Home monitoring must have a 5G cellular backup option with backup battery. Wi-Fi is great for an easy connection. The integrations are nice. But before I switch from my traditional system, it needs to be secure and available even if my internet system goes out. Then I can have security in my home monitoring choice.
1 Like
A 5G cellular backup with battery would make me switch. I am tired of higher costs of treaditional systems. SimpliSafe has a nice product. But all of my cameras are Wyze. Soon so will be my doors. I want all on the same system. This deficiency in the home monitoring is keeping me from a fully integrated home solution.
1 Like
Add cellular back up to Wyze security system
Please add a cellular backup function (optional maybe) to your security system. I know this would increase the monitoring cost but I am willing to pay the same I am paying my current provider to have this and get this piece of my world under the Wyze eco-system.
1 Like
@Wyze there is a lot of interest in your security system getting a cellular internet backup. Can we get a response from the product owner to see if this is in a future road map? In order to be a real security product, you really need the ability for the hub to contact the call center if the internet is down. This is what burglars do ( cut phone/ internet before entering) to circumvent basic alarm systems.
As others already stated I am also ready to play a bit more for the hardware and monthly service for this critical feature.
Please let us know if this is being considered for a future product enhancement.
2 Likes
@Wyze
I agree. I have SimpliSafe, who keeps raising their monitoring prices every year. Again raising from next month. I’ll switch to Wyze if they realize that they have a lot of pricing power. Other than traditional home security companies, who are not competitive, SimpleSafe is the only player (in my knowledge) which operates without contracts and expensive installation fees. Wyze’s entry in this space with cellular backup will benefit them and us consumers.
1 Like
I’ve read in several places that HMS is not a priority for Wyze because if is not a big revenue generator. I suspect if the hardware was more competitive and aligned with industry standard features such as cellular backup it might rank higher and pull in more customers.
As of right now I have a somewhat complex but good workaround. It powers my entire home network instead of just the security system. I purchased a Netgear LTE modem (LM1200) for $50, a $10/mo hotspot LTE SIM from T-Mobile, and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The UPS powers my Xfinity modem, the Netgear LTE modem with T-Mobile SIM card, and my eero mesh router in case of power failure. The Xfinity modem is connected to the WAN port of the Netgear modem, the Netgear modem is connected from the LAN port into the WAN port of my eero. The Netgear modem is configured in failover mode so that if Xfinity goes down it automatically switches to T-Mobile and my entire home’s eero mesh network is running on T-Mobile within 30 seconds. The Wyze Sense Hub is connected to the eero router via Ethernet to avoid any WiFi jamming attacks. It’s the best solution I’ve come up with that gives me peace of mind that Wyze HMS will work even if the power and home Internet are simultaneously lost.
I wonder if there is a way to tie in T-Mobile’s Internet that uses a cellular connection?
Just voted.
It really would not be that complex for them to release a Sense Hub with an LTE modem using an eSIM utilizing one of the major networks and pass the cost on to us through subscription increase or subscription add-on. There’s probably enough physical dead space in the current Sense Hub to add the required hardware, and the software logic wouldn’t be that complex to build in a failover (there are tons of examples of code for how to accomplish this online). It’s just not a priority for them which is why after 5 years it still hasn’t even been acknowledged. Wyze just doesn’t really care about HMS, they’re focusing on their primary money maker: cameras.
You basically explained to people concerned about outages what to do, it’s redundancy. Battery backup for power, failover for Internet, and hardwired connection. That’s the proper setup and a great user tip, just requires the right equipment and know-how. (If you happen to be on Google Fi you can also get an extra sim to do this without an extra monthly fee, just need a compatible hotspot, I got a free one from T-Mobile); Even on the cams alone, a USB powerbank with pass through on the plug adds battery backup to those as well, furthering your failsafe setup w/o requiring a clunky UPS at every camera.
Be careful what you wish for, but I doubt Wyze would go into this because they are pretty handoffs with adding things where their customer service needs to know more advanced tech, it would require coordinating with a 3rd party LTE provider to troubleshoot issues, and consumers will attempt this in poor to no reception areas which opens the gates to potentially liability, negative reviews, and so on, so they’d have to see it as profitable, which it can be.
A typical price for a consumer to do this on their own is roughly $10/mo, using the above method of a hotspot failover, requires some know-how, and typically a router that is not typical to home users, so $10/mo seems fair. LTE providers offer consumer electronics manufacturers iOT sim cards for low bandwidth low usage devices, which home monitoring backup is a good example of, only send a small data packet to the monitoring service in the event of an alarm. Assuming you keep the packet under 1MB, the cost per occurrence would be less than $0.08. Considering the rarity of the average consumer not having primary Internet at the time of an alarm, this $0.08 cost may never even be incurred during the entirety of the equipment/account lifetime, so in short, it would be nearly entirely profit of monthly residuals.
Now, why I said be careful what you wish for; what I don’t like, as a geeky-consumer, is this bypasses me knowing what data Wyze has the ability to collect without my knowledge. On your network you can identify what data is being sent to Wyze, 3rd party servers, etc. If they add iOT sims, then Wyze, the LTE provider, and any 3rd parties potentially could get whatever data they want and you have zero control or ability to monitor that connection. That unmonitored outside connection also adds a vulnerability to your network, and while Wyze might surprise me and take network security seriously in this setup, the track record of firmware problems, security issues, and poor disclosure & transparency of issues would make me truly concerned to have this setup on any network.
Wyze would have to prove to me, and consumers in general, safety of privacy, data, and network, and I’m not sure they could do that currently.
Just saying…
1 Like
Glad to see you got over suggesting other products. 
I don’t see it as advertizing. It can be helpful.
Never said I wouldn’t. Just said I’d recommend things when I feel the Wyze product line is lacking.
1 Like
Ok
I must have confused you with someone else.
I’m a bit surprised this company doesn’t have a clear privacy policy. Worth looking into though.
An Interesting option related to this wishlist request, it looks like Starlink is going to start offering backup Internet plans of $10 for 10GB/no of data, which is even better than cellular backup!
Just get a router that supports something called WAN Failover or Dual-WAN Load Balancing with Failover. And if you only want it to allow the backup Internet for certain devices, you could set it up that way too.
$10/mo for a fail over like cellular backup would be at the limit of what I’m willing to pay.
Too bad that plan is only a targeted offer for former Starlink customers, not new ones, but it also works for roaming. Definitely an encouraging option.
I’d even be tempted to get it for a couple of my primary cameras as well as the HMS.