DIY Home Alarm system - Simplisafe or something else?
Discussion
Can anybody recommend an easy to fit wireless, wi-fi enabled home alarm system?
We currently have ADT and I have no idea what I'm paying £38pcm for. Their service has been disappointing to say the least and, in terms of fucntionality, the system is very basic.
I'd like an alarm system that does all the basics (entry/exit protection, motion sensors. smoke alarms) plus CCTV at the door. Also I'd like the ability to see who's at the door from my phone or PC. I am useless at DIY and also fairly lazy so ideally it has to be idiot-proof to install.
Google seems to suggest that Simplisafe would be my best bet. Does anybody have any personal experience of these, and what other options do I have?
We currently have ADT and I have no idea what I'm paying £38pcm for. Their service has been disappointing to say the least and, in terms of fucntionality, the system is very basic.
I'd like an alarm system that does all the basics (entry/exit protection, motion sensors. smoke alarms) plus CCTV at the door. Also I'd like the ability to see who's at the door from my phone or PC. I am useless at DIY and also fairly lazy so ideally it has to be idiot-proof to install.
Google seems to suggest that Simplisafe would be my best bet. Does anybody have any personal experience of these, and what other options do I have?
We've literally (as in this week) installed a SimpliSafe system.
Absolute piece of piss to install and set up - everything bar the base station is completely wireless and can be stuck wherever needed with the already applied sticky pads, though if you have uneven or poor surfaces you will need to screw them in place or use other methods.
Some points of note: you have to subscribe to their premium monitoring service @ £20/month to get full control/access via the mobile app. There's also a £75 call-out charge if the alarm goes off and they have to send someone out - something they don't make abundantly clear up front. Also, the account/app isn't multi-user, which is shockingly poor design, so if you have the app on more than one person's phone you have to log in with the same user account. They've gone some way to rescuing this idiotic situation by allowing more than one phone number for multi-factor authentication.
Some of the SimpliSafe kit isn't available outside the US - the door bell/camera, smart lock - I think that's because they need mains power and they're only designed for 110V DC.
Early days with the system, but so far I'm pretty impressed with it (bar the stupidity of the single account user).
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to answer them.
Absolute piece of piss to install and set up - everything bar the base station is completely wireless and can be stuck wherever needed with the already applied sticky pads, though if you have uneven or poor surfaces you will need to screw them in place or use other methods.
Some points of note: you have to subscribe to their premium monitoring service @ £20/month to get full control/access via the mobile app. There's also a £75 call-out charge if the alarm goes off and they have to send someone out - something they don't make abundantly clear up front. Also, the account/app isn't multi-user, which is shockingly poor design, so if you have the app on more than one person's phone you have to log in with the same user account. They've gone some way to rescuing this idiotic situation by allowing more than one phone number for multi-factor authentication.
Some of the SimpliSafe kit isn't available outside the US - the door bell/camera, smart lock - I think that's because they need mains power and they're only designed for 110V DC.
Early days with the system, but so far I'm pretty impressed with it (bar the stupidity of the single account user).
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to answer them.
judas said:
We've literally (as in this week) installed a SimpliSafe system.
Absolute piece of piss to install and set up - everything bar the base station is completely wireless and can be stuck wherever needed with the already applied sticky pads, though if you have uneven or poor surfaces you will need to screw them in place or use other methods.
Some points of note: you have to subscribe to their premium monitoring service @ £20/month to get full control/access via the mobile app. There's also a £75 call-out charge if the alarm goes off and they have to send someone out - something they don't make abundantly clear up front. Also, the account/app isn't multi-user, which is shockingly poor design, so if you have the app on more than one person's phone you have to log in with the same user account. They've gone some way to rescuing this idiotic situation by allowing more than one phone number for multi-factor authentication.
Some of the SimpliSafe kit isn't available outside the US - the door bell/camera, smart lock - I think that's because they need mains power and they're only designed for 110V DC.
Early days with the system, but so far I'm pretty impressed with it (bar the stupidity of the single account user).
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to answer them.
Thanks - that's really helpful. Lots of questions but I'll start with a a few;Absolute piece of piss to install and set up - everything bar the base station is completely wireless and can be stuck wherever needed with the already applied sticky pads, though if you have uneven or poor surfaces you will need to screw them in place or use other methods.
Some points of note: you have to subscribe to their premium monitoring service @ £20/month to get full control/access via the mobile app. There's also a £75 call-out charge if the alarm goes off and they have to send someone out - something they don't make abundantly clear up front. Also, the account/app isn't multi-user, which is shockingly poor design, so if you have the app on more than one person's phone you have to log in with the same user account. They've gone some way to rescuing this idiotic situation by allowing more than one phone number for multi-factor authentication.
Some of the SimpliSafe kit isn't available outside the US - the door bell/camera, smart lock - I think that's because they need mains power and they're only designed for 110V DC.
Early days with the system, but so far I'm pretty impressed with it (bar the stupidity of the single account user).
Let me know if you have any specific questions and I'll try to answer them.
1. is the £20pcm charge compulsory. if not what functionality do you lose?
2. I really did want a doorbell/CCTV type capability. My office is at the back of the house and it would help to know who's at the door before I decide whether or not to answer. (Actually an intercom system would be fantastic)
3. According to the website there IS a CCTV camera. Does this not function like the doorbell camera?
Thanks again....
Installed a ring alarm last year and happy with it so far. Accessories are relatively cheap, monthly connectivity is £8 alongside your camera storage. You don’t have assisted monitoring in the UK.
Did look at simplisafe but you lost virtually all smarts unless you paid their subscription and that put me off. With the ring you just lose the 3G sim and telephone tree calling but everything else still works.
Did look at simplisafe but you lost virtually all smarts unless you paid their subscription and that put me off. With the ring you just lose the 3G sim and telephone tree calling but everything else still works.
Countdown said:
Thanks - that's really helpful. Lots of questions but I'll start with a a few;
1. is the £20pcm charge compulsory. if not what functionality do you lose?
2. I really did want a doorbell/CCTV type capability. My office is at the back of the house and it would help to know who's at the door before I decide whether or not to answer. (Actually an intercom system would be fantastic)
3. According to the website there IS a CCTV camera. Does this not function like the doorbell camera?
Thanks again....
£20 charge isn’t compulsory, but without it it’s effectively a dumb alarm system with no app access. There’s also a £13 subscription that doesn’t have the live monitoring and some other stuff. 1. is the £20pcm charge compulsory. if not what functionality do you lose?
2. I really did want a doorbell/CCTV type capability. My office is at the back of the house and it would help to know who's at the door before I decide whether or not to answer. (Actually an intercom system would be fantastic)
3. According to the website there IS a CCTV camera. Does this not function like the doorbell camera?
Thanks again....
https://simplisafe.co.uk/professional-alarm-monito...
My office is right at the top of the house, and it’s a tall house, so I’m looking at getting something like a Ring doorbell.
They do indoor and outdoor cameras. The kit I bought came with an indoor camera, so not suitable as a doorbell cam. Can’t comment on the outdoor cams as I already had a hardwired cctv system in place.
We’ve got the Simplisafe system and overall it’s ok.
If you’ve got a long house or thick walls it can be a pain in the arse as the range is pretty limited. Our house is about 25m long with the base station mounted in the middle; we still lose sensors frequently - even when they have direct line of sight to the base of about 12m.
I’ve found the only place it will reliably connect to all the sensors is on top of the fridge….looks a bit s
t really.
You’ll want to fix all the window and door sensors with screw because if they fall off it sets the alarm off - not great in the middle of the night.
If you’ve got a long house or thick walls it can be a pain in the arse as the range is pretty limited. Our house is about 25m long with the base station mounted in the middle; we still lose sensors frequently - even when they have direct line of sight to the base of about 12m.
I’ve found the only place it will reliably connect to all the sensors is on top of the fridge….looks a bit s
t really. You’ll want to fix all the window and door sensors with screw because if they fall off it sets the alarm off - not great in the middle of the night.
Have a look at Ajax https://ajax.systems/
I installed one several months ago and it's really simple to setup, and the wireless range is very impressive.
I installed one several months ago and it's really simple to setup, and the wireless range is very impressive.
We've just given up on our 'traditional' alarm as it was so inflexible and dependent on the alarm company for anything and everything, and gone back to the Ring system we had in our previous house.
We've got about 12 cameras around the house, inside and out, PIRs, door sensors etc. All completely configurable through the app, so easy to change if you ever want to. The cameras (depending on where they are) are either always on, or only armed with the alarm. We have Philips Hue throughout the house, so at night, one command to Alexa sets the alarm, arms the required cameras, and turns out the lights everywhere. Geofencing means it'll remind me to set / disarm the alarm when leaving / returning, which is handy as well. Everything is obviously backed up remotely, it has a series of phone numbers to call when it goes off, and cellular backup if there is an internet problem.
There used to be a weakness to my mind with Ring, in the lack of external sounder. They've now got one so I don't see a downside really. Another fun addition is that you can set the sirens in the cameras to go off with the alarm, so if it does go off, it is going to go off everywhere!
We've got about 12 cameras around the house, inside and out, PIRs, door sensors etc. All completely configurable through the app, so easy to change if you ever want to. The cameras (depending on where they are) are either always on, or only armed with the alarm. We have Philips Hue throughout the house, so at night, one command to Alexa sets the alarm, arms the required cameras, and turns out the lights everywhere. Geofencing means it'll remind me to set / disarm the alarm when leaving / returning, which is handy as well. Everything is obviously backed up remotely, it has a series of phone numbers to call when it goes off, and cellular backup if there is an internet problem.
There used to be a weakness to my mind with Ring, in the lack of external sounder. They've now got one so I don't see a downside really. Another fun addition is that you can set the sirens in the cameras to go off with the alarm, so if it does go off, it is going to go off everywhere!
Thanks all
It sounds like if I don't go for the £20pm monitoring service I'll basically have the same coverage I currently have with ADT but saving myself nearly £40pm. However if I go with the £20pm it will add various functionality.. I'm going to carry on looking.
The thing I really wanted was a wireless wifi CCTV camera for the front door but it looks like I might be better off doing that separately.
Crumpet said:
We’ve got the Simplisafe system and overall it’s ok.
If you’ve got a long house or thick walls it can be a pain in the arse as the range is pretty limited. Our house is about 25m long with the base station mounted in the middle; we still lose sensors frequently - even when they have direct line of sight to the base of about 12m.
I’ve found the only place it will reliably connect to all the sensors is on top of the fridge….looks a bit st really.
You’ll want to fix all the window and door sensors with screw because if they fall off it sets the alarm off - not great in the middle of the night.
It's a square shape but with thick stone walls so that worries me a little bit. If you’ve got a long house or thick walls it can be a pain in the arse as the range is pretty limited. Our house is about 25m long with the base station mounted in the middle; we still lose sensors frequently - even when they have direct line of sight to the base of about 12m.
I’ve found the only place it will reliably connect to all the sensors is on top of the fridge….looks a bit s
t really. You’ll want to fix all the window and door sensors with screw because if they fall off it sets the alarm off - not great in the middle of the night.
It sounds like if I don't go for the £20pm monitoring service I'll basically have the same coverage I currently have with ADT but saving myself nearly £40pm. However if I go with the £20pm it will add various functionality.. I'm going to carry on looking.
The thing I really wanted was a wireless wifi CCTV camera for the front door but it looks like I might be better off doing that separately.
PositronicRay said:
We fitted yale, all good, components available and easy to extend.
I have done this on three homes now and really easy. They do some basic kits to get you started, then you add what extras you want. They do door sensors, motion sensors, smoke detectors, cameras and probably more. It is all app controlled although key pads are variable too. It notifies you of any issues, including battery replacement and things being triggered. Only issue I have had on all three systems is a random smoke detector going off in the middle of the night. It needed replacing in the end.
Road2Ruin said:
PositronicRay said:
We fitted yale, all good, components available and easy to extend.
I have done this on three homes now and really easy. They do some basic kits to get you started, then you add what extras you want. They do door sensors, motion sensors, smoke detectors, cameras and probably more. It is all app controlled although key pads are variable too. It notifies you of any issues, including battery replacement and things being triggered. Only issue I have had on all three systems is a random smoke detector going off in the middle of the night. It needed replacing in the end.
https://yalehome.co.uk/sync-smart-home-alarm-10-pi...
However (unless I'm missing something) it suggests that you get App notifications without having to subscribe to a monthly contract. is that correct?
b.e.n.n.y_b.o.y said:
Have a look at Ajax https://ajax.systems/
I installed one several months ago and it's really simple to setup, and the wireless range is very impressive.
ThisI installed one several months ago and it's really simple to setup, and the wireless range is very impressive.
Far superior and professional system.
Costs more initially, but no ongoing fee.
Countdown said:
Road2Ruin said:
PositronicRay said:
We fitted yale, all good, components available and easy to extend.
I have done this on three homes now and really easy. They do some basic kits to get you started, then you add what extras you want. They do door sensors, motion sensors, smoke detectors, cameras and probably more. It is all app controlled although key pads are variable too. It notifies you of any issues, including battery replacement and things being triggered. Only issue I have had on all three systems is a random smoke detector going off in the middle of the night. It needed replacing in the end.
https://yalehome.co.uk/sync-smart-home-alarm-10-pi...
However (unless I'm missing something) it suggests that you get App notifications without having to subscribe to a monthly contract. is that correct?
I'm setting up an ERA Homeguard Pro system at the moment. ERA and Yale were the only brands I knew were fairly large and established. I didn't want to invest in what is quite an expensive system from a company that might not be able to provide good support or may turn its servers off at some point.
I chose ERA over Yale because it has a sim card backup in case the wifi/power goes down and the external bell has a solar panel built in. I don't fancy regular trips up the big ladder to change batteries. They have another system called ERA Protect, which has more accessories such as external cameras, but I don't think it has the solar powered bell. I really wanted the sim card backup because the weakness of my house would be breaking into the garage and turning the power off. The alarm and sensors still work without power and wifi, but I would not receive a notification without the sim card.
I use a Google Nest doorbell. This is not integrated with the ERA system, but both are controllable using Nest smart speakers. You can arm or disarm (with PIN) the system verbally if you want.
No subscription is needed to use the app or receive notifications. When you receive a notification it will tell you which sensor was triggered and you can name the sensors what you want, such as Back Door Detector etc.
I chose ERA over Yale because it has a sim card backup in case the wifi/power goes down and the external bell has a solar panel built in. I don't fancy regular trips up the big ladder to change batteries. They have another system called ERA Protect, which has more accessories such as external cameras, but I don't think it has the solar powered bell. I really wanted the sim card backup because the weakness of my house would be breaking into the garage and turning the power off. The alarm and sensors still work without power and wifi, but I would not receive a notification without the sim card.
I use a Google Nest doorbell. This is not integrated with the ERA system, but both are controllable using Nest smart speakers. You can arm or disarm (with PIN) the system verbally if you want.
No subscription is needed to use the app or receive notifications. When you receive a notification it will tell you which sensor was triggered and you can name the sensors what you want, such as Back Door Detector etc.
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