24/7 monitoring
A staffed center that answers the alarm, tries to reach you, and requests police, fire or medical response when it is warranted — rather than a notification you might miss.
Home security
Monitoring is the product. The hardware is how you get it.
A camera you have to watch yourself is a gadget. A monitored system alerts a staffed center, verifies the alarm and sends help when nobody is home. That is the part worth paying for, and the part worth reading the contract on.
Why it goes wrong
Read the term length before you look at the kit.
Security is the one home service still commonly sold on a long agreement, often three to five years. The equipment is easy to compare and the monitoring contract is where the real commitment sits. We put that in front of you first, then talk about cameras.
Cameras and doorbells
See who is at the door, check on the house from anywhere, and keep clips for a set number of days.
Locks, lights, thermostat
Smart-home devices that work together on one app instead of five, if you want them.
Cellular backup
Monitoring that keeps working when the internet goes down, which is exactly when you want it working.
What setting it up involves
From the street to the shelf
On the call
Read this before you sign
These are the questions a provider’s own order page will not ask you. We work through them before anything is placed.
Talk it through- 1How long is the monitoring agreement?
Many run 36 to 60 months. We tell you the term, and what leaving early costs.
- 2Do you own the equipment?
Financed equipment is yours; leased equipment goes back. It matters when you move.
- 3Is there cellular backup?
Monitoring over internet alone stops when the internet does.
- 4Professional or self-install?
Both exist. Professional install is quicker and usually neater; self-install saves the visit fee.
Good to know
Home Security questions.
Which security providers can you set up?
It depends on your address and on which agreements are in place at the time. Call us and we will tell you plainly what we can order for you and what we cannot.
Do I need internet for a security system?
Most systems use Wi-Fi with cellular backup. If you are setting up a new home we can arrange internet and security together so the install dates line up.
What happens if I move?
It depends on whether you own the equipment and how much of the term remains. Ask before you sign, not after.
Is professional monitoring worth it over a camera?
If nobody is home during the day, generally yes: someone is watching the alarm and can dispatch help. If you mainly want to see parcel deliveries, a camera on its own may be enough. We will say which we think fits.
Call us and we will use your number to deal with that enquiry, and pass it to the provider if you place an order. Automated calls and marketing texts need your separate say-so, which an agent will ask for on the call. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our TCPA Consent policy.