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Set this up in my condo, and if it works out, will install a larger system in my house.
Got the Nest Secure Alarm system starter pack, which consists of the main "brain" to the system, the Nest Guard, two Nest Detect sensors and two Nest Tags.
The Nest Guard is both the keypad that turns the system on and off, and a motion detector. I set this up near the entryway in the living room of the condo, pointed towards the front door. You turn the alarm on or off in three ways:
1) By typing in your code to the keypad
2) By placing one of the Nest Tags on top of the Nest Guard unit
3) Via the Nest app for your smartphone
I decided against putting any sensors on any doors or windows. The Nest Guard's motion detector covers the living room, which includes the front door. I put a Nest Detect sensor on the bedroom wall so that it covers that room like a motion detector (you may set Nest Detect sensors to function as either door/window sensors, motion detectors or both).
I put the Nest Cam high up in a built in cabinet facing the front door, and it covers most of the living room. You may login to the Nest app at any time to view the live recording of the Nest Cam.
The Nest app has a battery backup, but I additionally have set up both the internet modem and router at the condo, and the Nest Guard and Nest Cam on a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system that will keep them going in the event of power failure.
The system is easy to use - just turn it on before leaving the house and back on when home. You may also leave it on while home as far as motion detection, but then it will detect motion and potentially go off if you walk by any of the sensors, unless you turn those off and for my system, with no door or window sensors, the entire system is based on motion detection anyway so we just leave it off when home.
The system does vacillate between being either too sensitive (detecting motion in the living room and taking a picture) when we are still home, or not taking any picture when we come home, which it should take a picture upon entry because it can't know who that is coming in the front door while the alarm is on. In any case, it is constantly recording video and the sensors seem to work fine as far as motion detection (just, the camera is sometimes triggered prematurely or not at all).
Just as important as the system, is alerting people to that you have one. I placed a sticker like this on window next to the front door
and similar ones on a window in the kitchen and bedroom.
It's an expensive system - $399. for the Nest Secure unit plus $199. for the indoor cam. We plan to add $119. for the smoke and CO detector.
However, once you pay for it you can eliminate monitoring which can be $20-30 per month with most alarm companies. With Nest you handle your own monitoring, and with the cameras, probably eliminate the chance of false alarms too because you may just look at the live video feed of your home at any time, including if the alarm is triggered, to see if anything is really going on. You may also "speak" into your own house via the speaker on the cam too, such as to warn off any intruders, letting them know that the police are on the way.
In all, I like the system and may just buy another one to include my house too, although at a cost of $49. per Nest Detect sensor, if you need to cover a lot of doors and windows, the cost mounts rapidly.
Got the Nest Secure Alarm system starter pack, which consists of the main "brain" to the system, the Nest Guard, two Nest Detect sensors and two Nest Tags.
The Nest Guard is both the keypad that turns the system on and off, and a motion detector. I set this up near the entryway in the living room of the condo, pointed towards the front door. You turn the alarm on or off in three ways:
1) By typing in your code to the keypad
2) By placing one of the Nest Tags on top of the Nest Guard unit
3) Via the Nest app for your smartphone
I decided against putting any sensors on any doors or windows. The Nest Guard's motion detector covers the living room, which includes the front door. I put a Nest Detect sensor on the bedroom wall so that it covers that room like a motion detector (you may set Nest Detect sensors to function as either door/window sensors, motion detectors or both).
I put the Nest Cam high up in a built in cabinet facing the front door, and it covers most of the living room. You may login to the Nest app at any time to view the live recording of the Nest Cam.
The Nest app has a battery backup, but I additionally have set up both the internet modem and router at the condo, and the Nest Guard and Nest Cam on a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system that will keep them going in the event of power failure.
The system is easy to use - just turn it on before leaving the house and back on when home. You may also leave it on while home as far as motion detection, but then it will detect motion and potentially go off if you walk by any of the sensors, unless you turn those off and for my system, with no door or window sensors, the entire system is based on motion detection anyway so we just leave it off when home.
The system does vacillate between being either too sensitive (detecting motion in the living room and taking a picture) when we are still home, or not taking any picture when we come home, which it should take a picture upon entry because it can't know who that is coming in the front door while the alarm is on. In any case, it is constantly recording video and the sensors seem to work fine as far as motion detection (just, the camera is sometimes triggered prematurely or not at all).
Just as important as the system, is alerting people to that you have one. I placed a sticker like this on window next to the front door
and similar ones on a window in the kitchen and bedroom.
It's an expensive system - $399. for the Nest Secure unit plus $199. for the indoor cam. We plan to add $119. for the smoke and CO detector.
However, once you pay for it you can eliminate monitoring which can be $20-30 per month with most alarm companies. With Nest you handle your own monitoring, and with the cameras, probably eliminate the chance of false alarms too because you may just look at the live video feed of your home at any time, including if the alarm is triggered, to see if anything is really going on. You may also "speak" into your own house via the speaker on the cam too, such as to warn off any intruders, letting them know that the police are on the way.
In all, I like the system and may just buy another one to include my house too, although at a cost of $49. per Nest Detect sensor, if you need to cover a lot of doors and windows, the cost mounts rapidly.