Ekin Labs says its free software can build a home-security system using hardware you already own

LAS VEGASYou cant swing a burglars bag of loot at CES without hitting some new smart-home security system. Amidst all the cameras, sensors, and touchscreen control panels, Ekin Labs exhibit stood out: Its has a software solution, dubbed Hi WiFi, that transforms the hardware you already own into a sophisticated motion sensor array. And it will be free when it emerges from betafor a limited time, at least.

The Hi WiFi system is deceptively simple. You install the software on at least two Wi-Fi-enabled devices in your homesmartphones, tablets, PCs, or what have youand the software triangulates the location of those devices relative to the location of your Wi-Fi router. Anything that moves within that zone will cause the connection to fluctuate. If the fluctuation is significant enough to indicate that a person is moving around your home when it should be unoccupied, Hi WiFi can send an alert to your smartphone.

Ekin Labs co-founder and CEO Francescantonio Della Rosa explained that the alert system can be customized based on your preferences. For example, if a home burglary is taking place, he said, you might want to jump straight into calling the police instead of letting a neighbor know whats happening.

Della Rosa said that the Hi WiFi system is also able to detect and eliminate false positives from being reported. For example, the motions of a cat bolting through the living room or a breeze shutting a window are going to be very different from a human adult methodically breaking, entering, and pilfering a room.

Hi WiFi can detect someone moving around your home and send an alert via smartphone if the software is set to "away" mode..

The downside to this approach, of course, is that how the system only works while ones Wi-Fi devices, including the router, are strategically located. Youd probably want to use older devices for this job simply because you no longer carry them with you. And then youd need to make sure nothing has been moved every time you leave the house.

The story behind the story: Hi WiFis price tag zero-dollar price tag renders it worth checking out, and it could be a good supplement for other security systemsIP cameras, for instance that can deliver confirmation of whats happening inside your home. But the proof will be in the pudding.

Chanelle is a freelance contributor who writes about smart home products and connected devices. She has written for Fortune and Forbes covering business and technology. More by Chanelle Bessette

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Ekin Labs says its free software can build a home-security system using hardware you already own