+12 votes
by (1.1k points)
What are you folks using as alternatives to disable SHM when you get home? Here’s my scenario. I have my phone set up as a presence sensor so when I get home SHM will disarm and open the garage doors. As part of a redundancy I have in place, I have the Alexa app and IFTT set up to do the same thing. Of the 3, the Alexa routines seem the most accurate and will trigger my routine in almost every instance. SmartThings follows a close second but IFTT usually just takes too long. 99% of the time one of them will disarm SHM and open the doors however once in a while I will have to sit there and wait or open the SmartThings app before the routine triggers. I cannot use the garage door opener in the car or on the door as it will trigger the siren in the garage and outside. I figure since all 3 rely on my phone, maybe it’s time to put an alternative method in place that doesn’t need me to have to fish for my phone, enter passed code to unlock then wait for the SmartThings app to open before I can get in my home. Thoughts? Feedback?  
What are you folks using as alternatives to disable SHM when you get home?

10 Answers

+12 votes
by (750 points)
 
Best answer
Put an ikea tradfri switch in your car, then when you pull back home press the switch
by (1.1k points)
I was thinking exactly along those lines. My concern is that when I leave home, the switch will loose connection to the zigbee mesh network. I wonder how quickly it will join the network when I return home.  
by (1.1k points)
I do have a fair amount of Zigbee nodes so I'm not too concerned about the mesh notwork being available when I pull up to the garage. Just the ability to join reliably
by (750 points)
@cut57958 mine reconnected as soon as I pull car up to the house
by (1.1k points)
@moorfowl Good to know. I believe I do happen to have one knocking around I could repurpose. If it works, I can put others in each vehicle. That’ll also help with connectivity as there would be other zigbee repeaters in the garage (that is if works as repeater in the zigbee mesh).  
+8 votes
by (4.7k points)
Curious how you have alexa do this. my scenario is about the same. would you pm me to give me an idea of how your alexa does this please?  
+13 votes
by (10.2k points)
Iris keypas
+15 votes
by (440 points)
My wife and I use our phones for presence sensors. We did have a couple of instances of opening the door prior to the system disarming. I would recommend making your radius on the map larger. Also we use the routine backup that RBoy has.  
http://smartthings.rboyapps.com/
by (1.1k points)
@heaves I’ll look into this. Thanks
+10 votes
by (8.7k points)
We use phone presence along with ST presence sensors on our keys. If one fails, the other one is the failsafe. Works very well.  
+11 votes
by (600 points)
We use Life360. It’s been the most reliable presence sensor I’ve tried. The exterior garage door doesn’t trigger the alarm only the interior. Also there is an indicator on the wall of the garage showing the alarm status so someone doesn’t open the interior door too quickly.  
+11 votes
by (1.3k points)
I configured my alarm to go off when the garage door opens. That way your always covered.  
by (1.1k points)
@antung Same here.  
+1 vote
by (1k points)
We are using mobile phones as a presence sensors but sometimes when it is too slow to disarm I just open the door and press/hold my Hank one key button and it disarms SHM. Works great now because of the new app and SHM 30sec delay which can be set.  
by (750 points)
@tumefaction how do you set the delay, for me the delay only delays the alarm from sounding
by (1k points)
I do not care if I get notifications of intrusion detected. I just clear it off. Sirens are the biggest issue for me and now I have 30sec of time to disarm system.  
+11 votes
by (1.1k points)
I use life 360 with IFTTT it has never failed me with multiple houses. With the SHM + Life 360 occassionally it would fail.  
+11 votes
by (2.1k points)
I need something that runs locally as the recent delays with ST is causing all sorts of false alerts
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