Recommendation for home alarm system

budgemook

Hi,

I recently moved into a new house - it has an alarm but it doesn't work. I don't know how old the alarm is but it looks a bit dated. Anyway, I am renovating the house soon and I am considering upgrading my alarm system.

I have some fairly basic requirements:

- I would like sensors on the downstairs doors and windows
- I would like one or two motion detectors
- As few wires as possible. The house is already wired so this might not be an issue but I will look at both wireless and wired options.

And the slightly less basic requirements:

- I should be able to monitor and control the alarm using my phone
- I would like to be able automatically turn on the lights on if the alarm sounds using IFTTT, or similar, and something like This

I am not really interested in a full home automation system really - just what I described.

Can someone recommend a system and/or installment company that will have what I am looking for?

Thanks

fred funk }{

The two best systems out there are HKC and Vanderbilt. If you have cables in place and have no need for wireless down the line then Vanderbilt might suit you. Vanderbilt has a free app but it is less secure as it relies on connection to your modem.

HKC is the best all-round system out there as they have a wired and wireless solution for everything but there is a charge for their app which also covers the charge for the world SIM which is what it uses for the data for the app and for alarm transmissions. This is more secure as it is not relying on anything in your house to work. Will still operate and transmit even if someone kills the power and Internet line to the house.

budgemook

fred funk }{ wrote: »

The two best systems out there are HKC and Vanderbilt. If you have cables in place and have no need for wireless down the line then Vanderbilt might suit you. Vanderbilt has a free app but it is less secure as it relies on connection to your modem.

HKC is the best all-round system out there as they have a wired and wireless solution for everything but there is a charge for their app which also covers the charge for the world SIM which is what it uses for the data for the app and for alarm transmissions. This is more secure as it is not relying on anything in your house to work. Will still operate and transmit even if someone kills the power and Internet line to the house.

Thank you for this information - I was looking at the HKC app but I don't think it works with IFTTT. Having thought about it a bit more, an IFTTT rule could turn on lights if you received a phone call from a specific number - do you get a phone call from HKC if the alarm goes off by any chance?

fred funk }{

budgemook wrote: »

Thank you for this information - I was looking at the HKC app but I don't think it works with IFTTT. Having thought about it a bit more, an IFTTT rule could turn on lights if you received a phone call from a specific number - do you get a phone call from HKC if the alarm goes off by any chance?

If you have a voice dialler it will call you over your landline which might work for you. If it's just lights you want to turn on automatically when the alarm sounds then that's very easy to setup using relays and outputs from the panel. You'll be able to switch the lights on from the app also.

budgemook

fred funk }{ wrote: »

If you have a voice dialler it will call you over your landline which might work for you. If it's just lights you want to turn on automatically when the alarm sounds then that's very easy to setup using relays and outputs from the panel. You'll be able to switch the lights on from the app also.

Thanks. I have a number for a HKC reseller so I'll give them a call.

KoolKid

budgemook wrote: »

Hi,

I recently moved into a new house - it has an alarm but it doesn't work. I don't know how old the alarm is but it looks a bit dated. Anyway, I am renovating the house soon and I am considering upgrading my alarm system.

I have some fairly basic requirements:

- I would like sensors on the downstairs doors and windows
- I would like one or two motion detectors
- As few wires as possible. The house is already wired so this might not be an issue but I will look at both wireless and wired options.

These are all standard with most systems & you are looking at the right type of protection.

budgemook wrote: »

And the slightly less basic requirements:

- I should be able to monitor and control the alarm using my phone
- I would like to be able automatically turn on the lights on if the alarm sounds using IFTTT, or similar, and something like This

If you want this sort of integration Siemens Vanderbilts cause & effect settings are are good as it gets. If you are really serious about home automation options then look at a dedicated system but Siemens Vanderbilt is fairly flexible once the connections are in place.

budgemook wrote: »

I am not really interested in a full home automation system really - just what I described.

Can someone recommend a system and/or installment company that will have what I am looking for?

Thanks

Most good installers would install a full range of systems & would base it on what you want as opposed to what they want to install.
HKC would be very restrictive when it comes to IFTTT.The panel connections are also prone to being locked down with software upgrades without much notice.
Don't be confused with the talk of SIM back up and charges. All panels are capable of this. The Siemens Vanderbilt IP panels are the most flexible here with multiple IP paths possible & GPRS/GSM possible . Their new GSMs are also 3g which gives you more options of SIMs.
Their polling is the fastest where network fails can be notified in under a minute.
GSDs time is 5 minutes
HKCs is 5 Hours.
GSD & Siemens have this polling time on free versions as well.
As always. Shop around is my advice.

Eddie1989

Any idea of installers for this in the Cork area? I've been looking around but can't seem to find any for the Siemems Vanderbilt.

Looking to move away from the HKC also as the app and overall system is very dated, and there doesn't seem to be any updates on the horizon even app wise.

KoolKid wrote: »

These are all standard with most systems & you are looking at the right type of protection.


If you want this sort of integration Siemens Vanderbilts cause & effect settings are are good as it gets. If you are really serious about home automation options then look at a dedicated system but Siemens Vanderbilt is fairly flexible once the connections are in place.


Most good installers would install a full range of systems & would base it on what you want as opposed to what they want to install.
HKC would be very restrictive when it comes to IFTTT.The panel connections are also prone to being locked down with software upgrades without much notice.
Don't be confused with the talk of SIM back up and charges. All panels are capable of this. The Siemens Vanderbilt IP panels are the most flexible here with multiple IP paths possible & GPRS/GSM possible . Their new GSMs are also 3g which gives you more options of SIMs.
Their polling is the fastest where network fails can be notified in under a minute.
GSDs time is 5 minutes
HKCs is 5 Hours.
GSD & Siemens have this polling time on free versions as well.
As always. Shop around is my advice.

kub

KoolKid wrote: »

These are all standard with most systems & you are looking at the right type of protection.


If you want this sort of integration Siemens Vanderbilts cause & effect settings are are good as it gets. If you are really serious about home automation options then look at a dedicated system but Siemens Vanderbilt is fairly flexible once the connections are in place.


Most good installers would install a full range of systems & would base it on what you want as opposed to what they want to install.
HKC would be very restrictive when it comes to IFTTT.The panel connections are also prone to being locked down with software upgrades without much notice.
Don't be confused with the talk of SIM back up and charges. All panels are capable of this. The Siemens Vanderbilt IP panels are the most flexible here with multiple IP paths possible & GPRS/GSM possible . Their new GSMs are also 3g which gives you more options of SIMs.
Their polling is the fastest where network fails can be notified in under a minute.
GSDs time is 5 minutes
HKCs is 5 Hours.
GSD & Siemens have this polling time on free versions as well.
As always. Shop around is my advice.

I thought you knew better than that, your usual agenda at play again.
I have plenty of HKC systems out there on a 10 minute polling slot.
Their standard as you well know is 90 minutes.

KoolKid

kub wrote: »

I thought you knew better than that, your usual agenda at play again.
I have plenty of HKC systems out there on a 10 minute polling slot.
Their standard as you well know is 90 minutes.

Strange that you come on out of the blue quoting a post of mine from a year ago just looking for a row.
Here is a snap shot from HKC secure com from 5 minutes ago.
Standard package.. loss of communication notified in 5 hours.
Premium package... Loss of communication notified in 90 minutes.
And you talk about my agenda

kub

KoolKid wrote: »

Strange that you come on out of the blue quoting a post of mine from a year ago just looking for a row.
Here is a snap shot from HKC secure com from 5 minutes ago.
Standard package.. loss of communication notified in 5 hours.
Premium package... Loss of communication notified in 90 minutes.
And you talk about my agenda

You need to educate yourself more about HKC so.
I could not be bothered rowing with you, believe me I have much better things to be doing with my time.
Anyway my systems with 10 minute polling intervals are working away perfectly, as always.

KoolKid

I am well educated on all systems. Unfortunately not all installers are happy to educate their customers on all that's available.
Yes you can have 10 minute polling. But you pay a hefty premium for this commercial package.€17.99 a month just to use an app.
So we agree their basic package is 5 hours after all?

(See Attached)
Yet even free versions from the likes of GSD and Siemens Vanderbilt offer 5 minutes or under for free.

kub

KoolKid wrote: »

I am well educated on all systems. Unfortunately not all installers are happy to educate their customers on all that's available.
Yes you can have 10 minute polling. But you pay a hefty premium for this commercial package.€17.99 a month just to use an app.
So we agree their basic package is 5 hours after all?

(See Attached)
Yet even free versions from the likes of GSD and Siemens Vanderbilt offer 5 minutes or under for free.

So you still consider polling more important than a systems capability of transmitting vital signals to a professional monitoring station.


Incredible how again your facts are totally incorrect, just to quote you


"But you pay a hefty premium for this commercial package.€17.99 a month just to use an app."


No Koolkid, you had better go back and get educated about " all systems " because you are wrong.


Although you may encounter some difficulties from that particular manufacturer

KoolKid

I am quoting and posting screen shots from Securecom so what information am I posting that's wrong.
The only wrong information I have seen so far is your claim that the 90 minute polling was the HKC standard package. I have shown you this was incorrect.
I am still curious on 2 counts.
Why you feel the need to dig this back up from a year ago.
If polling is not that important how do you justify€17.99 a month for polling that is still slower than competitors. 🀔🀔

kub

KoolKid wrote: »

I am quoting and posting screen shots from Securecom so what information am I posting that's wrong.
The only wrong information I have seen so far is your claim that the 90 minute polling was the HKC standard package. I have shown you this was incorrect.
I am still curious on 2 counts.
Why you feel the need to dig this back up from a year ago.
If polling is not that important how do you justify€17.99 a month for polling that is still slower than competitors. ����

You specifically said why would someone pay €17.99 a month to use an App, that statement suggests to me that perhaps you need to broaden your horizons a little, just an App is it ?


Also why after all this time do you constantly on every single thread you are on bring up the point about polling times and charges etc?


Is that to you the most important part of a security system?


You asked why did i feel it necessary to " dig this up from a year ago ", well I did not notice the date of the post, it is a simple as that.


I will justify whatever means are necessary for security systems which I specify for my own clients premises. This they know and appreciate, thankfully we only specify equipment which we are very familiar with and do not cause silly call backs due to well known issues with other manufacturers equipment.
Do it once and do it right is what works best I find, rather to be relying solely on free things which could very well cost money in the future.

KoolKid

In my professional opinion €17.99 is over the top for most normal residential customers needs and budgets.
That's the best part of a monitoring and maintenance fee. Using Siemens Vanderbilt or GSD we can offer app maintenance and monitoring with the same fast polling service over multiple paths without adding an additional €17.99 to the mix.

Anyway you seem more interested in just promoting the one system and manufacturer and digging up your old rows.
I'm more interested in correcting the false information your posting. That has been done so I'll leave you to have a row with yourself.

kub

KoolKid wrote: »

In my professional opinion €17.99 is over the top for most normal residential customers needs and budgets.
That's the best part of a monitoring and maintenance fee. Using Siemens Vanderbilt or GSD we can offer app maintenance and monitoring with the same fast polling service over multiple paths without adding an additional €17.99 to the mix.

Anyway you seem more interested in just promoting the one system and manufacturer and digging up your old rows.
I'm more interested in correcting the false information your posting. That has been done so I'll leave you to have a row with yourself.

Oh dear are you still relying on peoples routers to relay alarm activation's to monitoring stations?


You seem to be knocking the most successful Intruder Alarm Manufacturer in this country, as always, namely HKC, just because they charge for their excellent App.


Now before you go, what false information am I posting please ?

KoolKid

kub wrote: »

Now before you go, what false information am I posting please ?

kub wrote: »

I have plenty of HKC systems out there on a 10 minute polling slot.
Their standard as you well know is 90 minutes.

kub wrote: »

Oh dear are you still relying on peoples routers to relay alarm activation's to monitoring stations?

KoolKid wrote: »

Using Siemens Vanderbilt or GSD we can offer app maintenance and monitoring with the same fast polling service over multiple paths without adding an additional €17.99 to the mix.

kub wrote: »

You seem to be knocking the most successful Intruder Alarm Manufacturer in this country, as always, namely HKC, just because they charge for their excellent App.

I haven't knocked any manufacturer. I simply posted their prices to correct your error as shown above.

kub

KoolKid wrote: »

I haven't knocked any manufacturer. I simply posted their prices to correct your error as shown above.

My only error was my phraseology, I do not know of any professional installer out there who puts their customer on the (as the HKC Portal calls it ) Standard.
Any Installer and all Installers I know of choose the Premium option.


But then you break the mold there of course.


You are of course right with regard to my incorrect phrase, so my sincerest apologies if I offended you.


However lets call a spade a spade, you despise HKC and you demonstrate it constantly, however indirectly on every thread on this forum.

Stoner

I'll right guys let's put an end to this.

In addition to an overdone but genuine argument about notification times there are numerous posts prompting brands and manufacturers (read the charter)

Koolkid and kub. Please don't post in this thread again

Also please don't let it spill over elsewhere.