It wasn’t that long ago when having a home security system was only possible by signing up with a security company that would send their professional installer to your home to drill holes and run wires within your home.
In most of these cases, the equipment provided is usually free, but you would have to commit to a monitoring contract for the number of years stated in the contract. There are still some security companies like ADT, Vivint, and Slomin’s that provide these services.
These companies tend to send their consultants to your house to customize a security system particularly tailored to the need of your home, and from there a team of professionals will come to install everything.
That being said, today more and more companies have started offering do-it-yourself (DIY) security solutions. So, you ask how one goes about DIY systems. We’ll elaborate further below, but in simple words, with DIY systems, the company that you ordered from, will ship all the equipment alongside an installation manual to your house.
Continue reading to find out all the necessary information about purchasing and installing a DIY home security system.
Type of DIY Systems
DIY home security systems come in a wide range of varieties, ranging in all shapes and sizes. Some of these systems have LCD panels that work as the brains of the entire system. The panel is usually installed on a wall that’s in a central area of the home and wirelessly connects to your home Wi-Fi network.
Most of these panels utilize capacitive touch screens and have multiple radios that give them the ability to wirelessly control WI-FI, ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth home automation components and sensors.
Most panels will also contain a cellular radio connecting them to a monitoring center if you ever want to sign on for professional monitoring plans, and they’re likely to have a speaker and microphone that allows two-way communication.
Another kind of home security controller is a security camera that has several wireless radios, sound and motion sensors, and even a siren that is designed to scare off potential intruders and warn you if something seems amiss.
As with just almost every smart home device, most DIY security systems can be controlled through Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice commands.
DIY Security Systems
Before going ahead and ordering your DIY systems, you need to figure out just what kind of sensors you want, and how many of them. Ideally, you’ll have to place door sensors on each doorway going into your house.
If you have windows, you may want to put window sensors on them, or if you have large windows that provide access to your home. In fact, you don’t need to install motion sensors in each room in your home, but you should at least place them along the main hallways, foyers, stairways, or any other place where there’s a possibility of an intrusion.
Many DIY systems have indoor and outdoor cameras that will help you record video whenever a motion or sound is detected. Some of these cameras will keep the videos locally while others may store them on the Cloud, which often requires you to subscribe to such services if you want to access the recordings.
You can also get the best video doorbells in DIY security systems. These smart devices will record video when your doorbell is ringed or when any form of motion is detected. In most cases, they can be programmed to further trigger other security systems such as cameras and door locks.
How to Install DIY Security Systems?
DIY systems are rather easy and straightforward to install, however, you’ll need to give it some thought as to where would you like to place the hub, security camera, sensors. Some hubs will need to have a wired connection to your internet routers, whereas others utilize Wi-Fi to connect to the home network.
Whether your hub needs to hardwire or connects wirelessly, the hub ought to be placed within close proximity to the internet router, in order to have optimal connectivity. If your DIY system has a touch-screen panel, you have to make sure there’s a power outlet nearby.
Once the hub and mobile app have been installed, it’s time for you to start the installation of the sensors. More often than not, motion sensors are typically pre-paired to your hub so all you need to do is get rid of the battery tab to activate your sensors.
Also, it’s easy to physically install the sensors and further uses double-sided adhesive tape and it can be pressed into places within seconds. Fortunately, almost every smart device offers detailed instruction to help you installing and adding them to your home’s security system.
Conclusion
Ultimately, DIY security systems aren’t just easy to install and use, but also fit within your budget, as there are so many options for these smart devices in the market. Understand your needs and plan your purchasing, before buying.
