As security technology evolves, we can offer more and more benefits when installing a home security system. Of course, adding this security still comes with the benefit of monitoring for burglar and fire-related emergencies. However, we can also connect additional security and smart home devices to your alarm that add tremendous security, convenience, and peace of mind. Specifically, we use our favorite type of monitoring — our Alarm.com cellular dialer — in order to connect these devices. In this post, we’ll explain how this piece of equipment allows us to offer these options. Additionally, we’ll explain some little-known Alarm.com security devices that we can add to make any security system more effective!
We’ll begin with an explanation of the cellular dialer that we use to create this security. After all, the rest of the information in this post will mean very little without understanding Alarm.com cellular monitoring. From there, we’ll look at some specific equipment that our interactive cellular monitoring allows you to add. For example, we’ll start by focusing on the benefits of installing smart cameras. Then, we’ll look at security equipment that adds environmental security. Finally, we’ll examine vehicle-related Alarm.com security closely. As you can see, we’ll be diving deep into a lot of alarm products that many security customers may not know about! Now, let’s get started with a “primer” on our Alarm.com cellular dialer.
Adding interactive cellular monitoring allows you to use the Alarm.com app to control your security system and receive important alerts.
Your Alarm.com Primer
Over the past several years, we’ve touted our Alarm.com cellular dialer as our preferred method of alarm monitoring. This unique piece of equipment acts as a dedicated cellular communicator for our customers’ alarm systems. This means that our Alarm.com customers’ security monitoring remains consistent even during phone service outages. Furthermore, our Alarm.com customers can even control their security systems with their smartphones and smartwatches through the Alarm.com app. This type of monitoring, known as “interactive” cellular monitoring, provides unmatched connectivity between customers and their alarm systems.
For starters, interactive monitoring allows you to arm and disarm your security system remotely. Additionally, it provides you with event-based text alerts based on system status changes. For example, alarm events, sensor low batteries, and user arming and disarming events can create alerts. Finally, and most relevant to this post, the Alarm.com dialer also acts as a Z-Wave smart home hub.
The term “Z-Wave” refers to a mesh network providing communication between the hub and smart home devices that operate on this network. These devices range from smart light bulbs, to smart locks, and more. Once installed, customers can use the same Alarm.com app they use to control their security system to operate these smart home appliances. Our post sharing 7 Important Security System Add-Ons for Your Smart Home shares some of the most popular options for connecting smart home devices to your alarm. In this post, of course, we’re focusing instead on our little-known Alarm.com security devices. Now that we have the basics down, let’s look at some specific ideas for adding this security, starting with smart cameras!
Next-Level Video Home Security
When most people think of installing cameras, they picture running wiring through walls and basements to get power and video to each camera location. Of course, at one point we had to do this for each and every cameras installation. However, Alarm.com Smart Cameras allow us to install video security that does not require the cost and hassle of their hardwired counterparts. Instead, these cameras connect to your wifi network. In turn, the cameras use that internet connection to store motion-based video clips to your Alarm.com account. The smart camera’s wifi-enabled aspect also allows you to view the cameras remotely using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
As an added bonus, our Alarm.com smart cameras provide you with a couple extra features. For starters, they allow you to set up alerts based on activation. This can allow you to catch events occurring in or around your home in real time. Furthermore, you can create alerts based on events that do NOT happen. For example, you may expect a house sitter to arrive at certain times of day during a family vacation. If the camera pointed at your front door does not see this happen, you will receive an alert to let you know! The amount of security and control these cameras offer make them a great addition to any security plan. Now, let’s move on by focusing on Alarm.com-related environmental security.
The Alarm.com Valve + Meter can both detect and help prevent water damage with one compact piece of equipment.
Taking Environmental Security One Step Further
As we pointed out earlier, most people think of security against burglaries and fires when they think of alarm systems. However, we offer weather-related security as well. We can utilize devices such as flood sensors and low temperature sensors on any security system. These devices allow users to detect and address environmental concerns before they turn into disasters. Moreover, our Alarm.com environmental detection equipment provides a unique amount of awareness to potential issues. Additionally, some of these devices even address issues for you in your absence!
First and foremost, our Alarm.com Smart Thermostat allows you to control your home’s temperature remotely. Furthermore, the thermostat will also send you alerts if your home’s temperature gets outside of a specified range. This allows you to send someone to check on your home even more quickly than a regular low temperature sensor would. Taking this concept one step further, the Alarm.com Water Valve + Meter will even turn your water off if the valve detects a water leak! We recommend installing these little-known Alarm.com security devices to make your alarm work even harder for you than it already does! Let’s take a look at a couple devices that add even more security to your home.
Vehicle-Related Alarm.com Security
As complete security integrators, we try to recommend security that many customers often overlook. In particular, we find that many homeowners miss out on the chance to add vehicle-related security when desiging an alarm. Of course, we can chalk much of this up to the fact that many people do not know about some of the products we offer than can help in this important area. In this section, we’ll discuss a couple little-known Alarm.com security devices that help secure your vehicles. First, we’ll discuss how smart garage door control can add security to both your car and your home. From there, we’ll introduce a new piece of equipment that can help track your vehicle’s whereabouts if something does happen!
Smart Garage Door Control
Smart garage door openers have been around several years, although our customers often do not know about them until we introduce this equipment. These openers allow users to open and close their garage doors remotely. Additionally, the Alarm.com-compatible garage door openers that we install also add unique features that tie into your security system!
For example, this device can create alerts if the garage door is left open for a certain amount of time, or past a specific time of day. This makes it harder than ever to leave your garage door open over the course of an entire workday or a weekend away from the house. Additionally, you can also receive alerts when someone opens or closes your garage door. This helps you track activity around your home, and catch any unexpected activity immediately. Now, let’s look at one more Alarm.com security offering thet represents the latest and greatest in smart home-related security!
The Alarm.com Connected Car plug-in can alert you to unexpected vehicle activity, such as your car getting towed.
The Alarm.com Connected Car
Alarm.com recently unveiled their Connected Car device to add an impressive piece to their smart home-based security offerings. This device simply plugs into a car’s OBD-II port, and provides an impressive array of data to help secure your car. For example, this device will display your car’s location at any time. Furthermore, you can also track vehicle drive time and receive real-time alerts based on vehicle speed. Finally, you can also set up alerts for an array of other potentially-unexpected events. Specifically, alerts based on sudden bursts of accelaration or decelaration can alert you to potential emergencies or accidents. Moreover, receiving an alert that your car has moved without the engine starting can tip you off to the fact that your car is getting towed! This unique level of security makes the connected car plug-in one of our most powerful security offerings yet.
Using Little-Known Alarm.com Security Devices to Your Advantage
We hope that your new knowledge of little-known Alarm.com security devices helps you add valuable security to your own home. Furthermore, we encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have. We’ve helped several customers gain valuable security and peace of mind with these unique security products. We also invite you to take advantage of our free site survey program. We visit both new and existing customers alike to help design the most effective home security possible. Whether you wish to build a new alarm from the ground up or add new smart home equipment to your existing security system, we’re here to help. Together, we can create an effective, convenient and technologically-advanced security plan to keep you, your family, and your most valuable possessions as safe and secure as possible!