As someone who values reliable home security, I’ve been exploring ways to ensure my system remains operational even during internet outages. My home is in an area with unreliable internet service, so I’ve been considering dual cellular backup plans. While I’ve found some discussions on this topic, I’m hoping to gather more insights into the latest options available.
My Requirements:
- Dual Cellular Plans: I’m looking for two separate cellular internet plans to ensure redundancy. No-contract plans would be ideal, as they allow flexibility to test different providers for reliability.
- Affordable Router with Failover: I need a wired router that supports reliable failover and dual-active WAN connections. Most routers I’ve looked at only have one USB port, but some models offer multiple WAN-ethernet ports, which could be a solution.
- Ethernet Cellular Modems: I prefer Ethernet-capable cellular modems over Wi-Fi ones like MiFi, as bridging Wi-Fi modems to WAN ports seems overly complicated.
- Speed Considerations: Given my remote location, 4G/LTE may not be consistently available, so I’m considering if 3G speeds would suffice for my security monitoring needs.
- Data Requirements: I’d like to understand the monthly data usage for SmartThings, especially for video monitoring, which I plan to limit to local storage with occasional emailed snapshots.
- Lights Out Operation: The cellular WAN connections should be able to self-reset and maintain functionality without manual intervention.
I’ve found bits and pieces of information but am hoping to optimize the configuration for a balance between cost and reliability. Any recommendations or experiences with similar setups would be greatly appreciated! 