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Internet Accessible Home Security Systems?
PenguinRadio asks: "I'm about to embark on trip and while the thousands of dollars of computers are protected by a PIX firewall and whatnot from viruses, I'm now kind of wondering about the physical security of my 'server room' that I've built in my house. Basically, an Internet accessible burglar/fire alarm. Has anyone found a good residential security system that can be remotely checked or monitored from the other side of the world? I'd especially like the capability of look in on any security cameras (rather than setting up a simple webcam) and monitor any alarm logs. ADT and Brinks didn't seem to have anything readily visible on their website, and I'm not quite up for an X-10 version of a security system."
Webcams are usually better quality and cheaper than "security" cameras. They both just take pictures; what's wrong with using them?
At least if nothing's happening while you're gone, you can scope the scantily clad chicks with the hidden "security" cameras :).
A burglar alarm that alerts the police or a security company would seem to offer better protection. And it would be hack-proof (unless you can get the ability to patch your internet-accessible system remotely).
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Have one configured to ping a webserver you operate every 30 minutes?
If someone steals it, it'll stop pinging right quick...
"Champagne for my real friends - and real pain for my sham friends!" http://ericblade.postalboard.com/
as for the firewall bit, I just turn my computer off and unplug it from the wall while i'm gone for more than a day. no point in paying for electricity wasted.
moox. for a new generation.
this looks sweet
Just give me your home address, and I'll be happy to swing by and check out^H^H^H ^H^H^H^H^H check on those thousands of dollars of servers and PIXes you have lying around. ;>
The first thing that comes to mind is the "motion" project. It's a nice motion detection program for webcams. Saves drive space by only saving frames where something seems to be moving. You can also have it make movies of the motion frames, which makes it really easy to "check the logs".
-Uberhund
Have the security system know everything is ok by sending regular update messages. This way you can send out an error when it detects an intrudor. However, if the intruder cuts off your internet somehow before they enter then you will still know something is wrong because you no longer receive regular update messages.
;)
Provides a small problem in blackouts though
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Internet Accessible Security Systems
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If you are worried about what might happen while you are out of town, you might as well just get whatever ADT/Brinks has to offer(motion sensors for each room, door/window sensors, a siren, and police contact) and get a decent home owners insurance policy.
The first line of security is obfuscation...if they don't know what it is, where it is, and how much of it is there, it's that much harder for someone to target. You just wiped out your first line of defense by broadcasting the fact that you will be away from home for an extended period of time, and there is valuable equipment there without supervision. Also, a burglar will now know that you will possibly have automated alerting and video cameras in the house: so they'll wear a mask and cut the power before walking in. Great going, genius!
go to home depot, lowes, what ever, get a bunch of peices of wood, and a shitload of nails. put the nails through the wood and make spike boards and put them under your ground level accessable windows, so that if they break in though a window, you'll fuck them up and slow them down abit if they try to make off with anything.
(Score:0, Interesting)
check out http://www.polarisusa.com/ - they have a nice listing of internet monitoring solutions such as cameras with built in servers and such. My brother did the site for them as well :)
http://www.segment.org/~8up
As any 'physical security' expert will tell you, custom-built alarm and security systems are safer to use than factory-built systems.
...
Factory-produced alarm systems, like it or not, will always have loopholes that professional hackers/criminals can discover. Shop service manuals, schematics, etc.
Better, instead, to build your own system, entirely custom, using components available to you. Get a Mini-ITX box, set it up with its own power supplies/battery, USB camera's, and some judicious software, and you've got a cheap solution which is not so easy to intrude.
Spy agencies have pretty much every alarm system shop manual in existence. Build your own, they have to go and look at it before they can work it out
One of the best things you could do to increase your home security is to avoid advertising (on Slashdot) that you are leaving the house vacant.
My plan is to hook the 4 lines (2 in/2 out) into the serial port of my server and then hack up some sort of program to send the required pulses back to the alarm system.
It might not be a particularly pretty solution, but I think that it could be rather useful.
Another possibility is using the control for the autodialler to get the network to warn me by email/SMS that it has been activated.
What you're looking for is an access control system (re: intruision detection etc).
There is a basic kit I know of that's like 500 bucks cdn which should
do the trick and more (re: access control, however I forget what its
called).
Problem is you can only get it through security system dealers.
What's your budget? If you expanded it to the rest of your house you
would probably be able to increase your budget efficiency.
I work for an access control/integrated security company in Vancouver.
I could be your channel for acquisition, the problem is installation.
Where do you live? I could probably source out an access control
installer in your area.
At the least, if you are interested I could get a list of products and
prices. So you have something to work off of.
Why not use Go1984 - Wouldnt be without it! Ftp uploading of images taken, ICQ messaging when it detects movement. You can also set the movement threshold so you dont get alerted when the cat walks through the room, but do when anythin human does!
I've always wondered how often those systems are polled for OK status. If I were to find a house with an ADT sign out front, and I were to cut the phone line and then trip the mains, how much time do I have?