Home Security

A video intercom lets you see and speak to a visitor before you open the door, and in newer systems to do it from your phone. It sits between a basic doorbell and a full access-control system. This guide explains the types, the difference between analog and IP systems, what features to look for and how an intercom fits with your locks and cameras. It is part of our smart home security guide . Analog or IP? Analog intercoms use dedicated wiring between the entry panel, the indoor monitor and the door release, according to ButterflyMX. IP intercoms work over a network, so the picture and audio travel as data. The maker 2N says IP video door entry is more flexible, and its comparison table shows IP video units usually allow remote answering by app and recording, while basic analog door buzzers do not show video at all. Both are vendors, so treat the claims as their perspective. Feature Analog video IP video Wiring Dedicated cable from door station to monitor Network cable, often PoE...

Most break-ins and package thefts happen out of sight, and many cameras are judged at night. A camera that looks great in daylight can produce a grainy gray smear after dark, so night vision matters more than resolution. This guide explains how night vision works, compares infrared, color and spotlight systems, and shows what to check before you buy. It is part of our home security cameras guide . How night vision works Standard night vision uses infrared (IR) LEDs around the lens that flood the scene with light your eyes cannot see but the camera sensor can. Montavue explains that this lets IR cameras see farther in total darkness than color systems. Because the sensor records infrared rather than visible light, the picture is black and white and highlights shapes and movement more than detail, as Video Experts Group notes. Most IR cameras switch automatically from color in the day to black and white at night using an IR-cut filter. Color night vision keeps the image in color afte...

A fence and gate are your first layer. They rarely stop a determined burglar, but they take time, remove easy shortcuts and tell opportunists to go elsewhere. Police crime-prevention guidance agrees on a few principles: control access, avoid giving burglars cover and light the approach. This guide turns them into choices for fences, gates, shrubs and lighting. It is part of our room-by-room home security tips . Choose a fence that does not hide a burglar The Seattle Police Department's bulletin on exterior security warns that a solid privacy fence can give a burglar cover to work on a door or window. It suggests an iron railing, or chain-link, instead. Niagara Regional Police recommend fencing the perimeter with secure, lockable gates, and a UK police crime-prevention message suggests taller fencing at the rear and sides, with trellis, thorny plants or an anti-climb topping to make climbing harder. Check local rules and any homeowners' association limits on fence height befo...

Your front door is the first thing a burglar tests, and most doors fail in the same place: the strike plate and the door frame, not the lock itself. This guide covers the upgrades that matter most, in order of value per dollar. It is part of our room-by-room home security tips . Start with the habit, then the hardware The National Crime Prevention Council reports that in almost half of completed residential burglaries, thieves walked in through unlocked doors or windows, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office handout. So lock the door whenever you are out of sight of it, including when you are in the backyard. Also avoid hiding a spare key outside; the Metro Police Authority of Genesee County lists a key under a mat, fake rock or flower pot as something never to do. Fix the weakest link: the strike plate Most deadbolt and latch kits ship with short screws, often three-quarter inch, that bite only into the soft door jamb. In a WPTV test, a door held by three-quarter-...

Keyless entry replaces the key with a code, a fingerprint, a card or your phone. Done well it is more convenient and gives you a log of who came and went. Done badly it adds a weak lock and a dead-battery problem to your front door. This guide covers the types, what to check before buying and how to keep the lock secure. It is part of our smart home security guide . Types of keyless lock Type How you open it Watch out for Keypad deadbolt A code on a keypad Codes can be watched or shared; no remote unlock on basic models Fingerprint (biometric) A stored fingerprint, often with a keypad backup Cold or wet fingers; keep a code or key backup App or Bluetooth Your phone, nearby or over Wi-Fi Needs your phone; Bluetooth range limits and security settings matter Wi-Fi smart lock App from anywhere, plus codes Depends on your network and the maker's account security Vivint's guide puts basic battery keypad deadbolts at about $50 to $100, mid-range Wi-Fi smart locks with touchs...

"CCTV" is the word most people use for any security camera system, but in the industry it usually means a traditional analog system: cameras wired to a recorder. Most modern home cameras are IP cameras that send digital video over a network. The two work differently, cost differently and suit different homes. This guide explains the differences in plain terms so you can decide whether to keep or replace a CCTV system, or choose a new one. It is part of our home security cameras guide . What is CCTV? A traditional CCTV system uses analog cameras connected by coaxial cable to a digital video recorder (DVR). The camera sends an analog signal, and the DVR converts it to digital, stores it and plays it back. Each camera needs its own cable run back to the DVR, often with a separate power cable or a combined "siamese" cable. Standard analog cameras have limited resolution; one buying guide puts typical analog resolution at 480p or 960H. Newer HD-over-coax formats such ...

Good home security is a set of layers, not a single gadget: locks and lighting, then sensors and an alarm, then cameras, then monitoring and smart features if you want them. This page is the starting point for this blog. It shows what actually matters, where to begin for your situation and which guide to read next in each of six areas. Why it is worth the effort Burglary is far less common than it was, but it has not gone away. The FBI recorded 779,542 burglaries in 2024, about 8.6 percent fewer than in 2023 and roughly 64 percent below 2005, according to MoneyGeek's summary of the FBI data. Residences accounted for 405,776 of them, about 52 percent, and about 55 percent involved forced entry. The point is not to be afraid; it is to close the easy ways in. Where burglars get in An often-cited ADT study reports that the front door accounts for 34 percent of break-ins, first-floor windows 23 percent, back doors 22 percent and garages 9 percent. These figures are older, but the l...