Home Security

A wireless home security system uses battery-powered sensors that talk to a central hub, so there is no cable to run through your walls. Most kits are designed for DIY setup and take an afternoon. This guide explains how they work, what to look for, and how to install one. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How a wireless security system works Every kit has the same core parts: a base station or hub, door and window sensors, a motion detector, and a siren. The sensors send a signal to the hub when a door opens or movement is detected. The hub sounds the siren and alerts your phone. Many kits also add a keypad, a key fob, and optional cameras. The hub connects to your home Wi-Fi. Better kits add a cellular backup, so alerts still reach you when the internet or power fails. Check this feature before you buy. What to look for before you buy Coverage: count your entry doors, ground-floor wind...

A motion sensor security light switches on when it detects movement, which startles intruders and lights up your entrances. You can install a solar model in about thirty minutes with a screwdriver, while a wired model needs basic electrical work. This guide covers both, with the steps to place, mount and test the light. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Solar or wired: which should you install? Solar lights need no wiring. They suit sheds, fences, side yards and any spot far from power. They depend on daily sunlight, so a shaded wall is a poor location. Wired lights connect to your home's electrical supply and usually give steadier brightness. They suit doors, garages and driveways where you already have a power source. If you have not chosen a light yet, our guide to choosing and placing motion-activated lights explains the features to compare, such as brightness, detection range ...

A security camera with no subscription records and stores video without a monthly plan. Instead of sending clips to the cloud, it saves them on a microSD card, a recorder in your home, or a network drive. This guide explains how local storage works, what you give up, and how to choose a camera that fits your home. Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How a no-subscription camera works "No subscription" means the camera does not require a paid cloud plan to do its basic job. The video is stored on hardware you own. Most cameras use one of three methods: microSD card. The card sits inside the camera. This is the simplest and cheapest option for one or two cameras. Network video recorder (NVR) or hub. Several cameras send video to one box in your home, which holds a hard drive. This suits whole-house coverage. Network drive (NAS). Some cameras can save to a home server. It offers m...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Pet-immune motion sensors promise to ignore your dog or cat while still catching an intruder. They can work well, but only when you pick the right model and mount it correctly. This guide explains how they work, what the weight ratings really mean, and why pets still set them off. How a pet-immune motion sensor works Most home motion sensors are passive infrared (PIR) devices. They detect body heat moving across their field of view. A pet-immune model uses a lens pattern and signal processing that largely ignores heat sources near the floor, where pets usually walk, while still reacting to a taller human. It does this without a downward-looking sensor. The lens pattern simply leaves out the lowest part of the room. That is why mounting height is so important. What the weight rating means Pet-immune sensors are sold with ratings such as 40 lb or 80 lb. For...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. A PoE (Power over Ethernet) security camera gets both power and video through a single network cable. That makes installation cleaner and more reliable than Wi-Fi cameras, because you do not need a power outlet at every camera. This guide walks through a wired PoE camera install step by step, from planning the cable runs to checking the picture. Why choose PoE cameras One cable per camera. It carries power and data, so you do not need a nearby outlet. Stable connection. Wired video does not depend on Wi-Fi strength. Local recording. Many PoE systems record to a network video recorder (NVR) in your home, with no required subscription. Cleaner look. You can run cable through walls or the attic, and place cameras where Wi-Fi is weak. The trade-off is effort. Running cable takes time, and drilling is usually needed. If you are still deciding between camer...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Installing a smart lock is one of the easier upgrades you can make to your front door. Most models replace your existing deadbolt using a screwdriver, and the job usually takes less than an hour. This guide shows how to check that a lock fits your door, install it step by step, and set it up so it works reliably. Before you buy: check your door Most smart locks fit standard doors, but measure first. Look for these specs on the lock's product page and compare them with your door: Door thickness: typically 1-3/8 inches to 2 inches (35 to 51 mm). Backset: the distance from the door's edge to the center of the main hole. 2-3/8 inches and 2-3/4 inches are the two common sizes, and many locks adjust to either. Face hole: usually 2-1/8 inches, with 1-1/2 inches also seen on older doors. Edge (latch) hole: usually 1 inch. If your door already has a de...

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. A glass-break sensor is a small device that listens for the sound of a window breaking and triggers your alarm. If you want to know whether you need one, where it should go, and how it differs from a door and window sensor, this guide covers what you need to decide before you buy. What a glass-break sensor actually does Door and window contact sensors only trip when a window opens. A burglar who smashes the glass and climbs through can sometimes get in without ever moving the contact. A glass-break sensor closes that gap by detecting the break itself. It is a detection device, not a lock or a barrier. It tells your alarm panel that something is wrong. What happens next, such as a siren or a call from a monitoring center, depends on your system. The two main types Acoustic sensors Acoustic sensors use a microphone and listen for the frequencies that breaki...