Simplisafe Home Alarm System

[Rich M.]

Well, my current home alarm system, 13 year old German Shepherd, is no longer up to the task of protecting the house, so I looking at various DIY alarm systems and Simplisafe seems like the best choice for my needs.

Does anyone else use this system? Pros or cons?

 

[rlitman]

I've used them in the past. They're simple, but that's about the best I have to say about them. Ring Alarm is just as simple, and is for the most part a better product, though you may need several repeaters to make it stable.

 

[rburke65]

I’m very interested in the answers folks will be posting. I’ve been there with similar aging “alarm systems”.

 

[mopar4u]

self monitored or company monitored?

 

[CSRPenFab]

I have a Ring system and it integrates very well with my Ring doorbell and Schlage smart deadbolt. I have two control panels and no repeaters. With a mesh Wifi system, I've had no issues with connectivity.

$10 a month for professional monitoring and the few times I've messed up and set it off, they were quick to call. Much better service than ADT that was charging $60 a month! If you're a Costco member, check out their deals on Ring online.

 

[FMB4]

Also be aware that some Police Departments charge you if they receive more than a certain number false 'alerts' per month.

 

[infinkc]

had their old system before, it worked, but was very basic. switched to Ring also.

 

[mike93lx]

Ring's data sharing practices should make anyone think twice before using them

www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2021/1/31/22258856/amazon-ring-partners-police-fire-security-privacy-cameras

http://www.techcrunch.com/2021/06/08/ring-police-warrants-neighbors/

 

[nadogail]

Any alarm system is better than none.

 

[fsae0607]

Just watched this the other night...

 

[mike93lx]

Any alarm system is better than none.

I don't think I agree with that, but to each their own

I've chosen cameras with local-only storage and notification to my phone. I don't like the idea of someone off-site having access to cameras on my property, other than me, especially not the police.
That said, we all have our own concerns and live in different areas with different risks.

 

[rlitman]

Ring's data sharing practices should make anyone think twice before using them

This applies to their cameras. Not their alarm systems.

Just watched this the other night...

It's a legitimate concern. In theory, the base station should pick up the interference and report the tampering. In practice, it's anybody's guess. SimpliSafe uses hardware made by Interlogix (which oddly enough has gone out of business, so I'm not even sure how SimpliSafe continued operating since the end of 2019, but that's another story), that relies on one-way communication from the sensors. If the signal is interrupted, the sensor is not aware that the base station missed the communication, and now their states are mismatched. Ring's sensors create a meshed network, so blocking their signal would be much more difficult.

 

[mike93lx]

This applies to their cameras. Not their alarm systems.

Its enough (for me) to distrust anything else they would do. Maybe an overreaction, but it's not like there are no other options

 

[Stuart in MN]

This applies to their cameras. Not their alarm systems.

It's good to point out that videos and alarms aren't necessarily the same thing - door and window entry switches, PIR motion sensors, etc. should be included in a good security system. In addition, a good system should also monitor smoke/fire/carbon monoxide sensors, and depending on the situation there may be other things like a flooding sensor (in case of a water line break or washing machine malfunction) or low temp alarms (if you live in a cold climate and the furnace quits when you're away) are good ideas too.

Monitored systems will typically have the alarms sent to that company's monitoring center rather than directly to the police; if they get a signal from your house they'll try to contact you first before calling the police (or fire department or ambulance.) In my mind a monitored system is a good idea - say you're on vacation far away and can't respond, or definitely if there's a fire when you may be incapacitated by smoke inhalation.

 

[jbfsr]

Get a German Shepherd puppy. Let the old teach the new.

 

[Showkey]

Any alarm system is better than none.

Only if it’s used
Some estimates the vast majority are not armed on regular basis.

There are studies that say beware of dog and Alarm Signs is significant deterrent.

 

[dagofast]

We've had the original style SimpiSafe since 2017. As advertised and named, it is quite simple to install, use and maintain. Ours came as a pretty well built out kit but we also added smoke alarms to ours and a couple of extra motion sensors. The only problem components were the motion sensors, but after a couple of false triggers, I discovered it was my fault for setting them up wrong. There is a very tiny 3 position switch for sensitivity and the writing was too small for my old peepers to read it. Instead of setting them to the lower setting, I had them set on the high setting. Once I got them set correctly, we've had zero problems. Like most all the other sensors, the door/window sensors mount with double sided adhesive tape. We have one solid door that has spring loaded hinges that goes from the house to the garage (its code here) so it always slams. The wood door trim has some milled ridges that didn't give great contact and that sensor eventually fell off. No damage but it'll sure trip the alarm when it falls off! And much like a smoke detector battery, it decided to do it at 2AM. That was our one visit from the popo. I put small screws in all of the door sensor brackets the next day.

SimpiSafe's customer support has always been top notch and they have a good forum where a lot of tips and advise are available. The monitoring is very reasonable at $14.95 a month and with zero contracts. We've had friends cut the cord with ADT and other expensive contractual alarm companies & go to SimpliSafe with equally happy results. The newer SimpliSafe system looks much nicer than ours and the friends are very happy with them.

Pro-tip from the popo: Don't put up a SimpliSafe yard sign or stickers. Trade alarm brand signs with friends or neighbors. Why inform a potential thief what brand of system he might be up against?

 

[uncwstudent]

I have Simplisafe (the old system) and have been a customer since 2015. Ive had some problems with the base station which was easily remedied by their customer service. If you ever need CS, Simplisafe is top notch. Ive been very happy with them and my six year old equipment.

 

[rayra]

dagofast, I've had the same door sensor trouble and found that the back plane of the sensor detaches and can be screw-mounted to the surface. And did so on some exterior doors.

The SimpliSafe was easy and quick to install and is easy to amend with additional sensors. And recently I saw an ad that seemed to indicate they were expanding into medical monitoring. With the base station etc already in place, that seems like a good idea.
Also they are adding wireless cameras as well.

 

[Rich M.]

Get a German Shepherd puppy. Let the old teach the new.

Wife nixed that idea. Said we are too old for a puppy and the dog will out live me. She has a point.

It would nice to get German Shepherd #8. She would probably divorce me and take half (plus) in the deal. Alarm system is sounding real good.

 

[Rich M.]

Question about mounting the keypad to drywall. How well does the 3M tape hold the pad in place? The provided screw certainly are not for securely attaching to drywall.

I was thinking about this keypad holder through Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T2W6KM1/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It looks sturdy and mounting with drywall anchors will keep it in place. Also the design would protect the pad from being dislodged if accidentally bumped.

 

[Joerg]

We have had the SimpliSafe system for at least two years now. It is super easy to install and works very well. Great customer service too. I resisted the "hassle" of installing an alarm system for years. Now I am happy I did. Don't have experience with other systems, but I don't see what they could do better.

 

[Joerg]

Question about mounting the keypad to drywall. How well does the 3M tape hold the pad in place? The provided screw certainly are not for securely attaching to drywall.

I was thinking about this keypad holder through Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T2W6KM1/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It looks sturdy and mounting with drywall anchors will keep it in place. Also the design would protect the pad from being dislodged if accidentally bumped.

I had my reservations about the tape that comes with the key pad. Stuck the pad to the wall (textured drywall with several layers of paint) and that is where it still is. Strong stuff!

 

[joseywales]

Looks like the window and door sensors use adhesive as well. Can they be removed without damage?

 

[Joerg]

I have never tried to remove a sensor, but I think that should be possible. To change the battery in the sensor you just slide it out from the back plate that is stuck to the window/door. In 2+ years we have not had to replace any of the sensor batteries.

 

[FredWanaker]

We have an ADT system that uses whatever cameras we want integrated with it. The one's were are using now are Ezviz because they don't mine your data like Amazon does (Ring). In some of the Simplisafe commercials on TV the cameras look identical to the EzViz ones. Most of those (Ezviz, RCA etc) are made by Hikivision, which is Chinese owned company that reports to the Chinese Communist Party, similar to Huawei.

Who knows if the Chinese listen or watch thru back doors. Anything is possible these days.

Our ADT system has a fail safe that calls home over the phone system. The unit we have used Gen 3 wireless which is being discontinued next year all over the USA. In case you have cars that have electronics that call home, the ones with Gen 3 won't work after those towers are shut down. Toyota, Acura etc pretty much are abandoning their clients with cars older than 4 years. Subaru did a free upgrade for their Starlink clients. I called ADT to see if our system used Gen 3, so ADT came out a couple weeks ago and replaced the module and internal phone hardware plus system software in our unit to upgrade it to 4lte. Make sure whatever system you get uses 4lte or gen 5 if it calls home, or that the manufacturer will upgrade it for you. What you also do not want is a system that only works on wi-fi, and dies if the house power goes down. The ADT system we have runs for days on its internal backup. The cost to us for ADT is $53.99 mo but that is Ok with us for the level of system it is.

 

[rayra]

The keypad has a separate mounting plate, it sticks to the wall with four pieces of tape and it has 3 countersunk holes in it for mechnically mounting it to the wall. It serves as a holster, you can lift the keypad out and move about the house with it.

The double sided tape on the pieces is 3M, pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA). Clean the wall surface and press hard. If it's an external door that soaks in the sun all afternoon, use the screwholes in the backplane of the sensor bit.

SimpliSafe has monitoring for $25/mo. USAA accepts it for a home insurance discount.

 

[rayra]

Question about mounting the keypad to drywall. How well does the 3M tape hold the pad in place? The provided screw certainly are not for securely attaching to drywall.

I was thinking about this keypad holder through Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T2W6KM1/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It looks sturdy and mounting with drywall anchors will keep it in place. Also the design would protect the pad from being dislodged if accidentally bumped.

The keypad comes with its own detachable wall mount. Drywall anchors would be ridiculous overkill for the thing.

 

[joseywales]

- Does SimpliSafe require monitoring service, or can I set it up to call me only?

- Visonic system is interesting. Can call you, or the police, or both. VERY customizable for zones, communication, etc., but not an easy installation. Very doable, once you learn the programming patterns. But it will be time consuming and all sensors screw tp the trim. Has water and motion sensors. It uses a cellular SIM card, which can be interesting to obtain with service, but be persistent.

 

[Rich M.]

The keypad comes with its own detachable wall mount. Drywall anchors would be ridiculous overkill for the thing.

From your post I am not sure if you have the Simplisafe system, but the screws seem so small to really bite into the drywall, which is why I was thinking the small anchors. I do not like to put any holes in walls, but then, I do not want things falling off the wall.

My though is the tape would fail over time because the finger pressure used to activate the keys may play havoc with the tape’s adhesive.

 

[rlitman]

Looks like the window and door sensors use adhesive as well. Can they be removed without damage?

The adhesive that came with mine was 3M Command. In theory, it comes off without damage. In practice, it works as it should, sometimes.

 

[rayra]

From your post I am not sure if you have the Simplisafe system, but the screws seem so small to really bite into the drywall, which is why I was thinking the small anchors. I do not like to put any holes in walls, but then, I do not want things falling off the wall.

My though is the tape would fail over time because the finger pressure used to activate the keys may play havoc with the tape’s adhesive.

I thought I was pretty clear in #19, I own it. Have for a couple years and moved it with us to a new home. SimpliSafe even offers additional tape pieces for re-mounting.


I've described the mounting, here's a picture. The control pad lifts off the mounting plate, is portable. The buttons on the keypad are a sort of 'soft touch', not a hard click, do not require much pressure to activate. The concerns you've expressed about this base mounting are baseless. You also seem to be saying you don't want to mar a surface, but then speak of drywall anchors. But maybe I'm co-mingling your remarks with others'.

If you or anyone else has any questions about use or operation, I'll try to answer them. I own the system, I use it, I like it for what it is and provides. It's a good value. And its internet connectivity has been useful to us many times as we've frequently been out of town.
I've got door sensors, glass break, motion, wired cameras, integrated smoke alarms.
They're offering wireless cameras now, and they also have wireless deadbolt actuators which are very interesting.

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[Rich M.]

Thanks “Rayra” for all of your information. It has been helpful.

 

[Kaizen]

Its enough (for me) to distrust anything else they would do. Maybe an overreaction, but it's not like there are no other options

You can block that as an option which i did. I get what they are trying to do which is making a worldwide mesh network. Just not enough security imo to allow on my network.

 

[gahrajmahal]

Installed one in my mother-in-laws condo. Mainly for the monitored smoke detection and the , I’ve fallen and I can’t get up feature. Inexpensive and much better than her old ADT system it replaced.

 

[dagofast]

- Does SimpliSafe require monitoring service, or can I set it up to call me only?

- Visonic system is interesting. Can call you, or the police, or both. VERY customizable for zones, communication, etc., but not an easy installation. Very doable, once you learn the programming patterns. But it will be time consuming and all sensors screw tp the trim. Has water and motion sensors. It uses a cellular SIM card, which can be interesting to obtain with service, but be persistent.

SimpliSafe does NOT require monitoring. But with self-monitoring, the only way you're going know the alarm has been tripped is if you can hear it. Which requires your 24/7 presence. You'll need either the (no contract) $14.95 or $24.95 monthly monitoring package to get notifications sent to your phone by text and/or email.

 

[rayra]

SimpliSafe does NOT require monitoring. But with self-monitoring, the only way you're going know the alarm has been tripped is if you can hear it. Which requires your 24/7 presence. You'll need either the (no contract) $14.95 or $24.95 monthly monitoring package to get notifications sent to your phone by text and/or email.

I don't think that's correct, the phone app allows configuration of alerts / notifications when your system is triggered. email and texts sent out to addresses you specify / your phone. This doesn't require monthly fee monitoring services. IIRC the monthly fee services are for human notification and forwarding to police / fire / ems. What SimpliSafe calls "Interactive monitoring"

I have a wired camera covering my porch and with the alarm set I get camera stills of package delivery on my porch. And not contact from SimpliSafe about intruders or alarms set

 

[Flounder_Pounder]

I'm ok with mine, pay for monitoring. The signal blocker isn't a huge deal in my mind since I don't think my house huge target and they would have to get past the indoor sensors.

 

[OverkillYJ]

Well, my current home alarm system, 13 year old German Shepherd, is no longer up to the task of protecting the house, so I looking at various DIY alarm systems and Simplisafe seems like the best choice for my needs.

Does anyone else use this system? Pros or cons?

I would suggest Blue Iris. Blue Iris is a windows based IP Camera system application setup for servers, but you can setup motion based alarms, dialers, auto texting, all kinds of stuff. You can run it on any desktop made within the past 5 years as long as the specs are up to par for how many cameras you want to run.

There is an app for android and apple that can receive alerts if you want house alarms. The limitations for the system come down to your technical limitations.

I am a certified IT Security Technician, and it will do whatever you need if you can figure out how to do it. Only downside is that the company charges for support, but they have a full version 1 month trial.

Either way, if you dont already have IP cameras, thats the way to go.

 

[mobiledynamics]

They all do more less the same thing....to some degree. Sensor get's tripped and in theory, you also have central station.

What set these apart for me is is multi zone support/partitioning and how picky you are or not on the sensors. If you're wired (as most DIY systems are wireless based), some wireless systems do have MUX that will use your wired sensors if you prefer to still keep the wired. Re: sensors, most of these DIY sensors are big, visible, seen vs. -non exposed- sensors that you would typically put inside the door/window versus exposed. Monitoring cost IMO is all average and relative....across all the brands

For me, it boils down to sensors and zone/partition setup.

I have done a DIY at the cabin house. Very easy to add sensors, setup what type, partitions, bypass, etc. Uses internet as primary communications, and 4G Cellular as backup. It's decent. I do like the -alarm app- feature to disarm/arm.

Circled back on this thread and while looking at Milwaukee tool online, stumbled upon this which was not on my radar of things -new-

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