Home security has always been important to us, and is even more so after becoming parents. A few of our neighbors were robbed a couple months ago and the thieves were brazen enough to do it in the middle of the day. After receiving the next-generation of Iris by Lowe’s home automation and security system, we couldn’t wait to set everything up.
Where to Install
The Iris hub needs to plug in directly to the wireless router. It’s very easy, just make sure you follow the four steps in order.
When considering where we wanted to install the door and window sensor, motion sensor, and automated plug, we needed to think like a bad guy. We’ve got a few entry points into our home but it’s the doors and windows that are hidden from the street that would be most prone to be broken into.
We decided to set up a motion sensor in our dining area which has two windows and serves as a passageway through our home. If anyone is in the house they will undoubtedly pass through this area. The main door already has a first-generation Iris sensor that we could link up to the new hub. It’s great that the system is backwards compatible so we don’t need to purchase new sensors for doors that already have them installed. We want to add a couple window sensors for the bathroom and bedroom windows that are on the side of the house. These areas are hidden from view and would be prime entry point targets.
We positioned the new motion sensor on the main back door. Although it’s less likely that door gets broken into, at least we can now monitor it while we are home and away. We’ve got another setup in our home office which is important as we have a lot of computer gear and business items stored. One unexpected bonus was that the door and window sensors can also indicate temperature which helps inform the system when you are plugged into the thermostat.
We’ve got a timer on a living room light where we read, but it’s tucked away behind a large mirror and tough to get to every time we need to adjust it. With the automated plug, we can control the timer settings from our smartphones so there’s no more fiddling with a plug timer.
Living with Iris
We’ve only had the system set up for a few days but we are already questioning how we ever lived without it. What’s great about the Iris system is that it now offers over 75 Iris-compatible devices, and they have partnered with some of the biggest names in home security and automation like ZigBee, Z-Wave and AllJoyn, creating a seamless experience across all devices. This feature makes choosing the Iris system much easier. Check their list of products, and if you’ve already got some of them then you can automate them with this system.
We’ll do a follow up post after we’ve spent a few weeks living with the system. We are headed out of town for a few days and are happy to know that we’ve got more of our home covered by the Iris system.
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