ᐅ "Smart" video doorbell and security cameras

@Taitv789

I have two Arlo cameras installed under the roof overhang. They are supplied with constant power from an outlet also installed in the roof overhang. The electrical wiring is inside the soffit to be able to use the outlet for Christmas lighting.
At the gate, there is supposed to be a Ring Video Doorbell.

@Andre77 how satisfied are you with the Arlo cameras?

The Arlos are quite similar to others like Eufy, Nest, and so on.

Which smart door lock is the best and most secure?
As a market leader, the one that is always rated as top by everyone is Nuki.

There are others, but Nuki is always presented as the best—is that really true?

For example, Nuki can be integrated with Doorbird, Ring, and Gigaset.

@Taitv789
I have no complaints. They work perfectly.

We have a Ring Pro system (power supply via 2-wire). If possible, I would also prefer wired connections for the network. In 98% of cases, the Wi-Fi connection works very well. The remaining 2%, however, are still bothersome.

For the rear part of the garden, we have two Eufy 2C Pro cameras. They are battery-powered but can also be powered by a 5V power adapter via Micro-USB—as in my case. I have to say, I am really impressed by them now. As soon as it gets dark, the cameras activate when they detect motion. The AI reliably distinguishes whether it’s a human (camera triggers) or an animal (we have two dogs and lots of neighborhood cats). So far, the cameras have recognized everything 100% correctly. My expectations were different, since pseudo "AI" is now included everywhere and usually performs poorly. Here, the Wi-Fi connection to the station/hub (where the videos are also stored locally) works very stably as well.

Additionally, maybe a few words on how we implemented the topic of "Smart Home."

First of all, everyone has a different idea of what "Smart Home" means.

Be clear about your own requirements for a smart home.

Our personal requirements were as follows:

• Video intercom system
• Cameras in the backyard
• Control of roller shutters via app (setting scenes that can be activated manually or automatically)
• Lighting control via app and integration with voice assistants, time-based brightness settings
• On each floor, the option to control the intercom, lights, or roller shutters if desired

That was basically all we needed. Matter was not relevant at the time.

Based on that, we decided on the following actions:

• Have LAN and telephone cables installed at the location of the intercom system (this provides all future options)
• Run power cables to every garden bed and corner, with garden sockets connected to power loads
• Install flush-mounted boxes (electronic type) behind every roller shutter switch. Use of in-wall radio modules that switch locally (in our case Shelly). Basic functions and operation therefore work without delay on the familiar switch. Comfort functions via radio (e.g., app control or trigger "Set all roller shutters to desired position in the evening"). The app allows creating scenes and setting the height individually for each roller shutter. Fully sufficient for us
• For lighting, we chose Hue. Certainly not cheap, but in my opinion, the highest quality. Additionally, very good compatibility in many directions. Mature app and technology. Nowadays even with flush-mounted modules, which we use in the main bathroom, for example (the same light sources have different settings for each scene like "Bathing/Relaxing" and "All Lights On")
• Flush-mounted boxes again as electronic type, with LAN cable including RJ45 socket. A POE splitter just fits here, supplying power to tablets (you have a wide choice here).

In passage areas, you can easily use Hue motion sensors. Where I had poor experiences were with Zigbee bulbs outside the Hue ecosystem. I was forced to use shallow spotlights in the upper floor hallway because the drywall substructure was not doubled up (planning mistake on my part). This meant that standard-depth spots (including Hue spots) did not fit without damaging the vapor barrier. Here I had to switch to Paulmann Zigbee LED spots. They were not much cheaper but still don’t work as reliably. For example: the entire light group has different switch-on times. Occasionally, one spot does not turn on. It’s as if the software hangs. Power cycling helps. This is unacceptable for me considering the price. I am still looking for a better solution here.

Basically, in the planning phase, we only took into account where we needed to be more generous with cables or flush-mounted boxes. Basic functions are always kept classic. Comfort functions then via app/radio. The costs were manageable and my wife’s acceptance has not suffered at all. On the contrary, she now uses the systems more frequently than I do.

As mentioned above, everyone has a different idea of what smart home means. I would not call our home a smart home myself. Rather a classic home with modern possibilities that provide us with the desired comfort.

ntsa86 schrieb:

First of all, everyone understands the term "Smart Home" differently.

We have exactly the same requirements and approaches. I am aware that this scope does not fully match the term "Smart Home." However, we deliberately did not want more, probably like 95% of other users who do not have the expectation or desire to use a fully automated "Smart Home."