sensors already installed to work with my system. Might save me some time/money.

This is great.
http://www.amazon.com/GE-Personal-Security-Door-Alarm/dp/B0000YNR4M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414077427&sr=8-1&keywords=door+stop+alarm

They are not that much. We got this one and it works great. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003JLPWAK

Arlo Smart Home - 1 HD Camera Security System, 100% Wire-Free, Indoor/Outdoor... http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_EEgCwb1KPH69N

Z-wave is a wireless technology. You will need something that speaks that technology to control the devices. I have one of these: Aeotec Z-Stick Gen5, Z-Wave Plus USB https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ plugged in to my pi3 running home-assistant. Works great.

I have this one, works great: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00X0AWA6E/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1457378859&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=z-wave+usb&dpPl=1&dpID=31ocIoiJV9L&ref=plSrch

I don't have any zigbee devices though, all Z-wave

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00X0AWA6E/

Heres the zwave USB stick I use. Home Assistant is great, I run it on a Ubuntu server in my basement. The zwave stick is plugged into it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XUXYSWU

This also works great, and you get 2 sensors and a motion sensor for the same price

Any of the Circle 2 Wired cameras will support this (Wire-Free/wireless variants do not).

The HomeKit Secure Video update is also compatible with the Window, Magnetic, and Plug mounts.

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Outdoor-Security-Wide-Angle-24-Hours/dp/B0711V3LSQ

Bought the system myself. Works really well, as you can clearly tell by the gif.

Yay! Alarm!

I created a setup where I have the exact same thing happen for me, but with the coffee machine. I use Vera, but I'm guessing you might be able to create something for another home automation setup...

Here's the basic setup:
Security sensor mat placed in my bed senses when I'm laying down. The mat is wired into a door sensor. When I wake up, the door sensor trips and starts a timer. Should the timer complete, the appliance plug the coffee machine is plugged into turns on. 1/2 hour later it automatically shuts off.

The reason for the timer is so that I can get up in the middle of the night for a snack and come back to bed WITHOUT turning the coffee machine on.

Here's what I used:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GUNX7WY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N5HB4U5/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd make sure to use these two items together. I pulled the alarm off of the door mat and wired the two wires into the phoenix connector screws already supplied inside the door sensor. The timer was a plug-in in the vera controller.

Checkout one of these guys here:https://www.amazon.com/Arlo-Security-System-Wire-Free-Outdoor/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482645458&sr=8-3&keywords=100+wireless+security+camera

It connects to your wifi, sends motion alerts, and contains 7 days of free cloud storage. If you get a dog, just point the camera at your door about 2 1/2 feet up. Then you wont get motion detection on the dog, but you can get an alert when the door opens and even a picture of the persons face when opening your door.

A few suggestions:

• Buy or build yourself a smart mirror https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh2EJzplkpM
  
  
  
• Build a TV that lifts out of the cabinet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WufyTO4UjTA
  
  
  
• Keyless Electronic locks https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OHY14CS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00OHY14CS&linkCode=as2&tag=safewicom-20&linkId=Z2KL6WLN5NXT2EVA
  
  
  
• Connect your smartphone, tablet and pc to house hold appliances, lights, air-con, heaters, electric blinds and any other devices, so everything can be control from one station when at home and also when away from home.
  
  
  
• Wi-Fi enabled video doorbell https://www.amazon.com/Ring-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Video-Doorbell/dp/B00N2ZDXW2
  
  
  
• Amazon Echo https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-Bluetooth-Speaker-with-WiFi-Alexa/dp/B00X4WHP5E
  
  
  
• Depending on where you live invest in solar panels and a Tesla power wall

I went with the V-Line Top Draw after similar research/thoughts about electronic systems. I like it quite a bit, it's very simple, not electronic, and quite well built/heavy gauge steel for what it is. Easy to quickly open, and I think plenty safe against accidental access from children or people who don't know any better (not against someone determined to get in and steal the contents.)

It holds my G19 + 2 spare mags and Five-SeveN/TLR-2s + 2 spare mags snuggly but without issue.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000T24OFG

I've been looking at the DoorBird line of doorbell cameras. I really like the flush mount model but I think it'd be tough to fit correctly in my setup.

I have a stand alone alarm system that I installed in my apartment and I also had one in my previous apartment. Nothing gets screwed in to the wall, I use industrial strength two way tape. I also have stickers on all windows and doors on the first floor.

I have the alarm for their safety. If it sounds off, they should not, I repeat not, enter the premises. I had one land lord tell me that I could not do that, and I explained to them that I could and they should check the state laws. If I needed repairs I would sometimes get up to three calls from them asking if my alarm was off before entering. It makes for a great relationship and sets the boundaries. I mean, how would they like it if you entered their home unannounced.

Just my 2 cents.

-- Edit --

Here is a link to the alarm system I have:
http://www.amazon.com/Skylink-SC-1000-Complete-Wireless-System/dp/B003MP93BW/ref=sr_1_1?s=security-surveillance&srs=2530443011&ie=UTF8&qid=1410789631&sr=1-1&keywords=skylink

Arlo wireless security systems have motion sensing on the cameras which can be set up to send alerts to phones.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P7EVST6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_KilByb6E2Z3J8

Once it notifies us of motion, we've set it up to record for 30secs to 2 minutes to the cloud. You can also watch the camera live as well.

These?
In the Q&A somebody said it was fully compatible for ST, but not sure I believe them, lol

I think instead of wireless switches, you could use a motion or other sensor..?

If you're putting it in a drawer, this V-Line Top Draw might be your best bet. Here's the smaller version as well. You'd just have to decide if it would fit. It's also cheaper at about $150 for either one. No need to break the bank if it's only going to be in there at night. Most people would say even that is overkill. I just keep my CC in my nightstand drawer when I sleep and either take it with me during the day or lock it up in the security cabinet with the rest of the guns. I, on the other hand, don't have any kids and my wife wouldn't dare touch it without asking me first.

Keep in mind, of course, if you leave your gun inside of it, it would be quite easy for a thief to steal unless it is secured to something that is prohibitively large or heavy to move or steal. I am guessing since you have an AmSec safe, you already know that, but I figured I would add that just in case.

Would have been a deal at 25% off perhaps. The video quality just doesn't seem to be quite on par with the Ring video doorbell. Is the Skybell not able to record yet?

At the same price I feel much happier with the Ring: http://www.amazon.com/Ring-Wi-Fi-Enabled-Video-Doorbell/dp/B00N2ZDXW2

Yes, they do need wifi. If all you want a loud sound when it opens you can just get this:

https://www.amazon.com/GE-Protection-Installation-Apartment-45115/dp/B00178HMCI/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=door+alarm&qid=1566172179&s=gateway&sr=8-3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00032AVN6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_P42azbKT4FVKW

I got this one because it comes with the window alarms, but you can just get the door one. It was easy to install. It just sticks onto the door, and then the sensor on the door frame.

You can use it on rented homes/apartments because it doesn't call 911 and you can remove it later.

u/agamemn_anon

Locksmith here. Unless you spend upwards of $1000, any biometric device you get will be crap. I'd suggest something like a 4-button GunVault if you want to go electronic, and test it 3 or 4 times a week to make sure it still works. Personally, I use something I built myself that uses a Simplex mechanical pushbutton lock, similar to the V-Line lock box. No batteries, decent security, and a reliable Simplex locking mechanism that's been used by government agencies for 40 years. Google around for "simplex" + "gun safe" or "gun vault" or "lock box" or the like until you find something that suits your needs.

RPi3 running homeassistant.io and mostly Z-wave devices with an AeonLabs Z-Stick. Your concern is why my reef tank is actually using an RPi3 to communicate with an arduino mega over serial USB. I get way more pins and better hardware processing out of the arduino and use the RPi3 for automation, display, and command and control.

Comcast fucking around update 2.0ish.


First off I made a typo its 15 hours of calls with Comcast.

As for you keep filing FCC complaints I'm going that route tonight. My internet speed was fuckered but is fixed now but I didn't mention that I don't have certain channels that I was paying for on my Tivo. Comcast said 100% Tivo's fault after about 15 hours of fucking around which involved a lot of resetting shit. I Called Tivo and they said nope it's comcast but lets 3 way call to solve this issue. Holy fucking shit a company that knows customer service. Hold for 20+ minutes and 2 minutes into comcast picking up and, boom, literally the problem was solved.

Legally again ianal but contracts are meant to be beneficial to both parties. You are paying for a service that is supposed to, at a bare minimum, notify anyone that an entrance has been opened. You can buy window and door alarms from amazon for about $5 a peice that will do more than your $30ish per month.

unfortunately the US world is set up to protect corporations. Honestly I'd break contract and immediately start the small claims court process to protect your credit.

If they're on your porch, they're trespassing. Call the police (or ask "new guy" if he'll call the police if he spots them when you aren't home).

Also, get something like this:

Door/Window Alarms

They're cheap and easy to use. My elderly neighbor has one on her front door. She sometimes forgets to switch it off when deliveries arrive, and I can hear it in my apartment with my windows and door shut. It isn't loud enough to wake me up, but it definitely gets my attention when I'm hanging out watching TV. It's about as loud as a smoke alarm.

I have this aeotec z wave stick


When you say, zwave controller is this what you're referring to?


So I can just put my aeotec z wave stick and put it into the google home hub, and then monitor and control my aeotec z wave smart plugs and temp/light/motion detectors through the google home hub?

Looking Through Amazon - Search for Zwave Scene

ZWN-SC7 Z-Wave 7-Button Scene Controller
---------------------------------------------------------------
Leviton VRCS4-M0Z Vizia RF + 4-Button Remote Scene Controller
--------------------------------------------------------------
GE 45631 Z-Wave Wireless Keypad Controller
-------------------------------------------------------------
Just the top most three.

You can get a battery operated system for your windows and doors that will set off an alarm. They're easy to use and give you a measure of comfort.

You can still get it on Amazon.com :)

http://www.amazon.com/Aeon-Labs-Aeotec-Z-Wave-Z-Stick/dp/B00X0AWA6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449062832&sr=8-1&keywords=aeon+gen+5+usb

I use OpenHAB with an Aeotec dongle. They work great together and require no access to the Internet. Run it on a Raspberry Pi with a USB Power Bank for handling power outages.

Something like this maybe? Or this?

Would you recommend this one ?

Very cool. I'd still need a hub though, correct? Or maybe this would work? Sorry, I don't know anything about this world.

You might want to get something like this for his windows and house doors. It would also work for a classroom door.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00178HMCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_-NINAbGD5JPBX

I would say you probably do not NEED repeaters. It is that it helps with the health of the mesh. But, no need to buy more than you need, you buy 1, if you need more, you buy more.

I honestly don't know of a hub that does both, but i have never really looked. Xiaomi sensors require the Xiaomi hub, unless you want to use them via MQTT. The Z-wave stuff i dont even have a hub. I have THIS, plugged in to a RPI3B+. My PI is what runs Home Assistant.

So basically i have a Pi that runs HASS.IO with the Z-wave stick plugged in. I then have 4 Xiaomi hubs throughout my house. But, other than that, all i have is devices.

Living alone you should have some weapon to protect you be it mace/tazer/baseball bat and some of those cheap alarm systems.
http://www.amazon.com/GE-51107-Smart-Wireless-System/dp/B00032AVN6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347743114&sr=8-2&keywords=alarm+system

These things are stupid easy to place and will scare the shit out of anyone who is breaking in AND will alarm other people! Very simple and cheap system that can be controlled by yourself! Oh and get a big guy friend until you feel safe, I'd totally crash at a friends house if she didn't feel safe!

ah yes, maybe this one. should work with sliding doors

GE Personal Security Window/Door Alarm (2 pack)

Yes. There are a few different styles and options.

Here you go:
https://www.amazon.com/GE-45631-Z-Wave-Wireless-Controller/dp/B003OUWABU


Folks seem to rave about the HomeSeerer switches as they support multi-taps for scenes.