Home security options

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SomePostman

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#208039 24-Jan-2017 13:54

Hi all,

After a recent break in, I'm looking at how I can improve the security of my house to stop this happening in future. It sounds like I can get a traditional sort of alarm installed for around a thousand- but I'm curious about the internet based options available. There seem to be several alternatives that can send a notification to your phone when they detect movement in your house and you can view the video footage through your phone. But they don't seem to have an audible alarm - wouldn't it be better if that either automatically goes off and you can turn it off in a false alarm, or you can choose to activate it? I'd think the best security stops someone from getting into your house at all, but if the did, i'd certainly want them to move off as soon as possible.

Can anyone with experience or expertise on this area give me their thoughts?

Thank you!

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#1708726 24-Jan-2017 13:57

I suggest morepork, currently free for starter pack with promo code.

then its $30 a month, so a $1 a day. on a 24 month contract though.

it does have an audible alarm, but honestly not that loud, i can barely hear it upstairs (wish they support other zwave sirens, then I could use those).

works very well on my phone. support is very good (im actually surprised on this, I asked a bunch of very technical questions and they could answer them all.... that never happens IME).

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SomePostman

139 posts

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#1708735 24-Jan-2017 14:06

What happens at the end of the contract with morepork? I take it you'd need to be paying subscription for it to still work

ANglEAUT

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#1708740 24-Jan-2017 14:11

Or you cna look at the ads on the right of this thread: https://price.geekzone.co.nz/product.aspx?pid=895456431

;-)

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

reven

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#1708741 24-Jan-2017 14:12

yeah it needs the subscription to work. its basically reselling alarm.com, which is an online service. connects to their servers for monitor/cloud uploading of data.

on the flip side it comes with a spark sim card, so if your wifi goes down, you still get alerts (until the internal battery runs out)

mdf

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#1708752 24-Jan-2017 14:32

I looked into this a bit a while back. Basically it was really hard to find a "smart" alarm system that also (a) had an audible siren and (b) was on sale in/could be shipped to New Zealand. Two main options were Morepork or something homebrew, which I didn't want to get into with an alarm. We ended up going with a traditional paradox alarm installed by a pro. We got the one with an IP module so it emails me when it arms, disarms and goes off. I might add some separate IP cameras like from cleverloop at some stage, but I haven't got around to that yet.

This was 6 months ago though so things may have changed. Mr Cleverloop was on the forums and may have an update, but I can't remember his handle.

jarledb

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#1708757 24-Jan-2017 14:48

The thing is, if you have valuables and the crooks want to break in, they will. No matter if you have an alarm system or not. If you have a security company that the alarm is connected to, it will take them longer to get there than for the crooks to get what they want and leave.

The only sure thing to secure your house is physical security, like bars on windows etc. Oh, or something like this: http://www.protectglobal.com/

When the thieves can't see anything, they can't take anything... :)

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kobiak

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#1708758 24-Jan-2017 14:50

is not it more important to respond to break-in? I fail to understand, how an IP camera and siren would stop someone to break-in. What happens next? You receive an email that your alarm is going-on. What's next? Call police? They won't be interested, well maybe they will for once, and it's better be not false alarm. How long it would take them to get there? Is it fast enough?

I'm asking, because recently we looked after friend's cat, and they have alarm with a siren. On first visit we entered wrong code and siren goes-on for 5 mins. We tried 3 times, each time entering wrong code :( (turns out friend gave us wrong code :)) but no one on the street bothered. Yes, it's Penrose. 15 mins is more than enough to get TV, stereo, PS4, etc out. And if there're 2-3 ppl, even less time.

So meh... unless it's connected to security ppl with a max response of 5 mins.

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RUKI

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#1708774 24-Jan-2017 15:26

In Russia response to alarm by armed Police squad is around 1.5 minutes more or less. In New Zealand it is pathetic...no response at all...

NZ Police spends more resources and time on money generating activities like traffic fines.

They simply do not care.

In Russia people use metal bars on windows and metal safe-type doors plus alarm systems monitored by Police.

You can't install metal bars into cardboard houses, made of matches and paper...

Just do not have flash items in your household which they can sell on the streets - great advice given to me by old retired navy friend. Which I am following for years making my wife little bit unhappy. I repair our old stuff again and again decade after decade and I forgot the time we bought new things :-)

wasabi2k

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#1708790 24-Jan-2017 15:38

kobiak:

is not it more important to respond to break-in? I fail to understand, how an IP camera and siren would stop someone to break-in. What happens next? You receive an email that your alarm is going-on. What's next? Call police? They won't be interested, well maybe they will for once, and it's better be not false alarm. How long it would take them to get there? Is it fast enough?

I'm asking, because recently we looked after friend's cat, and they have alarm with a siren. On first visit we entered wrong code and siren goes-on for 5 mins. We tried 3 times, each time entering wrong code :( (turns out friend gave us wrong code :)) but no one on the street bothered. Yes, it's Penrose. 15 mins is more than enough to get TV, stereo, PS4, etc out. And if there're 2-3 ppl, even less time.

So meh... unless it's connected to security ppl with a max response of 5 mins.

I figure if I call the Police and tell them I am looking at someone in my house right now stealing stuff they MAY care.

As far as Active Monitoring - response time to my house in West Auckland was over 30 minutes. Utter waste of time. I was able to get the call, leave work, drive home from CBD and get home before the alarm company could get a car there. What is the security person going to do if they get there are people ate stealing stuff? Call the cops?

Why would I pay them?

xpd

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#1708801 24-Jan-2017 15:46

We have a nosy neighbor. Best security we've ever had. (Along with the big black woofer unit)

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reven

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#1708805 24-Jan-2017 15:50

Agree with monitoring comapines.

But I hope if I call cops and have footage of the people breaking in they will car.

I also use ring.com so that alerts me of someone approaches my house and I can protend in their.

sidefx

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#1708836 24-Jan-2017 16:14

reven: Agree with monitoring comapines.

But I hope if I call cops and have footage of the people breaking in they will car.

I also use ring.com so that alerts me of someone approaches my house and I can protend in their.

I expect they would too if you told them you were watching live footage of someone breaking in... I suspect a lot of people get frustrated when the police don't immediately respond to an alarm (unfortunately alarms go off by accident all the time so I can understand them not - it's a bit different if you can tell them exactly what's happening via live footage though) or get frustrated that it takes them a long time to attend a burglary scene etc, but realistically they have to prioritize things.

Good point about pretending to be in, this is quite an attractive feature of ring.

At the end of the day a burglar will pick the easiest target, and the one that's least likely to result in them getting caught. If your place obviously has an alarm\cameras\etc and you follow some basic good security practices (lock gates when going on holiday, ensure all windows and doors are secured when out, etc) I'd say you're a lot less likely to be burgled... Something like morepork or even those fake CCTV cameras you can buy would all be deterrents IMO and therefore worthwhile. Granted a determined burglar *might* still rob you... but I'd guess most of them are lazy, not very smart, cowardly and major opportunists and I'd say anything that makes it harder or more risky for them is worth considering.

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mdf

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#1708844 24-Jan-2017 16:22

sidefx:
reven: Agree with monitoring comapines.

But I hope if I call cops and have footage of the people breaking in they will car.

I also use ring.com so that alerts me of someone approaches my house and I can protend in their.

I expect they would too if you told them you were watching live footage of someone breaking in... I suspect a lot of people get frustrated when the police don't immediately respond to an alarm (unfortunately alarms go off by accident all the time so I can understand them not - it's a bit different if you can tell them exactly what's happening via live footage though) or get frustrated that it takes them a long time to attend a burglary scene etc, but realistically they have to prioritize things.

Good point about pretending to be in, this is quite an attractive feature of ring.

At the end of the day a burglar will pick the easiest target, and the one that's least likely to result in them getting caught. If your place obviously has an alarm\cameras\etc and you follow some basic good security practices (lock gates when going on holiday, ensure all windows and doors are secured when out, etc) I'd say you're a lot less likely to be burgled... Something like morepork or even those fake CCTV cameras you can buy would all be deterrents IMO and therefore worthwhile. Granted a determined burglar *might* still rob you... but I'd guess most of them are lazy, not very smart, cowardly and major opportunists and I'd say anything that makes it harder or more risky for them is worth considering.

^^^ This. We had a spate of burglaries along our street, but we never had an issue. Police said basically 90% of the time it's lazy little scrotes after the softest possible target. Basic precautions and deterrence will get you a time long way.

But no, an international gang of supervillains after the Rembrandt on your living room wall isn't likely to be deterred by an alarm.

jarledb

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#1708848 24-Jan-2017 16:24

reven: Agree with monitoring comapines.

But I hope if I call cops and have footage of the people breaking in they will car.

I also use ring.com so that alerts me of someone approaches my house and I can protend in their.

With most alarm systems that include cameras you will be lucky to make out if its a man or a woman that robbed you.. Forget about it being evidence that connects a person to the crime.

Lastman

306 posts

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#1708857 24-Jan-2017 16:30

jarledb:
The thing is, if you have valuables and the crooks want to break in, they will. No matter if you have an alarm system or not. If you have a security company that the alarm is connected to, it will take them longer to get there than for the crooks to get what they want and leave.

The only sure thing to secure your house is physical security, like bars on windows etc. Oh, or something like this: http://www.protectglobal.com/

When the thieves can't see anything, they can't take anything... :)

Burglar alarms are very effective. It is because burglars are risk adverse. They'll generally target another house that doesn't have an alarm. Though the chances of getting caught might be slim, a loud screaming alarm creates risks and lessens rewards.

I spent around 20 years in security in patrols and attending alarms. I've caught dozens of burglars at commercial premises but can't recall doing so at a house. Partly for the reason above, but despatching house alarms tended to be more convoluted, ring first keyholder etc, patrol gets despatched after about the third phone call...., also patrols spend most of their time around commercial areas where they make their money. Travel time to residential can be high.

So have an alarm with a siren and tell the world you have an alarm by signage. Monitoring is an option, perhaps more for peace of mind, that further damage is prevented etc

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