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Ask Slashdot: Linux-Based Home Security
Grady Martin writes: I got a new job. Everything about it is perfect, except for one thing: The overwhelming majority of affordable housing within driving distance lies in an area known for its high crime rate. A home security system would afford some peace of mind, and a system whose code I could tinker with would afford even more. What Linux-based options are available? What experience do you have with such systems?
> "lies in an area known for its high crime rate. A home security system would afford some peace of mind"
Don't know if any runs Linux (and I sincerly doubt it), but perhaps getting a Doggie would help. For sure, you'll get a few false positives, but overall it's the best security you can get. :)
And yes, they bark really loud.
Alvie
The Honeywell Vista panels can be controlled / monitored using this add-on module http://www.amazon.com/NuTech-Software-Solutions-AD2USB-Adapter/dp/B0042BZ3U0
Vista panels are great for wired installs but you can also add a wireless module for a hybrid system.
http://www.zoneminder.com/ - but best put the PC in a panic room, roofspace or other inaccessible area. And ship footage off site continuously.
Home security systems is a "problem" that has been completely solved in hardware. No DIY system, Linux or otherwise will compare in regards to available sensors, reliability, speed, battery backup, cellular backup, and more of a hardware panel. Many/most people want remote monitoring and thus pay for it. People ignore alarm sirens. What's the point of annoying your neighbors with noise while the crook takes his time packing your stuff into his van? You being on Slashdot means you'll want free, so I'll skip the subscription monitoring services.
DSC makes rock solid and inexpensive hardware systems. If you want to roll you own monitoring/alerting DSC systems can be integrated with other stuff including your own crappy and broken Linux implementable. You can also integrate a DCS panel with a home automation system like Vera or openHAB.
Home made security systems are not cost effective, reliable, effective, or worth the effort.
Moved to a high crime area a decade ago and to this day have only had one issue (car break-in after leaving stuff visible). No home security system, no guns. In general, pull your head our of your arse and pay attention to your surroundings. Don't walk around flashing you iPad that's connected to your home sec system. Don't have ear-buds in listening to the hipster mix of the day. Everyone of my neighbors that's had issues was either 1. dealing drugs or 2. walking around flashing electronics and ignoring the world around them. Meet your neighbors, be friendly, be engaged.
Perhaps some motion lights outside and security doors. Inventory all of your belongings so if any are stolen they can be identified easily. Also, if it was me I'd probably go the route of a service such as ADT. This may lower your insurance premiums but I am not sure. (where I live we can leave the doors unlocked and trust our neighbors)
Congrats and good luck.
A lot of IP cameras will record on motion and store clips to an FTP server. How easy is it set up an FTP server on Linux. Pretty easy. You can even have the cameras email you on alerts. And of course, the IP cameras are running either Linux or a BSD, so not only is this setup easy to do, but meets your requirements almost all the way around.
Doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, religion destroys spirituality
Why not a network of some raspberry Pi's outfitted with cameras and IR lights. One could even add a $8 usb sound dongle for sound detection. Couple that with either a WiFi or Cellular network, and instant home security.
Could even add voice recognition "panic switch", something like "Linus, compile my kernel" which would call the police/911/999 with an automated message.
Add a few cheap servo motors, and you can get pan/tilt cameras. Total cost of a camera, with servos, power supply, camera, raspi, about $60-$80. Still almost 2X cheaper than the crappy "ip cameras" dlink/linksys et al peddle.
I think OP sabotaged himself by giving Slashdot a context - one they could pull apart instead of answering his questions.
"Hi Slashdot. I'm looking to install a home security system and wanted to know if any of you are familiar with Linux-based implementations. Thanks."
Instead, now all you have is people telling you alternatives to security systems (commuting further, changing jobs, blah blah blah).
Good luck with your new home/job.
If you're constantly checking your cameras and your feeds, and waiting for notifications of motion, that ain't peace of mind. Peace of mind is specifically the opposite -- i.e. not checking, not being notified, not being worried that every time you're underground or in an area of poor reception that someone is breaking into your home.
Peace of mind is knowing that it's someone else's problem. That means that the alarm doesn't go to you, it goes to someone else, like an alarm monitoring company, and that they'll deal with the problem -- including calling you as much as it takes to reach you. That means you can leave, go on vacation, go to the movies, and not care.
Especially considering that high crime rate is less of a problem when you aren't home -- because you aren't in any danger.
Just put up entry contacts -- doors, windows, glass-breaks. Motion sensors are generally irrelevant if you have any ambulatory pets. Then let it be someone else's problems. Cameras fight insurance fraud, but do nothing in terms of security, unless you've got someone watching the feeds.
And damn it, befriend your neighbours, ensure that they know your routines and your vacation schedules.
Beyond that, you aren't going to stop Ethan Hunt, no matter what you do.
Because otherwise what the system runs is irrelevant and makes very little sense to tinker with it. If you *really* enjoy the tinkering, install a primary security system and get a secondary as an add-on to play with.
The entire point of a security system is deterrence. The thing you have to understand is that, even if you have 4k video, DNA evidence, and a signed confession, the police will not do a damned thing to help you. If you're in a tough enough area, they wont even send a cop; just take a statement over the phone. At the end of the day, once the crooks have your stuff, you've already lost, so your only hope is to scare them off before hand.
I wish I had a good sig, but all the good ones are copyrighted
There are lots of IP/Net modules that you can connect to traditional alarm systems. These often allow IP based control over the alarm system, reporting, etc.
Just be careful what system you buy. I bought an envisacor add on to my alarm system, and it's fairly poor. Worse, they insist on phoning home (not to the alarm center, but to their corporate center), and if you firewall of their IP.. their system reboots every 15 minutes.
(Why would I want an external 3rd party entity I don't even know, receiving unknown data about my alarm system is incomprehensible. Especially considering that this includes when the system is armed and disarmed, when specific zones are triggered (think motion detectors as you walk about the house), and more. Including, for some systems, listening to audio and watching video! Heh!))
Anyhow, there is no way to control/alter that behaviour. Couple that with poor envisacor support, and you won't be happy. So, definitely stick with something usable.
That said, yes.. it can be nice to integrate, but really -- get a real alarm center. You don't want to get an SMS or email saying "ZONE 1 OPEN" (your front door), then have to ssh into something to see what the situation is, then decide if you want to call the police, etc.
Once I got past the lame shortcoming of the envisacor module, I scripted things so that I only get SMS alerts for network events when I'm not at home. My phone is off when I'm at home, so nothing was more annoying than 100 SMS messages when I turned the thing on...
So, sure, lots of things you vcan do. As well as SSH in to your home, and remotely disarm the system if someone visits...
The entire point of a security system is deterrence. The thing you have to understand is that, even if you have 4k video, DNA evidence, and a signed confession, the police will not do a damned thing to help you. If you're in a tough enough area, they wont even send a cop; just take a statement over the phone. At the end of the day, once the crooks have your stuff, you've already lost, so your only hope is to scare them off before hand.
This. The value of a security system is in making your home look less appealing as a potential target. 90% of the effectiveness of a home security system is the big warning sticker displayed on the front door. That, and possibly a $5 fake camera, is going to deter criminals more than any home-rolled video system.
Pay the $15-20 a month for a name-brand security company that'll put up stickers, then cancel your contract after the 1-year term is up. Cheaper and by far more effective than a roll-your-own monitoring solution.
Disclaimer: I work for a security company, but unless you live in my city there's no chance of us profiting from me offering this advice.
This might not be what the OP is looking for, but I've had great luck with Sharx security cameras. They appear to run Linux (though I've never gotten console), and they have all the smarts you need internally. If one fails or is damaged, the rest keep working. They can email you when there's a motion alarm, if you like, record to server, and/or record to a file server. They have both wireless and PoE, indoor and outdoor models, with IR illumination and cutoff filters. We don't live in an area with a lot of violent crime, but burglaries are common. Especially for my office nearby, I have several Sharx cameras set up, indoor and outdoor, recording directly to an Amazon EC2 server (cost: ~$10/mo) whenever there's motion during specified times of day / in specified regions. Add a dog and a few properly placed/secured firearms and you should be good to go. There are also some good driveway motion alarm type products (we have one made by Chamberlain) that you can use to alert you when someone's outside your home, and they're inexpensive and simple to operate.
Error 404 - Sig Not Found
who is trolling the most - the poster or the responders
I'm familiar with the security business.
What you really want is for police to be called if your home is broken into, even if you can't be called. For this you need a monitoring contract, which can only be done through a security company (cannot be done as an individual).
You can use the other posts here to maybe find good open-source hardware. Security companies will generally not let you purchase hardware/software that you can modify. If there are any issues with anything, you have to prove you didn't have anything to do with the problem.
We don't even let customers have keys to the box with circuit board (called a panel) to change batteries.
One way to be safer is to avoid showing anything that would attract a thief. Do not wear jewelry. When you open your front door the view should show a rather bare interior such that no neighbor will notice much of anything of value. Imply low status to anyone in the building or near by. If you are an engineer tell them you are a clerk. Use a debit card and do not show cash. Make yourself unavailable to your neighbors such that they know little about you. In the bedroom area build yourself a very strong box that is heavy or locked to the floor or buy several of those security boxes and anchor them for your various gizmos that you don't want to lose. Insure everything and keep pics of all the items you insure online.
You might get a picture of a thug carting off your tv and macbook. or not. either way, your stuff is gone, your door is smashed, your privacy is violated.
you're going about this all wrong.
physical security is a better bet. what you need to do is make your place much more difficult to break into than the neighbor's place, and make that very obvious. thieves are lazy. they will find an easier target in 99% of the cases.
Me, I would not live there. because you still have to park your car somewhere, and you still have to cart your stuff from your car into your fortress.
there are 3 kinds of people:
* those who can count
* those who can't
Like someone else said - don't move there. If you're going to try it then here's my 1.5 cents. #1 issue is someone coming in while you're there and doing you harm in order to rob you. Hardening every way in is very important. Once they get in (and they will) you either have to be able to protect yourself or go somewhere in the house where you can call for help and buy some time. A dog is excellent because they're an unknown to a stranger, but they require lots of care. #2 - when you're not home you need good insurance. I work with someone who had video and the police got finger prints but crime not solved. #3 - ask yourself what you're trying to protect? Can it be put in a safe? Can you deploy a decoy safe that someone might spend a lot of time trying to take for nothing? Can you hide your valuables. How about a fake dog that reacts to sound? How about a lighting and sound device that makes it look like someone's home watching TV? #4 - add a monitored security system. Cost of living there. Get one that makes noise, calls someone, sends texts when access points change state, etc.
Except there is also attractant. The more security you have, and the more out of place your security is, the more valuable it is perceived. I am reminded of an anecdote shared by a man trying to get rid of an old tire. He tossed it in the bed of his pickup, and left it there for several weeks. He would go about his day, park in town, etc.
Then for a lark, he puts a combination lock around it. Not attached to anything, just the tire itself. It was stolen from his pickup the next day.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
Or instead of paying the security buffoons, pay the local gang boss - same thing - possibly better service.
If you're worried about being shot in your own home move to a nicer neighbourhood/country/city.
My data is backed up, they can steal my TV, it's not like the locks are going to stop a well-placed boot. I don't own anything of any particular value to anyone.
There's insurance for the rest, and the pathetic discount they offer doesn't pay for the ridiculous monitoring costs that are ongoing expenses.
I have some cameras to keep an eye on my cats when I'm gone, but that's an out of the box solution.
If you're obsessed, you can get used gear on eBay for next to nothing and it all integrates fairly easily.
..don't panic
There's an old joke about a couple guys in a tent who hear a bear. One starts lacing his shoes. The other says, "you idiot, you can't outrun a bear." The first guy responds, "don't need do, I just have to outrun you."
Security is the same. You can't build a fortress but you can make your place substantially less attractive than others.
Burglaries are up everywhere. Where I live is no considered a "bad" area but our door was kicked in last year and my wife's car was burglarized last week (along with half a dozen others) when she was running errands. It was neighbors looking out that resulted in two of the burglars being arrested and my sleuthing on Craigslist that led to a sting that recovered a nice camera.
In a past life I have worked both in law enforcement and also worked installing alarm systems including multi-hundred-zone museum systems. Before looking at an alarm system be sure you have addressed physical security and understand burglary patterns. They aren't mostly at night - they are in the day when people are away. A typical burglary involves someone knocking on the door. If someone answers, they are "taking a poll", "sorry, I thought this was Mr. Smith's house", etc. No answer, they kick the door (or back door or jimmy a window).
Doors are pathetically easy to kick. Sure, you got that 1" deadbolt but it's still going into a piece of 3/4" finger-jointed pine trim. Several manufacturers sell long reinforcing pieces - basically a several foot long plate that replaces the strike and deadbolt plate and screws all the way into the stud with a dozen long screws. Still, a panel door with thin decorative sections can allow someone to kick through and unlock from the inside. Small sidelight windows, doggy-doors, mail-slots and the like can be broken or reached through to unlock a door as well. If you end up looking at any door upgrades you can find steel-framed doors with heavy-duty bolt systems.
You will need to evaluate your windows - too long a subject to get into but your friendly search-engine will help. Also look at your general property condition and things that might telegraph an empty house like uncollected mail, papers, etc. Most police departments offer a security check service that will help with all of the above.
Get to know your neighbors. Join/form a neighborhood watch.
Now that you have dealt with the physical issues so your doors and windows are solid and won't just rattle and cause false alarms you can start working on electronic.
I understand the desire to DIY for fun and to avoid what I consider to be insane monitoring fees. In the 20-years I've lived here I would have spent over $7,000 in monitoring which is less than we lost (not counting the door repair) even if we had no insurance coverage. But now with kids there is the peace-of-mind factor to consider. The trouble with DIY is that there are now excellent and affordable wireless panels that are quick and easy to install and have all the necessary backup batteries, dialers and the like. Plus you put up the "protected" yard sign to deter (although around here the burglars look at the signs from the cut-rate firms as an invitation rather than a deterrent - "hey, there's good stuff and they won't call the cops anytime soon"). I will be installing a system soon but I'm not going to redesign it myself.
Cameras are a deterrent, too, and there I'm looking at a number of DIY options for recording video. There's the "motion" software and a number of neat Raspberry Pi options. Several burglars have been apprehended around here because people had cameras. That's where I'm putting my DIY effort.
~~~~~~~
"You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
His nose laser has a nasty bite.
Fight Spammers!
Get a system from a reputable make and have it installed by a firm that's been doing this for awhile. This means that the central part will have a battery (in case someone cuts the mains), will be protected by tamper detection (in case mr. burglar tries to disable your alarm system), will probably have a UPS for your modem, ADSL modem, cable modem or whatever (mains again plus blown fuses), and perhaps a backup channel for alerting you that uses mobile telephony (in case they cut the cable or the phone line first).
Get a system with motion sensors, glass breakage detectors, and smoke detectors that can send alerts to your mobile phone.
Also have a few IP camera's plus a recorder installed so that you can actually check up on your home in real time if you get an alert.
That way you'll be able to actually call the police (or the fire brigade). They'll respond when you tell them you have seen the burglar / fire live on camera.
So ... err ... make a choice between a hobby project and a system that just works (and covers a few beginner's mistakes in installation).
"All computers in this residence run Linux.
They are worth nothing at the local pawn shop".
Have gnu, will travel.
Few things here.
First, i'd be more worried about the neighborhood locals. What is the neighborhood ethnic makeup? If it's mostly black and you aren't black, then I'd be weary. If it's white trash and you're not white, I'd also be weary. Same for everyone else.
*Blend in. Don't wear fancy clothes, iPod accessories or anything that is valuable. Don't flaunt wealth. If some destitute drug addict sees you, you're a big juicy target.
*Ditto for gang members looking at an outsider. They most likely will rob you to exert power over you. They want you to be a cowering victim. You most likely wont get your ass kicked if you just act scared and give then what they want.
I'v been robbed at knife and gunpoint when I went to high school in Jamaica, Queens. It was a primarily black neighborhood and during freshman year I was a frequent target being a white kid. It was more a joke for them, robbing the lone white kid of two or three dollars and laughing at me. I learned to make friends with kids who took my bus so when we got off or walked to it, we rolled deep. After that no one ever went near me again. Also, don't be a hero. Even if you think some fighting classes are worth it or your a big guy, just don't be dumb. A gun doesn't care and neither does a drug addict.
I'm assuming you will be renting an apartment? Cameras are your best friend. Setup a few hidden inside cameras inside which will catch someone wandering around tearing up the place looking for valuables. Keep them low and head level if you can. A raspberry pi and web cams will satisfy your Linux craving if you go that route. Use a big USB key, 128GB+ to record on a loop. That or get fancy and make a cloud setup for remote access and recording.
Make it look like someone is home. A light coming on if a loud noise is made or window/door is touched will help. Arduino project perhaps? Maybe send a text if an event comes through. Then use your phone to connect to your web cams to have a look around. The sound of a dog barking is also pretty damn good. Get a big ass dog if you can. No crack head wants to mess with a dog. Dogs, and good outdoor lighting are the best security if you ask me. Plus, you can walk the dog to stores and no one will mess with you.
Oh, and leave some money laying around in your house. Most break-ins are by drug addicts. If you have 60 bucks on the kitchen table, hopefully that is all they want and they will get the hell out. Keep smaller electronics out of sight like gaming systems laptops and tablets. They go for the low hanging fruit. My friend had his car broken into in a real bad area populated by homeless drug addicts. The back of his car was all computer boxes will Dell and HP printed on them as he was a travelling service tech. They broke his window and stole his ashtray which had a few bucks in cash and a bunch of change. Didn't take one box or the fancy radio. They don't want to fence or pawn shit if they can get cash. Drug dealers take cash only.
The problem is really: Do you want to be managing this stuff yourself? I know, when I get home, the last thing I want to happen is some problem with a security system that I'm the only one who knows how to fix.
There's no harm in joining modules, but doing everything from integration to day-to-day tasks on a computer that you'll have to manage? That's a pain in the butt.
It's the same with electronics - some of this stuff is cheap and easy to make, but the hassle of doing so compared to a tiny purchase for a support product is rarely worth the hassle. I have set up motion-capture cameras that send me the footage to my phone using systems like "motion". But the day I saw a 1Tb DVR with 8 CCTV camera in-ports, 8 audio-in ports, VGA out, smartphone control and four day/night cameras with all the cabling, for less than the price of a tablet computer, it was a no-brainer. And I can just set it and leave it and be assured that it'll be running overnight. Hell, the only thing I can envision happening is drive-failure and it has email warning for that even if the drive can't boot.
The question is really what you want to achieve and whether you want a zero-management solution, or whether you're after a hobbyist security project with lots of tinkering and testing and times when it falls over because of something unaccounted for? Most people want the first option.
And bad guys could provide food for the sharks!
Dude, like, be nice about it. Embrace the local disadvantaged kids — they didn't have mommy and daddy provide them with computers and nice schools growing up, so what's left for them to do but robbery and selling drugs?
Don't be no hater and give them your money and iPhone voluntarily and be sure to attend all community meetings resisting the evil money-grabbing developers intent on gentrification of the area for profit — it raises the rents for everyone, hitting women and the poor the worst, of course.
Ah, and never miss a chance to flip a birdie to the police while filming them doing their jobs. Every time — they are the ones, you do not have to be nice to.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Besides the physical security, there's also getting the neighbors to know you. They're much more likely to call the police, or to notify you of vandalism, if you've established contact with them. They'll also be more willing to feed your pets, pick up your mail when you travel, or let you know if the local kids, or more organized gangs, have been making trouble, if they know your name. And doing them similar favors is a good investment in making the whole neighborhood safer.
Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to put down laptop and take a walk before work or close to dinner time. Say hello to the local dog owners, ask if their dogs like petting. Sharing a minor safe personal detail and asking about local shops or restaurants is invaluable information, and you don't have to do it every day.
Who wants to know that thieves, robbers and murderers they were inside and when, you'll never be able to sleep again anyway after the fact.
You don't want to be alerted when they come in, you want them not to be able to come in.
You'd better invest in concrete and steel doors and unbreakable windows.
In 95% of the cases, if they can't force open the door or a window with a screw driver, they'll leave for an easier target.
And the professionals who could overcome such doors and windows won't come to your neighborhood for the same reasons that you are afraid.
There's nothing to steal there.
and has seen thousands of robberies in his career. FWIW, he always says that alarms aren't that effective and the best deterrent is a dog.
Step 1 get about 10-20 contact closure inputs on your computer.
step 2 get at least 1-2 Relay closure outputs.
Add a battery backup system
Adda GSM cellular connection to fail over when power goes out or comcast is down yet again.
write software to text you and set off the alarm relays when it senses any of the contact closures.
not too hard to do with a RasPi.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
You've received lots of advice on this forum... some good... some not so good but to answer your question: OpenHAB.org
OpenHAB is a Java (platform agnostic) open source home automation software with bindings to several hundred different security and home automation hardware sets. If you decide to build a system, it would be a good platform.
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
This is 1000x more effective (literally) than ANY electronics you can buy or build.
"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem." -- Jefferson
These are the three aspects of what you should consider.
Ultimately, here's the problem: the only requirement you've put forth is that it all be Linux-based. Why? What about Linux makes for a superlative home security solution? This is a silly requirement. I'd step back and ask myself what I really wanted to accomplish with regard to the three aspects above. And then I would look at what's out there on the market ranging from home-built-and-installed options to professionally-installed options, and figure out what best fit my needs and my budget.
If the reason you want Linux is that you want it to be cheap or free, then I think you probably want to reconsider the new job, because the security and safety of your home is definitely not something you should architect solely around price...and if you can't afford to live someplace safe on what they're willing to pay you, it doesn't sound like they value their employees much at all.
For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
I've got a fancy security system, IP cameras, and a dog. And a burglar still got in this summer. The alarm didn't trip. The dog didn't bite and the cameras, well, he laughed at them. What finally stopped this guy was me coming home to him inside my house and punching him in the face a few times.
This is a long way of saying even the best systems can be bypassed. If a human spent a lot of time planning it out, somebody else will come along and go "poke" and unravel it all.
As for Linux, there is a time and a place for open source and there is a time and a place to get stuff vetted and tested by decades of professional security installers. You'd be FAR better off to leverage all of that research and real-world experience and just do it that way. Further advice:
Get an alarm with wireless monitoring. You will want 4G or LTE wireless. The ubiquitous 3G monitoring systems are being phased out by the cell carriers and it makes no sense to spend any money on a 3G module at this point. 4G wireless modules are affordable anyway.
Get motion detection. This is where my system failed because I have too many pets. I relied on point of entry and glass break and the burglar simply jimmied open a locked window without breaking it, and then smartly didn't open a door to try to carry away his loot. He was using the same window. Get motion detection, Get rid of the pets. Don't rely on locked windows, use large screws or lag bolts to secure them through the window frame. Won't be seen, can be removed to open the window, but won't be vulnerable.
The Honeywell/Ademco alarms are what I would suggest. The parts and sensors are very proven and are used by professional installers but are still inexpensive and easy to DIY install and you can have "root" access to the box to program it how you like, and pay little for an independent company to monitor it for you.
The neat thing is that the sensors can be bought on ebay or Amazon without any trouble. So you are free to source from where you wish.
The Honeywell systems won't stop the CIA from getting in but they will work against normal threats.
Sig for hire.
Not only that, we had a window sensor go bad at a company I worked for about 20 years ago. It became so sensitive that someone driving by the window or a bird singing on the ledge would set it off. but it wouldn't do that all the time. After 3 false alarms, they were fined $300 plus the costs of the response and the fines went up progressively after that. It went off something like 6 times total over the course of two weeks before their alarm guy found the problem.
So not only check with the local police, but check if there are any fines and so on for false alarms. It might make a roll your own solution impractical if you aren't sure you will get it perfectly right the first time.
There is Visonic who creates Linux-based systems but they are ROM-based and have hard coded root passwords available over telnet. You can't tinker with it as the boot loader and kernel code is not released under GPL (Israeli based so good luck enforcing).
That is the only company I know that has Linux basis. You can do it yourself, good luck however getting an AHJ or insurance company to accept it. And in most jurisdictions you will need code compliant central fire, CO and smoke detection in the entire house the minute you renovate any space.
Even if they do, there is no alarm company in the world that will take it and as such no alerting of the authorities will be possible (and no, hooking it up to dial 911 is illegal).
Doing it yourself will also cost more than buying a system not to mention the time effort. You can get a Vista 21iP and Tuxedo console which allows you to install it yourself, tinker with the system over HTTP AND have the installation UL certified. That's what I did, the AHJ, alarm company, insurance and I am happy, it cost me less than $1000 and about $15/mo.
Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
Go meet your neighbors, make some friends, and bring the neighborhood up. Throw some potlatches. Maybe help some neighbor's kids code, or help 'em with their homework.
You don't need a security system. You need a nicer neighborhood. So get to work....
ZoneMinder is an integrated set of applications which provide a complete surveillance solution allowing capture, analysis, recording and monitoring of any
CCTV or security cameras attached to a Linux based machine. It is designed to run on distributions which support the Video For Linux (V4L) interface and
has been tested with video cameras attached to BTTV cards, various USB cameras and also supports most IP network cameras. A partial list is given in the
Wiki and Support sections, please give feedback in the Forums if it works with yours. ZoneMinder also requires MySQL and PHP, and is enhanced by a
webserver such as Apache.
Or this ?
http://www.linuxmce.org/nc.htm...
A introduction into LinuxMCE LinuxMCE is a whole home automation suite.
It the 'digital glue' between your media and all of your electrical appliances.
It includes full featured solutions for:
Security
Monitor sensors and trigger events
Monitor security cameras
OSSEC is an Open Source Host-based Intrusion Detection System that performs log analysis, file integrity checking, policy monitoring, rootkit detection, real-time alerting and active response. It runs on most operating systems, including Linux, MacOS, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX and Windows. Check out OSSEC features and how it works for more information about how OSSEC can help you solve your host-based security problems.
I would personally recommend Remington (I use their 870 Express platform), although I've heard good reports about Mossberg as well.
Exactly.
US Government Standard Bathroom Malodor.
When you are *present* on your property, a dog and a gun are simply the best protection for the price. A dog is equivalent to an advanced machine learning system that can tell when things are out of the normal. A pump action Mossberg has an incredibly low mtbf. The best approach to security is layerd: Dog, shotgun, emergency plan, and basic security system. Don't try to overcomplicate it!
Do you want a security system or a hobby? Find a professional and let them worry about whether it's been designed and more importantly installed properly.
That said, before you turn your home into a fortress might I suggest you buy a copy of Ground Control a book about British urban planning which has a lot to say about the downsides of "secure" homes.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
--Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
So you move to a shitty neighborhood. You drop $5k on miscellaneous security stuff -- locks, alarms, door upgrades, etc. You still get nicked to the tune of $1k per year in out of pocket costs plus extras like door or window repair. And the continual aggravation and paranoia. Plus you drive out of your neighborhood for everything, since shitty neighborhoods have shitty stores and restaurants.
So you commute instead. The extra driving is a continual hassle and costs extra money for fuel and wear and tear. But this is balanced by no paranoia or break in hassles. You spend the security money on a better car or a more efficient car. You drive less overall since the stuff you want is close by.
Building a fortress in enemy territory is kind of appealing in a post-apocalyptic way but only if you're there all the time.
... the police chief told my daddy that the giant dog is the only legal protection. If he eats a burglar it's OK but if you kill a burglar it's a crime. Russian law allows killing the killer, not the burglar.
The second means of protection was a flare launcher. The flare easily burns all the guts of a burglar while it is not legally a weapon, so it's not a crime but only a misbehavior to keep it, and flares are sold w/o license.
And the third: A wireless signal to the police. Prices are quite affordable, property is insured, and there is a nice label that the building is being guarded.
The video system is on 4th place. And my neighbor's recorder is in my basement, not his.
Happily the junkies died off and our neighborhood is safe. Also, many locals don't lock their dogs so they wander around eating the strangers.
So, physical security needs to accomplish, in chronological order, the following against the threat of a potential intrusion: 1) Deter. The area you are trying to protect should ideally scream "Try somewhere else." Steel doors, solid frames, deadbolts, restrictive window coverings (bars), visible tamper proof cameras, etc. There are also a number of devices available these days designed to make a home look occupied, Google "Fake TV" for a number of cheap products designed to make it appear as though a TV is running inside the house. 2) Delay. Given sufficient time and resources, any target can be penetrated eventually; your doors, windows, and locks don't have to hold out forever, just long enough for a potential thief to decide it's taking too long to get in. 3) Detect. Ideally you want some kind of alert if somebody gets in. I'm laying this out for you because the security system is largely associated with number three, meaning you're skipping the most important aspect of all, deterrence. Many if not most break-ins are literally break-ins; they're not subtle. The wooden back door is smashed in or hinge pins knocked out in a matter of seconds. The thieves spend five minutes tops inside searching for stuff that can be easily hauled away in a gym bag. Your detection setup is generally pretty worthless; it's highly unlikely that the cops will even bother looking at the images you captured, much less beat the bushes hunting for mooks who kicked in your door. So focus on making your place look too hard to get in to. Further, since if somebody does get in they're not going to spend a lot of effort searching your nooks and crannies, keep the stuff that has the most meaning for you / is expensive in a special hidey hole; you can build one yourself or purchase something you can set into the wall or floor. If you have a camera, precious objects, spare laptops, external hard drives, don't leave them lying on your desk; lock them up.
if you own a gun, it is more than 5 times as likely to kill a family member (including girlfriend/boyfriend) than it is to kill a felon.
OS Software is like love: The best way to make it grow is to give it away.
In my neighborhood, a dead refrigerator doesn't last more than 30 minutes, laying out by the curb, before a scrap metal scavenger hoists it up, up and away. I can dispose of an old tire for $1, about the cost of that combination lock mentioned earlier.
I was laughing, we had some old PCs that my father got from an old job when a department store his company was contracted to shut down. They had been out of business 10 years, old enough that the hard drives I ripped out to be destroyed were 5GB.
We put them outside over the weekend...gone. Even got rid of a 14" CRT monitor. Which is hillarious when I posed a 52" rear projection HDTV on freecycle and nobody wanted it.
"I opened my eyes, and everything went dark again"
Ubiquiti Networks offers IP cameras that are priced quite reasonably. The controller that runs the cameras and records the video footage is available for Windows, Debian and Ubuntu. No source code available unfortunately. If you don't have any spare hardware, you can buy their NVR appliance which runs the same controller software.
More information on the cameras here: https://www.ubnt.com/unifi-vid...
When I had to replace my water heater, I put the old one out by the curb, went inside to pee, got ready to phone the Bulky Item pickup, looked out the window and it was already gone.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
Zoneminder is not aimed at non technical people.. The people running it know better than to expose it to the Internet in a default state.
People buying off the shelf systems often don't know any better and there are thousands of such systems easily found through google.
Zoneminder is open enough that the user can easily harden it themselves, the off the shelf systems often are not. Hiding insecure systems behind a firewall is a kludge, not a proper fix.
http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
OK so you want a personal security system, you are going to need a few things. Let start are you going to lock the doors, are you going monitor the internal entries. Are you going to to monitor for break ins and fire and windows, time lock, web monitoring. Well to this things you are going to need a PC capture card and software and some power supplies. The software in simple use zone minder http://www.zoneminder.com/ if you are just going for recording use yamcam http://www.yawcam.com/ You will also need a VPN for monitoring your system. For interface board you can use a raspberry pi or something that will be used for contact trigger points. in ether case you will need a dedicated PC, a capture card or some USB web cams. Now security doors you will use electromagnetic locks you do not deed more then 650 lbs. Fire & smoke and a sound discriminators for the windows, an interface board or and old security system sends a signal to the PC. For the windows use shutters will locks, this is the most likely place for a break in other then back door. And notion detector are a plus but not always needed if you are using software, but low lucks cameras. No need for an over priced security company, just dose things plus internet and a large UPS system and for backup a USB dongle for cell communication. And if you are using cameras are to be placed at eye level, and color is not a requirement just a sharp view. Pin hole cameras are good but remember they only have a 3 foot distance view, and are wide angle view limit then to eye level around 5 feet of the floor. The PC some ware out of the way, a most is good ventilation and large hard drive. How much is the cost, that is up to you how far are you willing to go. The software is free, the rest is all up to you.