Home Security News

Why Change Your Locks When You Move In?

If you've recently (or not so recently) moved into a new home and didn't change the locks, you could be setting yourself up for an unpleasant experience.  A UK article, Spare Keys Undermine Home Security, notes that people often give away spare keys to friends and family but don't always bother to reclaim them when they move.  If you move into a house that's had three owners and the locks have never been changed, imagine how many people might have keys to your home.  It's even a good idea to change the locks when moving into a new apartment.  It's not something landlords usually bother with, but the article notes, "Seven per cent of tenants do not return their spare keys when moving out, increasing the possibility that a stranger has access to your house."

Changing the locks is a simple DIY project that can be done in a day.  Maybe it's time for a trip to the hardware store...

Home Security with Linksys

A lot of homeowners are getting into the idea of setting up video cameras in their home and monitoring them via the Internet while they're away.  An article in the Charlotte Observer, Home Security the Wireless Way, takes a look at the Linksys options as well as a couple of other camera systems designed for homeowners who want to check in remotely.  To achieve this, the writer says, "The simplest offerings are stand-alone video cameras with built-in Web servers. I experimented with three such models, the $230 Linksys WVC54G Wireless-G Internet video camera and two more advanced $1,000 cameras, the Panasonic BB-HCM371A network camera and the D-Link DCS-6620G Wireless Internet camera." The article goes on to describe subscription costs and initial set-up costs.  It's worth a read if you're looking for remote home video access.