# Home security systems?



## MannDude (Aug 3, 2013)

Anyone want to recommend a good setup? Namely looking for two cameras, for the front/back of the house. One on the porch to see the UPS/FedEx man drop off packages at my doorstep, the other for the back facing the yard. Preferably something that I can also stream from my phone if I needed to. Can build a storage device for the cameras, or if they come with one, cool. I really know nothing about all of this.

Figured a couple of these:



Plus a couple of these signs (haha):



That should be enough to deter any breaking in.


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## Damian (Aug 3, 2013)

Ah, when I read the topic of "home security system", I was thinking more along the lines of something like http://simplisafe.com/ instead of just having some video cameras. I have two SimpliSafe systems and quite like them.

Regarding a home _video _system (   ) I utilize http://www.lavrsen.dk/foswiki/bin/view/Motion/WebHome with some USB cameras connected to various Raspberry Pis. I do not like this system, as the RPi does not have enough 'bandwidth' to both record video off USB, then send that video over wireless concurrently. I'm probably going to upgrade to wireless IP cameras instead.


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## MannDude (Aug 3, 2013)

Damian said:


> Ah, when I read the topic of "home security system", I was thinking more along the lines of something like http://simplisafe.com/ instead of just having some video cameras. I have two SimpliSafe systems and quite like them.
> 
> Regarding a home _video _system (   ) I utilize http://www.lavrsen.dk/foswiki/bin/view/Motion/WebHome with some USB cameras connected to various Raspberry Pis. I do not like this system, as the RPi does not have enough 'bandwidth' to both record video off USB, then send that video over wireless concurrently. I'm probably going to upgrade to wireless IP cameras instead.


Well, the house is on a hillside so the back windows are elevated off the ground by about 15 feet. The front windows can be secured with those alarms that send off those ear piercing pulsating sirens when opened. Figured I could use one of those door wedges for the doors that do the same.

http://simplisafe.com/home-security-shop pricing is actually very reasonable! Thanks for the link.


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## Aldryic C'boas (Aug 3, 2013)

My Ruger .44 longbarrel is my home security system.  Looking down that 11" barrel, and the sound of that 60 year old hammer mechanism drawing back is far more terrifying than any shotgun pump.


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## MannDude (Aug 3, 2013)

Aldryic C said:


> My Ruger .44 longbarrel is my home security system.  Looking down that 11" barrel, and the sound of that 60 year old hammer mechanism drawing back is far more terrifying than any shotgun pump.


Well I've got a chrome S&W .45 as my main defender of the castle, _and_ I go to the range. Got other toys too. But that's after the security system has been breached


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## tonysala87 (Aug 3, 2013)

I have:

- simplisafe

- dropcam(.com) 

- german shepherd

- 2x glock17 in our bedside tables

if the camera, the security system, and the dog all fail, then god please bless my bullets.


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## kaniini (Aug 4, 2013)

We have a huge dog, and failing that, a Mossberg 550 in the part of the house where I usually am.


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## happel (Aug 4, 2013)

Sounds like a safe place to live, that country of yours. Is it common to have a home security system in the USA? Or are you guys being paranoid?


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## kaniini (Aug 4, 2013)

happel said:


> Sounds like a safe place to live, that country of yours. Is it common to have a home security system in the USA? Or are you guys being paranoid?


Well, I do not have a security system, and this would be my approach living in, say, Norway, for example, as well.  While European countries do a better job at intervening prior to people choosing to participate in criminal behaviour, there is still a risk that you will have some crazy person come bother you that you don't want around.

Our main reason for being armed is that traditionally, police have had less than stellar response times for incidents where we live.


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## jarland (Aug 4, 2013)

happel said:


> Sounds like a safe place to live, that country of yours. Is it common to have a home security system in the USA? Or are you guys being paranoid?


It's just a different way of living. The threat is everywhere but in general, as a culture, we don't expect other people to protect us. Given that people are so consistently corrupt and selfish all over the world, it's not unreasonable to feel most comfortable taking care of yourself. Common saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself."


On another note, I make all my security. I prefer unorthodox methods and redundant power and network. Always keep people guessing, always have a backup plan... Or two.


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## tonysala87 (Aug 4, 2013)

happel said:


> Sounds like a safe place to live, that country of yours. Is it common to have a home security system in the USA? Or are you guys being paranoid?


We have retards calling 911 over happy meal disputes, thus we can't rely on a fast police response time. It takes 30 seconds to force entry into a home, it takes ~7-15 minutes for cops to show up. A lot of criminals here are armed, on drugs, or both.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383757/Man-calls-police-McDonalds-hamburgers-instead-seven--gets-arrested.html


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## texteditor (Aug 4, 2013)

happel said:


> Sounds like a safe place to live, that country of yours. Is it common to have a home security system in the USA? Or are you guys being paranoid?


No one here in the US has any regard for human life, we all just murder each other, it's basically a post-apocalyptic wasteland with marginally better roads


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## texteditor (Aug 4, 2013)

To answer the OP, the best security systems are Mastiffs


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## Damian (Aug 4, 2013)

jarland said:


> It's just a different way of living. The threat is everywhere but in general, as a culture, we don't expect other people to protect us. Given that people are so consistently corrupt and selfish all over the world, it's not unreasonable to feel most comfortable taking care of yourself. Common saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself."


This. The guv'ment wants you to feel safe and secure, but it's not realistic. 



texteditor said:


> it's basically a post-apocalyptic wasteland with marginally better roads


Here in the central states, we don't even have marginally better roads


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## texteditor (Aug 4, 2013)

Damian said:


> Here in the central states, we don't even have marginally better roads



This is true, I remember watching friends trekking across the world of Fallout 3 and thinking to myself "wow, I wish the state of Indiana could get its shit together"


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## jarland (Aug 4, 2013)

texteditor said:


> No one here in the US has any regard for human life, we all just murder each other, it's basically a post-apocalyptic wasteland with marginally better roads


Lol I saw your name pop up and knew "oh look I bet he posted some cliche anti-American teenage angst filled rant."

Called it! Like flies on a horse's ass.


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## happel (Aug 4, 2013)

kaniini said:


> Well, I do not have a security system, and this would be my approach living in, say, Norway, for example, as well.  While European countries do a better job at intervening prior to people choosing to participate in criminal behaviour, there is still a risk that you will have some crazy person come bother you that you don't want around.
> 
> Our main reason for being armed is that traditionally, police have had less than stellar response times for incidents where we live.



While I believe crime numbers are a little bit lower in the EU, I don't think they differ that much. We do have a more equal distribution of wealth and a (bit expensive) system of social services for the poor, which traditionally prevents people having to steal for a living. Unfortunately the number of break ins (and the like) over here is on the rise due to the EU expanding eastward to less wealthy countries with higher crime rates.

 

What I see on television and read on US news sites, is that the level of violence seems to be much higher in the US than over here. I guess it's a vicious circle caused by both law enforcement and criminals. Let's for example compare the armament of a typical British police officer (no gun, baton) with an American (gun, can of mace, maybe a taser) and then add a shoplifter to the equation. The British shoplifter only has to run faster than the police to get away, the American thief on the other hand has to match the firearm of the police officer to stand a chance. Creating a more dangerous situation for the shop personnel and bystanders, while the status quo between the criminal and law enforcement is the same.

Bottom line, if I was born in and living in the US I would probably own a gun too.

 



jarland said:


> It's just a different way of living. The threat is everywhere but in general, as a culture, we don't expect other people to protect us. Given that people are so consistently corrupt and selfish all over the world, it's not unreasonable to feel most comfortable taking care of yourself. Common saying "If you want something done right, do it yourself."
> 
> 
> On another note, I make all my security. I prefer unorthodox methods and redundant power and network. Always keep people guessing, always have a backup plan... Or two.


You're probably right about culture being a factor. I suppose most Americans are much more security and threat focused than the average (western) european. I've only been in a possibly dangerous situation maybe twice in my life (27yrs) and thus don't even think about being on guard in my daily life. I'm not sure if making plans for every possible bad situation you can encounter is going to help anyway, chances are you're getting robbed or have your house being broken into despite your every precaution anyway. I do lock the front door at night (apartment) and look out for pickpockets when in a crowd but that's about it. And I like it that way, I'm very annoyed with our current administration, they're encouraging fear and pursuing more repression based on that war on terrorism crap.



tonysala87 said:


> We have retards calling 911 over happy meal disputes, thus we can't rely on a fast police response time. It takes 30 seconds to force entry into a home, it takes ~7-15 minutes for cops to show up. A lot of criminals here are armed, on drugs, or both.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2383757/Man-calls-police-McDonalds-hamburgers-instead-seven--gets-arrested.html


Talking about emergency services mess ups, we've had two big 112 outages this year, each lasting several hours..


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## jarland (Aug 4, 2013)

Sounds like a good place to live!


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## MartinD (Aug 4, 2013)

I have my fists and a crow bar. Pretty secure at my place


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## drmike (Aug 4, 2013)

Lots of SimpliSafe promo on this thread.  Interesting systems, but the hardware you have to buy isn't low cost enough - actually rather expensive all considering.

I've tinkered with cameras here and there for a few years.

Generally you want a pan and tilt camera with zoom functionality.   Infrared / night vision is a good should have feature unless you are lighting up all of your outside all night.

There are plenty of IP based cameras out there with built in servers and/or standard video streaming.  Pretty good option for DIY and building something good and still useful in the future.

Point of sale purchasing and wide availability I'd look at Foscam FI8918W and other models.

These cameras are only as good as the software you are running them into to make sense of the data.

Where I am, there is tons of foot traffic, so motion sensors based on video frames is a constant interruption and motion based recording blows up into huge collection of daily files.  I'd be looking at physical motion sensors to go within your yards to double up and detect human movement.   Those come with a an audible door bell or other sound alert and generally are very affordable.

Hope that helps some.


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## HostUS-Alexander (Aug 4, 2013)

I have a... a... Kitchen Knife lol, live in a small town, no break ins or such.,


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## Eric1212 (Aug 8, 2013)

Whoa. I feel bad for the people who live in such an unsafe place, they rely on guns.  how sad.


I have some webcams hooked up to a raspberry Pi, streaming video to RTMP and recording on server side. Motion detection can be enabled, and I can access the feed via iPhone. Neat little devices.


I don't need them for security, but nice to see who's at the door when I'm too far away.


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## MannDude (Aug 8, 2013)

EB-Eric said:


> Whoa. I feel bad for the people who live in such an unsafe place, they rely on guns.  how sad.
> 
> 
> I have some webcams hooked up to a raspberry Pi, streaming video to RTMP and recording on server side. Motion detection can be enabled, and I can access the feed via iPhone. Neat little devices.
> ...


Well, I can't speak for others but I also like to target shoot. It's very therapeutic and very rewarding as you progress. I like to go to the shooting range a couple times a month, it's great to witness better groupings and better accuracy. It's not as easy as they make it look in the films 

But of course, whats fun as a sport and out on the range in a controlled environment can also be what saves your life within your home or walking around.


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## Ruchirablog (Aug 9, 2013)

We have nothing really  Even the neighbors


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## drmike (Aug 9, 2013)

> "Whoa. I feel bad for the people who live in such an unsafe place, they rely on guns. how sad."


It's usually city dwellers who should have a firearm handy.  Mass crimes reside there.

However, rural folks depend on being self protected as wait times for the county sheriff or state police could take, oh an hour in places.

No one gave folks the owners manual.  You are responsible for your own well being.  Just like you are responsible to eat, bath, exercise, etc.  It's self preservation.


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## bizzard (Aug 9, 2013)

Here, in my place, the security systems are just starting to be popular and mostly deployed in flats and apartments in cities. Since my company is based at Kochi, I live in a rented house there with my friends and there is no security systems at all. Thieves would really think twice before entering a house where 10 bachelors stay and most of then will be awake, in front of laptops during odd night hours. During day time, there won't be anything valuable except our clothes and kitchen utensils.

My family lives in a village and I haven't heard of anyone there installing security cameras yet. The only security there is my poor small dog, who barks when someone unknown crosses the gate.

In India, to have a licensed gun is a long process and I believe that only less than 1% of the total population has the license to keep a gun.


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## Aldryic C'boas (Aug 9, 2013)

> Whoa. I feel bad for the people who live in such an unsafe place, they rely on guns.  how sad.


That's just making assumptions.  I live in Sportsman's Paradise - it's pretty much a given that everyone down here has at least one firearm.  Combine that with a state law that makes it legal to shoot (to kill) anyone breaking into your home, and shoot (to wound) someone on your property so long as you have a witness to verify you gave them several chances to leave on their own.. this is a VERY safe place to live.  Nobody will break into your home here because they know what's waiting for them.

(Oh, plus add on that most households have hunting dogs.  And gods help you if you ever try to break into a house with a gator dog - the owner's gun is the least of your problems)


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## MannDude (Jul 25, 2015)

I just wanted to update this real quick and sing praise to the surveillance / camera systems company Zmodo.

They produce budget / affordable security systems. I bought a kit from NewEgg last year for Black Friday that included a 4 channel DVR and (4x) 720p IP cameras. The picture is pretty darn good and the night vision works very well in my very dark back yard after I added an external IR floodlight.

Anyhow, what _really impressed_ me was the company's support!

You see, my DVR stopped working. I woke up on some recent morning and my monitor was black and I had no feed from the cameras. Strange. I tried to cycle the power on the DVR. No luck. I tested the power supply and found it to be working but upon closer inspection I noticed the board in the DVR had a scorch mark... (see below)



Anyhow, I emailed their support. We exchanged several emails back and forth that day and I got my RMA label sent to me.

I shipped them back the DVR on



> *Jul 24, 2015* 3:25:59 PMShipped/Cross-Shipped *Jul 24, 2015* 1:30:42 PMPicking-Line1 *Jul 24, 2015* 1:27:38 PMPacking *Jul 24, 2015* 1:25:58 PMWaiting Shipment RMA *Jul 24, 2015* 1:25:32 PMInvoice *Jul 24, 2015* 1:24:46 PMEdit *Jul 24, 2015* 1:24:05 PMRMA Tested *Jul 24, 2015* 1:10:50 PMRMA Tested *Jul 23, 2015* 1:01:52 PMRMA Received


They received my DVR in their Illinois location on the 23rd, tested it, and shipped it back to me on the 24th. Unsure if I am getting a new unit or if they just fixed the existing one (hoping for a replacement) but I'm impressed with the quick support and turn around.

Just thought I'd share if anyone is interested in Zmodo. Their reviews online are so-so, as can be expected for the price, but their support is top notch in my opinion. I'm not a big fan of the DVR interface but it does what it's supposed to do.


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## Enterprisevpssolutions (Aug 6, 2015)

If you want a camera system that records and also have network ability we went with a few 4 Channel 720P PoE NVR System with 1TB Hard Drive or if you want get the 8 channel. Works great for night vision and has a app for the phones as well so you can see live video and take snapshots. POE systems are easier to install and managed 1 cat5 cable to each camera.


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