Ive been looking to make a home security system and Smartthings (ST) has everything i need.
Camera integration, Door sensors, alarms, locks ect.
Also with Arlo Q pro you can have some local storage with 7 days of cloud storage. But my question is. Do i need the arlo base station with the ST hub? or can i connect an Arlo Q pro directly into the ST hub? Ive read that you need the Arlo hub for the Arlo wireless and wireless pro but can’t find any info for the Q.
Thanks for any replies!
Search the forum for security discussions and I think you may find that some of the features that you would expect a security system to have are absent from SmartThings.
Just as an example, there are no entrance or exit delays; if the Internet is not available the system cannot send notifications and you can neither arm nor disarm it; there’s no concept of a master user so anyone you give access to, say, turn lights on and off can also change anything else on the system; and the company’s own official product usage guidelines tell you not to use it for anything critical.
https://www.smartthings.com/guidelines
do not use SmartThings to control any device that may have an impact on health, safety, security, property, or financial interests,
And they can and do push out updates at any time which can take your system off-line temporarily, and there’s no way to delay or refuse those updates. We usually get a few days notice ahead of time, but not always.
It can still be very useful as a system for convenience notifications (at our house we use it to get a notification if the guestroom window is left open and rain is expected), but just understand that it doesn’t really go head to head with a purpose built security system, even a relatively inexpensive one. So just know what you’re getting.
As for Arlo, there’s an official integration. Hopefully other community members who have the Arlo cameras will be able to say more. 
https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/209529506-How-to-connect-Netgear-Arlo-Cameras
Arlo Q cameras operate more like Dropcam’s for example. You do not pair them with the Arlo base station. The base station is only used for the Arlo Wire Free cameras. Arlo Q run directly off your wifi. I have both types and have both in ST, they both get ‘exposed’ to ST via the Arlo connect app which is a cloud to cloud integration.
As JD says…I would NOT recommend ST as a first line security system. I still have my home alarm, abet a very basic alarm, via a monitored service. It is cheap, 10 bucks a month, and is way more reliable and error free than ST. Give the amount of ‘false alerts’ from Smart Home Monitor within ST, i would NEVER use it as a first line system. It is my backup/view into the house if an alert does happen.
Thanks this was very helpful.
As for using ST for security I think it has the prefect features. As someone who monitors security systems FLS systems and responds to all alarms, from burg to fire and everything in between id much prefer a self monitored system that I have control over.
I have a large rescue dog that will attack anyone in uniform. (myself included if im not covered. ive worked her down with 2 years of training but I still wouldn’t trust her alone with a stranger in uniform) so a false police response could easily end up with a dead pet.
I don’t have kids so it will be just me and my S/O who gets control of the system.
Plus I work less than 1 mile from home so if there is an issue I can call PD and be my own armed response within 3 minutes. So while I appreciate your concerns I feel that this system is much better suited for me than most other systems I have researched.
I don’t understand why you would let your spec-based opinion directly contradict or outweigh the actual experience of those existing users that have been using smartthings (ST) for security.
If you proceed as you indicate then I strongly suggest do not use ST to energize a siren (due to likely false alarms and loss of control) and do not automatically notify uniformed response (due to unwarranted risk to them).
just my opinion based on the last 2-3 years
Different things work for different people. As long as you know what you’re getting into and it still sounds good, I think it’s definitely worth trying. The issues with reliability in SmartThings aren’t subtle, you’ll usually know within the 30 day return period whether it’s something that will work for you.
My concern is always for people who just install it based on the marketing without realizing the probable rate of failure or the issues with lack of control if the Internet goes out. Installing a siren in an inaccessible place, as some people do intentionally, and then facing a combination of false alerts and having no way to turn off the system from the mobile app can be a very unpleasant surprise if you don’t know ahead of time that that might happen. 
There are also the people who buy it for a second location, sometimes hundreds of miles away, not realizing that the firmware updates can be applied at any time without being able to postpone them, and fairly often require that you manually reset sensors or other devices after the system comes back online.
https://support.smartthings.com/hc/en-us/articles/209979766-Local-processing
Manual, on-demand control of a device or SmartApp through the SmartThings mobile app always requires an internet connection to the cloud and cannot be performed locally.
Again, there are lots of threads about those issues in the forums, but if you’re aware of the possibilities and you’re interested in trying it, why not?
If I understand what you’re saying, you’re attracted to the idea of self monitoring. There are a number of purposebuilt security systems in the low-cost range that have self-monitoring, such as simplisafe and abode, both of which have security system features that SmartThings lacks, such as exit delays and more local operation. So I don’t think there are many people who would say that SmartThings has the “perfect features” for a home security system. But it may very well meet your own needs and you may be willing to put up with any deficiencies in order to get a particular set of devices or meet a particular price point. That’s a decision everyone has to make for themselves.
As I said, at our household we like it very much for those convenience notifications which can just be very difficult to set up in other systems. But we do use a completely separate security system that will operate even if both power and Internet are out.
Your house, your choice. As long as you end up with something that you’re happy with, that’s what matters.
I agree with everything you mention here and i know your a seasoned veteran here as this reply is more for others reading in. After using ST now for over a year I’m still scratching my head on the entry exit delays item. For me it’s not a huge deal because I use presence to arm/disarm the system so unless something really wonky happens it’s works rather well in that sense. I would like a delay though for those time I have accidentally set it off so the option would be nice. As many people on these forums has shown there area number of work arounds on the delay issue. For me personally I use a Aeon Labs Siren with Kevin LaFramboise (@krlaframboise) DTH which allows you to create a custom siren sound. Just using the built in settings I have it beep every couple seconds for 45 seconds then go full hog for 3 minutes. You could set this up so that it essentially stays silent for x number of seconds before going off giving you a faux delay (sorta I know the SHM alert issue). There is also an unbelevible amount of customizing you can do with WebCoRE to fix many of these other short comings.
The internet connection is an issue though and I’ve explored some options here but never came back to it. The best I could come up with is a something like a multi-WAN router and having a cellular backup (all on UPS of course). I am all ears though if someone knows of a low cost easier option.