Home Automation: Home Security From Anywhere

Home Security On the Go

Home security is something that is always top-of-mind for me. I live in an area of Austin without a lot of foot traffic and it’s secluded enough that there aren’t always regular police patrols. While having more space and a quieter neighborhood is often one of the best parts of living where I do, it also means I have to be extra vigilant about securing my home.

The Piper Home Security System has been a great addition to my homeownership. I receive updates throughout the day on my phone via push messages, texts, emails, or phone calls–whatever preference I set, to let me know about any events that take place at my home. Some of my other favorite features include:  

1. Fully Customizable Security Mode: There are three modes: home, away, and vacation. I use home and away on a daily basis, but really like the vacation mode when I am traveling for work because my home never looks empty. I set the exterior lights on overnight and turn the interior lights on for a few hours in the evening so that anyone passing by would think that my home is occupied. When I am out of town, it’s also very reassuring to use the video feature to check in and make sure everything is safe at my home.

2. Motion and Sound Detection: With Piper, no one can sneak up on me in my home. So if I’m taking my trash cans to the curb at night, I don’t have to worry that someone snuck in the back door because Piper would alert me to any motion or sound changes. 

3. Intruder Deterrent Siren: Loud doesn’t begin to describe the effectiveness of this siren. I don’t want my siren to go off so often that my neighbors stop paying attention to it, but the few times that I have tested it, it has made me feel very confident that neighbors and passerbyers visibly jump at the sound. I don’t mind them knowing that if they tried to get into my house, they would attract the attention of everyone in the area. Additionally, I never have to worry about someone getting into my home while I am sleeping and being unaware and without time to secure myself and call for help.

4. Video Monitoring: Of course, I’m sure the main purpose of video monitoring is security–to make sure my home is intruder free, and if there were a break-in, to have video that I could provide to the police. Fortunately, I have also been lucky enough to also enjoy it as a way to keep an eye on my dog throughout the day. I get a great view–a 180 degree view of entire rooms of my home–from my phone. While it definitely provides me with a quick pick-me-up to be able to check in on my pups throughout the work day–you know you are curious about what they do when you’re not home– it has also given me tremendous peace of mind when I have people that I don’t know well, like housekeepers or maintenance professionals working in my home. I can make sure that my belongings are being treated with care and that no unauthorized people (which can happen sometimes if you have a contractor who works with day laborers) are in my home. The camera is so easy to maneuver, too so if I want to get a closer look at something, I can easily pan, tilt, or zoom the video with a finger scroll on my phone. Also, unlike some home security video devices, more commonly called “nanny cams,” I can monitor up to 4 rooms at a time with a split screen view.

5. Home Automation: I work long hours, often leaving the house around 7am and coming home after 6pm. With the Home Vitals feature, I never have to come home to a dark house again. I also know if any of my doors or windows have been breached, so I can feel confident walking into my home, knowing that it’s been safe and secure all day. I don’t consider myself the most tech-savvy person, but these features are very simple to control on my smartphone.

When shopping around for a home security system, I have to admit that I was initially skeptical of the Piper System because it was much more affordable than other systems and required no hard wiring in my walls. I had never used a cloud based system before and wondered if my information (including the devices that I would use to monitor it) would be secure.

The company was so helpful in explaining how they ensure the security of their devices by encrypting all outbound communication to its secure cloud. Additionally, I don’t have to worry about anyone hacking into my system because no inbound connections to Piper are permitted when it’s securing customers’ homes and businesses. All my video is encrypted on disk and the entire software stack is patched on a regular basis, in accordance with industry best practices. Finally, to ensure the highest levels of security, Piper performs quarterly independent security audits using external firms. After speaking with my customer service representative, I felt confident that Piper would ensure that my data was protected.

If you’re looking for a home security system that is reliable, easy to use and access, and that fits seamlessly in with your home decor, Piper is a great modernized option.