Smart Living: How to Connect All Your Smart Security Devices

You might have a number of smart security devices doing different things in your home.

Sensors, a ring doorbell camera and a smart lock, for example, is a common combination.

One senses someone walking up to your house at night and lights the path. One alerts you to someone at the door and shows you who it is. And the last one remotely unlocks the door to let someone in.

What are smart security devices?

Smart security devices maintain the security of your home and allow you to remotely monitor it.

They’re just as helpful for monitoring your home for unwanted intruders as they are for allowing those you know access to your home while you’re not there. You might have children arriving home from school or relatives visiting while you’re out.

In these instances, it helps to know you can let them into the safety of your home where they can relax. It keeps them out of harm’s way; away from strangers and any bad weather.

Which devices connect to each other?

The following security devices connect to each other for specific purposes to make up a smart home security system.

Motion sensors often connect to security cameras which capture images, or lights which switch on.

Video doorbells connect to lights both inside and outside the home, switching on when someone presses the doorbell.

Smart locks can trigger a security system to switch on when you leave the house, adopting what some systems call “away” mode. Away mode is an advanced security setting, which sets all connected devices (cameras, lights, alarm sensors) to monitor your home. Motion alarms and perimeter sensors are also activated.

Shock-sensitive door and window sensors let you know if there’s a possibility of an intruder, and trigger other security devices and alerts.

These devices trigger each other using device to device protocols such Zigbee, Z-Wave or Thread, or via Wi-Fi

Often, they’ll also connect to a central hub, which runs on a platform such as Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Amazon Alexa. This is a central control for all security devices, which can be accessed remotely via an app on your phone.

How to connect your smart home devices

To set up well-connected smart home security systems, you’ll need to carry out the following steps:

1. Set up a Wi-Fi network for your home

This will allow you to set up apps for each of your security devices later. You can run your devices through local connections but you won’t receive alerts to your phone.

2. Select the platform you want your smart home system to run on

The choice often comes down to personal preference. Some people are more familiar with Google products (so they’d pick Google Home), while others might be more used to Apple products (so they’d go with Apple HomeKit).

3. Pick your security devices

The number and type of security devices you opt for is up to you and the level of security you’d like. Just make sure you pick security devices that are compatible with your chosen platform (or vice versa).

Most devices are supported by Google, Apple and Amazon platforms (e.g. Amazon Alexa), and will say so on the box or product description on the website.

4. Install the apps for your devices

You’ll need to install the app associated with your security device onto your phone or tablet or wherever you plan to centrally control your home security devices from.

Once you’ve run through the set-up procedure and your device is recognised by and can be read from your phone or tablet, you can link them through the platform app (e.g. Google Home) by selecting “add device” or “discover devices”.

5. Create rules to connect your devices

Here’s where it gets fun. You can set up rules for your devices to trigger them based on certain events. For example, in the platform app, you can link your smart lights to your motion sensors so that they come on if they detect movement.

You can also select security levels and routines which trigger the entire system to enter a certain mode at a certain time such as advanced security between midnight and 6am, for example.

What to do if your devices don’t connect

If your smart security devices don’t appear to be connecting or linking to your central hub, try restarting your central hub. Turn it off for 30 seconds before switching it back on. Sometimes, a restart is all it needs.

It could be a problem with a weak Wi-Fi connection, so be sure to check your router, too, for any poor signal alerts, and try unplugging, waiting and restarting your router to see if that works.

If you’re still experiencing problems, visit the website of the platform hub provider to see if you can chat to a technician to help solve the issue. Many of the big name providers offer chat facilities on their websites to troubleshoot issues such as these.

What are the benefits of connected security devices?

Devices that trigger each other are more offputting to intruders. When multiple lights suddenly switch on due to their movement (captured by the motion sensor), it sends a message to the intruder that their presence has been noted.

If both the lights come on and alarms sound as well, that’s a pretty strong indicator they’ve been spotted and that they’re possibly now being recorded or watched via a security camera feed.

The automatic and remote activation possible with connected security systems also helps to avoid the consequences of human error. If you leave home without setting the alarm system, a quick activation from your phone ensures your house isn’t left vulnerable to intruders and opportunists.

Viewing all monitoring devices and sensor readings in one central place, like an app on your phone, saves time by making the process of checking up on your home security simpler. For peace of mind, you can simply toggle between devices to check their status. If anything triggers an alarm, you’ll be alerted immediately to your phone.

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