Designing & Installing Devicebook Self-Monitored Security

Introduction

This section is about designing Devicebook Self-Monitored Security for a smart home, and subsequently installing devices.  

To learn about using Devicebook Security , see Using Devicebook Security

Designing Security

Devicebook Self-Monitored Security must be designed holistically, taking the entire home into account.

Consider the potential entry points to the home: doors and windows. In general, all windows that are large enough to fit an intruder should have an door/window sensor installed, as should all the doors in the home. Glass-break detectors help to defend against intruders who break the glass instead of forcing open a window or door. Motion Sensors are a great third line of defense in case the other sensors fail, and for peace of mind. Finally, Sirens in a home can deter intruders and alert residents or even neighbors.

Optional Feature Choices

For each room in the home, you can choose any combination of the following features: 

- Door/Window Monitoring

- Glass Break Detection

- Motion Detection

- Sirens

When to use Door/Window Monitoring

Door/Window Monitoring uses Open/Close Sensors to detect when doors or windows have been opened. If opened while the home is armed, Devicebook will treat it as an intruder alert.

Generally, all exterior-facing windows and doors should have Open/Close Sensors on them. This means all locations in the home with exterior-doors or windows should have the Door/Window Monitoring feature.

In practice, you can save costs by picking only particularly vulnerable windows. For example, a large window on the ground floor with cover from the street would be a vulnerable window that should definitely have an open/close sensor. A window on the third story of a home that is difficult to reach or fit through may be a less likely target. 

When to use Glass-break Detection

Glassbreak Detectors detect when a window has been broken by the distinctive sound of shattering glass. They are an important line of protection for a home, and should be used if possible. If an intruder enters a home by breaking a window, simply using Door/Window Monitoring will not be enough to detect it, but a Glassbreak Detector would. The number of Glassbreak detectors required in a home will depend on the specific model of device you are using. 

When to use Motion Detection

If an intruder gains access to a home without forcing open a window that has a sensor on it, and without breaking glass, Motion Detectors will detect their presence and raise an intruder alert.

When to use Sirens

A Siren is a device that creates a loud noise when triggered. When Devicebook detects an intruder and it is not dismissed, all sirens in the home will be turned on. They will remain on until the home is disarmed or the alert is dismissed.

A home should have at least one siren, and perhaps multiple depending on the size of the home. The purpose of a siren is to scare off any intruders, and to alert any residents of an intruder. Position sirens accordingly.

Device Choices

We highly recommend using Hard-wired or PoE sensors for reliability and robustness. Devicebook can detect when the wiring for hard-wired sensors have been cut or tampered, providing an extra line of defense.

See the Device Selection Guide for more information about the different communication protocols and recommendations on specific device models. 

Other Design Considerations

Events from sensors are processed by the Devicebook Hub. If an event from a sensor cannot reach the Devicebook Hub, or if the Hub is damaged or loses power, the security of the home may be compromised.

The Devicebook Hub has a port for a backup battery, and for a SIM card. For security applications, a backup battery and SIM card should be installed. You can see recommended backup battery accessories in the Device Selection Guide.

Installing Devicebook Security

Install sensors and sirens following the manufacturer's instructions. For devices that are wireless, note that metal enclosures and objects can block wireless signals. Install the devices in such a way that the radio path to the Devicebook Hub (or the nearest repeater, in the case of Z-Wave or Insteon) has minimal obstruction. If a signal from the device cannot reach the Devicebook Hub.

Setting Up & Testing Lighting

Use House Check to set up all the devices in the home.

To verify that the security solution has been installed properly, test each sensor:

One by one, open and close each door and window in the home that has had an Open/Close Sensor installed. For each one, verify that the sensor's status is displayed correctly in the Home Controller, in the Devicebook App's Security Page.

Then, for each motion sensor in the home, move around in its range of detection. Verify that the sensor's status is displayed correctly in the Home Controller.

For each Glassbreak Detector, use an accessory glass break simulator in range. Verify that the sensor's status is displayed correctly in the Home Controller.

Arm the home, and then simulate an intruder by opening a door or window sensor. Wait for the siren timer without disarming the home. Verify that all sirens in the home turn on. You should wear ear protection equipment for this test.

To learn more about using Devicebook Security, see Using Devicebook Self-Monitored Security