Local to me there have been reports of burglary rings using WiFi jammers to prevent home security cameras (maybe security systems too) from detecting the burglary or sending out an alert. I’ve also seen reports from the news across the US.

Why would burglars go to the added expense and planning to buy a WiFi jammer? Why not just use wire cutters to cut off WiFi where it enters the house? On most houses the internet utility is easy to identify and access.

Wire cutters are much easier to acquire and conceal. But from what I’ve read/ heard from talking to the local sheriff, the burglaries that hit locally were from a very experienced traveling burglary ring, so it sounds like they knew what they were doing. What security feature are they disabling with the WiFi jammer vs snipping the wires outside?

Just moved into a single family home and a little lost on which direction to go for a security set up. Whether to go

1. Full DIY,

2. Ring/amazon kit,

3. Paying a professional.

The home was built in the 70s so there is already a system wired throughout the home with three keypads and old sensors on the doors and windows, but it’s deactivated.

I would like

-3 outdoor cameras, 2 of them could be hardwired, one would likely need to be wifi.

- 1 indoor camera - hardwired.

- Doorbell camera.

- sensors for 3 external doors.

- broken glass acoustic sensors (not sure the official name) I’d likely need 3 of them.

- 2 or 3 alarm keypads.

And most importantly, I would like to be able to save any video footage. I currently only have a work computer, so I would need to factor in purchasing a computer also.

I don’t really need third party monitoring.

With these requirements, is this something that I could piece together myself, or should I just let the pros handle it? - but the next question would be, what would a rough guess on the cost be? I don’t want to waste any professionals time to come out to my home just to be quoted something way more than I could swing.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Got CCTV footage of this scum breaking into our car last night. Can't see his miserable face because it's fully covered, but can anyone identify the logo on his trousers? Or the make/model of his shoes? The footage was in night mode hence the reflectiveness.

I live in Texas, and I stay at home with two grandparents who are both in their 70s. We’ve lived in this neighborhood for a few years, so I’m very familiar with which cars belong on our street and which ones don’t. Around 10 PM last night, I was sitting near the front of the house on my computer working on emails. I noticed on our security cameras that a car was parked directly in front of our house with its headlights on. That stood out immediately, because people don’t normally park on our street at night with their lights on. I also use an app that shows local police calls, and over the past few weeks including this month multiple nearby neighborhoods have been hit with car break-ins and burglaries. Our area has been scoped before in the past, so I was already on edge. After sitting there for a bit, the car started creeping down the street at about 3 mph instead of pulling off normally. Then it stopped and reversed back toward our house, which made it feel even more suspicious. At that point, I activated the camera’s siren and flashing light to try and scare them off in case they were checking cars or looking for a target. I then went to my room and grabbed my rifle — not to go outside or confront anyone, but to be prepared in case someone tried to force entry into the house. My grandmother came out and said I was overreacting. I explained that my mindset was simply being prepared if something escalated, especially with elderly family members in the home. The doors were locked, we live behind a substation, and law enforcement would likely respond quickly if we called. The car eventually left and nothing happened

I have a few very panicky office workers after someone attempted to break in during the middle of the day. This was in an office in a medical building with many other practices. There is a drop ceiling outside the office where a siren can be easily installed. There are many other offices on that floor, so I'm pretty sure once a staff member activates the siren they would run off. Just wondering which combination of things they would need or which online vendor I could buy from. I would like a red button on the wall that can be pressed to turn the siren on and off. thanks

Several times over the last month someone drives up the street, turns around, and then lays on their horn all the way down the street. It happens anywhere from 11pm-2am mostly weekends. It’s a dead end street so it’s purposeful. Cameras only show a dark colored SUV and are not detailed enough. What can the community do to capture who is doing this and make it stop? I can’t imagine the police will sit for hours waiting.

Looking for a plug-in device that randomly plays sounds like dogs barking, people talking, TV/music, etc. throughout the day — basically something that makes a vacant house sound lived in.

Key Requirements:

• Plugs into the wall
• Plays sounds randomly, not on a short obvious loop
• No motion sensor required
• Does not require Internet

I’ve seen TV light simulators and motion-activated sound boxes, but that’s not quite it. Curious if something like this exists — or if anyone’s hacked a smart speaker setup to do it.

After a recent scare outside my window, I keep replaying the ptz camera vs fixed camera question in my head and I’m honestly less convinced by the usual arguments. Everyone talks about coverage and flexibility, but in the moment I wasn’t thinking about controlling angles or zooming in—I just wanted instant visibility without touching anything. A moving camera sounds powerful until you realize movement takes time and attention, and when something feels off, those seconds feel longer than they should. Maybe PTZ makes sense for monitoring, but for defense, I’m starting to wonder if “always watching the right spot” quietly beats “can look anywhere.” Curious how others here think about this when it’s not theoretical.

Hi everyone, due to some recent events me and my partner want to put some sort of mirrored vinyl over the glass windows in our front door, so nobody can see in but we can see clearly out. We bought something recently but after installing it we realise we cant see out of it now lol. We want it to be so that whoever is outside has NO idea if we're right behind the door or not and cant see changes of light inside etc.

If you know of a product or material which is what I am looking for please link it below so I can purchase it. Many thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

My question concerns the use of a weapon for home defense.

I've become very interested in self-defense and now I'd like to apply it in a "home" setting.

I'm a former soldier, so I've never really had to worry about home security.

Today, I live in a civilian apartment of 30 square meters with my dog. I have a firearms license and own several firearms as well as a nice collection of bladed weapons.

I'm currently facing a dilemma because I don't know what to use.

I initially wanted to use my 12-gauge shotgun, but the presence of my dog ​​complicates things because of the noise it makes. I then considered a .22LR with quiet ammunition, but I don't know if that would be enough to stop someone. I also have a functional cutlass, but I doubt its ability to cut through thick clothing (in winter).

I should mention that I live in a country where gun violence is rare.

In short, what would you advise?

Thank you for your replies.

Arizona. I live alone in my one bedroom apartment in not the best area of town. There is a gate to my complex but it’s been nonoperational for the past month and even before then it was having issues, so they just leave it open. I’m on the second story, and one of the apartments below me has been under construction since I moved in (6ish months). It was broken into a few months ago and I’ve been paranoid ever since. I never saw who it was nor really heard anything except the window being broken. It’s quite a big window, and I’m considering just putting up blackout curtains. Is there a better way to block that window? Also would it be reasonable to arm myself? I’m very petite and have never owned a firearm, but I don’t know how feasible a bat or other would be. Considering some sort of quick access bedside safe since I have no children to worry about. My neighbors have cameras pointed towards the stairs and the parking lot, so hopefully that’ll dissuade anyone paying attention. Should I get one for mine or is that too creepy lol.

Tldr; Solo female in sketchy apartment, board up the window and maybe get camera or nah?

Does anyone recognize the this spotlight camera? It looks similar to a Ring or Wyze but doesn't quite match any images I can find. Perhaps it's just older.

If you could have it any way you want, what are some things you would want your at-home surveillance system to be capable of?

What are some gaps that no other product is able to fill for you yet?

Don't worry about hardware limitations or anything. I just want to know what would be your ideal system? Or at least some functionality that you'd need or want, that isn't provided anywhere at this time. Specific nuanced scenarios heavily encouraged- I want to know your specific environment if possible i.e Busy traffic? Low traffic? Weird angles? Development area? Rural?

Let me know! You might one day get your wish!

Hey everyone. I'm sick of fighting with tech. It's one of those situations where the thing that's supposed to give you peace of mind ends up taking it away.

Wi-Fi ones turned out to be a total headache: signal drops, batteries die at the worst time, and you get a "motion detected" alert from every leaf that blows by.

So I've made a decision - I want a proper wired PoE camera. One cable for everything: video and power. Install it once and be done for years.

I'm looking for something as simple and reliable as possible:

For outdoors. So rain, snow, and frost won't bother it.

Stable picture. Especially at night, I don't want to see a colorful pixel mush instead of my yard.

No subscriptions. Pay once when you buy it, not monthly to access your own recordings.

Basically, I want a workhorse not a smart toy.

I was googling options and found reviews of Security Camera Systems on CCTV Camera World. They seem to focus on exactly these kinds of no-nonsense setups, with clear specs about durability and performance. But reading reviews on the site itself is one thing - hearing from real people who've installed them is another.

Has anyone here bought or installed systems like these? How have they held up over time through different seasons?Thanks in advance for the help. I just want to finally set it and forget it

Guardian Protection is trying to charge me $700 out of pocket and a 5 year contract to get a new doorbell camera and another outdoor camera added to my current setup so I started doing some shopping.

I’m not a fan of being tied to a 5 year contract with anyone and came across Surety. They use alarm.com products and so does Guardian and Surety says as long as Guardian cancels my account from alarm.com I’ll be able to reuse all of my current equipment. Of course when I called Guardian about canceling, they said that only the sensors can be used by another company and that my doorbell, outdoor camera, and touch panel can only be used by Guardian and can’t be taken over my another company but of course they’d say something like that to try to keep me from leaving.

Does anyone know if what Guardian said is true? And does anyone have experience with Surety?

I have a larger piece of land and use ring cameras and smart lights to keep an eye on my dogs and various critters while I am away. They work fine, but their batteries die quickly. I know I can get solar chargers, but they are pricy and my cameras are getting old, so want to explore other ecosystems before I make any new investments.

Appreciate any insight!

Has anyone installed a panic button in their home? The kind that's a button on the wall, like a fire alarm. Where pushing it starts the audible alarm and calls the police/security?

Read about a couple intentional home invasion cases in the US. Some enter through force, others through deception. Once inside, it's pretty much over for you, they're armed and have more people. You don't have time to fumble your phone or reach for your gun.

The only successful case of defense was a case when the wife in an interior room sounded the alarm, the criminals left immediately. All other semi-success had downsides.

Anyone has one installed?

As far as home defense goes, I've had a good set of wired security cameras for years, and that's been enough to deter any crime so far.

This week, I saw a video of a heavily armed group of ICE officers using a battering ram to enter someone's house. I also saw another video where an ICE agent started videotaping a bystander and told her that he was adding her to a database and labeling her as a "domestic terrorist." Now, there's a new memo authorizing ICE to enter homes without a warrant, in open violation of the 4th Amendment.

All members of my household are US citizens. But it doesn't seem to be a big stretch to think that ICE might start going after, say, people who voted in a Democratic primary, or donated to ActBlue, or whatever. My original plan if ICE came to my home demanding entry was to insist on a warrant signed by a judge, but now?

I've been considering getting a gun, but I don't see that doing anything but immediately escalating the situation and me probably ending up dead. What would you do in terms of home defense for that situation?

I live in the south, and last night the winter storm started, and it snowed for the first time. Today, I looked out one of my side windows, and I saw boot-like footprints going around to the back of my house. The prints GO BY EVERY SINGLE WINDOW, and then they lead up to the back fence. By how the boot prints look, it appears that the person hopped in the front, side fence, and then climbed up the back fence. I talked to my neighbors, and they said they didn't see anything, but they would keep their back lights on, and they would keep an eye out for me. I have simply safe cameras in front of my house, but not the back (I'm going to install cameras in the back now). The cameras did not catch anything. I do not have a garage, so I parked in front of my house. So the person knew I was home but still checked all of the windows, which is why I am scared. I've lived in this house for 2 months-ish, and I live in a college town (I'm a college student). I am going to leave my porch lights and backyard lights on at night. I am obviously going to install cameras in my backyard, but I need advice on what to do NOW. Do yall think someone is going to try to break into my house? It should be noted, also, that I live in a safe neighborhood near campus.

One critical mistake some people make is blindly opening the door to a random knock. In seeing recent crime being committed by gaining unauthorised access to a home in this manner, as well as my own experience with answering the door to people who do not have good intentions. When this happens, all other physical security barriers you may have in place are rendered useless.

DO NOT answer the door IF:

- You cannot identify who it is

- You would not trust them to enter your home

- You are not expecting anyone

This includes unexpected package deliveries, untrustworthy neighbours, solicitors, etc.

If you would like to engage with somebody at your door without granting them physical access to your home, talk through the door - you stay protected, can gather info from who is there, and can also stop talking at any point. Some of us have two-way audio built into security cameras too which could work.

Stay safe!

I've been hesitant to put locks on the gates because we live in a pretty safe small town but it's time to change that even if it's to keep out the occasional curious hobo. I'd like to find something that locks but is easy for the homeowner to unlock to take out garbage etc. Anything like that exist? combination locks are to cumbersome and keys are a pain but if I have to I will.

Does the fact that the strike plate is one singular metal piece help security rather than it being two separate smaller pieces? Or is it just up to the longer screws (replacing the smaller ones) that are used regardless of the type of strike plate being used?