DIY home security with iSmartAlarm

You can't put a price on peace of mind, but that doesn't mean you have to overpay for home security. Now, with Kickstarter darling iSmartAlarm on the market, you don't. Its complete home security packages start at $199 with no contracts or monthly fees. Just set up the motion sensors, cameras, and alarms as you see fit, then monitor everything using the company's free app. It's smarter, more affordable home security for a new generation of DIY-ers.

Skeptics might be quick to point out that unlike the more established heavy hitters of home security, iSmartAlarm doesn't currently offer live monitoring. If somethings triggers your alarm, it won't alert an operator. Instead, you'll get a text message alerting you to the breach, as well as an automated phone call. From there, calling the police is left up to you.

For me, these concerns were less important than the fact that the highly touted iCamera was too temperamental. Still, it's hard not to like what iSmartAlarm is doing. It isn't the system I'd use to protect a Picasso, but for lower-stakes scenarios, it's truly a game changer. Consumers who have long felt priced out of home security finally have a legitimate and affordable alternative, and the appeal doesn't stop there -- even if money is no concern, you might still prefer iSmartAlarm's control and customizability.

Simply put, if you're thinking about securing your home, there really isn't a good reason not to give iSmartAlarm serious consideration. And if you've already gone with a more expensive option, you might want to look into switching to iSmartAlarm and saying goodbye to those monthly fees.

Flexible features, customizable control iSmartAlarm's variety of sensors promises comprehensive coverage of your home security needs. Its Preferred Package, which runs for $199, includes a motion detector, two contact sensors for detecting when doors or windows are opened and closed, two remote tags that clip onto your keychain and allow you to arm and disarm the system, and the system's brain, the CubeOne, which also features a built in panic siren. For $150 more, the Premium Package adds the iCamera to your setup. Whichever package you choose, you'll be able to add additional sensors, sirens, cameras, and remotes a la carte style, so customizing the system to fit the specific size and needs of your home won't be a problem.

No matter how many devices you end up purchasing, you'll control all of them through the iSmartAlarm app, a free download for iOS users that's coming soon to Android devices, too. The app's four-button home screen mirrors the remote tag, allowing you to arm the system, disarm the system, activate the panic siren, or go into "Home Mode," which disables the motion detectors but leaves the contact sensors active - perfect for protecting your house without having to worry about the pets triggering a false alarm.

If you spring for the iCamera, be prepared for potential frustration with the setup process. The folks at iSmartAlarm acknowledged that it tends to not play nice with about 10 to 15 percent of routers on the market today, although they maintain that they're able to help all users ultimately get it up and running smoothly. My experience wasn't quite that simple, which I'll get to.

When the camera does work, the app will display the iCamera's field of view for you, and also let you move it around just by swiping your fingers. You can also pre-set the iCamera's default viewing angle -- if the alarm is ever triggered, the camera will maneuver back to this framing and automatically save what it sees to the cloud, hopefully capturing the intruder on film. The camera won't detect or follow movement, though, which would have been a very nice added feature.

You can rename each sensor within the app to help keep things straight ("Front Door," "Back Door," and so on). You can also set names for the owner of each remote tag, which will help you track who's coming and going. For both the sensors and the remotes, you can upload photos, which doesn't really add any functionality, but still helps to personalize the app and make it more visually appealing. If someone else downloads the app and wants to link up with your security network, they'll just have to scan a QR code on your phone.

When something triggers the alarm, the panic siren sounds automatically, and you'll receive a text alert notifying you exactly what part of the system went off. This is where renaming each sensor really comes in handy -- getting a 3:30 a.m. message that says "Contact Sensor No. 3 has been opened" is a lot less helpful than one that says "The back door has been opened."

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DIY home security with iSmartAlarm