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[Discuss] Home security & automation
- Subject: [Discuss] Home security & automation
- From: tmetro+blu at gmail.com (Tom Metro)
- Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 23:45:02 -0400
- In-reply-to: <CAOTD2YSh0v=aRioVhdPqVqwpiMU6L=V14AvPrY0AQ9mmqL75gg@mail.gmail.com>
- References: <CAOTD2YSh0v=aRioVhdPqVqwpiMU6L=V14AvPrY0AQ9mmqL75gg@mail.gmail.com>
Matt Shields wrote: > I'm considering setting up my own home security system, video surveillance > and home automation. We talk about these topics on the BLU Hardware Hacking list: http://blu.wikispaces.com/Hardware+Hacking Some recent threads: Z-Wave door locks vulnerable to replay attack http://www.mail-archive.com/hardwarehacking at blu.org/msg01276.html Home Automation Startups in Boston http://www.mail-archive.com/hardwarehacking at blu.org/msg01278.html z-wave products at Monoprice http://www.mail-archive.com/hardwarehacking at blu.org/msg01300.html Buying a good outdoor security camera http://www.mail-archive.com/hardwarehacking at blu.org/msg01301.html > I'd rather not go with a provider based system (like Comcast, ADT, > Vivint, etc) since I want to control everything and not have to rely > on a company for service or pay a monthly fee. On the security side of things, you'll want to consider whether using a home-brew or self-monitored solution will meet the requirements of your home insurance provider, many of which will offer discounts to systems that meet their criteria. If that isn't a concern, or the provider has flexible rules (for example, not requiring commercial monitoring, but requiring a UL-listed alarm panel), then you have some choices. If you care a lot about the reliability, particularly if you are monitoring the system remotely, you probably want to go with a purpose built alarm panel, rather than adding on security sensors to a home automation platform. I haven't surveyed the market lately, but several years back when I was in the market for an alarm panel, I was rather disappointed with the proprietary offerings. They're generally designed to only allow dealer/installers to access programming features remotely (which you may not care about) and they require you pay a monthly fee to the vendor's authorized partner (usually alarm.com) if you want to monitor the system over the Internet. (I'm hoping this isn't still the case with at least some current panels.) There is a similar limitation on the cellular backup systems used by the panels. The GE panels use a cell service that's again tied to alarm.com. So in addition to buying the cell module for several hundred, you have to pay a monthly fee. No option to drop in your own SIM. (It actually uses GPRS data transmission, I believe, and is hard wired to talk to alarm.com servers.) At least the GE panels and some of the others can be configured to dial out to phone numbers of your choosing, so it is possible to use them in a self-monitoring configuration. (Up to you to figure out a backup channel in the event your phone line is cut.) Several alarm panel vendors have tried getting into the home automation space as an add-on to their panels. Some GE panels and 2GIG, for example, will work with Z-Wave devices to control lights, electronic locks, and whatnot. These capabilities generally are only usable if you again have a monthly subscription to alarm.com. (That's true for the GE panels. Not sure about the 2GIG.) Do you spot the pattern? Basically anything that requires connectivity outside the home they either assume no home owner would be sophisticated enough to handle setting that up on their own, or they simply want to lock you into using a service where they get a cut of the monthly revenue. If you're really more interested in home automation, and security is just a nice-to-have add-on, then you could instead build the system around a home automation controller and get security sensors that talk home automation protocols. The controller could be something from a turn-key solution like Vera (http://getvera.com/) or SmartThings (http://www.smartthings.com/) hub (which offer some limited form of openness) to a fully D-I-Y solution running on a Raspberry Pi or the like. Often times the wireless sensors available for the commercial alarm panels will be cheaper and offer better choices (smaller door sensors, smoke alarms, etc.) than what you can get for home automation sensors. An ideal solution might blend the two. Use a D-I-Y hub with a software defined radio to talk to alarm panel sensors. See: the insecurity of wireless alarm systems http://www.mail-archive.com/hardwarehacking at blu.org/msg01263.html > Ideally I would like it to have all three things (security, video & > automation) all work together in the same system and I'd like to have it > network based and even have a mobile app. If you don't want to do much integration work, one of the turn key offerings are going to be your best bet. -Tom -- Tom Metro The Perl Shop, Newton, MA, USA "Predictable On-demand Perl Consulting." http://www.theperlshop.com/
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- [Discuss] Home security & automation
- From: matt at mattshields.org (Matt Shields)
- [Discuss] Home security & automation
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