Smart Homes Part 3: Security Systems

One of the most popular features of smart homes is security. From video doorbells to security cameras, there’s a lot to choose from and incorporate into your smart home. We’ll touch upon a few devices in this post, from multiple brands.

Video Doorbells

• Ring Video Doorbell: Ring offers two types of doorbells: wired and non-wired. Both types essentially provide you with the same capabilities, so we won’t go into specific differences. If you’d like to know more, take their quiz to determine which type of doorbell would be right for you. Set up is easy, and the doorbell connects to your Wi-Fi network. When someone rings your doorbell, or even if the camera just detects motion, a notification is sent to an app on your phone. With this notification, you’re able to see the live video footage at your front door, hear what’s happening, and speak to whoever is there. Even when you’re not home, you’ll still get these notifications and capabilities. With the purchase of a security plan, you can also record and access footage from your cameras.

• SimpliSafe Video Doorbell: These doorbells have very similar features to the Ring doorbells. They can be used as part of the SimpliSafe Home Security System or as standalone doorbells. The doorbell connects to your home Wi-Fi and sends notifications to your phone only when human motion is detected (the doorbell has special algorithms that only detect heat from humans). This is especially useful, as the doorbell ignores car motion. Like Ring, there’s two-way audio, so you can hear people and speak back to them. The doorbell has 162 degrees of visibility, and can be used in both very old and very new homes. Like Ring, with the purchase of a security plan, you can record and access footage from your cameras.

Security Cameras

There are many different companies that make “smart” security cameras, so we’ll only provide a couple here. In general, the premise is the same: view footage from your cameras from either a hub or smartphone, hear what’s going on, speak to whoever’s there, and receive notifications when motion is detected. Most of these cameras also offer more exclusive features with the purchase of their security plan. Here are a few popular smart security cameras.

• Ring Home Security Cameras: Ring offers both indoor and outdoor cameras. Like the doorbell, they detect motion and send notifications to your phone, so you can view live video of your home from wherever you are, hear what’s happening, and speak to whoever’s in the video.

• Nest Cameras: Google offers their own cameras, which work perfectly with all of their other smart devices. They offer indoor and outdoor cameras, as well as a standard and IQ version of each of these. The main difference between standard and IQ is that the IQ cameras are more expensive, and offer more features than the standard cameras (these features can be added to the standard with a Google Aware plan). Compare the two here. All cameras have the Talk & Listen feature, which allows you to listen to what’s happening, and talk back to whoever is there. All cameras also send notifications to your phone. IQ-only features include abilities such as Person Alerts, which means the camera can distinguish humans from other things, and Supersight, which is an enhanced ability of the camera, among other features.

• SimpliCam: SimpliSafe has both indoor cameras and outdoor kits to add on, which all can be used standalone or with their system. Like Google and Ring, there are free features, and also features available with the purchase of a plan. Free features include 24/7 video monitoring (HD video and audio, 120 degree field of view), Smart Motion Detection (only alerts you when human motion is detected), and notifications when motion is detected. With a recording plan, you can also record and store videos. The outdoor kit is extremely durable, functioning in temperatures from -4℉ to 114℉. All cameras also have a stainless steel privacy shutter.

Alarm/Security System

Once again, there are many different smart security systems out there. In this post we’ll only cover Ring and SimpliSafe because they are popular with many homeowners, but the general idea of home security systems is essentially the same across the board. The Google Security System is not being sold any longer, which is why we left it out of this post. No matter which brand you are considering s

Overview of Similarities

Both the Ring and SimpliSafe home security systems are very user-friendly and easy to set up. Here are some devices and features that both systems share, and these are important components to compare no matter what brand of security system you are considering:

• Base Station: The Base Station connects to your home Wi-Fi to connect all of the other security devices together, and communicate with them. It also has a 24-hour backup battery to keep protecting your home even when you lose power. SimpliSafe also states that their Base Station is “smash-proof.” The base station sends you alerts whenever any of your sensors or detectors are triggered, and will alert your monitoring team if you have a paid plan.

• Keypad: The Keypad is placed on a wall in your home, and is used as a way to arm and disarm your system, and to change certain settings (there’s also an additional setting in the Ring system, more on that in a moment). It’s wireless, and SimpliSafe’s is smash proof. Another SimpliSafe-specific feature is that you can set up a panic button and silent alarm on your Keypad.

• Motion Detector (Ring)/Sensor (SimpliSafe): These detectors are placed in areas of your home with lots of activity. When they detect motion, alerts are sent to your phone, and if you have a plan, the monitoring professionals are notified as well. These detectors have special technology that allows them to only notify you if they detect human motion, and not when your dog jumps on the couch.

• Contact (Ring)/Entry (SimpliSafe) Sensors: These sensors are placed on windows and doors in your home, and alert you and sound an alarm when windows and doors are opened. With monitoring plans, professionals are notified and can call the police.

• Flood & Freeze (Ring)/Temperature & Water (SimpliSafe) Sensors: With Ring, these sensors are combined into one, while they’re separate with SimpliSafe. These sensors detect water and freezing temperatures. Ring will send a notification directly to you, while SimpliSafe will alert professionals (you need a plan), who then alert you if there is a real issue.

• Panic Button: Both systems have a panic button, which can be placed in a more discrete area like a bedroom, but they work a little differently. With Ring, you hold the button for 3 seconds, which then sounds the Ring Alarm, and if you have a plan, the monitoring professionals will also be notified. With SimpliSafe, when the panic button is pressed, a silent or loud alarm can be triggered to notify the monitoring professionals. Professionals in both cases can then dispatch help.

• Smoke & CO Detection: The systems differ a little bit here. Ring has their Smoke & CO Listener, which is placed near your existing smoke & CO detectors, and notifies you when they go off. SimpliSafe has actual detectors, and with a purchased plan, can notify professional monitoring when they go off. Google Nest also offers detectors, which has a calm voice that alerts you of smoke before it becomes an emergency. It also offers a multitude of other capabilities, which can be found here.

• Both Ring and SimpliSafe have monitoring/protection plans available for subscription. These are in general just add-ons, but some products may require one to make use of all of their features. Check out Ring Protect Plans here, and SimpliSafe Monitoring Plans here.

Overview of Differences

• SimpliSafe has a keyfob, which allows you to arm, disarm, and with a plan, hit a panic button, from up to 30 feet away from the base station. Ring does not have this feature.

• SimpliSafe has a Glass Break Sensor, while Ring can detect glass through connection with Amazon Echo, and the addition of Alexa Guard. 

• Ring requires a range extender to connect its other security devices to the base station, while SimpliSafe does not.

• While both Ring and SimpliSafe’s base stations can be connected to Alexa and Google Assistant, Ring has limited capabilities with Google Assistant. Connecting with these devices (for both systems) allows you to arm your security system, but not disarm.

• Ring’s base station can connect to many third party devices, while SimpliSafe is much more limited in this aspect. 

• Ring has three settings for it’s system - Disarmed (no sensors are on), Home (only outdoor sensors are on), and Away (all sensors are on). SimpliSafe has two settings - Armed (sensors on) and Disarmed (sensors off).

Building Your System

Ring offers three systems, which you can view by visiting this page and then scrolling down and clicking “Customize” at the top menu. You can also build your own system by visiting this page and then scrolling down and clicking the orange button that says “Build My Kit.”
SimpliSafe offers four systems, linked here. You can also build your own system here.

Garage Door

An interesting smart home feature that you can include is a smart garage door opener. There are two ways to include this feature.

• Add-On Controllers: Add-on controllers are wired to the original garage motor, and use sensors to detect where the door is when it’s moving.

• Replacement Motorized Units: These completely replace the original garage door motor. They’re the more expensive of the two options.

So, how do these smart garage door openers work? Well, first you have to download the accompanying app for whatever door opener you purchased. To find a door opener, check out this link, and then look in the left menu to select the smart hub/voice assistant you’d like your opener to be compatible with. 

To activate the opener, open the app, and select the action you’d like to perform (open or close). Your device then sends a signal (either over Wi-Fi, your automation protocol, or cloud) to the “door control module.” This signal is then sent to the “door position sensor” on the actual door, causing the door to either open or close. 

What’s nice about these openers is that you can control them from anywhere, even when you’re not home. So if you’re in a rush and forget to close your garage door, you don’t have to worry!

Deadbolt Lock

Smart deadbolt locks allow you to lock your doors through an app, from wherever you are. There are many different options, so we’ll list a couple here.

• Nest x Yale Lock: This lock is from Google, who collaborated with Yale to create this deadbolt lock. It doesn’t require a key, and it connects to the Nest App. This allows you to lock and unlock it with the app from anywhere. Furthermore, if you have a Google Nest product, which has Google Assistant, you can lock your door with your voice! (Note: you cannot UNlock your door with your voice) You can give trusted people a passcode to unlock your door, and also receive notifications whenever your door is unlocked. It can also lock itself if it detects that you’re not home.

• SimpliSafe Smart Lock: Like the Google lock, no key is required, but it is important to note that this lock will not really function without a SimpliSafe security system and Interactive Monitoring plan. It comes with a pin pad, so you can give trusted people a unique code for access. When you arm and disarm your SimpliSafe security system, the lock automatically locks and unlocks, respectively. You can also control your lock with a pin, key fob, or phone. If you have Alexa or Google Assistant, you can also control the lock through arming and disarming your security system. You’ll also receive notifications on your phone when someone locks or unlocks the door. Another interesting feature is that it senses when the door is open, so the deadbolt won’t open before the door is closed, preventing damage.

We hope you found this information valuable as part of our Smart Home series. Please read on in our fourth post, which is about smart devices for entertainment in your home!

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Sources

Ring. Ring Video Doorbells. Retrieved from https://ring.com/doorbell-cameras.

Ring. Ring Security Cameras. Retrieved from https://ring.com/security-cameras.

Google Store. Compare Nest Cams. Retrieved from https://store.google.com/us/magazine/compare_cameras. 

Newegg Insider. A Guide to the Best Smart Garage Door Opener for 2019. Retrieved from https://www.newegg.com/insider/a-guide-to-choosing-the-best-smart-garage-door-opener/. 

Google Store. Nest x Yale Lock. Retrieved from https://store.google.com/us/product/nest_x_yale_lock?hl=en-US. 

SimpliSafe. SimpliCam. Retrieved from https://simplisafe.com/simplicam-security-camera. 

SimpliSafe. Smart Lock. Retrieved from https://simplisafe.com/smart-lock.

SimpliSafe. Video Doorbell. Retrieved from https://simplisafe.com/video-doorbell-pro. 

SimpliSafe. Security Systems. Retrieved from https://simplisafe.com/home-security-shop-packages.