For our rural home, I'm wanting a burglar alarm and motion activated security cameras that both alert me on my phone.

A SimpliSafe system and 3 Ring cameras seem to be the right fit for me (budget and functionality wise)

Has anyone had success in connection cameras to a mobile hot spot? I'm finding mixed answers. Will 3 cameras eat up a data plan in no time?

Internet is available at the home, but it's 3 times the cost of hot spot data plans. Is it worth the extra money to just get internet?

Get Starlink and dont worry about the data plan?

But TBH, I thought rural security was a couple dogs and a shotgun.

Just looked up Starlink and it is 3 times the cost of fiber and also requires an expensive upfront hardware investment.

I'm trying to keep monthly cost down as it's a second home and the hot spot data plans are the cheapest. I'm just not sure if they'll work with my security needs

River Bass said:

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Just looked up Starlink and it is 3 times the cost of fiber and also requires an expensive upfront hardware investment.

I'm trying to keep monthly cost down as it's a second home and the hot spot data plans are the cheapest. I'm just not sure if they'll work with my security needs

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What are your actual options for internet?

Cost and data allotment for each?

Are you planning on only having the cameras record on motion or constant recording?

Simplisafe has its own cameras and their recording and notifications are rolled into your alarm plan already whether you use them or not if you have the 30/m plan. Using simplisafe cameras also lets the alarm company directly access them when an alarm is triggered if you give them permission. Lets them see if there is an actual intrusion or fire and lets them talk through the cameras speaker too to try and deter theft.

Don't mean to partially hijack the thread, but has the Verizon home towers not rolled out yet? I thought their new towers were supposed to provide home internet.

We have Reolink with solarpanels in our rural area but it requires wifi connection (although ours is not great -- tops out at 30 megs or so). That doesn't solve the alarm piece, but we've been happy with the cameras.

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Just looked up Starlink and it is 3 times the cost of fiber and also requires an expensive upfront hardware investment.

I'm trying to keep monthly cost down as it's a second home and the hot spot data plans are the cheapest. I'm just not sure if they'll work with my security needs

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If you have the option to get fiber, you're not rural...

Its rural compared to Houston.

And there is internet available in a lot of Texas
https://gis.connectednation.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9e10c6120228435ca35c759fac3d805e

Maybe Simplisafe has changed to adapt to the market, but they only allowed Simplisafe branded cameras when I tried them out - maybe 4 years ago. I ultimately returned the system and the breaking point for me was to monitor the system remotely, they made customers pay a monthly fee.

rbcs_2 said:

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Maybe Simplisafe has changed to adapt to the market, but they only allowed Simplisafe branded cameras when I tried them out - maybe 4 years ago. I ultimately returned the system and the breaking point for me was to monitor the system remotely, they made customers pay a monthly fee.

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Its baked into the monthly cost now for the $30 plan. Im grandfathered in at $20 which is nice. Its still their own cameras though but they are competitively priced.

rangerdanger said:

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Highly recommend not putting a sign like this on your property. You'll become an easy target for break-ins to steal said weapons.

River Bass said:

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For our rural home, I'm wanting a burglar alarm and motion activated security cameras that both alert me on my phone.

A SimpliSafe system and 3 Ring cameras seem to be the right fit for me (budget and functionality wise)

Has anyone had success in connection cameras to a mobile hot spot? I'm finding mixed answers. Will 3 cameras eat up a data plan in no time?

Internet is available at the home, but it's 3 times the cost of hot spot data plans. Is it worth the extra money to just get internet?

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Cameras will work with a hotspot, but you may have issues reaching them outside of your local network.

I run an ATT Unlimited Elite plan at my rural property. Works well with a number of cameras, home automation, and security monitoring. I'm not a fan of SimpliSafe but it works for some people.

What do you mean by "outside your local network"?
I'm looking at Verizon hot spots since my primary cell phone plan is Verizon. House is 2 hours away from primary residence.

What security option do you use? SimpliSafe is the one that gets mentioned the most on searches

AGGODDESS said:

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We have Reolink with solarpanels in our rural area but it requires wifi connection (although ours is not great -- tops out at 30 megs or so). That doesn't solve the alarm piece, but we've been happy with the cameras.

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Drives me nuts how much Netgear/Arlo wants for their solar panels. I tried to use Reo and I think there was a connection difference and actual voltage difference .

River Bass said:

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What do you mean by "outside your local network"?
I'm looking at Verizon hot spots since my primary cell phone plan is Verizon. House is 2 hours away from primary residence.

What security option do you use? SimpliSafe is the one that gets mentioned the most on searches

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Meaning you won't be able to see them if your viewing device isn't also connected to the hotspot. You need a service that will punch through the CGNAT. Eufy, Arlo, and similar generally will. Eufy has no monthly fees. You might want to look at TMO or ATT since they have truly unlimited plans again.

I self monitor. SimpliSafe gets mentioned a lot because they spend a ton of money on advertising on youtube and with other influencers. If you want "security", no wireless system is the way to go since they can be easily blocked.

LPL did a video on it a few years ago

Verizon has an unlimited business hotspot.

https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/verizon-business-releases-new-business-unlimited-data-device-plans-with-5g-ultra-wideband-network-access/

If you want to get into a tiny bit of cut and paste coding… you can make a hotspot look like a tablet (change the IEMI) and get a $10/ month tmobile unlimited business tablet plan. Changing the IMEI is against the "terms of service" but is not illegal if you own the device you transfer the IMEI from.

Oh, and we use Eeufy cameras that do not have a yearly fee at our lake house that has an AT&T (hacked to look like a phone) hotspot for the internet. It works great for us.

We use Ring alarm with Ring cameras. It's pretty great, especially for the grandfathered subscribers that get cloud camera storage plus monitored alarm for $10/month.

River Bass said:

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Its rural compared to Houston.

And there is internet available in a lot of Texas
https://gis.connectednation.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9e10c6120228435ca35c759fac3d805e

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I got a few hundred acres in Dime box. That's rural bub.

So do you use any type of connected security or surveillance on your propriety or did you just come here to debate what is rural?