Three No-Subscription Home Security Systems You Should Consider
The moment you have something, you become worried that someone will take it away from you. Even though crime rates have fallen sharply over the past few decades (including burglary, which has dropped 75% since 1993 and accounts for only about 16% of all property crimes overall), it’s natural to worry that every time When you leave the house, thieves will come out of the bushes to break into your windows and steal all your valuables.
Whether you lose sleep over the possibility of being robbed or not, there are many smart things you can do to reduce the likelihood of your home being robbed. One of the first things people naturally think of is a home security system : the idea of automatically alerting the police to the presence of criminals in our homes is comforting.
Home security systems are quite useful: a study once found that most professional criminals check for alarm systems before attempting to break into a home, and 60 percent admitted that they would look for another target if they saw a home security system. So, they can be an effective deterrent, but if you’re thinking about installing them, you should choose the free, self-monitoring option because that’s pretty much all they’re good for.
Flaws
The reason home security systems are usually not worth paying for is that they struggle to do their main job:
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False alarms. Many police departments routinely deprioritize home security calls due to a ridiculous false alarm rate , estimated to be over 90%. Since most of these alarms are a waste of time, the police will take care of the rest before showing up at your home.
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Long response time. If a burglar ignores the fact that your home has a security system and breaks in anyway, the whole point is that your system will alert the police, who will quickly arrive to guard your property. Because many police departments consider home security calls a low priority, response times in some areas can be as long as 40 minutes . Thieves have plenty of time to search your home and leave at their leisure.
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Easy detour. The Los Angeles Police Department recently issued an alert that thieves are using simple Wi-Fi blocking technology to disable home security systems that rely on wireless network connections (a similar alert was issued in Minnesota ). Additionally, many of these systems are battery operated; If you don’t replace or charge them regularly, the system’s efficiency may be compromised.
Free options
Home security systems aren’t completely useless—they’re just not worth paying the monthly fee for. Simply having a system can be a deterrent, and being able to monitor your home when you’re not there provides peace of mind. The good news is that there are several excellent DIY systems that you can buy, install and monitor yourself. Although you will have to pay the initial cost of the hub, cameras and sensors, these systems do not require monthly or annual monitoring fees:
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Abode . The free Abode system allows you to view video streams and receive alerts on your phone. Although the hub must be connected directly to the router via a network cable, which can be difficult, it is one of the easiest systems to set up .
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SimplySafe . While SimpliSafe offers subscription monitoring, you don’t have to purchase it, and their system allows you to arm or disarm the system, view video streams, and receive alerts through their app. It’s quite simple, but it will do what you need and act as a deterrent.
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Blue by ADT . Although ADT is best known for its fully supervised system, you can buy its basic Blue by ADT kit and exercise self-monitoring very effectively. This system can be a little complicated to set up, but once you get through the process, it will work as advertised. However, this is not the cheapest self-monitoring option, so unless you are looking for an ADT brand, you may be better off using one of the alternatives.