Home DIY

Yeah. I know that a lot of the startups have not done a spectacular job with some of the technical security of their IoT stuff.

But I can also see why an industry that fits/sells security systems wouldn't recommend them either - as it breaks their business model.

I wouldn't want the flashy lights/sirens/large box on the house thing. But I'd like to know if someone tries to get in when we're gone. I don't expect it to make the house an impregnable fortress.

Very helpful. Thank you. Shame about the integration, but that's closer to what I'm thinking.

It's not just that they won't recommend them, they also won't fit them despite it being a potential source of revenue and that's because they can't guarantee the security in the way they can the existing and approved systems.

I see where you're coming from, as I said it may be sufficient for your peace of mind to have an IoT system.

A proper security system firm will be able to get you up and running with a police monitored alarm system better than you can yourself, but if you don't want that, unless you have awkward requirements, then there's no reason to not just install everything yourself.
Any time you have something that connects to the internet there's going to be a security risk, but unless you're Edward Snowden then there's not much risk of someone hacking you so they can break in.
The only ones I would avoid are anything direct from China because of their tendency to 'phone home'.

This is the kit we got (and added some extra door/window sensors). Might be overkill though for what you want with the alarm boxes/etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yale-EF-KIT3-Smart-Phone-Alarm/dp/B00FFTAZMO

We also have a Canary camera which is fun but a bit pointless and will be installing an external IP cam system (with local NVR and cloud backup) once I've borrowed a ladder from somewhere.

For the security cameras you can get fairly cheap options if you're willing to do a bit more setup yourself. I bought this https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UWBPI3G/ which, when it detects motion, emails me a picture and uploads the file to the cloud.

I can also remotely access it on phone/laptop using a VPN and it turns off when my phone is at home (if my phone is at home then so am I).

I lot of the IoT ones seem dependent on your home internet which isn't always the most reliable method I would think. I don't want an alarm going off that I can't deactivate or turn off as my internet is down.

So the builder has come round yestrday for the start of my kitchen renovation.

Howdens man is in tomorrow.

Architect hopefully soon.

Looks like the best option is to remove the internal wall to make the place open plan at the same time as doing up the kitchen.

Re: security cameras & IoT hubs

the impression I am getting from what I have gleaned, is that home smart hubs which give you a series of connected smart items (light bulbs, sockets, motion sensors, leak sensors, door sensors, etc) are not currently well provided for with cameras.

So having looked at reviews, the Y-Cam cameras look pretty good, they are motion activated, alert you, and if you are happy with the free rolling 7-day cloud storage (from which you can download recordings), then there is no additional monthly fee.

The Smart Home Hub options are Swann, Panasonic, and Samsung - the latter is the one that currently looks interesting, but I am not yet finding useful reviews of the technology or where it might go in the next year.

Looks like the best option is to remove the internal wall to make the place open plan at the same time as doing up the kitchen.

So your divider wall isnt load bearing like mine?

No, it is, so thats why the Architect is coming in.

keen to know the outcome

It's not just that they won't recommend them, they also won't fit them despite it being a potential source of revenue and that's because they can't guarantee the security in the way they can the existing and approved systems.

I think the issue is their definition of "security" is different from mine. No system provides 100% security, nor should you expect it to. The weak link in the chain will always be the police, and frankly I don't hold out much expectation that they'll do much. They won't arrive on time and any "investigation" is likely to be terribly cursory. If I can give them good quality images then I stand a much better chance of forcing them to take any break-in seriously.

No, I have a trap under the sink. I have some 90 degree bends under the vanity unit and then the pipe becomes visible. It just needs to enter the drain in the floor and I think a jointless bend would be nicest. I'll post a picture tonight.

At the moment it's a mish-mash of conflicting standards and interfaces. The zigbee protocol is the standard for a lot of the sensors, lights, etc but it can't transmit enough data to work with cameras.

Google have just launched a home hub and Amazon are pushing theirs so I guess that, in the short term, conflicts will continue. I assume that Google will be pushing Nest Cam and Amazon not and so on.

I'd hold off on investing significant amounts until it's clear which way it's going. At the moment you're probably going to end up with 2 or 3 different apps/interfaces to control things.

Thanks, that explains the camera issue, and confirms my gut feeling about the hubs.

Not that I have done it,
(my old 207+ is 'off the pace'),
but I thought the way to monitor your own home was through a smart NAS
like a (more modern than mine), Synology:

https://www.synology.com/en-uk/

and more pertinently:

https://www.synology.com/en-uk/surveillance/7.2/overview

So my weekends work was putting up this...

Took 4 of us two days, but really impressed by it...

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Also as we are talking IoT devices at the moment, there is talk that they can be used to launch DDoS attacks as well.

IoT DDoS attacks

Plan is to mount the pipe a bit lower on the wall at a slight downward angle. Then have the pre-bend section go down towards the grate at 45 degrees and then put in a 45 degree bend, so it enters the grate at 90 degrees.
The waterpipes will be redone and run along the wall lower than the bottom of the vanity unit.
Sorry if it's not totally clear - there's a bit of a language barrier.

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Like I said, IoT might be enough of your peace of mind.

I have been thinking along these lines already and learnt about the way that security systems themselves resist attack from people trying to circumvent them, which is what I should have been more specific about when I mentioned "security". It's not so much that an alarm protects your house, more that the alarm system itself is protected from attack/circumvention.

Security system discussions are tricky because the more elaborate your system needs to be (i.e. the more value it's protecting) the less you want to publicise the deficiencies. That applies to the owners and suppliers and between the owners and suppliers so the industry is partly a confidence game. Ultimately none of the methods will protect you against skilled attack but you might get some photos of a crack head pinching your laptop.

Really nice. More details?

yes, pretty happy with it.
Bought from http://www.bertsch-holzbau.eu/shop_liste.html?lang=en

6.5m by 3.5m, made of 70mm thick tongue and groove, double glazed doors and windows, which lock and tilt. Roof is also tongue and groove with felt shingles on. In totality the thing weighs just under 5000kg, some of these bits of wood were heavy!

Waste pipe. The overflow enters it at the sink.

That's a very unusual setup. Is it in the UK? It would have been more normal to join it under the floor. Do you really object to a glued 90degree angle because that would be the least of my worries. You will get soap scum, hair and toothpaste all over the place if that's a normal basin.

It's in Denmark and that's not unusual in older flats. Should obviously have been joined under the floor, when it was renovated.
And it's just a mock-up. The pipe is not connected. I'll cut a hole in the grate and have the pipe pass through it.