Smart Security

Security Local No Cloud

Smart security is about protecting your home locally - without sending video recordings to cloud servers. This guide covers door locks, cameras, video doorbells and alarm systems that work with Home Assistant.

Top Recommendations 2025

• Smart lock Europe: Nuki Smart Lock Pro 4.0 (~$280)
• Smart lock USA: Yale Assure Lock 2 (~$350)
• Camera (local): Reolink RLC-810A (~$100)
• Video doorbell: Reolink Video Doorbell PoE (~$140)
• Budget camera: TP-Link Tapo C210 (~$35)

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🔐 Smart Door Locks

Why Smart Lock?

• ✅ Unlock with app, code, keycard or fingerprint
• ✅ Share access with guests (time-limited)
• ✅ Auto-lock when you leave
• ✅ See who comes and goes
• ✅ Integration with Home Assistant automations

Europe vs USA

Region	Recommended	Reason
Europe	Nuki	European cylinders, Matter support
USA	Yale/August	American deadbolts, wide compatibility
Budget	SwitchBot Lock	Retrofit, cheap, wide compatibility

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🥇 Nuki Smart Lock Pro 4.0

Overview

Why Nuki?

Price: ~$280

Nuki is Europe’s preferred smart lock:

• ✅ Fits existing cylinder (no replacement)
• ✅ Matter + Thread (future-proof)
• ✅ WiFi built-in (no bridge needed)
• ✅ Auto-unlock via GPS
• ✅ Native Home Assistant integration
• ✅ Alexa, Google, HomeKit
• ✅ Battery powered (~6 months)

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Expensive
• ❌ Still requires physical key from outside

Models

Nuki Lineup

Model	WiFi	Matter	Price ~
Smart Lock 4.0	Via Bridge	❌	$210
Smart Lock Pro 4.0	✅ Built-in	✅	$280

Accessories:

• Nuki Keypad 2.0 (~$110) - Code or fingerprint
• Nuki Fob (~$40) - Bluetooth keyring
• Nuki Door Sensor (~$55) - Door open/closed

Installation

Mounting

Nuki mounts on the inside of your door:

1. Remove existing thumb turn (keep cylinder)
2. Mount Nuki adapter on cylinder
3. Click Nuki into place
4. Calibrate via app (learns your lock)

⚠️ Important: Your cylinder must protrude at least 3mm on the inside.

Home Assistant

# Nuki auto-discovered via integration
# Settings → Devices → Add Integration → Nuki

# Example automation
automation:
  - alias: "Lock door at night"
    trigger:
      - platform: time
        at: "23:00:00"
    action:
      - service: lock.lock
        entity_id: lock.nuki_front_door

Buy: Nuki.io, Amazon

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🥈 Yale Linus L2 / Assure Lock 2

Yale Linus L2 (EU)

Yale Linus L2

Price: ~$250

Yale’s European smart lock:

• ✅ Fits European cylinders
• ✅ Matter support
• ✅ DoorSense (door open/closed)
• ✅ Elegant design
• ✅ HomeKit, Alexa, Google

Installation: Like Nuki - mounts on cylinder inside.

Yale Assure Lock 2 (US)

Yale Assure Lock 2

Price: ~$350

Yale’s American premium lock:

• ✅ Replaces entire deadbolt
• ✅ Touchscreen keypad
• ✅ Fingerprint reader (Touch model)
• ✅ Matter/Thread/WiFi/Zigbee modules
• ✅ Apple Home Key support
• ✅ HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Only American deadbolts
• ❌ Requires module purchase for WiFi

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💰 Budget: SwitchBot Lock Pro

Price: ~$140

The cheapest well-functioning smart lock:

Pros	Cons
✅ Retrofit on almost any lock	❌ Requires Hub for remote control
✅ Turns existing thumb turn	❌ Less elegant
✅ Battery or USB-C	❌ Can be a bit noisy
✅ Keypad and fingerprint add-on
✅ Matter via Hub

Ideal for: Apartments where you can’t modify the lock.

Buy: SwitchBot.com, Amazon

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📹 Surveillance Cameras

Local vs Cloud

Type	Pros	Cons
Local (Reolink, Eufy)	No subscription, privacy, fast	Requires NVR or NAS
Cloud (Ring, Nest)	Easy setup	Expensive subscription, privacy

Avoid Cloud Dependency

Choose cameras with local recording (SD card, NVR, NAS) to avoid monthly fees and privacy concerns. Reolink and Eufy are the best choices.

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🏆 Reolink - Works with Home Assistant

Reolink is officially certified for Home Assistant and is the community favorite:

Why Reolink?

• ✅ Works with Home Assistant certified
• ✅ No cloud required
• ✅ Local recording (SD/NVR/NAS)
• ✅ RTSP/ONVIF support
• ✅ 4K+ resolution
• ✅ PoE and WiFi options
• ✅ Person/vehicle/pet AI detection
• ✅ No subscription

Recommended Models

Model	Type	Resolution	Price ~	Best for
RLC-810A	PoE Bullet	4K	$100	Driveway, yard
RLC-520A	PoE Dome	5MP	$70	Carport, covered
E1 Outdoor	WiFi PTZ	4MP	$85	Yard, tracking
Argus 4 Pro	Battery	4K 180°	$170	Flexible placement
Duo 3 PoE	PoE Dual	4K 180°	$210	Large area

Home Assistant Integration

# Reolink auto-discovered
# Settings → Devices → Add Integration → Reolink

# Entities you get:
# - camera.reolink_driveway
# - binary_sensor.reolink_driveway_person
# - binary_sensor.reolink_driveway_vehicle
# - switch.reolink_driveway_siren

Buy: Reolink.com, Amazon

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🥈 Eufy - Privacy First

Eufy is a good alternative with focus on on-device AI:

Why Eufy?

• ✅ Local AI processing
• ✅ HomeBase with local storage
• ✅ Facial recognition
• ✅ No subscription
• ✅ Apple HomeKit support
• ✅ Geofencing

Recommended Models

Model	Type	Resolution	Price ~
SoloCam S340	Battery/Solar	3K	$170
Floodlight Cam E340	Wired	3K	$210
Indoor Cam E30	Indoor	4K	$55
eufyCam S3 Pro	Battery	4K	$280

Buy: Eufy.com, Amazon

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🔔 Video Doorbells

Comparison

Model	Type	Resolution	Subscription	Price ~
Reolink Doorbell PoE	PoE Wired	5MP	❌ No	$140
Reolink Doorbell WiFi	Wired/Battery	2K+	❌ No	$110
Eufy Doorbell C31	Battery	2K	❌ No	$100
Tapo D225	Wired	2K 180°	❌ No	$85
Ring Battery	Battery	1080p	✅ Yes	$130

Recommendation

Reolink Doorbell PoE is the best choice for permanent installation - no battery, 5MP quality, local recording, and full Home Assistant integration.

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🚨 Alarm Systems

DIY vs Professional

Type	Pros	Cons	Examples
DIY (Home Assistant)	Cheap, flexible, local	Requires setup, no monitoring	Zigbee sensors + HA
Hybrid	Pro hardware + local	More expensive	Yale Sync, Ring Alarm
Professional	24/7 monitoring	Expensive subscription	ADT, SimpliSafe

DIY Alarm with Home Assistant

Build your own alarm with Zigbee sensors:

Components:

• Door/window sensors (Aqara, Sonoff)
• Motion sensors (PIR or mmWave)
• Siren (Zigbee or WiFi)
• Keypad (Zigbee or smart lock keypad)

# Home Assistant Alarm Panel
alarm_control_panel:
  - platform: manual
    name: Home Alarm
    arming_time: 30
    delay_time: 30
    trigger_time: 120
    disarmed:
      trigger_time: 0
    armed_home:
      arming_time: 0
      delay_time: 0

# Automation: Trigger alarm
automation:
  - alias: "Alarm trigger on intrusion"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id:
          - binary_sensor.front_door
          - binary_sensor.living_room_window
          - binary_sensor.back_door
        to: "on"
    condition:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home_alarm
        state: "armed_away"
    action:
      - service: alarm_control_panel.alarm_trigger
        entity_id: alarm_control_panel.home_alarm
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "⚠️ ALARM!"
          message: "Intrusion detected!"

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🎬 Frigate NVR

For advanced AI-based video analysis, use Frigate:

What is Frigate?

• ✅ Open source NVR for Home Assistant
• ✅ Real-time object detection (person, car, pet)
• ✅ Google Coral TPU support
• ✅ Runs locally (no cloud)
• ✅ Integrates with all RTSP cameras

Hardware Requirements

Component	Recommended
Server	Dedicated mini-PC or NAS
AI Accelerator	Google Coral USB (~$70)
Storage	SSD for database, HDD for recordings
RAM	Min. 4GB

Basic Frigate Config

# frigate.yml
mqtt:
  host: 192.168.1.100

cameras:
  driveway:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://admin:[email protected]:554/h264Preview_01_main
          roles:
            - detect
            - record
    detect:
      width: 1920
      height: 1080
      fps: 5

detectors:
  coral:
    type: edgetpu
    device: usb

objects:
  track:
    - person
    - car
    - dog
    - cat

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🛒 Buying Strategy

Starter (~$280)

• 1x SwitchBot Lock Pro ($140)
• 2x Reolink RLC-520A PoE ($140)
• Total: ~$280

Complete (~$850)

• 1x Nuki Smart Lock Pro 4.0 ($280)
• 1x Nuki Keypad 2.0 ($110)
• 2x Reolink RLC-810A 4K ($200)
• 1x Reolink Doorbell PoE ($140)
• DIY alarm sensors ($110)
• Total: ~$840

Premium (~$1,700)

• 1x Nuki Smart Lock Pro 4.0 + Keypad ($390)
• 4x Reolink cameras mix ($560)
• 1x Reolink Doorbell PoE ($140)
• 1x Reolink NVR 8-channel ($280)
• 1x Google Coral USB ($70)
• Yale Sync Alarm system ($210)
• Total: ~$1,650

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🛒 Where to Buy?

Smart Locks

• Nuki.io - Direct from manufacturer
• Amazon - Often cheaper

Cameras

• Reolink.com - Direct, good support
• Amazon - Fast delivery
• Eufy.com - Eufy products

Alarm Sensors

• AliExpress - Aqara, Sonoff, cheap
• Amazon - Faster delivery

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Ofte stillede spørgsmål

Can I use smart lock without internet?

Yes! Nuki, Yale and SwitchBot all work via Bluetooth. You can unlock with your phone close to the door. Internet/WiFi is only needed for remote control and notifications.

Are Reolink cameras secure?

Yes, Reolink cameras work fully locally without cloud. They support RTSP/ONVIF and are Works with Home Assistant certified. Keep firmware updated for best security.

What about Ring and Nest - are they bad?

No, they are good products but require cloud subscription and send data to Amazon/Google servers. If privacy is important, choose Reolink or Eufy instead.

Can I build my own alarm cheaply?

Yes! With Zigbee door/window sensors (~$7 each), motion sensors (~$14 each) and a siren (~$21), you can build a complete alarm system for under $140.

Should I use PoE or WiFi cameras?

PoE is more reliable and easier to power, but requires cabling. WiFi is easier to install but can have connection issues. Use PoE where possible.

What is Frigate and do I need it?

Frigate is an advanced NVR with AI object detection. It requires more hardware (Coral TPU) but provides better detection than cameras' built-in AI. Start without and add later.

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📚 Next Steps

Presence Sensors

Combine with security.

See guide →

Home Assistant

Integrate all your devices.

Get started →

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Last updated: December 2025