Where To Start With DIY Home Security?

secretrobotron writes "I'm a recent university graduate from a co-op system which has kept me on the move every other semester, so I've never really had a permanent place to live, and I've never had the opportunity (or the capital) to buy expensive things. Now that I'm working, those restrictions on my life are gone and I'm living in an apartment with things I don't want stolen. I would love to build a DIY home security system, but I don't even know where to start since Google searches reveal things like diysecurityforum.com, which help only to an extent for a curious newcomer. Has anybody out there successfully built a home security system on a budget? If so, where did you start?" Related query: When similar questions have come up before, many readers have recommended Linux-based Zoneminder (last updated more than a year ago); is that still the state of the art?

Comments

a gun

[larry bagina]

and if that doesn't work: more gun.

Re:a gun

[SleazyRidr]

Actually, come to think of it, a well-trained dog is probably one of your better security options.

Re:a gun

[WrongSizeGlass]

Actually, come to think of it, a well-trained dog is probably one of your better security options.

Indeed ... especially if he's well-trained enough to use a gun.

Re:a gun

[Idarubicin]

Actually, come to think of it, a well-trained dog is probably one of your better security options.

...Assuming that the original poster actually likes dogs, and will enjoy taking care of one.

The likely cost of dog, plus regular veterinary maintenance, plus daily feeding, plus pet-sitting while away on holiday or business is substantial. (Remember, you can't board your security system at a kennel, or even store it at a friend's place while you're away -- it doesn't work, then.) You're out of pocket for quite a bit more than the typical homeowner's insurance policy, and the cost of dog food is probably comparable to most security system monitoring charges.

Meanwhile, the typical security system doesn't need to be walked twice a day (rain, snow, or sunshine), isn't going to shed on all of your clothing, and won't chew on your shoes.

Re:a gun

[jeillah]

Yes but will your fancy 'lectonix give you puppy kisses when you are feeling blue???

Re:a gun

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Is there some virulent new strain of libertarianism going around that finds voluntary, contractually based, private-sector risk pooling to be insufficiently individualistic? Seriously?

Do you really want to build your own?

[aphelion_rock]

I went down this path years ago only to have a system plagued with the occasional false alarm. I spent years tring to figure out why. The cause was discovered by accident when the police, who was nearby, commented that the alarm went off as soon as he pressed the button on his two way radio. The system was not immune to RF interference. I have since settled on a good quality commercial system that I have installed myself, it is programmable and covers all of the areas of the house that I want and sends me an SMS if it is set off. Someone else has done the painstaking R&D leaving me to get on with enjoying life.

Risk Management

[Wolfling1]

OK. This is all about Risk Management. There are four strategies to Risk Management (check out the ISO on Wikipedia - 31000 I think?): 1. Mitigate the chance, 2. Mitigate the damage, 3. Insure it, 4. Accept it.

It sounds like you're not too keen on Accepting it, so lets consider the other three options. The magic here is to budget for it. Don't spend $1M to protect your $1000 stereo.

Chance mitigation is all about making it less likely for you to be invaded. This is about taking away temptation (eg tint your windows, good curtains), making entry harder (locks, security screens), and discouraging attackers (those cool stickers that threaten trunk monkey attack)

Damage mitigation is about reducing the damage once they're in. Alarm system. Connected to local security firm. Be prepared to pay $1 per day for monitoring.

Insure it. Nuff said.

There is nothing in this about video-ing the perps. There is nothing in it about having a gun, or traps or anything weird. When you assess the possible outcomes, those things don't reduce your loss, and likely increase your trauma.

Good luck!

Stickers & Insurance

[Tester]

The odds that you will get your stuff stolen are pretty low. Security systems are mostly a waste of money. Just get some realistic looking ADT stickers (from eBay) that will make the thieves think you have a security system. Having an actual system will get you ZERO extra security, just costs.

In case you get your stuff stolen, get home insurance, they will give you money and then you can buy newer toys! Actually, get insurance anyway, if the building burns or something and you are responsible, you really want insurance.

Solution

[sexconker]

Dog

Better auditory detection capabilities.
Better olfactory detection capabilities.
Better friend-or-foe algorithms.
More reliable than any electronic equipment.
More trustworthy than any security system vendor.
Faster response times than any security or law enforcement.
More immediate and satisfying effects than any justice system.
Fluffier.

Re:Solution

[EmagGeek]

>> I tend to slip into the kitchen for a snack or a drink and I can do it easy enough to avoid waking the dogs.

I assure you, you don't. They just know it's you :)

Woof

[Roblimo]

Our primary home security system is Terri the Terrorist Terrier -- 55 pounds of friendly tail-wagging furry cuddliness if she knows and likes you, 55 scary pounds of big teeth and growls if you're a stranger.

When we first got Terri my wife and I lived in what some might call a "sketchy" neighborhood, and we KNOW Terri scared off (and likely bit, from the screams) at least one or two intruders in the yard, well before they could get to the house or to my office in a separate building. Terri is also portable; if you need to walk around a not-nice neighborhood, you can take Terri with you.

Terri has also handled the few rat infestations we've had, using the traditional terrier "shake until dead" method.

We got Terri from the Manatee County Animal Shelter. There is surely a similar facility near you that has a perfect alarm system waiting to go home and protect you from burglars, cats, and Al Queda operatives -- and who will wag his or her tail when you come home and probably even lick your face if allowed. Don't worry about breeds and all that. You'll know the right dog, and the right dog will know you. Training is not hard, and dog food is cheap. For 24/7 indoor AND outdoor protection, you'll want a doggie door and a fenced yard, but your living circumstances may not allow this. No big; millions of dogs live indoors and go out for walks and to dog parks for exercise.

"Woof," tweets Terri -- @TerriTerrier

Dogs and Guns

[bsDaemon]

German Shepherds, and a 12-gauge shotgun. You can probably use the gun for other things, like killing noisy turkeys, and the dog will make an excellent addition to your family and/or good way to attract chicks if you take it for the occasional walk in the park (although, if the dog is out with you, its not home watching the house. Maybe get two and have them work on shifts).

Went through it

[Spiked_Three]

I went through this about 6 months ago.
I ran Linux zoneminder and Blue Iris - a commercial but inexpensive Windows program each on their own dedicated servers. The servers were single rack space Dual Atoms. I then installed a $100 eBay wireless IP camera, a Linksys wireless IP camera, A usb video capture card with 1 camera, and a regular USB web-cam so I could try each of these out in comparison.
The $100 camera was useless - terrible focus. The linksys, being the most expensive at $250 was the best, but is not an outdoor camera without additional housing. The USB camera is acceptable but requires proximity to the servers. The video camera is also acceptable.
After running the software for 2 months, I eventually settled on Blue Iris. It was $49 and a lot more stable than ZoneMinder. There were some features of zoneminder I liked, but after using both I found several instances were ZoneMinder had flaked out and I could not retrieve data/images that I would need if I was really researching a theft. The errors are very cryptic, often requiring extreme measures to determine what had gone wrong. Usually I just gave up and rebooted everything and it would start working again. The configuration for zoneminder is also very difficult, having to get various versions of video for linux V1 and V2, java applets/jar files etc all tied together. You can go with their 'ready to run CD' to avoid the painful configuration work, but then you are stuck with their Linux distribution, and I wanted to go with the current Ubuntu.

In the end, I have a system I am confident will provide me with images after an incident that will lead to an arrest. I plan on adding/replacing with more of the Linksys style wireless IP cams, at about $250 a pop as budget allows. The entire system will probably get its own dedicated wireless lan eventually. I can also browse in when I am on the road and check in on things, although that is more of a 'peace of mind' thing and doesn't really have much practical use.
Server - $300ish with 1.5T disk space, wireless hub (eBay) $50ish, wireless cams - $250ish each, Windows+Blue Iris - $150ish - reasonably expect up to about 6 cameras. This puts it in the same range as a decent Hard disk based dedicated security recorder from say Radio Shack, but with a wireless ability and lot more flexibility.

ZoneMinder is not all it could be

[hkz]

As someone who's been trying to whip up ZoneMinder into a marketable state for over a year now, I have to say it's not all it's made out to be. The capture daemons are brittle and crash frequently due to resource and memory leaks. When they exit abnormally, they always do so with the same code 255, and don't produce workable logs. Timestamps of " 1 january 1970" happen all the time, which mess up the timeline view of events. The web front end is arcane, spartan, and really time-intensive to learn. (E.g. clicking on a monitor's name does something different from clicking on its IP address, even though both screens go to a different subset of camera settings. The difference between a "modect with no zone" and a "monitor" is arbitrary. All the different camera "modes" are strange in my opinion. That there's ten different ways to view events is weird. And so on. It's not unlearnable, but it's far, far from usable.)

So instead of just whining, I patched a lot of these issues, along with adding some new cameras to the database and improving the translation for my native language. I sent the maintainer a pretty nice patch set, if I say so myself. Guess what? Absolute silence, never heard anything back. Which I could live with, if my patches at least showed up in the next release. But no new releases for over a year. So my patience with this project is pretty much over.

make your place less attractive to thieves

[lophophore]

I subscribe to the theory that thieves are lazy, they will seek out the easiest target.

Technology will only get you so far. Video surveillance will show you the perps after the fact. Alarms might scare off kids and amateur criminals. Shotgun traps will get you thrown in jail.

If you have ground floor windows, plant thorny bushes in front of them. Roses look nice. Invest in motion detecting exterior lighting. Put up a fence. Reinforce your doors. Install better locks. Make sure all points of access are easily seen by your neighbors and the police. Don't leave expensive stuff where it can be viewed from outside.

The goal is to make your place a less attractive target than the neighbors.

Home burglary is dead

[Animats]

Home burglary is almost dead. What's to steal? Any TV that can be easily carried has zilch resale value. Anything with a CRT has negative value; you have to pay the recycling center to take it. Used computers have little value. Nobody keeps much cash around any more. Cell phones are usually in someone's pocket. Who has real silverware today? Used kitchen appliances are nearly worthless. Same for used clothing. Used furniture? No market there.

In the current recession, pawnshops are currently choked with stuff they can't sell, so unloading stolen property is tough.

I just looked at the crime map for my area, which is an urban area of about 100,000 people, ranging from very poor to very rich. About ten burglaries in the last month, and only one was a residence. The rest were break-ins into vehicles. There were more attempted burglaries with arrests than successful ones.