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There's a time and a place for a traditional home security system.
Maybe you have a nice big place filled with all the cool gadgets the CNET has convinced you to buy over the years.
But, for the rest of us, paying to have a security system installed isn't worth the money.
For renters, it's pretty much impossible.
I'm Donald Bell, and in this top five I'm counting down the new breed of do it yourself home security systems, hand picked by CNET associate Ry Crist.
Starting things off at number five, Oplink Security TripleShield.
[INAUDIBLE] $350 gets you a deluxe package of two night vision cameras, and a smattering of motion sensors and contact sensors, and panic sirens.
There's also $199 version that tosses out the cameras.
But without the creepy thrill of night vision, what's the point?
The real downside here is the monthly fee, $19.99 a month.
For someone who has a hard time parting with $8 a month for Netflix, $20 is a hard pill to swallow.
At number four, Viper Home.
Sounds like an Animal Planet reality TV show, but it's actually [LAUGH] a more affordable alternative to Uplink.
The system starts at $229 and requires no monthly fees.
However.
If you actually want to stream your home security camera to your smartphone, that's gonna cost you $9.99 a month.
Still a better price than OpLink, and if that name sounds familiar, this is the same Viper famous for their car alarms.
So not only will you get an app to monitor your home, but it'll also keep track of your car.
Coming in at number three.
iSmart alarm.
199 dollars for the basic package's sensors and alarms, or 350 dollars for a system with a video camera.
Not cheap, but there are no monthly fees with this system.
That's huge.
You press that out over years, saving hundreds of dollars.
Now, we weren't thrilled with the video camera, the extra $150 that it will cost you, expect to spend untold amounts of your patience as well, getting it to run smoothly.
Overall though, the system is a great value with a range of features that rival even the subscription options.
at number two SimpliSafe.
As much as I hate the idea of a monthly fee, this one might be worth it.
$14.99 a month to get this thing up and running, but that fee pays for a security firm to monitor your home 24/7.
So if the alarm goes off, a human being will actually give you a call, and if necessary, call the police.
Now, you won't find that feature on any of these other systems.
Now for the upfront hardware costs there are a range of packages ranging from $229 for the starter kit all the way up to a $519 deluxe system.
But for all of the SimpliSafe packages none of them offer a security camera.
Then again I'm not sure if I want a security firm to have a night vision view of what goes on in my house So that brings us to our number one choice for DIY home security.
Piper.
This one is a $239, all-in-one system with a built-in camera and no fees.
It monitors temperature and humidity, motion, lights and sound.
It has a built-in 105-decibel siren that is painfully loud.
And my favorite feature two way audio communication.
If someone breaks into my place to steal my things I want to be able to have a conversation with them.
Or at least have the pleasure of insulting them in real time.
So there you go, five DIY home security systems that are affordable enough to give anyone some extra peace of mind.
For more information check out our DIY home security roundup over on CNET.
And for more top fives from me top5.cnet.com.
I'm Donald Bell thanks for watching.
