Recommendations for (Monitored) alarm systems

Third party integrations
1

I am closing on a house next month, and I am looking at a number of options for monitored home alarm systems (professional monitoring required for insurance reasons).

Yes, I could roll my own with various parts, etc. but I am looking for one that I would say falls into the Semi-DIY - installing your sensors, etc where and how you want and integrating with the alarm panel(s) and monitored by their central station/call center.

Ones I have been looking at:

  • CoveSmart
  • SimpliSafe
  • Abode
  • Ring (last resort)

Requirements:

  • HA Integration - priority is HA being able to see changes in alarm system for automations. Being able to go from HA → Alarm system is a nice to have.

  • 24x7 “Professional” monitoring this is required for insurance discounts, etc.

  • DIY Install I want to be able to install and update it myself, without needing to have service calls, extra costs, etc. This leaves out ADT for example (as far as I can see)

  • Support for Smoke/Temp Change/Water/Glass Break/Entry/Window Sensors Just to name a few

I could roll my own and meet all of the above, except for the monitoring. I would do so, but the most important factor is the Wife Acceptance Factor. It simply needs to work, with or without the HA parts.

I’m not really sold on any of the above, and looking for recommendations from the above or other solutions/systems and integrations available. While the Cove systems look interesting, I cant find any integrations – they do integrate with Apple Homekit and Google, so I could bounce through there - but thats really a PITA :wink:

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/pointers

2

Noonlight is a professional monitoring company that will work with HA (from what I have read).

We are a couple months into our new house. I only have local setup right now. But, will be looking into Noonlight.

I have used SimpliSafe for years. But, with the new house, we are getting as much as possible off of the cloud. So, SimpliSafe gone. Blink cameras gone. Etc.

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3

Yeah – thats the plan – although if you are going monitoring you are by definition cloud connected… but I get ya

4

Agree. But, differently. Only when YOU want it there.

Not every sensor reporting to the cloud to report to you.

Instead, the sensors report to you and you report it to the monitoring company.

5

JHoke,
What did you end up doing and how does it work?

6

Hey sorry – between moving in and the holidays it got a bit crazy.

I ended up going Eufy with their monitoring for now. I already had Eufy cams, so I picked up a few of their door/window sensors and water leaks…

Their monitoring provides the insurance discount … I will probably migrate to something else later, but for now its “good enough for government work” :slight_smile:

7

Wow, the setup with Noonlight is legit easy and fast to setup!

My home insurance required a monitoring service to save about $500 a year so I wanted to connect it to my Alarm in HA. The setup provided through Konnected worked super fast (in minutes) and I did a quick test. I shit you not, I got a text from Noonlight within 1 second of triggering the test asking if everything was fine. I was typing a response when I got a call. I sent my text by the time I responded to the phone agent. She saw my response via text immediately and said “ok this was just a test”. She then confirmed my pincode for authentication purposes. Then she deactivated the alarm, and HA updated within seconds.

I’m floored. Their support is legit fantastic, too.

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