Disclaimer: I’m not sure how NETGEAR found me, but they contacted me to become one of their ambassadors, and that’s awesome. Yes, they sent me the Arlo Smart Home Security Camera for free in exchange for my honest and very own opinion. 

I’ve had people come to the door and scare me with their bold demeanor, whether they are sales people or people who had no good reason to be on our property. Being scared in your own home sucks. Here are some of the the most important things that help me feel safe around our home.

1. Get to know your neighbours
What happens if you forget to close your garage door? Who are you going to text and ask for help? What happens if there are strange noises outside and you’re home alone? Call up your neighbour and chat with them for a bit while things settle down. A few weeks ago I was in San Francisco, came back home only to realize I left my house keys inside our home. Luckily I could text my neighbour and hung out at their place with their new baby and dog until my husband came back from work.

2. Have a dog that likes to bark
Alfie, without fail, will bark when he hears something suspicious outside. He is on watch 24/7 and I can rely on him to provide early warning for surprise visitors. It doesn’t hurt that the majority of people who ring the bell have no idea the size of the dog behind the door in front of them, either.

3. Intercom and alarm system
These are pretty standard, but they really help give piece of mind. The intercom system is great so not only do I not have to actually answer the door to see who’s there, I don’t even need to go near it. It has been a savior, especially for those times I don’t want to answer the door if I’m in my PJs or it’s dark out and I feel uncomfortable opening the door. I like the alarm at night because I know it will wake me if anything sets it off.

4. Security cameras
Once upon a time, this might have seemed a little extreme, but with new cameras connected to the Internet, they really aren’t a big deal and the comfort they provide is well worth it. A while ago, I really wanted to know what was going on outside without having to approach the door. My husband and I had discussed this and he put up a makeshift camera directing onto the porch so I can see people coming to the door before they ring our doorbell, then decide if I want to answer it or not depending on if I’m expecting a mail delivery or the like. This is a great addition to the intercom. Recently we’ve upgraded to much fancier cameras from NETGEAR, who provided me with the Arlo Smart Home Security Camera to try out.

Setup:

Easy! There is a special device you have to plug into your router, but aside from that, you only have to choose where to put the magnetic camera mounts. An easy to use app on my iPad completed the setup.

Pros:

+. Truly wireless:  The cameras run off batteries so you can literally place them anywhere.
+. Recording: The video goes directly to the Internet so you can play back events on your phone.
+. Weatherproof:  You can put the cameras indoors or outdoors.
+. Night vision and motion detection: The Arlo sends you alerts whenever there is motion detected by the camera and will automatically record a clip at that time.

Cons:

 –. Non-rechargeable batteries: we’ll have to replace these every few months.
 -. Some of the more advanced features require a paid subscription.
 -. Hard to mount securely outside: The provided mounts are magnetic, which is great, but outside, it makes the cameras themselves too easy to steal. You really need to buy       traditional camera mounts to make them harder to remove.

Why would you need it?

The home security cameras are great for a variety of reasons. Not only for home security purposes, but for instance, monitoring your pets when you’re away at work — spy on them and see what they do throughout the day. Have elderly parents? Want to watch the babysitter look after your children? Or simply while you’re away on vacation and want to check in on the house?  The Arlo cameras make it easy to do it all, and the flexibility of the battery powered wireless design is fantastic.

There are add-ons you can also buy if the starter kit isn’t enough for you. You can set up to 15 cameras under the one system. Pop ’em all over the house!

We like to go the extra mile to make sure our home is secure. Although it’s hard to prevent perpetrators from watching and waiting for you to leave your home — and be bold and break in. But at least we’ll know right away if they do.

How do you like to make sure your homes are safe and sound?