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[callagga]

Hi,

What is a good platform/system to use for a DIY home Surveillance system? (e.g. linux based disto perhaps?)  Ideally open source/free, but if there's nothing in this category then a low cost commercial package.

Considerations:
* Like to connect in devices (ideally) wireless based such as:  door closed/open sensor, pool temperature sensor, web cam
* Ability to view status of house from separate PC, and over the internet (with appropriate security)
* Ideally the web cam / security system integration would be able to detect when there is movement and only save this
* Not an alarm system (we already have an alarm system for the house)
* I'm a techo so I already have linux based servers at home & do some software development.

So I am imaging something like a piece of software (linux based distro ideal) that I could host on a PC in my home network.  Ideally the sensors would be wireless (e.g. webcam, door sensors, temperature sensors) and affordable as wireless (haven't checked this), so I'm guessing in this case there wouldn't be any need for PC cards in the computure for the sensors.  Would assume I've got a wireless network already at home for the sensors.  The software would then save the data, and offer up a user interface for viewing, a web-server to offer a web interface that I could open up to internet via appropriate ports on my firewall.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[HA Dave]

.... So I am imaging something like a piece of software (linux based distro ideal) that I could host on a PC in my home network.  Ideally the sensors would be wireless (e.g. webcam, door sensors, temperature sensors) and affordable as wireless (haven't checked this), so I'm guessing in this case there wouldn't be any need for PC cards in the computure for the sensors.  Would assume I've got a wireless network already at home for the sensors.  The software would then save the data, and offer up a user interface for viewing, a web-server to offer a web interface that I could open up to internet via appropriate ports on my firewall.

I am just curious. Why on earth would you go to a forum... that's paid for by a company that sells exactly the kind of products your talking about. But then ask what is available... in a free platform?

Is it just me... or is rude cool now-a-days?

[callagga]

I open to any advice - what's the non-free product you're referring to that does what I'm after?  I'd love to have a look.   (I google and got this link/forum & assumed it was a X10 forum, i.e. forums.x10.com - which when I google X10 & wikipedia & got "this is an X10 is an international and open industry standard for communication among electronic devices used for home automation")

[HA Dave]

...when I google X10 & wikipedia & got "this is an X10 is an international and open industry standard for communication among electronic devices used for home automation")

And all that is true.

X10 is also a manufacture and seller of Home Automation products, security cameras, software, Americas most popular DIY alarm, and... X10 is also the worlds largest third party manufacturer of remote controls. By the way... since your a Linux user... there is even some linux X10 users.

A little searching here at the forum and browsing the (flashy animated gif's and girly eyecandy) X10.com store should provide you all you need. But please.. continue to post any more questions you may have. And Welcome to the forum callagga.

[beelocks]

Rude is definitely cool (have you noticed how many people say 'please' these days), but to answer the OP...

X10 products can probably do what you require if you're prepared to put the time and effort in. You cannot do anything 'off-the-shelf' and free with X10 or any other manufacturer. 'Off-the shelf' will be custom designed and you'll be paying huge money for a consultant to assist - free gets you absolutely ZERO in hardware such as sensing devices and cameras.

With X10 you'll have to develop your own methods of pool temperature sensing and a means of converting that information to apply to whatever controllers you're planning to operate. Other (pricier) manufacturers may offer this feature as standard.

Every key point you've asked has been addressed in these forums and you're asking every member here to repeat information that you can easily find by using that 'search' button over yonder. Hit the search button and type your key points (one at a time) into the boxes that pop up and you'll have every piece of information that you desire.

Start by investing your time into some research and possible some money into hardware (probably X10 if low cost is your prime consideration) and come back when you have some real queries that the unpaid expert volunteers will be able to help you with.

This is a support forum for X10 products, if you need comparative shopping advice you may want to contact the sales teams at the manufacturer and supplier websites.

Just remember that you get what you pay for, and 'free' rarely coincides with low-cost when you factor in your obviously valuable time. When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys - welcome to the X10 monkey forum.

[callagga]

thanks

BTW - Is the X10 company & products you're referring to the same as the ones I see here by chance?  http://www.smarthome.com.au/homeautomation/x10homeautomation.php  Not sure whether I'm still getting confused with the overloaded term X10 for the standard as well as company(s)   

[callagga]

I've been trying to go through info (drowning in info)

Can I ask just for a heads up to see if I'm on the right track with X10, is there an X10 base station/otherwise that would support a system for me that would cover:
(a) motion sensors (e.g. door)
(b) temperature sensor (e.g. pool)
(c) web cams (e.g. the wireless web cams you can buy - or perhaps it has to be an X10 web cam?)
(d) auto-record video from web cams when there is motion detected
(e) ability to remotely "login in" over internet to view status/history of everything (including viewing web cams live, or saved web cam video snippets)

Or perhaps the question is which are the X10 products one would need for this?  (if it can support this)

thanks

[HA Dave]

BTW - Is the X10 company & products you're referring to the same as the ones I see here by chance?  http://www.smarthome.com.au/homeautomation/x10homeautomation.php  Not sure whether I'm still getting confused with the overloaded term X10 for the standard as well as company(s)   

X10.com < just click the link.