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OK, let's start again
CCTV - will probably park that for now. Employing a nanny, it probably creates more issues than it solves. Once we'll no longer have a nanny, we may revisit.
Smart plugs: the question is really simple: is there a way to set up some kind of smart plug so that it turns something on or off when the alarm is armed or disarmed? With Texecom it is possible, although their smart plugs are often not considered the most reliable. How about with other brands? Is that possible with a Pyronix or Risco alarm? Possible in a way that doesn't breach the terms of insurance policies and alarm warranties?
Why am I even thinking of this? One option might be to set up a system which turns on certain cameras only when the alarm is armed. We are probably not going to have cameras now because of the nanny, but the nanny won't be with us forever, so I'd like to buy now a system which gives me this possibility in a few years - I don't want to buy a system now and change it after a couple of years.
I don't like ADT because I have had horrible experiences with their customer service. Also, for a property in which I'll be staying for many years, buying the kit upfront and paying a lower monitoring fee can easily work out cheaper, over the medium term, than ADT's model of paying less upfront and more every month.
I don't like Alexa because I don't like Mr Bezos listening into my home and collecting even more data; regardless, I have no need for that if all I want is to just turn something on or off when the system is armed/disarmed.
As for Chinese hardware (the Sonoff switch?), I wasn't saying I want to go down that route, quite the opposite: I meant that the only information I found about connecting a smart home to an alarm seemed dodgy and potentially incompatible with the terms of insurance policies and alarm warranties. |
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