A Smart Doorbell May Be Just What You Need For Home Security
Here is the story…you are home alone repainting your deck out back. You hear the doorbell ring. You have a few options: You can ignore it and hope it wasn’t important, you can stop everything and walk all the way around the house, to avoid getting paint on anything inside, (all the while hoping your guest is not Wilber from next door wanting to share a long-winded complaint about your dog’s habits); or you can turn to an alert on your phone to see who rang the doorbell on camera. The activity that happens at the gateway of your home is at your fingertips with a Wi-Fi enabled smart doorbell.
There are so many new gadgets out on the market to help make monitoring your door much easier. A smart doorbell can also be used as a surveillance system for the front door when you are not home, or it can continually monitor when there is motion in its view. With so many different types on the market, here are a few tips on what to look for.
Tips when picking your Smart Doorbell:
- If you have a simple low-voltage wired doorbell, utilize it with a wired device. If you do not, there are battery operated devices. Keep in mind you will have to switch out batteries at least every two months if not sooner with the latter option.
- A battery-powered option may be the best option if you need more flexibility in mounting and location.
- If you are also interested in a home security system, you might want to look at products that are compatible with security system cameras.
Installation tip:
Make sure you have enough bandwidth to cover extra pull from your Wi-Fi internet speed. On average, a security camera or smart doorbell can use up to 5mbps of data when viewing. An average video streaming can use up to 10mbps. Keep these numbers in mind when calculating your speed needs.
If you opt for the wired device but do not already have a wired doorbell, you may have to run some new wiring or call an electrician to wire your device.
Possible features:
- Alert on your phone (app) with video live stream.
- Face recognition.
- Sound detection.
- Hindsight recording.
- 1080p video.
- Cloud storage.
- Works with Alexa or Echo devices when the doorbell is pressed to enable two-way talk.
- Night vision.
- 160 to 180 Diagonal field of view.
- Alert settings on your phone for movement and doorbell press.
Price range can be anywhere from $99 to $300. Keep in mind when you pay less, you are likely to get a bulkier device with fewer options.
For help selecting the right system for your home, you may refer to Forbes: Best Smart Doorbell Camera
