I’m a new customer of the Abode system and so far it’s been very reliable. I’ve been adding on accessories as needed and it’s been working well. I also am a Pro plan customer and like the fact that the system has a cellular backup capability. Even though the system has its own battery, I plug the system into a UPS to get the maximum amount of protection. The cameras are nothing to write home about, but with the latest firmware version they seem to be working ok. It’s flexibility with interacting with other devices was a big plus with me. HomeKit support seems to be a little better than some of the other systems out there.
Abode was horrible for me…changed the whole house and never work, constantly disconnecting from homekit, never working…eventually sent the whole system back, I do applaud their customer services, they tried their best to help me make it work but it never did, they said I had too many sensor for it to handle…lol I had about 15 to 20 sensors I think, I went back to Ring that always works with homekit
Hi Eric - thanks for the video. I saw that since this one you’ve switched to Ring. Just wanted to know what your thoughts are here in 2024. I really like HomeKit integration and am always weary about anything Amazon owns from a privacy standpoint. Also, hello from a fellow Illinoisan! 🙋🏻♂️
Great video, Eric! I’ve been going back and forth about getting this system for a long time now. Quick question about the door sensors, you can only use Abode’s sensors to trigger the alarm right? If I already have door sensors from other brands I would have to replace those? And also are the Abode sensors exposed to HomeKit?
Not sure if you are still using Abode, but the beeping for most things are disabled by turning off the warning beep setting. It's under System Settings/Hub Sound Settings and you will see it to disable. My biggest issue with Abode has been all of their camera iterations as they are inconsistent when you are recording and I have had frequent issues with the camera just not working at all.
Traveling internationally now. 1:30am local time, I wake up and see a missed call from the alarm response company. I have my Abode keypads set up as motion detectors in Away mode. The alarm company couldn’t reach me so they sent the police. The bummer is, there was nothing wrong. The camera that is in the same room as the keypad did not show any motion. That’s my one free false alarm and it makes me question the reliability of the Abode system.
I’m a big fan of my Abode system (regular smart security kit) but it seems to get itself messed up in HomeKit once a week or so. It reports the wrong status and can’t be changed within homekit, but it still works in the abode app. Resetting the system by powering it off and disconnecting the battery fixes it every time. A bit annoying to need to do this quick fix often.
@@eddynaime5798 awesome I’ll give that a try. At first it wasn’t connecting at all so they rolled back my firmware and got it working in this way. It’s probably worth trying again.
I was considering Aqara for a security system, until I learned most insurance companies won’t give a discount unless your system is monitored…which aqara can’t support…
I have a MyQ garage door opener. Can I connect it to the Abode system? I dont have Alexa or a smart hub per se just the Abode gateway and the MyQ garage door opener
It's been a while since I used these but I think they use Z-Wave for the Abode sensors. Either way, I wouldn't worry too much about the range of the base station talking to sensors. I would encourage you to find newer reviews of Abode products if you are considering them. I also should have some upcoming videos this fall that are security system and HomeKit related.
@@EricWelander Thanks for the reply. I'm looking at Ring now. I already have a bunch of Nest+Logitech cameras and just want the system to monitor (with a monitoring service) door sensors across a large home and guest house.
Great video but automating you alarm to turn off when your garage opens is not a smart idea. If you garage remote gets taken you now basically have no alarm.
Love my Abode Iota I brought in on the whole system including cameras. My issue with the beep came from my Wide Angle Camera motion sensor. Sometimes it would go haywire and take a million pics if the alarm tripped. I had to replace the batteries on that thing several times. My keypad on the other head I think I went 9 months before I charged it.
Hey Eric, Abode says on their website that they support third party devices like ecobee, august, etc... I have a lot of zigbee Aqara sensors and they say they support Zigbee too.. is this true? I essentially want to know, can non-Abode sensors (that are supported) be exposed to the home monitoring system? or do I have to redo my whole house to do all Abode? There is not a lot of info on this...
I don't know of an option here. I agree that would be nice to see doorbell cameras inside the Abode app. Maybe they will make a doorbell of their own soon with their increasing focus on video products.
@@EricWelander They are coming out with a doorbell in April stay tuned. But it will not be hard wired I went with Logitech Circle view Doorbell. Works with Homekit.
Yes, Abode can be used with home assistant and if you expose your ring contact sensors to Home Assistant via MQTT you can use it to trigger alarms to your Abode home base as well. I'm not sure what you're referring to with the ring cameras?
I liked Ismart alarm much better. Unfortunately, they no longer support it. Bought Abode system and have not been able to get rid of yellow light on gateway. Support has not helped. I might get rid of it for another system.
I mentioned in my newsletter last week and I'll post more content on RU-vid soon, but I've moved on and no longer use Abode. It was a tough decision but the online connection issues got steadily worse after posting this video.
@@MaximusBlue2 Still using abode. After the yellow light issue wasn't resolved they put out new firmware update for the gateway. It did not fix the problem because the current gateway won't take the update. I contacted them again and the just mailed me a new gateway yesterday. Monday I will contact them on how to change it over. Unfortunately, it is something they have to do. Nothing is simple about this system, but we'll see how it goes. If I do give up on abode, what system do you recommend?
@@EricWelander What system did you end up going with? I am purchasing a new home and a complete new system and would like some solid use advice and reviews of systems. Thanks for your reviews!
@@WhiteLinesBlueSkies still wondering What he switched to, I’m building a new home and just bought the abode system, should be in the mail soon. If there’s something better, I’ll send it back for a refund.
Abode claims to offer many sales incentives online. If fact, they do not offer these incentives and try their best to ignore new customers that ask them to demonstrate and offer the products and services they deceptively market. The FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive advertising in any medium. That is, advertising must tell the truth and not mislead consumers. A claim can be misleading if relevant information is left out or if the claim implies something that's not true. Companies may also face civil penalties for false advertising. Usually, false advertising laws only let a government agency sue for civil penalties. ... The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a federal agency charged with protecting consumers, can collect civil penalties up to $40,000. Contact the US Federal Trade Commission and they will: -- Require the advertiser to cease the deceptive advertising. -- Bring a civil lawsuit (usually class action) on behalf of people harmed or deceived. -- Require the advertiser to correct the deceptive practice by running an advertisement admitting the earlier ad was misleading. The potential damages may be greatest to the deceptive company's reputation or brand and their future ability to raise funding from all sources.
