Wink Hub Review 2020 PCMag Australia
Table of Content
The service rep was always polite and asked for a four-digit PIN to keep police from being dispatched. We were able to arm and disarm the Abode system using Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit. For Alexa and Google Assistant, you need to speak a PIN, whereas HomeKit requires you to unlock your iPhone.
Tap any device to check its status and access its settings, or in the case of a camera, launch a live video stream. The Sensors screen has icons for temperature, humidity, motion, and door-window sensors and their current status (temperature, motion detected, door open, etc.). In just a minute or so we set up a motion sensor to send a notification to our smartphone (“We got company!”), turn on a Hue light, and activate a Sonos speaker, and it all worked quickly, too. You can also set up one or several devices to activate on demand as a scene, which is especially useful if you trigger it using voice via Alexa. In long-term use we suffered occasional service outages—a common issue with every hub we’ve used—and encountered sporadic delays when trying to control a device or found that a device’s status may be incorrect or delayed. A paid subscription adds access to an event timeline and the ability to add the aforementioned CUE automations.
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Still, if you’re concerned about the potential privacy or security risks of storing videos in the cloud, it’s an alternative that’s included with the Pro plan. If you opt to use security cameras, only consider models made by companies that provide robust security and privacy protections. Our top and runner-up picks include two-factor authentication, which does a good job of ensuring that access to your camera and video recordings is restricted. The Abode Smart Security Kit is the only one of our picks that currently makes it an option .
The Ring Alarm Pro doesn’t have the ability to integrate with as many third-party smart-home devices as our other picks, but it does have a built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router . This means the base station can both serve as the brains of your security system and replace your current Wi-Fi router (it can be set up as a mesh Wi-Fi network, too, which may improve your Wi-Fi’s range and performance). The Eero router also provides backup internet access via a cellular connection , should you have a power or internet outage. However, if you already have a mesh Wi-Fi network, don’t want one, and/or don’t need backup internet, opt for the original Ring Alarminstead.
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We’ve added details about that and Simplisafe’s new Fast Protect features in the review. As straightforward as the Wink installation was, we were disappointed at how few devices could be integrated into its app. For example, while it works with the Dropcam Pro, it cannot control the earlier model. And while Schlage is one of the 15 brands the app and hub work with, it works only with the touchscreen deadbolt lock — not the specific model we had installed. A mesh network works by allowing products to pass communications from one product to another which means that the HUB can pass on the communications to one product that passes the same on to another product. Any non-battery operated Z-Wave or ZigBee device will allow this functionality.
Should privacy or security issues be found with any of our picks here, we’ll report them and, if necessary, update or alter our recommendations. To gauge reaction times for the monitoring company, we triggered each system a minimum of five times . However, keep in mind that the monitoring company’s reaction time has absolutely nothing to do with the speed at which your local authorities respond to the alarm—if they respond at all.
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Google is folding Nest into its smart-home ecosystem, and Works with Nest will become Works with Google Assistant. We explain what that means for current Nest-device owners in a separate post. What kept it from being a pick was its app—in our testing it would freeze up on occasion and lock us out constantly, requiring us to enter a password for every login. Since then, one contact sensor has just recently started burning through CR2032 batteries faster than normal. After changing them twice during my most recent testing round, I realized batteries were lasting only about two weeks. To determine how well the Ring Alarm system worked over time, we solicited feedback from staff members at Wirecutter who use the device.
And because it’s connected to your home Internet network, it allows you to send commands using your smartphone, whether you’re at home or away, which is one of the great benefits of smart-home technology. The original hub had some issues with reliability, but so has virtually every other smart-home hub. Right now, the Wink Hub 2 is one of the most inclusive devices you can buy when it comes to controlling your smart home. Backed by partners such as Home Depot, Wink uses an app to connect with devices from brands such as GE, Schlage, and Lutron. For products that can’t communicate directly with the Android or iOS app, there’s the $50 Wink Hub, a standalone router that acts as a bridge between those products and a home Wi-Fi network. There are no monthly fees, and the company claims the system already works with over 60 different products.
When I poked around in the app to find out if anything actually happened, the firmware update seemed to stop, and the notification to update appeared at the bottom of the screen again. I tried a few more times until giving up, and after I started connecting devices to the Hub, it went away. To a full-fledged smart home-focused spin-off company that supports both Quirky's own products and those from outside vendors. The new, $80 Wink home automation hub is the focal point for this new company's ambition of controlling your house. In addition to relying on a wireless communication method, many smart devices also integrate with different platforms, like Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit, which may be exclusive or proprietary.
Otherwise, the Ring Alarm Pro is compatible with all the same sensors and other add-ons that work with Ring Alarm. If you have the older system, you can upgrade by buying just the base station. You can also buy a starter package such as the 8-piece kit we tested, which includes the base station, four contact sensors for doors and windows, one motion detector, and a range extender to help connect alarm components around the house.
We didn’t consider alarm systems that require professional installation. A good example is the Vivint Smart Home Security system, which we’ve reviewed separately and don’t recommend for most people. Its optional monitoring plan is slightly cheaper than that of our top pick, although it doesn’t provide video storage.
The Wink app has a feature called “geofencing” which allows Aros and other products to turn on automatically when you get close to home and shut off when you leave. The Non-technical user might find it difficult initially but once connected the usage is as simple as picking a piece of cake. No worries of any additional cost once the app is set and you can control your home from any distance with no hassle. I was also able to create a schedule for these functions, but couldn't do things like configure vacation settings and setup reminders and alerts. Simply open the app, select the hub under the product list, and follow the instructions. The instructions included plugging in the hub , enabling Bluetooth on your phone, and providing your Wi-Fi network details.
The $199 kit comes with the hub and two external all-in-one sensors, which connect back to the hub via wireless Arlo SecureLink technology, and can be placed throughout the house. (A starter kit with the hub and five sensors is $299.) The system can be self-monitored without a monthly fee, or with a live monitoring plan that starts at $10 per month. Once you decide which type of system you want, you need to pick what that system will include. Most security companies, whether its kits are DIY or professionally installed, professionally monitored or self-monitored, offer guidance if you’re confused about what to choose. DIY systems are also modular, so you can easily add sensors and devices as you need them—perhaps a camera by the garage, or sensors on the sliding glass door upstairs. To use the Wi-Fi for the connection to the Wink Hub, make sure that the smart products have the correct Wink seal.
Other home security components include motion sensors, keypads, key fobs, cameras, glass-break sensors, and panic buttons. In spite of these shortcomings, the Wink software worked well with the devices it did support. Each can be scheduled to be adjusted at specific times or grouped together under the Robots option to perform coordinated tasks. We quickly linked the GE light in the living room, for example, to go on whenever the Dropcam detected motion out the front window.
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