Smart Alarm System - Looking for Recommandations

corneliu on 21/02/2019 - 23:09

Hi,

I'm looking for a home alarm system to upgrade/replace my current one.

What I'd like to have:
- Smart Alarm that is integrated with Google Home
- 3 sensors (that are pet friendly and don't get triggered by a cat)
- External + Internal Siren
- Preferably no cameras
- Preferably be wired not wireless

I searched a fair bit and didn't find many options. The closest contenders:
- Paradox (various versions) with DG75 pet friendly sensors and IP150 wifi module + HomeAssistant integration however overall the reviews and the setup looks very complicated with lots of people failing to integrate it properly. Apparently the IP150 is not very reliable and Paradox now does not offer their own cloud app anymore but recommend you use others so the IP150 seems like a failed solution.
- Swan Smart Home (https://www.swann.com/au/products/smart-home/home-alarm-secu…). Very poor reviews. No integration with Google Home. Could not find any details if the sensors are pet friendly or how long the battery lasts in the sensors.
- Nest Protect: Looks great, albeit expensive, no internal or external siren option available. The Nest Guard itself is a siren but I'd like a proper siren that can't be easily stepped on and trashed in 5 seconds.

Any other options? It feels like such a limited field overloaded with old products from Swan and Paradox that live in the 2000 mindset or hot new products that don't understand the needs of a full alarm with sirens.

Thanks :)

Home & Garden Security System

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 22/02/2019 - 01:51

    The Nest Guard itself is a siren but I'd like a proper siren that can't be easily stepped on and trashed in 5 seconds

    I thought of this when setting up alarm system for an elderly friend after break in.
    So I hid device where it can't quickly and easily be located or accessed.

    I have been next to an alarm going off full ball, it is very hard to just think (to input code, press # and so on), so at really high volume, if it can't be seen, it probably can't be located by listening for where exactly it is coming from.

  • resisting the urge on 22/02/2019 - 10:14

    Integrated with Google Home: Big brother will identify your burglar and link them to their bots' search histories:

    Eg Scanning your fb proile, linkedin, health records, ancestry, etc to figure out when you'll be home.

    Only Google can save the people from themselves (!?)

  • brokenglish on 22/02/2019 - 11:16
    +1

    I don't know much but I know for sure you don't want a Swann.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/05/2021 - 19:49

    Hi @corneliu , just curious if you ended buying one ? if yes, please share which one. thanks.

    • corneliu on 25/05/2021 - 12:31

      @DevD I went for the Smanos K1 https://www.smanos.com/K1
      My original list of requests:
      - Smart Alarm that is integrated with Google Home
      - yes, works great, you can set it up part of the Good Night Routine to Activate
      - Has Home and Away modes for alarm so at night you can have different sensors activated.
      - Good app on the phone to turn on / of / configure
      - Good integration with Google Home
      - 3 sensors (that are pet friendly and don't get triggered by a cat)
      - Sensors are good, can be dialed down to ignore pets. My cats used to trigger my old alarm all the time. Here I could dial the sensitivity so the cats don't trigger the sensors anymore.
      - External + Internal Siren
      - Only an internal siren. I'm sure you can easily install one outside somewhere covered and protected from the elements if you can access it at times to replace the battery.
      - Preferably no cameras
      - Yes, just sensors.
      - Preferably be wired not wireless
      - It's all wireless. They have a K2 version that uses Z-Wave.

      Batteries last about 2 years in each component so be ready to replace them every now and then.

      Would I buy it again? Yes, I would.

      I wish they improved the number of components available but I guess it's such a small market dominated by other systems and the new camera based alarms (which conceptually freak me out to have a camera inside the house) that it's hard to produce and promote such systems.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/05/2021 - 18:56

        Thansk for your detailed reply. I will check it out.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/05/2021 - 19:01

        Also, does it have some battery low indicator on the app or device?
        Did you get it from some deal or direct purchase?

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