Sorry for being that guy but if possible you should always refrain from using Wifi for applications in production, safety and security. Too many known and unknown vectors to its reliability.
But yea, I get it. Most people don’t know the details and on the overall market most affordable devices and services for security systems are some semi-“smart” products which are simple to set up. The extra work and cost that come with professional equipment aren’t really appreciated, eapecially by those who don’t know any better.
This is exactly why the old fashioned Analog installations cost more to begin with: They’re very secure and more difficult to disable.
Of course, the number 1 method to avoid robbery is to simply make yourself an unappealing target: no FB/Instagram stories, door that looks more solid than it is, padlocks, signage warning of dogs/firearms (even if you don’t have either). Keep your equipment, cars, or boats inside or covered. Etc. Even just a floodlight that detects motion at night and makes a beep beep sound can scare off most kids and crackheads. If you live in an apartment, put some broken furniture on your patio and people will think you’re poor.
It seems like Wifi Cams and the little signs/stickers they come with are exactly the opposite: “I HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE THAT YOU WANT BUT HAVEN’T SECURED IT PROPERLY.”
You’re right that you should try to make yourself a less appealing target for thrives, but some of your methods don’t really hold up to scrutiny. Beeping motion sensor lights and secure locks and doors are great ideas. They will absolutely deter casual thrives and addicts.
Advertising that you have guns is just advertising that you have something to steal that is valuable, easy to sell, and easy to carry.
Warning signs for dogs aren’t much better. If you don’t have a dog, that will usually become obvious to anyone close enough to read the sign. If you do have a dog, then the sign is just an invitation to have them murdered the next time you have to interact with police at home. It will also expose you to liability should any trespasser be injured by that dog. Yeah, even the person robbing you, but also children, other pets, and well meaning innocent people just doing their jobs (and not breaking the law by entering your property without permission) like meter readers, mailmen, land surveyors, emergency response, etc. When I see a dog warning sign, to me it just says that a dumb asshole abusing a dog lives here.
Broken furniture sounds clever, but that just says trashy, not poor. Actual poor people take better care of their shit. HOAs would also limit the places you could actually do this without fines in the suburbs. Broken outdoor furniture is as common as weeds in more rural areas.
WiFi Cams just mean that you can afford Internet. EVERYBODY has WiFi cameras. They are ridiculously cheap to buy and easy to install. Cameras (WiFi or not) aren’t a great deterent anyway.
I feel like the risk/return on firearms isn’t great for breaking into homes at night, but if it were in an unattended vehicle then that’s another story.
You don’t actually have to own a dog, and having signage doesn’t indicate abuse in any case.
That’s an interesting take, and I think I might agree with you.
Solid-looking boring lock, everything looking like it would last decades, looks like someone who sorted the security confidently.
Plastic looking wifi cameras everywhere have a “curtain twitchy granny” vibe.
I think the most primary thing of all is that, most people don’t have the means to run Ethernet cables to places that typical cameras are installed (doorbells and garage floodlights)
It’s a catch 22 though. Ok one hand, every single person in my neighborhood has multiple cameras on their property now and even when I lived in an apartment complex, everyone had a camera at their doorbell, but they all are usually ring or some other subscription based, phone home type.
Do WiFi cameras present a new attack vector, yea for sure.
Is having a WiFi camera that could be disabled better than not having a camera at all (what was the reality 5 years ago), hard to say.
While it may not be strictly true, this is not difficult to imagine. Doorbell cams are ubiquitous, alarm companies push more and more each year, spotlight cams, solar cams, and other cams are cheap and have been at time “the new hotness”.
More importantly, the widespread use of motion detection even means you can monitor and respond to events.
Networked cameras used for security should have local storage to buffer when the network isn’t available, regardless of if you’re using wired or wireless.
Sorry for being that guy but if possible you should always refrain from using Wifi for applications in production, safety and security. Too many known and unknown vectors to its reliability.
But yea, I get it. Most people don’t know the details and on the overall market most affordable devices and services for security systems are some semi-“smart” products which are simple to set up. The extra work and cost that come with professional equipment aren’t really appreciated, eapecially by those who don’t know any better.
This is exactly why the old fashioned Analog installations cost more to begin with: They’re very secure and more difficult to disable.
Of course, the number 1 method to avoid robbery is to simply make yourself an unappealing target: no FB/Instagram stories, door that looks more solid than it is, padlocks, signage warning of dogs/firearms (even if you don’t have either). Keep your equipment, cars, or boats inside or covered. Etc. Even just a floodlight that detects motion at night and makes a beep beep sound can scare off most kids and crackheads. If you live in an apartment, put some broken furniture on your patio and people will think you’re poor.
It seems like Wifi Cams and the little signs/stickers they come with are exactly the opposite: “I HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE THAT YOU WANT BUT HAVEN’T SECURED IT PROPERLY.”
You’re right that you should try to make yourself a less appealing target for thrives, but some of your methods don’t really hold up to scrutiny. Beeping motion sensor lights and secure locks and doors are great ideas. They will absolutely deter casual thrives and addicts.
Advertising that you have guns is just advertising that you have something to steal that is valuable, easy to sell, and easy to carry.
Warning signs for dogs aren’t much better. If you don’t have a dog, that will usually become obvious to anyone close enough to read the sign. If you do have a dog, then the sign is just an invitation to have them murdered the next time you have to interact with police at home. It will also expose you to liability should any trespasser be injured by that dog. Yeah, even the person robbing you, but also children, other pets, and well meaning innocent people just doing their jobs (and not breaking the law by entering your property without permission) like meter readers, mailmen, land surveyors, emergency response, etc. When I see a dog warning sign, to me it just says that a dumb asshole abusing a dog lives here.
Broken furniture sounds clever, but that just says trashy, not poor. Actual poor people take better care of their shit. HOAs would also limit the places you could actually do this without fines in the suburbs. Broken outdoor furniture is as common as weeds in more rural areas.
WiFi Cams just mean that you can afford Internet. EVERYBODY has WiFi cameras. They are ridiculously cheap to buy and easy to install. Cameras (WiFi or not) aren’t a great deterent anyway.
I feel like the risk/return on firearms isn’t great for breaking into homes at night, but if it were in an unattended vehicle then that’s another story.
You don’t actually have to own a dog, and having signage doesn’t indicate abuse in any case.
Have dogs. Also have a firearm in the house my mother has only pointed at me, while loaded. once.
The cats would likely be the ones to save us.
You’re confusing opinion and facts. My opinion is not fact (regarding dog warning signs) and I never said it was. Your feelings also are not fact.
There is no confusion here, friend. Our opinions conflict, that is all.
That’s an interesting take, and I think I might agree with you.
Solid-looking boring lock, everything looking like it would last decades, looks like someone who sorted the security confidently.
Plastic looking wifi cameras everywhere have a “curtain twitchy granny” vibe.
My mom says the neighbors can’t see her looking.
I think the most primary thing of all is that, most people don’t have the means to run Ethernet cables to places that typical cameras are installed (doorbells and garage floodlights)
It’s a catch 22 though. Ok one hand, every single person in my neighborhood has multiple cameras on their property now and even when I lived in an apartment complex, everyone had a camera at their doorbell, but they all are usually ring or some other subscription based, phone home type.
Do WiFi cameras present a new attack vector, yea for sure. Is having a WiFi camera that could be disabled better than not having a camera at all (what was the reality 5 years ago), hard to say.
Every single person in your neighbourhood has multiple cameras?! Where do you live?
While it may not be strictly true, this is not difficult to imagine. Doorbell cams are ubiquitous, alarm companies push more and more each year, spotlight cams, solar cams, and other cams are cheap and have been at time “the new hotness”.
More importantly, the widespread use of motion detection even means you can monitor and respond to events.
My neighbor posted a video on FB of someone running by and trying the door on their car. I could see my house and my cameras in the video.
That’s like a third of nextdoor posts.
Networked cameras used for security should have local storage to buffer when the network isn’t available, regardless of if you’re using wired or wireless.