Remote home security systems?

[jymbee]

We'll probably do the snowbird thing again for a few weeks this winter and escape from the northeast US to the Florida area. Does anyone have any experience/suggestions for some type of remote home monitoring system? We're pretty isolated so it's not like a neighbor would even notice anything amiss and be able to contact us.

I've seen some systems where the sensors, cameras and the like are provided by a vendor (phone company or alarm company e.g.) for an ongoing fee. Much prefer to just buy and install our own system but there's a pretty confusing number of options out there!

 

[jymbee]

Rule #1 - Don't broadcast your plans on the internet.

There is a wealth of info on the net, many swear by the X-10 systems.

After a few years of constant issues, I'm giving up on X-10 myself. Yes, it worked pretty well at first so I bought some appliance & lamp modules, motion activated floods etc. but over time one or the other would just stop working. Bought some gizmo to install that was supposed to somehow bridge something or other (sorry for the non-technical description but I've long since forgotten what it was supposed to do) but that didn't help much.

X-10 is pretty simple stuff but it's just not working for me. I don't think that type of a system has much application for remote monitoring either. (?)

 

[jymbee]

There have been many involved threads on here, search is your helper.

Forgot to thank you for the suggestion. Haven't seen much discussion myself but I am finding some useful info here...

 

[oosik]

I agree with newbury - this is a difficult subject to discuss on the internet. I would suggest, if your security may be truly challenged, discuss your situation with an independent home security agency. They, supposedly, do not promote any one system over another and can provide valuable insight. Remember, no home security system can prevent all types of situations, your personal belongings can be replaced thru your insurance - your life can not.

 

[Sysop]

These folk can be mighty helpful in discussing your needs.

 

[DennisArrow]

Sitting here in Destin, Fl, with my wife watching the road/entries into our place, the critters in the barn, the house sitter watching tv, and the barn where vehicles are parked..............Lorex system........Then if and when the home perimeter is penetrated when the hired hand is in bed or away, the alarms, sheriff, and we are notified while the sheriff is on the way. Meanwhile, if someone is on the road, the motion sensors go off in a sequence indicating their progress on the 1/2 mile road......

Worried about someone getting through my security from reading the internet?????...........Gotta get real there fellas...........God bless........Dennis

 

[jymbee]

...Worried about someone getting through my security from reading the internet?????...........Gotta get real there fellas.

Yeah, by "security" I was thinking more in terms of perhaps pipes freezing, show/ice situation, indoor temps, bears on the rampage and such. Of course no one is ever immune from nefarious types but given we haven't locked doors here in 50+ years, and don't even know where they keys are if we wanted to, we're not that concerned about intruders finding us from posts here.

But the point is well taken and I would agree that it's not a good idea to broadcast travel plans on social media type sites e.g. where you have no idea who might be lurking.

 

[WM75Guy]

Just FYI X10 ceased manufacturing last year. This is from the X10 website.

About Us

"About X10

The X10 and X10 Pro product lines are the original home automation source for end-users, installers, contractors and the do-it-yourself market. X10 began manufacturing home automation components in the late 1970's and has been the de facto standard since its inception. Other products have come and gone, but X10 and X10 Pro have stood the test of time. Reliability and ease of use are the primary reasons these product lines have been going strong for over 40 years.

Recently, X10 WTI (the parent company of the original x10.com) has dealt with a multitude of challenges, and the decision was made to cease operations on July 26, 2013. Since that time we at Authinx, the largest distributor of X10 home automation products in North America, were able to increase our factory orders to accommodate demand for X10 products and allow for a smoother transition after WTI痴 bankruptcy.

Authinx has been in business since 2001. We are firmly committed to supporting the X10 community of users, whether you are a loyal X10 customer or just now discovering the benefits of X10 products. As we expand our production capacity, our goal is to provide an unparalleled level of service to our customers. We are currently in the process of adding additional staff to make this happen.

In order for us to continue reaching X10 brand customers, we recently purchased the x10.com domain name. Although the site name is the same as before, we are not associated with X10 WTI.

Now, as the largest supplier of X10 home automation products in North America, Authinx will be able to continue providing home automation enthusiasts the products and support they need. Our commitment to the home automation market is our guiding principle as we continue to invest in the X10 and X10 Pro product lines. X10 is the original home automation product, and Authinx is dedicated to making it the next generation of home automation products for existing and future customers as well."

 

[GPintheMitten]

For remote temperature monitoring and control try a smart thermostat like this.

Honeywell Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat:Amazon:Home Improvement

You'll need an always on router to connect it to and then you can check in remotely with a smartphone.

You can also look for a sensor to detect water in the basement or other location. You can also get a drop cam.

Oh, you can get alerts for these as well.

 

[lhfarm]

For remote temperature monitoring and control try a smart thermostat like this.

Honeywell Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Thermostat:Amazon:Home Improvement

You'll need an always on router to connect it to and then you can check in remotely with a smartphone.

You can also look for a sensor to detect water in the basement or other location. You can also get a drop cam.

Oh, you can get alerts for these as well.

We monitored our weekend farm for 20 years using home automation software (Home Automation Systems - HomeSeer), x-10 hardware, plus lots of cameras and wired sensors. I have a computer science background and built the required systems. Today, if you have an Internet connection you can easily install all kinds of monitors and cameras you can access from anywhere, including your smart phone. You don't need to have a degree in computer science, but you do need to be comfortable with all kinds of technology (computer software, networking, wiring and home automation protocols (like X-10, Zwave, Insteon, etc.)) if you are not going to use a turn-key system.

We moved to the farm 4 years ago and still use the monitoring system both when we are here and when we are traveling. I think that to get a real return on your investment I'd start by building a system that you use all year long. For example, our driveway alert is probably my wife's favorite feature. We live back in the woods and are never surprised when a vehicle enters are driveway. When we are away, I get an email telling me that that the alert has triggered. I can then view the security cameras. Lots of other things happen depending on the time of day (the place lights up like a stadium if it is night time). But from a security standpoint, I think my wife loves it more for when she is by herself. Never a surprise knock at the door.

As suggested, HVAC monitoring is simple these days and is useful year-round. I got started in home automation in the late 1980s because I wanted to turn the heat up at the weekend farm house before we arrived so my wife wasn't cooking with her coat on. It required programming and electronic skills back then, but all you need today is a WiFi router. Again, this is another good year-round tool.

Security cameras have changed drastically with the addition of Web enabled, low cost cameras. You can be monitor one of these cameras within a few minutes of opening the box. If becomes more complicated if you want to record and save images, but is more a matter of cost than anything. I'd set up a couple of cameras to monitor my driveway and doorways as just part of a general security system.

When you get comfortable with a couple of simple projects (like the thermostat and some cameras), I'd really recommend considering adding a 24/7 computer and home automation software (like HomeSeer) to allow you to tie it all together. That computer/monitoring software is a big part of what you are paying for with a monthly service fee.

And finally, if you don't have a full automatic standby generator, I'd get one. If you don't have power, monitoring by you or a company isn't going to work. I was able to let the utility company know that we had a power outage while in the Virgin Islands. My system notified me when the generator started running.

Good luck!

 

[Country Geek]

Just want to second that with the current universe of low-cost IP cams, this is dead simple to do and not very expensive.

The vendor I use is Foscam (foscam.us) but there are plenty of others out there. Foscam also sells the Blue Iris software which is about $40 (or maybe less) and from my experience is the best of the monitoring products. It monitors your cameras, detects motion and records video clips of it, and if you have a decent internet connection you can monitor and manage it it all remotely. It also has an app that is very good, for smartphone use. If the internet connection at the place you're monitoring is good enough, you don't even have to have BlueIris running on site... you could have it running at your place in Florida managing your cameras back home. The hardest thing about the setup IMO is opening ports on your router to remotely access the cameras or the BlueIris server

So my recommendation is to get a few IP cameras and control them with BlueIris. As a further tip, set up the BlueIris so that the folder where it stores your video clips is a cloud folder (like dropbox) so if someone steals the monitoring computer, you still have the clips.

 

[OZisKTB]

Do you have cell phone coverage from your home when away? Home Security Systems from SimpliSafe

Regardless, look for no contract, and monitoring for under $20/month. Here is what Clark says about it: The best and cheapest home security system | www.clarkhoward.com

 

[Gallo]

My Father owns a security company out of Poughkeepsie NY and we have a camp upstate in old forge region with one of our systems in it. We also alarm Frankies taste of italy up there if your familiar. Full camera system etc. The name of the company is Automatic Alarm Services 845-452-2221. Def not the cheapest but all hardwired so very low maintenance and family company. You can also PM me if your close by. We have a number of ways to get signal out but as previously mention cell service is easiest.

 

[JerryG]

I used and installed Sensaphones for several years. They have a lot on their site about using them for poultry and farms but they also perfect for homes and shops. Sensaphone Remote Monitoring Solutions is their home site. FarmTek - Hydroponic Fodder Systems, Farming & Growing Supplies, Hoop Barns, Poultry & Livestock Equipment, High Tunnels, Greenhouses & More is a place that retails them. They are very good systems that will last.

 

[jymbee]

Just FYI X10 ceased manufacturing last year. This is from the X10 website.

About Us

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

[jymbee]

Thanks for sharing your experience Barry. True, things have come a long way with respect to user friendliness. I have setup a couple of simple TRENDNet cams and it was enough to make me want to incorporate a more robust, overall system.

We've got stand-alone gas generators but have been thinking about a whole house system for some time as well. Just need to get it done...

We monitored our weekend farm for 20 years using home automation software (Home Automation Systems - HomeSeer), x-10 hardware, plus lots of cameras and wired sensors. I have a computer science background and built the required systems. Today, if you have an Internet connection you can easily install all kinds of monitors and cameras you can access from anywhere, including your smart phone. You don't need to have a degree in computer science, but you do need to be comfortable with all kinds of technology (computer software, networking, wiring and home automation protocols (like X-10, Zwave, Insteon, etc.)) if you are not going to use a turn-key system.

We moved to the farm 4 years ago and still use the monitoring system both when we are here and when we are traveling. I think that to get a real return on your investment I'd start by building a system that you use all year long. For example, our driveway alert is probably my wife's favorite feature. We live back in the woods and are never surprised when a vehicle enters are driveway. When we are away, I get an email telling me that that the alert has triggered. I can then view the security cameras. Lots of other things happen depending on the time of day (the place lights up like a stadium if it is night time). But from a security standpoint, I think my wife loves it more for when she is by herself. Never a surprise knock at the door.

As suggested, HVAC monitoring is simple these days and is useful year-round. I got started in home automation in the late 1980s because I wanted to turn the heat up at the weekend farm house before we arrived so my wife wasn't cooking with her coat on. It required programming and electronic skills back then, but all you need today is a WiFi router. Again, this is another good year-round tool.

Security cameras have changed drastically with the addition of Web enabled, low cost cameras. You can be monitor one of these cameras within a few minutes of opening the box. If becomes more complicated if you want to record and save images, but is more a matter of cost than anything. I'd set up a couple of cameras to monitor my driveway and doorways as just part of a general security system.

When you get comfortable with a couple of simple projects (like the thermostat and some cameras), I'd really recommend considering adding a 24/7 computer and home automation software (like HomeSeer) to allow you to tie it all together. That computer/monitoring software is a big part of what you are paying for with a monthly service fee.

And finally, if you don't have a full automatic standby generator, I'd get one. If you don't have power, monitoring by you or a company isn't going to work. I was able to let the utility company know that we had a power outage while in the Virgin Islands. My system notified me when the generator started running.

Good luck!

 

[jymbee]

Hi Geek,

As I mentioned, I have set up a couple of TRENDNet wireless IP cams. Pretty basic but they work well. TRENDNet includes their own software-- TRENDnetView Pro which I expect is similar to the Blue Iris you mention? I'm pretty comfortable setting up network devices, configuring routers and such so the monitoring software's doing the job for now. Plus they have an Android app that I use to view the cameras via their servers. Might ultimately go to a dedicated computer that I can access remotely myself but think I'll explore what the current system can do before making that decision.

Just want to second that with the current universe of low-cost IP cams, this is dead simple to do and not very expensive.

The vendor I use is Foscam (foscam.us) but there are plenty of others out there. Foscam also sells the Blue Iris software which is about $40 (or maybe less) and from my experience is the best of the monitoring products. It monitors your cameras, detects motion and records video clips of it, and if you have a decent internet connection you can monitor and manage it it all remotely. It also has an app that is very good, for smartphone use. If the internet connection at the place you're monitoring is good enough, you don't even have to have BlueIris running on site... you could have it running at your place in Florida managing your cameras back home. The hardest thing about the setup IMO is opening ports on your router to remotely access the cameras or the BlueIris server

So my recommendation is to get a few IP cameras and control them with BlueIris. As a further tip, set up the BlueIris so that the folder where it stores your video clips is a cloud folder (like dropbox) so if someone steals the monitoring computer, you still have the clips.

 

[Country Geek]

Hi Geek,

As I mentioned, I have set up a couple of TRENDNet wireless IP cams. Pretty basic but they work well. TRENDNet includes their own software-- TRENDnetView Pro which I expect is similar to the Blue Iris you mention? I'm pretty comfortable setting up network devices, configuring routers and such so the monitoring software's doing the job for now. Plus they have an Android app that I use to view the cameras via their servers. Might ultimately go to a dedicated computer that I can access remotely myself but think I'll explore what the current system can do before making that decision.

The key thing I had to do to make the system reliable was run the BlueIris server as a service, not just a program running. That causes it to start automatically when the system reboots, for example because of windows updates.

I'm sure it would work the same way with the Trendnet software.

My "dedicated" computer is a spare 4-5 year old HP laptop. I've found that you don't need that much power to run this system. And because it's a laptop it has a battery so power outages of a couple of hours don't bring it down (obviously the cameras and wifi don't work during the outage, but when the power comes back at least the system recovers since the laptop never shut down. A power outage long enough to drain the laptop battery would probably require manual recovery, but it's never happened yet, at least not when I was away).

The real power of the Blue Iris software is the recording and DVR control features. You can "mask" parts of the camera view so that movement under the mask doesn't trigger recording... real handy for cutting down the number of clips of tree shadows moving or flags flapping during bright, windy days. Lots of similar programming features. Trendnet may have that too, I don't know but worth looking into.

 

[OZisKTB]

Every time I decide to take the dive and invest in video surveillance, I find really mixed reviews of the hardware, software or both for the product I choose. I then waive off. I really need this service, am handy, but not a certified MS OS practitioner.

Look at the reviews of Blue Iris in Amazon as an example. Some (like Country Geek) love it, some have real problems with it. It's tough for me to lay down a thousand or two for something I'll need full connectivity and lots of luck to implement if I'm like the 2/5ths of reviewers who are 1-2 star.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Foscam Blue Iris Professional Surveillance Software - Up to 64 Cameras, SMS/Text Message Alerts, H.264 Encoding, Supports most major IP Camera brands and CCTV Systems

How do I get an POE camera set-up for indoor, outdoor that records events well and can restart on its own after power burbles?

Thanks, looking for help on this one.