That’s a cool solution. Keeping the moot separate from the gate as much as possible is ideal.
Add a dog, plus the occasional sound of gunfire coming from the property, it works pretty good. Especially when the semi-retired neighbors are family. Still need to get around to putting up a couple POE cameras one of these days tho
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I really have to disagree with this. ADT is the absolute worst system choice for integration with anything. That’s like saying Google Nest or Ring are great options for integration… They only integrate with their chosen partners and it’s pure cloud based.
For actual security systems my go to is Elk M1 panels. Elk offers wired and wireless options with choice of wireless receivers for Elk, Honeywell or GE/Interlogix frequencies and choice of sensors. Integration with Elk is supported by all major control systems and the API is wide open for any platform to integrate with. Next up I would go with a Honewell (Resideo) Vista panel if Elk is too expensive. Same deal with integration.
I agree to a point. Locks only keep honest people honest and don’t really stop criminals. However a wide open garage door is just an invitation. Knowing the status of locks and especially the garage door is important. Ability to control those locks and close the garage door then becomes convenience.
This is important but camera choice is very important if the need arises to use the footage for an investigation. Having cheap cameras that can trigger motion and turn on lights is great. However having actual usable footage for police investigations is also good so don’t cheap out on the cameras or the NVR. Setup a decent system and storage. Blue Iris is a popular choice for many but there’s other systems as well which are very good and not that expensive if you grow them slowly. Digital Watchdog Spectrum is a good software NVR with more features than Blue Iris and supports the AI built into a lot of cameras which offloads the computer meaning you save cost on not needing a beefy server like Blue Iris often requires.
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Yeah this is basically what I have been thinking. But Simplisafe and Ring alarm meet these requirements as well so these features do not seem to be specific to the custom companies anymore. Basically my 3 requirements are: professional monitoring, good integration, and wireless sensors.
I am pretty sure that they have a cellular and battery backup which is basically what every “traditional” sytem has had as well (that or landline and battery backup).
Very interesting, are both of those options available for US/NA? Do you know of any integrations to HE or NR, or do you know where their API is? Also is the communication local or still cloud based?
Edit: Jeesh those Elk M1 systems are pricey. The backend hardware doesn’t seem massively expensive, but the contact sensors are $60+ each and the motion sensors are $120+ EACH, which seems insane to me.
I have a Danalock which worked pretty well so far. However this is my second one, as the first went bonkers as soon as I updated the firmware the day I got it. Right now it’s working so I’m not taking any chances to upgrade it.
I use HE for security and pass it to homekit. So all my automations are on HE and I pass the controls to homekit. As far as what I use, I have a ton of the old iris Motion and contact sensors. Highly recommend. Way better than what you can get now. A lot smaller too. I have a Yale lock with august connect module going to homekit and HE, and unifi cameras. Works well. Iris was fantastic. It’s all rebranded centralite stuff and is amazing.
Edit. Old iris stuff is hard to find since going out of business but I got all mine in bulk off of eBay for a few bucks a piece.
API documentation for Elk is available on their website elkproducts.com if you can’t find it I have a copy somewhere.
Yes the Elk branded wireless sensors are pricey. This is why I like to use Honeywell 5800 series for wireless sensors. Reliable, cheap and lots of options.
Cue the takeover/derailment 
To any real thief, that is not a thief of convenience, locks are absolutely ZERO deterrence.
Let’s be real about home security for a moment… There really isn’t any such thing.
Windows are defeated by a rock, you can buy a bump lock gun online for $10 that will open just about any lock out there, door chains you can defeat with a shoelace, guard dogs love steak and pheromones… even if you eliminated the windows and doors, unless your walls are reinforced with concrete/steel/etc someone can be through any wall and into your home in under 3 minutes.
Home security isn’t actually about securing your home, its about keeping normally honest people honest and making your neighbors house look like an easier target to the real criminals out casing neighborhoods.
A couple fake cameras with a bright red led that remains active, a couple protected by signs, and a maintained lawn will likely do far more to protect your belongings overall than any security system.
If we look at the security arena and accept its really more about peace of mind and convenience than actual security our options and its usefulness expand drastically.
Since the original question is what do we use, I should share my current setup, and this is where the takeover/derailment may actually happen. Apologies in advance if it does, and yes I am aware for someone who holds my beliefs on home security my setup could be considered overkill or on the paranoid side 
My “Security and Alarm” system is a roll your own solution. Some parts can be bought, some parts are homebrew. Does not rely on internet connection to function, only needs internet access to send notifications, and allow remote viewing.
Systems:
Core - Ties everything together, runs Z2M, NR, HA, everything but the video processing.
Google Coral Mini PCIE - Handles Real Time “AI” video processing
My regular PC - Houses the coral and runs the video processing programs because I was unable to obtain a USB coral, otherwise I would be using that along with a secondary core to handle all of my NVR and AI needs.
Devices: the majority of this was already in place just from normal home automation and xmas decorating
UPS Battery Backup
Wyze Cam v2s using RTSP firmware
Iris Zigbee Contact sensors
Iris Zigbee Motion sensors
Google minis
Wifi light bulbs flashed with tasmota
LEDs addressable and non, WLED/ESPHome running on esp8266’s
2 - 600lb holding force maglocks
Smoke/Co2/PM sensors, ESPHome on esp8266’s
Programs/Applications:
Node-Red - Handles the logic processing - Will be replace with Core’s logic/state engine when it releases
MQTT Server - Used for inter program communication by the video processing programs
Deepstack/DoubleTake/Frigate - Handle all the video processing, detection, classification, and general NVR functions including rmtp re-streaming for desktop/remote viewing.
Home Assistant - Remote Monitoring/Control Desktop because I’m lazy - will be replaced with cores remote connect and dashboards once released
Types of Monitoring/Detection: Smoke, Co2, Air Quality (PM), Motion, Door/window states, AI video based monitoring/detection and recording: Vehicle, Person, Face, package, animal, device*
Basic Deterrents: easily visible cameras with active led indicators that cover all approach vectors to the home and driveway. external lighting triggered on motion or camera object detection, audio notification that there is no need to knock the doorbell is automatic when you get 3 ft from the door
Intermediate Deterrents: brief flashing of external lights in white and audio alert stating you are trespassing and alarms will go off if you do not cease your current activities and leave the property.
Advanced Deterrents: All external lights including the addressable leds in all my windows and in my permanent decorations begin flashing patterns of red and blue, every google speaker on my property inside and outside along with my home theater system begins blaring Intruder Alert Police Assistance Needed over and over again.
Physical Deterrents: Standard keyed knob locks, and smart deadbolts. 600lb Mag-Lock on each external door. (mag locks where actually installed to keep granny in the house in the case of midnight dementia episodes, but also bounces me off the door if i slam into it while its engaged so its definitely a security feature)
Other features: Mobile notifications w/ optional image if a video detection or person recognition event occurs, auto disarm and arm based on presence and video identification, package delivery alerts, automatic doorbell notification with visitor identification (if already in system) emergency services notification (many emergency systems now accept text messages so you can actually send a request for help via text, and those that don’t there are ways to automate an outgoing per-recorded phone call)
Describing everything my setup is capable of or that I am testing that can relate to security would take forever so if anyone wants more details on anything feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer.
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Thanks I’ll be over for your stuff shortly 
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So something like this you would recommend?
According to Home Assistant, this system is a cloud polling integration, so maybe not the best. The Elk system by comparison is a local push integration for Home Assistant.
No I would not recommend those “all in one” systems. Look at the Vista panels named by size of connections like the Vista 20p.
I don’t know how Home Assistant integrates with Elk. However the way other systems integrate is through the ethernet interface connection and it’s a ASCII interface. Very similar to Lutron where it’s a realtime interface where the integration listens for events.
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Found this on Woot today, is this one of the parts for the series you recommend?
That all depends. Do you have a Vista panel to connect this to? This is a IP communicator and more specifically a Cellular and IP communicator for sending alarm panel information to a monitoring service.
You would have to dig into whether or not this ALSO provides IP communication directly to the Vista panel for use with automation system integrations.
Previously people would use the eyezon.com Envisalink boards to connect to Vista panels for automation integration or for mobile app integration. I would have to do quite a bit of digging to put together a Honeywell system as I won’t work with them as often as Elk M1 Gold panels.
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Did a really quick glance through of options for Ademco Vista panels…
- Envisalink
EyezOn - EnvisaLink™ EVL-4EZR Security Module For DSC/Honeywell Panels - Ademco 4232CBM (Connected Building Module)
4232CBM - Honeywell Ademco - Alarm Decoder
Next question would be DOES your automation platform provide a ‘driver’ or plugin or app or whatever your system calls it to interface with any of those modules? Next up would be who will write one if it doesn’t exist yet?
Currently I don’t have anything. I was just perusing around.
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Always good to shop around. Head over to http://cocoontech.com/forums/page/index.html
Lots of good info on security panels and configuration. Old site, old guys good info 
This is where I go when I have questions or get stumped and looking to see if someone else hit the same issue with security panel stuff.
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Since Amazon isn’t known to be the most “do it yourself friendly” company, there are some risks to the future.
But, there’s a “Ring Alarm” user integration (apparently based on Ring’s IFTTT support) that ties in nicely with HE. I gather that others have dug into that API to make similar integrations in other environments.
With that, I directly tie the KEY things to Ring (door sensors, fire/CO alarms, etc.). I use its modes (away, home, disarmed) to determine actions and detect outside door opens via HE integration. Then i use the HE’s native devices to detect lock keypad codes (sending disarm request via the integration), and drive other actions. I make sure any HE devices involved in security issues have security of some sort (S0, S2).
Plus, I can use buttons, etc. to arm the system at night, etc. (but I don’t have any set to disarm it, for security reasons).
That lets the professional monitoring kick in for those key events (busting in the door, fires, CO, etc.) but also lets me leverage and integrated it fully into my house. And, for my tastes, alarm system integration is a CRITICAL feature. I really need my home automation to know the arming status and react to fires, etc.
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I agree and this would be my ideal system, closed enough so insurance and the company itself are comfortable to depend on its reliability, but also open enough so I can peak in and use the sensors for alternative projects. My worry with Ring is that if Amazon deems it so, they can just shut off the tap for any reason and then I am SOL, back at square one.
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Bear in mnd that basing any important alarm system on a cloud integration is a weakness, both in terms of your Internet availability the ISP’s and the cloud providers. I would be surprised if any insurer would be happy with such a setup (on which the triggering is derived) especially using IFTTT.
Having said that for any ‘monitored’ system obviously you have to signal from the premises to the station somehow.
You can mitigate most of that concern with a cellular failover / dual path which is what my alarm installer / monitoring people have installed
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