Home Security System

Wiki Ideas and Suggestions
1

So as of last night “and if I can get them to work” I ordered enough sensors to cover all of my windows and doors. I am also currently in the process of integrating my smoke/CO Detectors. By doing all of this I am hoping to create a pretty solid home safety/security system. I have thought about adding some motion sensors and maybe glass break sensors and a siren etc. My question is, without going overboard what would you guys recommend for a nice security and safety set up? I have three younger children (6 months, 3 yo and 7yo) at home also that get up and use the bathroom during the night and leave doors open pretty frequently. I am just wanting to get the most bang for my buck and not have any unnecessary equipment.

2

There are a lot of thread around using SmartThings for security. I currently do, so i’ll give this advice:

  1. Have layers of security outside of SmartThings. For me this is a Ring Doorbell and a Blue Iris camera system
  2. Have several ways to detect presence to make sure it arms and disarms reliably automatically. We use our phones, fobs in the cars and wifi based presence.
  3. get a siren that has a delay like the Dome model
  4. Think of ways to automatically disarm and re-arm at night so that you or the kids getting up doesn’t trip the system. We have sensors on our bedroom doors that in night mode disarm on opening and re-arm on closing.
3 Likes
3

Thank you for the suggestions. This is really what I needed to get me started down the right path. I think I would be able to set up two motion detectors in different locations and arm one when we are home at night and another when we are away. I also have a seperate security camera system that detects motion, but it is not compatible with smartthings. Any suggestions as to motion detectors? I really like the idea of the dome siren.

Edit: After looking at my floor plan, I believe I can set two motion detectors and have both active in away mode and night mode. If I position them in the spots that I am thinking it should leave a blind spot in the hallway leading to the restroom. Anyone that would be breaking in would be detected as soon as they got to the end of the hallway to access the rest of the house. They would also be detected if they were to enter any other part of the house.

4

Make sure you think about the relationship of modes vs SHM state since they are two separate things.

As far as motion sensors, i like the Iris ones the best. I believe they are on sale right now.

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5

I have looked at those, but I think I will need one that has a little further range than 15 feet.

I guess as cheap as they are, I could buy 3 or 4

6

I recommend reading the forum history for the actual experiences. IMO would not subject 3 little kids to the vagaries of cloud-only security. Might give them a complex.

If you pursue it then consider a notification-only system, that does not automatically trigger a ST siren. Upon notification then investigate with cameras and other rings of security as suggested by Prjct92eh2 .

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7

Good points. What I really want when I narrow it down is this…

1.) Notifications of intrusion/smoke/Carbon Monoxide/etc when we are all away from home.
2.) Some type of alert when we are home and asleep or when the wife and kids are home by themselves. I feel like I can defend our home and or get us to safety if I have enough of a notice (and I realize these things aren’t 100% foolproof). I just don’t want to wake up with a gun in my face or with half of the house blazing.

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