Google - Nest Secure Alarm System with Nest Cam Outdoor - White

I am not sure what's going on with people given "one star" on this product. Before you purchase the item, didn't you do some homework? Before I bought it, I also considered Ring, ismart and Samsung ADT, I know Nest can only be place on a flat surface, not on the wall, because there is a sensor to detect people on the main guard device. The main device is not huge, but will be too fat if you put that on the wall, unlike nest thermostat or ecobee or other security panel, the built in speaker is great. And all the nest detect works great. If there is something I don't like, that will be the detect is a bit too pricey, typically for the sensor, it is $20-35, and I dont really need all sensor to have "quiet exit" function. Also the camera subscription is expensive, while Ring offer $10/month flat fee for all the ring cameras installed, Logitech charge $3.99/month for each camera and Amazon icloud camera charge $9.99/ month for up to 5 camera, Nest charge $10/ month for each camera! That is really expensive. Other than these two things, installation is easy, and system runs well ! And it looks modern and great.

I purchased the starter kit. The online installation videos on Nest's website make it very easy to follow the setup and installation of the base (brain) and all of the sensors. The system is very easy to activate and deactivate not only at the base, but also with the Nest App. The door/motion sensors are very cool, because they have the ability to "bypass" a door sensor (in case you need to let your pet out to do their "business" without having to deactivate the entire alarm system). All you have to do is press the button on the bottom of the sensor, and wait for the green light. Then open the door. To let your pet back in, just press the button again. The sensor re-arms itself each time the door closes. The sensors and base also have courtesy lights on them, so if you're walking around in the house at night, they'll shine an (adjustable brightness) path light for you. The alarm monitoring is done by Brinks Home Security, and is affordable. And once you set up a contract, Brinks activates a cellular back up, so if your wifi or internet goes down, you're still protected.

There are MANY reviews online about this product, so I purchased it solely to try it out, with an eye on returning it unless it was a "perfect" fit. I had the unit in place for about 30 days, then returned it, I needed the scheduling and more consistent sensor behavior to justify the price, so maybe I'll get it down the road. I won't go into exhausting detail, many other reviews do that well, I'll only focus on the major areas that were good/bad for me. : GOOD: - Loud alarm (2600 sqft, placed centrally, we have 1st floor hardwood and ceramic tile floors, with a fully carpeted 2nd floor - no problems hearing with all doors closed) - Ease of setup (It was being introduced into an existing Nest environment - Hello, Yale, Outdoor Cam - it setup with no problem) - Package contents (the alarm plus the Outdoor Cam is a great package, especially with already having other components like the doorbell and another cam) - Base unit (It looks great, easy to read, great buttons, and I love that it's also a sensor) - Integration (no conflicts with other Nest devices, and it worked with the Yale to disarm the system upon entry) - Notifications (speedy on-phone notifications and emails, sent to multiple users with no noticeable delay) BAD: - Unable to schedule on/off (this is somewhat preferential, but for my needs, I needed it to be able to turn itself off at one specific time during the day, and there is no ability to schedule a time period) - Sensor inconsistency (there were more than a few times where I was in the detection area by a few feet and it failed to detect) - Sensor options (pressing the sensor to temporarily disarm is only useful if it's placed near your walking path; also, the base unit's sensor is in one direction only, and it doesn't have a very wide detection zone) - Sensor adhesive (not bad, but unexpectedly irritating: the adhesive strip on the sensor is extremely strong - be careful when placing, the paint will almost certainly come off the wall, maybe use scotch tape first or something to test the location)

Simple set up, love the app makes everything easy to control. I do wish the door alerts would specify what door was open and would have liked a wall mountable keypad like most security systems. Also when talking via the camera I am unable to listen while trying to talk and due to the lag makes it difficult to converse through. Most of the time the first few words are cut off when someone talks through the camera.

I really like the Nest product line. My only complaints so far with this is that I have had periodical network drops even though my router is six feet away. I’ve read that others have had this issue. I wish there was a hard drive option for storing video clips from the cameras. I don’t want to subscribe to a service. I will continue to expand this product with other options and I can say too much else that I have an issue with.

Love this alarm system. It was super simple to setup and I was ready to go in less than 30 minutes.

really like the easy of use of the nest secure alarm! easy to set up as well.

After purchasing, I had some initial problems with updating the system. Google's tech service was able to resolve the issue, and now the product is working as promised. The outdoor camera is clear as day. The overall quality is very good and doesn't clutter up the area. I also like the Nest tags as it keeps track of the assigned users when they enter and leave.