Hi, I’m relatively new to HA but already successfully using it to automate things at home. I’m now looking at what I need from a Smart Home Security Solution, and thought I’d share my thoughts and conclusions. I’m happy for any comments or challenges if anyone thinks I’ve missed something important.
I’ve looked at a few examples of HA-based alarms from the community posts and elsewhere, but feel a security system based solely around a home automation solution (HA or other) is in some ways a backward step compared to a traditional alarm system.
I installed a few burglar alarms (as we call them in the UK) in the 1980s and those old systems had some good features:
- Their own battery-backed power supply, so the alarm was still active even if the property’s mains power was cut off; the external sounder/siren even had a battery so if the scroat breaking into your home ripped the alarm panel off the wall the external sounder would still be activated.
- Tamper protection on the PIRs, and control panel.
- Most devices were wired and powered via the security panel. So no device batteries to keep tabs on or replace.
- High availability:
- No downtime for software upgrades/patching!
- No dependencies upon additional components like a WiFi network, Router, Internet connections, or a phone or tablet as a control device; fewer points of failure.
- Not susceptible to RF blocking hacks.
A security system built solely around a home automation solution lacks these features. For example, simply turning off the home router pretty much nobbles the alarm system. You could work around some of the weaknesses: add battery backup, auto activate the sounder if the HA node goes offline, and generate alerts if an IoT Sensor goes offline. But a) this is a lot of work and introduces cost, b) I can imagine a lot of false alarms: people turning off Smart Plugs in a way they never would a PIR, and c) the HA node / IoT devices needs periodic software updates — requiring a process for avoiding false alarms as devices go offline. All of which is extra complexity.
Primary Conclusion: what I think I need is a hybrid solution — a conventional alarm system which can operate in isolation, but that supports a bridge to HA so that
A. the alarm system can be controlled by HA (e.g. set/unset or activated, by HA via rules / automations) as well as manually,
B. notifies HA when the alarm system has been manually set/unset, or triggered, so a message can be passed onto a mobile device, etc., and
C. information from the alarm’s sensors are passed to HA for automation purposes (whether the alarm is set or not).
Looking around, there doesn’t seem to be that many options (certainly in the UK) for the conventional alarm and bridge components; at least not that support all 3 key requirements: A, B, and C.
- Yale Smart Home seems to have several issues (link, link)
- Solutions involving AlarmDecoder also seem to have issues, and the device is hard to obtain outside the US.
- Solutions involving the EnvisaLink device seem to be easiest to implement.
- The DSC solution involving the ESPHome Device looks interesting. Lowest cost but the most work to implement.
- A solution based around the Konnected Alarm Panel isn’t a hybrid solution, i.e. if I lost the IP network I’ve lost my alarm, which I really want to avoid.
- A solution based around Konnected Interface Kit looks very interesting, and it’s great that it will work with any existing alarm, but also seems to require a Konnected Alarm Panel and other components to meet requirements A, B and C.
What appeals most to me are solutions based around the EnvisaLink bridge, but I also like that there is a 2nd option for the DSC alarm (ESPHome Device) which givens me an alternative solution if I have problems with the EnvisaLink bridge.
So at the moment, DSC Alarm + EnvisaLink bridge is what I’m planning to deploy. Note that the DSC Neo family of alarms is not supported by the EnvisaLink (May 2020)
Anyone got any other input I should consider?
Thank You.
