free installation home security
That service costs an extra $10 per month and covers all of your equipment and the cost of the service calls. Our Vivint salesman told us all of our equipment was covered by warranty for the entire length of the contract 60 months. What he didn't tell us was that it would cost $49 to have a technician come to our house to replace the broken equipment. I will
admit that it is my
fault for skimming the the fine print, and I mean almost unreadable fine print, on the back of the Vivint contract. It does say there that you must have the Vivint premium service package to waive the service fee. Our new Vivint doorbell camera has the same connection issues.
wireless house alarms
You can use the mobile app to customize the video quality to optimize camera performance or save storage space. This is an especially helpful feature that isn't in every security camera. The audio quality on this camera doesn't compare well with the competition, but is
clear enough when using the two way audio function. We had some issues with the camera dropping its Wi Fi connection
during testing, but not enough to make the camera unusable. The SmartCam's one year warranty is average for security cameras, but half as long as the warranties from Nest and Belkin. Read the full reviewIris Outdoor Security Camera IRIS BCAMPK1 LW: This security camera has night vision that can see as far out as 32 feet and automatically turns on when it gets dark. It also features a built in microphone, so you can hear as well as see. This Iris outdoor security camera allows you to monitor your home using a smartphone or tablet. Announced November 2018 for $149Arlo Ultra This device shoots in 4K HDR and features night vision, a spotlight, 180 degree viewing and noise cancellation, making it one of the most powerful security cameras on the market. Announced November 2018 for $399SimCam This camera features facial recognition, two way audio and a weatherproof exterior. To top it all off, there are no cloud costs for saving and storing video.
home alarm systems
Examples of home automation are controlling
your lights, thermostat and door locks
from your mobile phone. Home automation is convenient and easy, and wireless systems help you automate your home that much easier. Smart locks, programmable thermostats, cameras, and other automated home devices are by their very nature wireless, and most home security companies offer a home automation package with an app to remotely control everything on the system. That isn’t to say that you can’t have wired home automation, because you can, but automated equipment that is hardwired into your system is slower and harder to encrypt. It isn’t very smart. Wireless devices communicate more securely and faster to other devices on the system and to the monitoring center if you choose monitoring. You can easily expand many wireless systems to include home automation by incorporating smart devices one by one or all at once. Devices in security systems communicate to one another using a specific protocol. Protocols include Wi Fi, Bluetooth, Z Wave, and others. Make sure that the automation devices you want and the system you have speak the same protocol before upgrading your home security. If you think you might want to switch to home automation in the future, check that the security company and equipment you buy allow for an easy transition.