Your Doorbell Cam Alone Won’t Cut It; Here’s What You Actually Need

Doorbell cams are a good start. They can provide impressive video footage of activity on your porch and possibly your driveway and/or front lawn. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to secure your home. 

If your goal is meaningful home security, a doorbell cam by itself leaves too many gaps. Most models cover only a limited field of view, struggle in low light, and lack real-time response capabilities. Worse, relying solely on a doorbell cam ignores the areas of a home that are actually the most vulnerable: your backyard, side entrance or windows, and garage. They also don’t cover the inside of your house. For true home protection, you need a system, not a single lens on your porch.

Blind Spots Are Everywhere

Most doorbell cameras give you a narrow perspective, typically 130 to 160 degrees in front of the camera. That sounds decent, but if someone bypasses your front door entirely, as most criminals do, your doorbell cam is useless.

With proper home surveillance camera installation, you get the exterior cameras you need for full perimeter coverage. A good setup includes at least one camera each at your rear entrance, side yard, and driveway. Ideally, they have wide-angle lenses, motion detection, and night vision. This way, you’re secure beyond the most visible entry point to your home.

Real Security Starts Inside

If someone does break in, and break & enters are on the rise in London, Ontario, you need to track their movement through your home. That’s why interior cameras are usually placed at entry points, staircases, hallways, and where valuables are kept.

Modern indoor cameras also offer features like motion alerts, two-way audio, and even glass-break sensors that record when triggered. Knowing not just if someone entered, but where they went and what they did can help investigations, show you the full extent of the damage caused and items stolen, and inform future security decisions.

Cloud Connectivity and Storage Matter

Many standalone doorbell cams come with limited cloud storage or none at all unless you pay a subscription. A camera provides little value if your footage isn’t saved properly or is overwritten within a day or two.

A full system gives you flexible storage options. You can store footage locally on a digital video recorder (DVR) or network video recorder (NVR), or in the cloud with scalable plans. Some systems even let you choose which cameras back up locally and which store remotely for added redundancy.

Monitoring and Instant Response

To be effective, most doorbell cams require you to check alerts manually or watch live, then respond. But what happens if you’re busy at work or asleep during a break-in? Proper home security includes professional monitoring to verify the nature of an event, contact emergency responders on your behalf, and even speak through your camera system. 

Integration With Your Smart Home

Your surveillance system shouldn’t be an isolated tool. An integrated system would ideally be connected to smart lights, motion sensors, door locks, and an alarm monitoring service to form a cohesive network. For example, if an exterior camera spots motion in your backyard at night, your back entrance light can turn on automatically and start recording before anyone reaches the door.

They also provide the convenience of viewing camera feeds on your phone or tablet.

Don’t Settle for Partial Protection

Your doorbell camera is a helpful tool, but it’s not a complete solution. Real home security requires layered protection: multiple exterior and interior cameras, reliable storage, real-time alerts, and integrated responses. This protects your entire property, not just your front porch.

Start with a plan. Identify your home’s most vulnerable areas and build out from there. A full surveillance system is an investment in safety, privacy, and peace of mind.

4 Things to Keep in Mind for Buying Doorbell Cams

Before you go ahead with buying the doorbell cams for your home, you need to know a couple of things about them. Even though they are a great way to surveil your neighborhood, you need to keep these things in mind.

Fees for Expensive Doorbell Cams

A good protection service doesn’t come for free. So, doorbell cams are going to be quite expensive. Moreover, you will need to pay the company to watch the recorded videos of your doorbell cam.

So, you should be aware and prepared to take on the expense. Also, you can do your research with the available options in the market to get the best option within your budget.

Battery Charging

Every device needs batteries and charging to keep performing. And, doorbell cams need regular battery charging to ensure that it is working 24/7. 

Even though a typical doorbell cam doesn’t require charging for 3-4 months, you need to make proper arrangements for its charging. You can either use a wired system with a USB port for the device or opt for eco-friendly solar panels to charge it.

Make Your Neighbors Aware of the Camera

Since your doorbell cam will surveil the entire space from your door to your pavement, you need to let your neighbors know about your installed cams. This will help them to stay vigilant and walk around with the awareness of the camera.

Moreover, by doing this, you can avoid being sued for illegal video captures or unethical recordings. So, always keep your neighbors aware of the installed doorbell cams in your home.

Check Your Smartphone for Updates

Now that you have a doorbell cam, you will get notifications of people moving near your house on your smartphone. So, you need to regularly check your phone to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity.

Moreover, you can choose a specific notification tone for the doorbell cams to get alerts for trespassers and monitor your front yard. Also, having a separate notification sound can help you to instantly check your phone when any random person visits your place.

To keep yourself safe and protected from unwanted trespassers, it is crucial to install doorbell cams. With these little devices, you can take protective measures against any unfortunate mishappenings without waiting for it to actually happen.