DIY Alarm Monitoring

Creating the Best DIY Home Security System

• 1

  Perform a risk assessment on your property to determine which security system is best for you. During the risk assessment, you should think about access control: do you want an electric fence, CCTV cameras that monitor your property or deadbolt locks? Make a list of all the areas in your property that are vulnerable to attack or intrusion. You could also consider motion detectors that activate lights to alert you when passers-by are in the vicinity.

• 2

  Conduct a risk assessment on the interior of your home. Determine the quantity and type of sensors that work best in your home. One sensor typically detects a 35-foot area, so if you have several windows within the area, you will not need to purchase sensors for each one. Glass-break sensors detect sound (breaking glass) and magnetic sensors detect a change of state -- like what would occur when a window is opened -- so it's a good idea to purchase both types. Many security systems come with at least one motion detector, but you can add as many as you think are necessary. They are usually placed in the entrance ways, so people with three doorways typically buy three motion detectors.

• 3

  Install the system. Most DIY systems are digital, instead of analog or "hard-wired." Since they aren't wired, they don't require professionally licensed installers. Installation can be as simple as installing the corresponding software that tracks the security devices, including the sensors and the alarm signal. The software will also enable you to remotely activate and deactivate your system.

• 4

  Monitor your system. DIY alarms typically allow users to personally monitor the alarm, rather than paying a central monitoring station to do it for them. This means that when an alarm is triggered, instead of the signal being sent to a third-party provider, the alert is sent to you via cellphone or email.

• 5

  Dispatch the authorities. When you are responsible for your own alarm monitoring, it's up to you to contact the authorities when the alarm is tripped. Depending on your system, you should be given some information about what caused the alarm to trip, for example, "A glass-break sensor was tripped at 3:45 p.m." If you have CCTV or video surveillance integrated into your security system, you could look at the live video feeds to determine whether the event was accidental -- perhaps caused by environmental factors -- or the result of criminal activity.