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Home Alarm Options/Suggestions

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  • skfullgun

    Dances With Snakes
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    Oct 14, 2017
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    In the woods...
    I have a friend who is in her mid-60s and not very technologically savvy. You could almost say the same thing about me although I do carry a smartphone, have DSL and wireless internet.

    1. She does NOT have a landline.
    2. Does NOT have internet in her home.
    3. DOES have a smartphone, although it is an old, decrepit one with a broken screen.
    4. She lives in a neighborhood of older folks, on the fringe of an urban area, where the neighbors who used to watch her home while she was away have all grown too old, or in too poor health, to do so.

    She wants some type of home security system to assure her that her house is secure while she is away (sometimes for 7-10 days at a time).
    I have explained that she will either need to add a landline (probably not even an option at this point), have internet installed, or have a system installed that uses a dedicated cellphone as a dialer for the system.
    She wants something that will notify the police if there's a problem at her home, and notify her via her cell phone at the same time. I also mentioned the last requirement about notifying her in real time would probably mean she would need a cell phone upgrade, to boot.

    Of course, within ten minutes of us talking about her options, she advised me that I was mansplaining things to her.

    I will admit, I had grown a bit frustrated by that time. It had reached the point I felt I was trying to explain quantum physics to someone living in a cave.
    Of course, she is the same friend who used to leave the ceiling fans on while away from the house so it would "stay cool". When I told her the fans only had a cooling effect when she was actually there, she wanted to know how the ceiling fans would know if she was home or not...
    Other than that, she is a pleasant, good-hearted person, and quite attractive. And no, she's not blonde.

    In regard to a security system and her needs, did I miss any options?
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    oldag

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    1633465006923.png
     

    skfullgun

    Dances With Snakes
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    In the woods...
    She has dogs and they are very alert when she is there. When she travels, they go with her.
    Besides, we are talking about mostly something she wants for when she's away. And, as I said the neighbors are too old to take care of the house or the dogs.
     

    Fishkiller

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    Well unless there is an upgrade to the phone system se is SOL, or have some sort of internet installed, DSL, satellite, cable. Then she will need a smart phone. So I think you did cover all the bases. What she wants ain't available with the technology she currently has. Last option is hire a security guard 24/7 while gone.
     

    oldag

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    She has dogs and they are very alert when she is there. When she travels, they go with her.
    Besides, we are talking about mostly something she wants for when she's away. And, as I said the neighbors are too old to take care of the house or the dogs.
    I should have put a smiley or something on the post. Just intended for humor.
     

    45tex

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    Our restaurant is actually 2 small buildings next to each other. Smaller than a many houses. I went online and ordered the equipment I needed from Simplisafe as linked in post 7.
    The control unit and all the sensors can be stuck in place with the included tape. Or the included screws. the alarm unit sits anywhere and is operated on cell service. Monitoring service is cheap and you can start and stop it as needed. The only other thing is everything is battery powered except the alarm unit and it will run days on its batteries. Some busy doors need a battery every 6 months others once a year. Also easy to do. You will need an alarm permit from the county in many places
     

    lightflyer1

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    TMobile is offering 5g internet for $50 via cell service. Pair up a new phone and internet at once. Mine gets here tomorrow. A simple indoor camera strategically placed should tell you if someone has been there.
     

    Grumps21

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    Apr 28, 2021
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    TMobile is offering 5g internet for $50 via cell service. Pair up a new phone and internet at once. Mine gets here tomorrow. A simple indoor camera strategically placed should tell you if someone has been there.
    I actually had the T-Mobile service about this time last year. Kept for two billing cycles to see how it would work out while also keeping my existing service as backup. My thoughts.... it’s unlimited data and no contract, so that’s a plus. The modem is of course cell signal so it can be put anywhere that is near an electrical outlet and gets the cell reception. For a vacation home or in this case an alarm it would work out just fine. In my case though, it was almost there, but not quite. Working from home, I need a fast connections. T-Mobile was okay for 75% of the time but my computer would freeze up a few times during the day. Also streaming was the same thing. It was just on the line of being fast enough, and depending on signal strength It would pixilate. I think my issue is that nowhere in the house could I get full signal. The bars would fluctuate between half and 3/4 signal. Kudos to T-Mobile for allowing me to cancel the service and send a return mailing label for a no hassle return. Although it didn’t work out for me, it was still a positive experience with their customer service
     

    lightflyer1

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    Everything depends on where you are in relation to a tower. Less than 1/2 mile for me. Phone on 5G gets over 200Mbs. AT&T maxes me out at 50. If you have good cell service or check the maps for anything close to you and it should work well. Just a thought as all the other internet options seemed bad or not available.
     

    pronstar

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    First issue is to get comms going, methinks.
    Then back into a system based on the comm service she chooses.

    My first DFW flip got broken into twice. So I started running a SimpliSafe system, running thru a Verizon JetPack hotspot.

    Worked well enough that I canceled the expensive ADT alarm we used to have, and just run the simplisafe system at my house now.

    If you have simplisafe and need to buy equipment, just call them and say the last rep told you that you’d get 40% off equipment orders. They’ll put you on hold, and when they come back in the line you’ll get the discount. Works every time

    (A simplisafe employee told me about this)

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
     

    Vaquero

    Moving stuff to the gas prices thread.....
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    11   0   0
    Apr 4, 2011
    44,207
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    Dixie Land
    First issue is to get comms going, methinks.
    Then back into a system based on the comm service she chooses.

    My first DFW flip got broken into twice. So I started running a SimpliSafe system, running thru a Verizon JetPack hotspot.

    Worked well enough that I canceled the expensive ADT alarm we used to have, and just run the simplisafe system at my house now.

    If you have simplisafe and need to buy equipment, just call them and say the last rep told you that you’d get 40% off equipment orders. They’ll put you on hold, and when they come back in the line you’ll get the discount. Works every time

    (A simplisafe employee told me about this)

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    That's what she's looking for.
     
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