Comment by Someone1234 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Someone1234 | Hacker News Reader

I really like Nest's products. They also own DropCam which makes good if a little overpriced IP cams.

One big disappointment was that when Nest purchased DropCam they shelved Dropcam's then up-coming "Tabs" which were security sensors which communicated to a DropCam and you could receive alerts via their hub[0].

Honestly in the rush to home automation it really feels like security has been ignored. Traditional security companies charge too much and their products are antiquated ($30/month subscriptions anyone?).

A lot of people aren't comfortable with IP cams in their home for obvious reasons. They would be more comfortable with motion sensors which connect into a hub and allow you to receive push notifications when they're triggered on a schedule.

I know for an elderly relative I wanted that exact setup. She was uncomfortable with an IP camera in her home (which is reasonable) so I was looking for a single motion sensor which would send me alerts so the same thing could be accomplished without invading privacy.

Home security is ripe for disruption.

[0] http://blog.dropcam.com/look-whats-next/

I looked into this, and ended up signing up for ADT.

As a software engineer, residential security systems bug the hell out of me. Almost all of them are susceptible to someone coming up to your house and snipping the phone and network cables before entering. That's right, these systems do nothing if the connection is cut. There is no keep-alive. Apparently, phone lines disconnect so much that if the security company called the police every time it happened, there would be a lot more false positives than actual emergencies. ADT does have a product that helps with this: they use wired phone lines as well as cellular lines for communication. This setup is harder to disrupt.

Moreover, almost all security systems are susceptible to a very simple attack: run into the house and find the wiring panel. Then smash it. There, now no call will be made to the monitoring station. Most "new" internet connected panels suffer from this because they integrate the key pad and the central unit into one easily smashable device that is typically installed right by the entrance.

Also, I actually get a discount on my homeowner's insurance by having burglary and fire protection installed. If I do this myself, no matter how clever, the insurance company won't see it as a real system.

Realistically, if someone wants to get into your house, and grab something or hurt you, they will. No security system you can afford will prevent that. What you really want is a big fat ADT (or whatever) sign in your front yard, so that the lowest level burglars simply move on. Fire protection is a whole other game and at least to me is very important: I want to protect my possessions, but even more importantly my pets.

Two things:

- There are use cases for "smart" motion sensors which aren't security (did you see my elderly relative example?).

- Most common criminals won't cut the wires into your home. They're looking for an easy score unless you are a common target of professional criminals I wouldn't worry about it.

- There are degrees of security systems. A simple smart system definitely won't be in the upper echelons of what is available, but that's fine, there is market enough below that.

- Cannot argue with an insurance discount, good point.

Surprised you went with ADT. http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-home-security-system/

I looked at it, and FrontPoint would have cost me more up front and been $2-3 more per month. Yes, they have a better system, but as long as the smoke detectors are monitored, I am happy. Having said that, no reason not to go with someone better. I just happened to already have parts of the system in the house I had moved into.

I think nowadays it makes a lot more sense to use a pure cellular connection. When I had my system installed, I initially got a phone line installed just for it, but then the monitoring company pointed out that the monthly cost of my POTS line was more than the monthly cost of the data-only GSM connection. I'm not particularly worried about macgyver burglars snipping my alarm wires, but now in order to disrupt it, they'd either have to jam the GSM signal or locate the controller box (which is locked up) and rip the antenna off.

Re: your comment about your insurance company not recognizing a homebrew security system, all I've got to say about that is that I don't care how good a coder you are, being the sole QA person for your house's security system is probably a pretty miserable experience. :)

well they still did not manage to create a Dropcam outdoor version, although the market must be exponentially larger

Reply on news.ycombinator.com