Options for Front Door Security

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alasta

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#319231 4-Apr-2025 10:55

I have been thinking of getting a locksmith to install a peephole in my front door that I can use when someone knocks on my door. I need to be able to see enough to identify the person before opening the door - i.e. is it a neighbour, police officer, or some nutter coming to stab me. The alternative would be some sort of 'electronic doorbell' with a camera.

I have an iPhone but I am not a tech person, so don't want technology for the sake of technology. An electronic solution would presumably have a bunch of disadvantages such as having to change/charge batteries, risk of theft/vandalism of the device, potential tech failures, etc.

Are there any practical advantages of an electronic doorbell solution that I haven't thought of? Or would a peephole be perfectly fine for my use case?

Dingbatt

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#3360578 4-Apr-2025 11:02

If all you want to do is walk to your front door and see who is there without opening it, then the peephole is the perfect (and probably cheapest) solution.

The advantage of a digital solution is you don’t have to get up and go to the door. You don’t even need to be in the house to see who has approached your front door. If it is someone you know, you can speak to them as well. If there are suspicious characters hanging around where you live you will also have a recording of them.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Metamorphic

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#3360584 4-Apr-2025 11:13

Some models have both pet and package detection. If that interests you, you need a model that prioritises the vertical field of view, rather than the horizontal. Unfortunately these vertical field of view models are not as easy to find in New Zealand. I gave up waiting to see if Reolink's excellent white video doorbell would come into stock, and instead got one of their cameras which has the option of "corridor mode", i.e the vertical field of view.

mdf

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#3360600 4-Apr-2025 11:59

As others have said, peepholes are cheap, reliable and high definition (depending on cleanliness, I guess). But you have to go to the door to use them.

I helped my mother with a Ring set up and she loves (i) not missing any door knocks when she is upstairs/outside since her phone chimes and (ii) being able to check on her house from wherever. Nothing has happened at her place (touch wood) but she seems equally concerned about burglaries and prowlers while absent as home invasion by nutbars when home.

If it helps as another alternative/supplementary option, she doesn't actually have a Ring doorbell. Instead she has a wired floodlight camera that replaced the light covering the front door. So she actually gets a ping when someone walks up to the door well before the knock. i.e., anti-card-to-call-without-actually-bothering-to-wait-for-someone-to-answer-the-door courier mode. Not quite as good as a POE option IMHO but takes advantage of existing house wiring so no need for electricians or changing batteries. The app overall seems good and "just works" (though the Amazon/Bezos factor should be acknowledged).

neb

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#3360720 4-Apr-2025 13:59

alasta:

I have been thinking of getting a locksmith to install a peephole in my front door that I can use when someone knocks on my door.

I'd be careful about doing that, the assassin will put the tip of the silencer on his pistol on the peephole and when he sees it covered over, shoot you through the eye. I've seen the movies...

A doorbell camera would be a better option, it'll give you a full view of what's happening rather than a distorted fisheye view of one spot.

Rikkitic

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#3360839 4-Apr-2025 17:05

I remember the Before Time when people opened the door to see who was there...

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mattwnz

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#3360846 4-Apr-2025 17:27

The advantage of a video doorbell is that it will record potential intruders or people that may knock to see if anyone is home. Mine recorded an intruder that came onto the property but unfortunately they were wearing a hood so it didn’t get their face. But I never use it to see who is at the door before opening it because that would be a big time delay

Scott3

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#3360861 4-Apr-2025 18:54

Rikkitic:

I remember the Before Time when people opened the door to see who was there...

Peepholes were invented in 1932...

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freitasm

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#3360868 4-Apr-2025 19:31

Scott3:

Rikkitic:

I remember the Before Time when people opened the door to see who was there...

Peepholes were invented in 1932...

Peepholes, meh.

I remember eye slots.

neb

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#3360870 4-Apr-2025 19:35

freitasm:

Scott3:

Peepholes were invented in 1932...

Peepholes, meh.

I remember eye slots.

Mother Neb remembers machicolations and murder holes. Kids these days...

mdooher

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#3361606 7-Apr-2025 11:44

Ah, the old "arrow slit"... still you probably need the drawbridge and moat to make it truly useful ... Maybe the modern Ring doorbell would be a better option

Matthew