Every Smart Home starts at the front door. It’s the point of entry into our homes. A lot of thing happen here so it’s a critical area to monitor. If you’re looking for safety, security, and peace-of-mind, make improvements to your front door entry. Before we get into tips and tricks in securing your front door, let’s look at why you need front door security.
Deter porch pirates from stealing online deliveries
We purchase a lot of things online and have it shipped to our homes. The unfortunate consequence of online shopping is porch piracy. Often we don’t know when a package is going to arrive. If we are not home, that package could sit there for hours. This is what porch pirates look for—opportunity. By spending some time beefing up your front door security, you accomplish two things.
First, if someone steals your package, you’ll have HD video and audio of the crime. This footage can be sent to the police and shared online. Chances are someone will recognize them and they’ll get caught. The second thing front door security does is deter thieves. If they know they’re being recorded, they’re less likely to steal. We’ll discuss in detail how you can deter thieves with front door security.
Monitoring who is coming and going
We all spend time away from home. This could be for work, school, or an annual family vacation. Often, we need others to come into our homes when we’re away. It could be to feed the fish, water the plants, or check-in on things. The front door of a smart home provides several benefits. First, smart locks allow keyless access into a home. This can be done remotely in real-time or through a temporary access from a smartphone. The second benefit is having a monitoring log. You’ll know who went in and out and when. This is valuable information especially if you have contractors or cleaners coming in to do work while you’re away.
To make extra money, many people are putting their home up for short-term rental. I’m a case in point. I have am Airbnb suite in my home with it’s own separate entrance from the backyard. The combination of a smart lock and smart security camera allow me to know when a guest checks in and out. Plus, guests love the keyless entry into the suite.
Setting up a smart front door security
We’ve discussed some of the reasons for front door security, now let’s discuss setting up one from scratch. These are the things to consider to ensure you build a successful smart security for your front door entrance.
Assess your Wi-Fi signal strength at your front door
Every home is different, especially when it comes to the layout and Wi-Fi. Most people are unaware of the signal strength of their Wi-Fi signal at their front door. This is important information to know, especially on the outside of the front door. There are several ways to determine your Wi-Fi signal strength. One is to stream videos at your front door. This should give you a good idea if you have a strong signal strength. Personally, I use a Wi-Fi signal strength app on my Android smartphone. I start beside my router and move to the outside of my front door to determine the numerical signal strength.
If you find that you have poor Wi-Fi at your front door, read this networking buying guide . It will tell you exactly what to do to eliminate that dead spot.
Determine your video recording preference.
Once you have strong Wi-Fi, the next step is determining how you want to record video. There are several ways to do this. First is to use an Outdoor Security Camera. This is a good choice if you want to monitor multiple areas around your home. This is what I do. I have a camera for every entry point into my home. One is on top of my front door gate while another camera is monitoring my driveway.
The other option is to use a Smart Doorbell. This is a good choice for people who get a lot of online deliveries. You’ll get push notifications that motion is detected and you can see a live view of the delivery. Furthermore, smart doorbells have two-way audio so you can talk to the delivery person in real-time. The only caveat is you will need a power source to your doorbell. My home is old and I don’t have that so I opted for wireless security cameras instead.
Choosing a smart lock for your smart home
If you want to take your front door security to the next level, consider upgrading to a Smart Lock. As mentioned, this provides keyless entry and a log of who’s coming and going. Not only is this incredibly convenient, it provides an additional layer of security. For example, imagine you get a notification from your smart doorbell that a delivery has arrived. Talk to your driver and let him know you’re remotely opening the front door to allow them to place the package inside. Out of sight, out of mind for any potential porch pirate.
My front door security tip for smart homes
As mentioned, my front door security includes outdoor wireless security cameras and a smart lock. This is because I have many products sent to me for review. The last thing I want is for a porch pirate to steal it. What I did was place a large wooden box I built beside my front door. Under my front door, I made a sign instructing the driver to place the package in the box. This prevents packages sitting on my front door. From the street, you can’t see what’s in the box. Again, out of sight, out of mind. If you get a lot of deliveries, I suggest you incorporate an unassuming box beside your front door.
Front door security for smart home improvements
We’ve discussed the reasons why you want front door security. Plus we highlighted the importance of having strong Wi-Fi at your front door. From there, you can choose between wireless security cameras and smart doorbells to monitor the front door area. If your new to the world of smart homes, read this buying guide. It will tell you everything you need to know to setup Security & Access at your front door.
