ᐅ Planning a (smart) door intercom system connected to a Fritzbox in a new build
Created on: 19 Sep 2020 07:44
G
grericht
Hello,
the exterior plaster will be applied to our house soon, and I finally need to address the topic of the door intercom system. After several hours of research, I’m rather confused. Maybe I can gather some tips here.
I’m especially facing limitations with the following "requirements":
I would prefer not to wire the door opener directly to the system/outside but, for example, place it in the utility room in the basement. I don’t feel comfortable knowing that anyone could open the unsecured door at the intercom.
Here are the current "facts"
the exterior plaster will be applied to our house soon, and I finally need to address the topic of the door intercom system. After several hours of research, I’m rather confused. Maybe I can gather some tips here.
I’m especially facing limitations with the following "requirements":
I would prefer not to wire the door opener directly to the system/outside but, for example, place it in the utility room in the basement. I don’t feel comfortable knowing that anyone could open the unsecured door at the intercom.
Here are the current "facts"
- During the electrical rough-in, I have laid a Cat7 LAN cable to the door – but it can also be replaced or supplemented with any bus cable.
- I exclude WLAN. I am now considering whether to use bus, LAN, or DECT. The system will be connected to a FritzBox 7590.
- An electric door opener is present – it should be connected "securely" (in the basement?)
- A camera is desirable, but it faces directly onto public space and is next to the door. It must therefore either be installed with an angle bracket or have a wide detection area.
- I do not need monitors. There will be a Fritzphone on each floor anyway, which should be used to answer calls. Video can also be transmitted there.
- I need/want the option to answer the door call and open the door remotely via smartphone (for potential package deliveries). Preferably with video transmission via an app. Possibly a keypad at the doorbell would be an option too. I want to be able to change the code at any time.
- The intercom system should be expandable to include IP cameras (this is especially important if no camera is installed).
K1300S schrieb:
I would also consider whether to implement such a feature via the Fritz!Box, which has a relatively short product life cycle.What do you mean by "relatively short product life cycle"? I assume that every new Fritz!Box will support such features and that Fritz!Box will play an even bigger role in the smart home business in the future due to its wide usage. After all, it is a privacy-compliant way to make your home a bit smarter, which is not the case with most others (like Alexa and similar). Especially since the data remains your own property. That is also not the case with most others. I expect that in the coming years there will hopefully be enough alternatives to prevent further giving away or even paying for giving away your own data. Fritz!Box is a tangible alternative in this regard.
grericht schrieb:
I assume that every new Fritzbox will support such functions and that Fritzbox will play a bigger role in the smart home market in the future due to its wide adoption. That may be true, but I wouldn’t be surprised if AVM eventually realizes that the DECT-based connection of components doesn’t work out so well, and then it could quickly come to an end. This doesn’t have to happen, but given the large number of different systems currently entering the market, I can’t imagine that all of them will survive in the long term. In particular, I don’t really see why wireless solutions should be the default choice in new construction from the very beginning.
In any case, a generation of Fritz!Boxes may only last five or six years. For a doorbell system, I would definitely prefer a longer service life, since hopefully the house will stand for much longer than five years.
But I don’t want to integrate it via DECT. As far as I know, video would then be excluded anyway, right?
Actually, I would prefer a simple two-wire bus solution. And the Fritz!Box handles that really well. You just connect the intercom like a phone, and in the Fritz!Box settings, you specify which Fritz!Phone should ring. You can set a different ringtone on that phone, and everything works great. It would be nice if you could also connect the door opener directly to the Fritz!Box. But that doesn’t seem possible, does it? So that the Fritz!Box handles the complete control. Technically, that shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Actually, I would prefer a simple two-wire bus solution. And the Fritz!Box handles that really well. You just connect the intercom like a phone, and in the Fritz!Box settings, you specify which Fritz!Phone should ring. You can set a different ringtone on that phone, and everything works great. It would be nice if you could also connect the door opener directly to the Fritz!Box. But that doesn’t seem possible, does it? So that the Fritz!Box handles the complete control. Technically, that shouldn’t be a problem at all.
Then I must have misunderstood this
The fact is, AVM fully relies on DECT here, but if their "Smart" Home system is discontinued at some point, it probably won’t work over cable either.
In any case, I wouldn’t combine my internet router with the main entrance to my house without a good reason, data privacy aside. The affordable door intercom systems probably don’t have the capability to integrate this online in any form that would allow opening the door remotely. Whether you actually want that, however, is a much more important question to me, since what is considered secure today can already be "hacked" tomorrow.
grericht schrieb:
I’m now considering whether to use Bus, LAN, or DECT.
The fact is, AVM fully relies on DECT here, but if their "Smart" Home system is discontinued at some point, it probably won’t work over cable either.
In any case, I wouldn’t combine my internet router with the main entrance to my house without a good reason, data privacy aside. The affordable door intercom systems probably don’t have the capability to integrate this online in any form that would allow opening the door remotely. Whether you actually want that, however, is a much more important question to me, since what is considered secure today can already be "hacked" tomorrow.
Mycraft schrieb:
Take a look at 2N, Goliath, GIRA, Ritto, Siedle, and so on. They all offer what you need/want in their product range. One thing to mention upfront: it won’t be cheap. I am also looking for a solution, but I simply want the "video doorbell" to be connected via LAN rather than Wi-Fi, for security reasons. I don’t want to open the door with it, just to see who is standing outside. This should be done through a separate module and accessible via tablet or smartphone when I am at home. Although those devices would be connected via Wi-Fi, I would still have access to the doorbell since it is on my network. Is there nothing like this available at a more affordable price?
M
MBPassion21 Sep 2020 16:44Danvane schrieb:
I am also interested in the Doorbird.
Do you already know at what height you will install it?
And what alternatives did you consider during your selection process for the Doorbird?
I would really appreciate your feedback! We don’t have much flexibility regarding the height; it pretty much results from the situation itself. I would estimate around 1.70/1.80 m (5 ft 7 in / 5 ft 11 in).
The research was done a while ago. I don’t know of any other system offering such a solution:
- Video intercom
- Answerable via smartphone from anywhere
- Ability to unlock the door
- Relay isolation through a separate controller
- REST API for integration into custom automation or similar
- Power over Ethernet (PoE)
- Option to open the door via RFID or fingerprint or similar
Often, there are video intercom systems that don’t offer a door release function and/or are battery-powered. I want to avoid both. I also don’t want a surface-mounted system but something properly integrated.
What alternatives do you know? I’m always open to learning more.
Similar topics