In some sense, home security systems suffer the same fate as mobile phone handsets. Most people, if they have one, have the one that a security monitoring company installed, and their only interaction with it is to turn it on or off. But some people want more than just a security system. Some people want a security system that can be expanded to perform almost any kind of home monitoring and automation task. You know, lunatics. Lunatic geeks. Enter the Elk M1.
Post a Comment
Member since:
2009-06-02
Member since:1997-10-01
Yes, I can use any monitoring company. There's a local firm here that charges about $12 per month. That's not the cheapest monitoring you can get, which is more like the $8-9 per month range, but it's cheaper than ADT's $30 per month. That's a big advantage to installing your own system. A big firm like ADT will subsidize a cheapo system, but after paying $18-20 extra for a few months, you're not saving any money.
Or you can do self-monitoring, by setting the system to alert you directly by phone, SMS, email, etc. If you've got remotely-accessible security cameras, you could give your house a look-over and call the police if you see anything.
Member since:
2007-07-30
Member since:2006-11-02
Member since:2009-09-22
Member since:1997-10-01
Accessing the system from outside is only permitted through a VPN. Granted, I could misconfigure the VPN.
Also, the other reader is correct, in that the whole system is on battery backup. I have a lead acid battery similar to a motorcycle battery that will power the system for about 4-5 days, so you'd better be a patient burglar. And if the power fails, I'm notified. Now, you could cut the phone line, but many of these systems have a backup wireless phone line.
And I guess you could crack my WPA, then try to crack the password for the remote programming interface, if you guessed that it was an Elk. But I think it would be easier to just break into another house.
Edited 2009-09-22 16:41 UTC
Member since:2009-06-02
Member since:
2005-07-06
Member since:2006-01-08
Member since:2009-04-08
Member since:1997-10-01
Member since:
2006-02-08
Member since:1997-10-01
Member since:
2005-08-22
The M1!!
I'm working for a company developing software that communicates with the Elk EZ8. I know this thing front and back. Crazy to see OSnews write about it.
The tcp/serial interface is kind of inflexible, but a motivated developer can squeeze a lot more functionality out of the board than even Elk currently provides.
Also, the support and engineering staff at Elk are spectacular (h/t Don).
mhess126@yahoo.com
