Smarthome

Smart security tech for 2022

“Your home is your castle,” as the old saying goes… But even though times have changed and you don’t need moats and ramparts or bows and arrows and big vats of boiling oil any more, that doesn’t mean the desire to protect what you have (and as robustly as you can!) has diminished at all. There are several steps you can take to keep your property safe and secure, and, these days, there are also products which can help. This is where smart security comes in.

Smart Security: Doorbell

Let’s start with something fairly obvious – and highly effective.

Traditional doorbells are, really, only one step up from analogue-style knocking at the door! They might ring to alert you that someone is there, but beyond that there’s not that much benefit. In fact, in some cases knocking might even be preferable – at least people you know might be able to put some personality or quirk into their knock, meaning that it’s recognisably them each time they call on you.

A smart doorbell takes things even further, as it offers the ability to see who is on your property and at the door without actually having to get up and go to it. The caller rings the doorbell by pressing the button, and as well as ringing in your house, an app on your smartphone is triggered. This app allows you to see video footage of the area around your front door and talk to whoever is there  via the two-way audio system. Think about how great this is. You don’t actually even have to be at home to see who is calling and have a conversation with them. You could be at work, in the supermarket, or strolling on a beach in Scotland – but you can answer the door at home!

Joni Hanebutt / Shutterstock

You can monitor your home by opening the app on your phone (or other device) or you can set things up so that you will receive push notifications via the app when the doorbell picks up movement or a possible disturbance.

Aside from anything else, the physical presence of a video doorbell is going to tip off potential burglars that there will be a visual record of them and / or their actions – even if it is the night time (many have a night vision feature).

Even though the doorbell itself isn’t actually able to prevent a crime, it is an extremely useful tool for the aftermath. The video footage from a smart doorbell can usually be saved and stored, and therefore can be passed on to the police or your insurance company, etc, if necessary. This is an extra layer of peace of mind provided for your home.

We recommend a smart doorbell which offers high resolution images (1080p), plus a lens with a wide field of view (around 140 to 180 degrees), plus night vision and cloud storage for your recorded video. Check out our stock, here, and you’re sure to find one which suits your needs.

Popular choices include…

Ring Video Doorbell (Wired)

In much the same way as ‘hoover’ has become the byword for ‘vacuum cleaner’ over the years, ‘Ring’ is often used to describe any video doorbell. This one has all of the features you would expect, including crystal-clear Full HD 1080p video resolution, day or night, and it works with Amazon Alexa / Samsung SmartThings. If you are wondering what ‘wired’ means, it’s how the doorbell gets its power – ie. this model requires hardwiring for power. The cables are hidden and you’ll get non-stop coverage.

Smart Security: CCTV camera systems

In the section on smart doorbells we mentioned the idea of being able to see footage of who is at your property, or what is going on around it. Having a camera or some sort of camera system to keep an eye on your place is not a new idea. CCTV systems have been around for years – but these days they are highly advanced compared to the set-ups of the past.

In modern times manufacturers have moved away from the traditional static storage offered by DVD and HDD, although there are still systems out there which offer hard drives with a huge amount of storage space, allowing footage of, for instance, several days to be stored. The move towards smart technology has given property owners the opportunity to use CCTV as a monitoring system accessible through a smartphone. You are more likely to find that a CCTV system in 2022 features live feeds, cloud backups and user-controlled cameras.

Oasisamuel / Shutterstock

Installing a CCTV camera on the exterior of your property is a great deterrent. Most outdoor CCTV cameras have motion detection and night vision. Some even double as floodlights when they are ‘motion’ triggered.

The number of cameras you install is likely to vary depending on the size of your property and even the shape of it (there may be particular areas you would like to cover). You could have merely one camera, pointed at the front of your property. Or you may have several, strategically positioned to cover every inch – the absolute maximum area possible. Whichever it is, the cameras in a modern CCTV system are connected to your Wi-Fi and are accessible through an app on your smartphone (or tablet, laptop or other device), making for a totally convenient way to monitor everything from wherever you are. Again, like with smart doorbells, video footage can be saved and stored, and passed on to the police or an insurance company if that proves necessary.

Popular choices include…

Arlo Essential Spotlight CCTV 3 camera system

100% wire-free and weather resistant, these cameras can be installed in minutes for no-fuss protection. They connect directly to your Wi-Fi (so no base station is required), they offer 1080p video plus colour night vision, and you can communicate with people on your property via an app.

As well as being highly effective, the security offered by smart products is affordable – so that all-important peace of mind is not too hard to find, and not too far out of financial reach. The main smart security products – video doorbells and CCTV systems – are also very easy to install. Check Ebuyer’s range of smart security products – and, of course, all our other tech too!

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