We controlled our Brinks system using Alexa and Google Assistant, because who doesn’t love a good voice command? After figuring out that Brinks only works with the Alarm.com Google Assistant action, we used Google to: Swiftlane is a modern provider of access control system for apartment buildings. Swiftlane is designed for access control specifically for apartment buildings and gated communities. It supports a single system that can handle resident access, visitor access, video intercom, garage and gate access. Key fobs make it easy to grant and revoke access to larger number of people. They restrict unauthorized people from entering the building.

ADT Control transmits alarm signals to ADT’s nine redundant monitoring centers over wireless means, namely, Wi-Fi and cellular signals. About ADT Control Equipment Video doorbells offer an easy way to see who is on your front steps without having to open or even get close to the door. These devices connect to your Wi-Fi network and send an alert when someone approaches your doorway. They record video when someone presses the doorbell or when they detect motion, plus usually offer two-way audio communication so you can speak with the visitor remotely from your phone.Look for a model that offers a high resolution (1080p), a wide-angle lens (140 to 180 degrees), a night vision range of up to 30 feet, and affordable cloud storage for recordings. Sometimes it's helpful to be able to see what happened just before or after a visitor approaches your door. For that, you need a doorbell that uses pre-buffering to record the action that occurs before someone presses a doorbell or sets off the motion sensor. Ring Video Doorbell (Credit: Ring) Doorbell Camera Pro– Vivint’s doorbell camera with night vision lets you see who’s at your door anytime. It’s triggered by motion and sends alerts to your mobile phone as needed. For instance, “A visitor approached your door” will be sent with video. Video is recorded with a 180-degree lens, and a sound system lets you talk with visitors. Swiftlane provides a cutting-edge video intercom for apartment buildings. Visitors can use a multi-tenant touch screen directory to call residents. A resident receives a video or audio call, no matter where they are, and can buzz the visitor in. Key highlights include: Garage door sensors: Garage door sensors are essentially entry sensors designed for your garage door, another important area to secure if you keep valuables there or if there’s a connected entryway to your home. Temperature sensor: While temperature sensors may be built into smoke alarms, they can be sold as separate devices that alert you of rapidly rising temperatures in your home, which could indicate fires.

Lastly, SimpliSafe is user-friendly, from the simple installation process that often takes less than an hour to the functional app and keypad that comes with the system, almost everything about SimpliSafe is simple. (Not perfect, but simple.) Simplisafe is another full service provider of alarm system for homes. Simplisafe system is specially designed for single family homes and apartment unit dwellers. It has built in features for alarms, monitoring and camera systems. Many of the app-first solutions will let you set up individual PIN codes for the different members of your household, while others will include access tags in the box. If this is of particular concern, the Nest Secure is one of the better choices, since even the most technophobic will be okay with merely scanning a keychain every time they exit and enter the house. After we watched the instructional video, setting up our Deep Sentinel system took about half an hour. All we had to do was plug the cameras in and sync them with our mobile app and the hub. Of course, we had to mount the cameras as well, but we loved the fact that Deep Sentinel gave us a screwdriver plus step-by-step instructions in the app. Fast Response TimesWe preferred companies that offered a wide range of devices, so we could create a kit customized to our home. Of course, we also cared a lot about the quality and features of the devices, such as: The InstaText system also reduces false alarms, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars in false alarm fees. If the alert turns out to be a false alarm, you and your family circle can easily waive it off through InstaText. In a traditional system, if you miss the call, the cops might be called to respond, which could lead to false alarm fees from your city or local police department. In a way, Cove is also helping the government reduce unnecessary spending due to false alarms. The next thing you’ll want to consider is exactly what equipment you’ll need. There are a lot of different components to consider, but we’ll let you know what’s most important and what can be considered “extra”. Vivint’s equipment is centered on the Smart Hub, a touchscreen tablet that acts as the system’s brain. It’s similar to the touchscreen control panels we see from other brands, but it has a few standout features. Good old keys. They work great for very small apartment buildings. e.g. If you have a 4 unit apartment building, keys might be the most cost effective solution. Turnover is not going to be very common, so managing keys won’t be a massive hassle. Visitor access is not possible with keys. You would need to compliment it with an apartment doorbell system that can connect to all residents via a buzzer or a call. Key fob access control