Using google voice for a 175 dollar DIY security system | Homestead Security | Forums

came across this post on Reddit, it' a couple years old, might be worth researching some

We recently experienced a break-in while away at work, but were fortunate enough to have some noisy dogs that scared the intruder away before taking anything. I knew we needed an alarm ASAP but I didn't want to waste money on some simple door and window switches from Lowe's, and was certainly not going to shell out $40/mo for some operator to call the cops for me. Plus, I haven't had a landline in years...

After spending an honest 3 hours of googling for some sort of affordable smart-home system I could control with my iPhone, I almost gave up. They're understandably expensive and more geared toward automation than security. Luckily, I stumbled upon this magical little device, then remembered a well-reviewed DIY system I had seen on Amazon and immediately realized they might work together, utilizing Google Voice.

The Skylink system looked perfect and had solid enough reviews on Amazon for me to take the risk of connecting 3 separate pieces of technology... which usually ends up being a nightmare. However, I called Skylink support before placing my order to see - if by some chance - they had heard of the Obi100 and if they knew it would be compatible with the "Dial Alert" unit. They had, it is. Order was placed.

Two days later, I get the items in from Amazon and get to work. Here's a pic of what's included. The Obi100 vs Obi110 saves you $10 and works just fine unless you have a landline you're wanting to port through the unit. A nice little instructional video can be found on their website, but the included manual was clear enough for me. I bought a $6 phone from Wal-Mart and had a dial tone from Google Voice about 10 minutes later. Really easy to set up. (Google Voice is totally free, but is not capable of calling 911. Similar restrictions apply to other VOIP services and units like Magic Jack, but they are not free like GV. If you are already using Skype or other VOIP, however, you can skip the Obi100 and hook the Dial Alert right up to your current line. Skylink reiterated that "all you need is a dialtone for the unit to work" but I cannot attest to the accuracy of this statement, especially considering long-distance calls. GV will make US long-distance calls without issue, but I'm not sure about international.)

The Skylink was a snap to set up as well. I started with the Dial Alert unit, which is kept in my office near my router and the Obi100. Within a few minutes I had programmed in a recorded emergency message to dial my cell number, then my wife's number, and a few contacts. You can program up to 9 numbers, in order of importance, with each having the ability to cancel the alarm and stop the call from being kicked down to the next in line. (Skylink recommends not programming in emergency numbers, but it's easy enough for someone to hang up and dial 911, etc. after hearing your personal emergency message.)

Once the Dial Alert was working, I mounted the magnetic alarms on our front and back doors, and toyed with the motion detector, but have not set it up yet. The control unit sits by our front door and was surprisingly easy to program - with a slew of options for home mode, night mode, 4 different zones with unique traits, etc. We have the front door set to a 30 second delay while armed, allowing us easy entry and time to disarm the unit, but the back door will immediately sound the alarm and trigger the Dial Alert if the sensor is tripped. The system comes with a great selection to get you going (it even has a keychain remote) but you can add something like 30 peripherals at your leisure!

I am very happy with the bang-for-buck combination and love knowing I will be alerted if my home is breached again - at no cost from here on out. No, I do not work for Skylink or Obi100 haha. I kept this review short and sweet but would be happy to answer any more specific questions about either of the units. I hope this might help some of you on a budget like myself!