The Best Home Security Systems

Don't get one of those systems where you have to pay a monthly fee - that's a swindle. Set up your own security system that you monitor yourself (e.g., Nest).

Get one with a cool LED color display, not one with a weird keypad-only interface. ADT is a scam.

Do you get notified through your cell phone R1? Isn't it the convenience of the alarm company being notified and contacting you, the police, fire department why most people use an company?

If you self-install there's online services you can use that are MUCH cheaper than the overpriced companies like ADT for home security monitoring. I think Costco might have an option.

I've used SimpliSafe for 5 years and have been very pleased.

Wouldn’t you want a centralized system monitoring your home?

Do you own or rent? If you rent, forget about ADT. They won't even install. They'll send you a box of substandard crap. Get Simplisafe. I was happy with it - though there are a few things I would've improved, it mostly did the job and was reasonably priced. It came with a free camera too which was cool to monitor the front door or whatever you want. It's all controllable from your phone and computer which makes things a lot easier to manage.

Fuck those "security" companies. I'm using four Arlo cameras. Not a perfect solution, but I get to see opossums and raccoons up to no good at 3 a.m. I'm imagining burglars or worse will tend to move on down the street to a less obvious camera-festooned residence. Who knows?

And when you are not home R8?

Yeah what about remote monitoring?

Get a dog. Or hire the Darfur Orphan. He works cheap.

Simplisafe does remote monitoring. You can get as many cameras as you want, but you have to plug them into outlets and they aren't hidden.

There are two components:

1. The equipment, including door monitors, window monitors, motion detectors, video cameras, etc.

2. How you monitor your home after you've installed the equipment.

Above all else, do not use ADT. Overpriced, under-resourced, and incompetent, for the most part. You'll occasionally find a local provider who knows what they are doing and isn't too expensive but mostly they're crap.

If you're reasonably competent, you can purchase and install all of the equipment you need yourself. I'd recommend a monitor on every ground-floor window and door, at least one motion detector, video cameras monitoring the approach to your front door, the approach to your back door, and your driveway (if that isn't covered by either of the first two), a DVR to record your video, and a central controller.

Optionally, you can install additional internal cameras, a glass-breaking sensor (reacts to the noise of breaking glass), a flood detector (to catch water leaks before they become a major disaster), and a smoke detector that's also plugged into this monitoring system.

Once you have the equipment installed, connected, and working, you can either purchase a monthly contract from any local monitoring source (use online reviews to find the good ones) or, as noted above, you can be your own monitor by having everything routed to your cell phone.

If you're going for the full package and you're having it all done for you, the bill can be pretty substantial, as much as $2000 for the equipment and installation, depending on what you get, how many windows and doors you have, where you live, and who's doing it. And that's if you're using the mostly battery-powered options. If you're wiring everything, that cost will climb pretty dramatically.

If you're doing it all yourself, you can do it for far less, with prices in the low- to mid-hundreds, again, depending on a variety of factors.

I remember reading that there are so many false alarms with a system like ADT (i.e., people setting them off accidentally and ADT notifying the police), that the police have grown wary of responding, because it's so often a waste of time.

I think a system where you, yourself, report an intruder to the police directly is much more likely to get a fast response.

I had two false alarms with simplisafe. They use a third party contractor to call you when the alarm goes off. You have the option to set every sensor for "auto-trigger" or for a count-down for 30 seconds or whatever. A few of my sensors were on auto, but that wasn't actually what caused the problem. You still get 10-30 seconds before the dispatch people call you if you accidentally trigger a senor.

When I was moving, I started taking the system down (two of the sensors ripped the paint off the wall, btw, despite the 3M strips). Simplisafe call center hold times can exceed 40 minutes (almost always from 5-8 pm). So, I called to tell them I am now taking it off the walls and to ask if there's anything else I should do because the base station wouldn't shut up with "entry sensor - garage - open" and so on, for every sensor in the house...even when it was unplugged. They told me how to get the hidden battery out. At least I knew I was disconnected from the police... or so I thought. As I am listening to their endless hold music, some unknown call comes in and I declined it without thinking much. It was the local dispatch - because apparently I touched the silent panic button that is "always connected" even though the system was not armed AND I disabled the police connection on a prior call. For people who have simplisafe, it's the red thing on top of the keypad. That's the panic button which works in all modes (home, away, and off)...and does not sound the alarm. So, the police showed up. At least I get 2 "free" false alarms before they give out fines, but it's very awkward. It took them half an hour to verify my identity and ensure I wasn't not robbing the house.

Customer service with Simplisafe ranges from complete morons to people who are extremely helpful. But the hold times are ridiculous across the board. If you get this service, expect to figure everything out by googling it OR call customer service around 2 PM...and if you get a moronic agent, call back.

Well maybe not Simplisafe

This is the only place I hear people sayin bad stuff about ADT. I only hear good stuff

Bump

OP needs a Lesbian to move into a room down the hall. She will sense intruders and defeat them in armed combat, then whip up a flan in the kitchen.

Unlike R15, my (admittedly few) experiences with SimpliSafe's customer service have been pretty positive.

It has great reviews

How much per month?

Heard great stuff about Simplisafe

We already had this thread:

Dig a fashionable moat and adopt a fleet of attack birds.

Problemo Solvedo

How easy is it to install?

Just called ADT. They quoted me a $49 a month rate for monitoring. I balked, and ended up with extra equipment and $28 Per month

Aren't Home Security alarms just about the bottom priority for most police departments because of the huge numbers of false alarms?

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The nice thing about SimpliSafe, despite the long hold times with customer service, there is NO contract. Everyone else seems to demand a year or more (sometimes 3 years!)

OP stay away from the monthly fee companies like ADT. You can have someone install a state of the art system and have your monitoring done by your local police dept. You can hardwire your system to send the alarm directly to your local police station.

But ADT gives a lot of equipment and features without having to spend a ton for it upfront. I’m more into a $28 per month fee than spending $500 or kids upfront

R33, just be careful with the installers (usually young guys who also make a commission on the sale.) They use an outside company for installations and they will try to charge more for the system.

When I initially had ADT install a system at my mother's house they walked in looked around and decided they would try to charge three times the price quoted over the phone. When I balked and told them no thanks and have a nice day they were quick to lower the price.

As for the monthly rate if you go with the direct line to your local PD they will charge a nominal fee. I believe mine is $75.00 per year. And be careful if your alarm goes off and you don't acknowledge the call from ADT. They will send the police and (at least in my town) if they have to come to your residence more than two times for false alarms they will charge you. Again that may just be my local PD. Not sure.

Your PD charges for calls?

SimpliSafe would be great if it didn’t charge a monthly fee for customers to monitor devices via app

R24 - I live in a cabin, high up in the mountains, on a large property, with my landlords house in front of me.

And, there is a moat in the back yard, bordering the pasture land amongst the large pine trees. Yes, it is there for security purposes, to avoid any access from the pastures. Also, some screehing birds, but I don't think they'll attack.

Simplisafe is giving away a free camera now

R35, if you choose to have your alarm system hardwired so your local PD receives the alarm they may charge a fee to answer a false alarm. If they have to come out to your residence for too many false alarms you're going to pay.

Vivint.

Highly recommend.

Bumping after a year.

I moved into a new home last summer. At my old place, I had Vivint. I am thinking of switching now.

I had several false alarms before which I headed off through the dispatcher, so I was satisfied for the most part, but it was over $40/mo.

If anybody has anything current to add to the conversation, I’m all ears.

I've had SimpliSafe for 9 years and it is great. It's been $15 a month for the entire time and never increased. Self Install. I've had a couple false alarms and I can attest to their prompt response. Have sent components back for replacement with no problem/no charge. No contract.

I like SimpliSafe. I was on board with them from the early days primarily because their Cambridge, MA HQ was a 5 minute walk from my office so I figured if they screwed up or bullshitted me, I'd just walk over and settle it in person. I also knew a couple of employees who had defected from my IT dept. SimpliSafe was (maybe still is) a great company for employees according the tech staff I know. It's a hardcore team environment without being cultish. I like to support companies that do good. I know there was some outsourcing but that's because American customers won't pay a price that supports American wages despite their hypocritical outrage over outsourcing. SimpliSafe is a simply safe bet. 😜

LOL

The OP thinks someone is going to steal his collection of butt plugs, Hummel Figurines and Olivia Newton-John CDs

There are some alarm centers that charge like 9 bucks per month if you pay a year in advance. That's if you selfed installed your system

This is bullshit. Who’s the butt hole on here trying to get commission with all the SimpliSafe shit?

R46 ok, Trumpy. It's all a conspiracy. People can't actually share pos/neg experiences without there being a quid pro quo, right? Fuck off! Take your negativity to your favorite conspiracy site. You tire the living shit out of me sometimes.

In all seriousness, get a dog.

I am thinking SimpliSafe. My Sam's Club has a great starter package. Does anyone know if BJs and Costco have a similar offer? It gives two panel controls, a life alert type button, various door/window alarms, etc. Their monitor is about $15 per month, but as others have said, there are others that monitor for an even lower amount. I would probably just self monitor and use the interior camera to view an apparent entry, and call myself. I have viewed several kids online at E-Bay and Amazon. They give a lot more door/Window sensors, and a lot of extras for a good price as well, but installation woes aplenty in their reviews. I am above average in technical troubleshooting, so I am looking to self install, and get out of my 4 year ADT contract (I'm in the last year).

R14, that’s not why they don’t respond. Cops don’t show up until two, three hours after the alarm goes off because they’re fucking cowards and not going to put themselves in danger because someone is getting robbed or raped.