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Simexa

A home security system links sensors, cameras and smart locks to a hub that can alert you and, with professional monitoring, a staffed monitoring center. Simexa helps you choose between home security and smart home options from Vivint and ADT, from 24/7 professional monitoring and indoor and outdoor cameras to smart locks and app control. We explain monitoring, equipment and contract terms up front, and coordinate the order with the provider you choose, which installs and monitors the system.

Availability depends on your address, the provider, network coverage and product eligibility.

Home security

Providers we compare

We compare home security and smart home options across these providers. Which ones serve you depends on your address.

Brands we work with

Which of these serve you depends on your address. Provider names are trademarks of their owners. Simexa is independently owned and is not a subsidiary of any provider.

Security plans are easy to compare badly. One quote includes monitoring and a long agreement, another puts the equipment on a payment plan, a third looks cheaper because it leaves out the cameras you actually wanted. The details that matter most, such as who answers an alarm, what happens when the power or internet goes out, and what leaving early costs, are rarely on the front page.

We start with your home: its size, doors and windows, who lives there and what you want to protect or automate. Then we lay the available options side by side, with the devices, the monitoring, the installation and the contract terms in plain words. You decide with everything in front of you, and we coordinate the order and the installation visit with the provider. To explore security solutions, check availability online for an immediate confirmation, or talk to a specialist in English or Spanish; our team contacts you within 1 hour during business hours.

  • Designed for your home

    Devices chosen for your doors, rooms and routines.

  • Professional installation

    Installed and set up by the provider or its authorized contractor.

  • Clear terms

    Monitoring, equipment and contract length explained up front.

  1. Professional monitoring

    24/7 monitoring by the provider's center; Vivint dispatches emergency services if it cannot reach you.

  2. Cameras and doorbells

    Indoor and outdoor cameras you check from your phone; Vivint adds night vision and Smart Deter.

  3. Smart locks and sensors

    Door, window, motion and glass break sensors, with smart locks you control remotely.

  4. Smart home and backup

    Locks, lights and thermostats in one app; Vivint's Smart Hub has cellular and battery backup.

  1. 1

    Your home

    Size, entry points and priorities.

  2. 2

    Compare systems

    Devices, monitoring and terms.

  3. 3

    Professional install

    By the provider, coordinated by us.

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The full guideHome Security and Smart Home, explainedHow it works, how the options compare and what to check before you sign.

How it works

Most systems, from a basic alarm to a full smart home, are built from the same parts: devices that sense or act, a hub that makes decisions, a way to send signals out of the house, and someone or something that responds.

  1. 01

    Sensors, cameras and locks

    Door and window contacts notice when something opens. Motion sensors watch rooms and hallways. Glass break, smoke, carbon monoxide and water sensors cover other risks, where the system supports them. Cameras and video doorbells add sight, and smart locks let you lock or unlock a door from your phone or give someone a temporary code.

  2. 02

    The panel or hub

    Every device reports to a control panel or hub, usually with a keypad or touchscreen and an app. You arm and disarm the system there. When a sensor trips while the system is armed, the hub sounds the siren, notifies your phone and, on a monitored plan, signals the monitoring center.

  3. 03

    The communication path

    The signal leaves your home over broadband internet, a cellular connection, or both. A cellular path keeps working if an internet line is down, and a backup battery in the hub keeps the system running through a power outage for a while. Ask what each system uses, and what happens when the power goes out.

  4. 04

    Professional or self monitoring

    With professional monitoring, alarms go to a monitoring center staffed around the clock. An operator checks the alarm, usually tries to reach you, and can request police, fire or medical response. With self monitoring, alerts go only to your phone and you decide what to do. Some monitoring centers are listed to UL 827, a standard for central-station alarm services.

  5. 05

    Smart home on the same app

    Many systems also control lights, thermostats, garage doors and plugs. With Vivint, the Smart Hub and app manage compatible locks, lights and thermostats alongside the alarm. Devices talk to each other over wireless standards such as Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Zigbee and Thread. Matter, a newer cross-brand standard, is not supported natively by Vivint systems, so check compatibility before buying extra devices.

  6. 06

    Cameras, storage and privacy

    Camera video is stored locally (on a memory card or recorder in the home) or in the cloud, often through a subscription. Connected cameras are only as private as the account behind them: replace any default password, turn on two-step verification and automatic updates, and switch off remote viewing on cameras that do not need it.

Compare

What each provider offers for homes, from the providers' own published information. Packages differ, so we confirm the details for your home before you choose.

  • Professional monitoring

    Vivint
    24/7, U.S.-based monitoring; emergency services dispatched if Vivint cannot reach you
    ADT
    Professional monitoring plans; steps and coverage depend on the package

  • Installation

    Vivint
    Professional installation by Vivint
    ADT
    Professional installation by ADT or its authorized contractor

  • Cameras

    Vivint
    Indoor and outdoor HD cameras with night vision, and Smart Deter for lurkers
    ADT
    Indoor and outdoor cameras and doorbells, depending on the package

  • Smart home and app

    Vivint
    Locks, lights and thermostats from the Smart Hub and the Vivint app, with real-time alerts
    ADT
    Smart home control and alerts from the ADT app, with compatible devices

  • Power and internet outages

    Vivint
    Smart Hub with built-in cellular connection and battery backup
    ADT
    Ask which communication path and backup the package includes

  • Smoke, fire and CO

    Vivint
    Monitored when smoke, fire and carbon monoxide alarms are added to the system
    ADT
    Confirm per package

  • Matter devices

    Vivint
    Not supported natively
    ADT
    Confirm compatibility per device

Available with select providers and qualifying equipment or monitoring plans. Features, monitoring, installation and terms depend on the provider, the plan and your address; Simexa does not install or monitor systems.

Before you sign

Security agreements can run for years, so the fine print deserves a careful read. These are the questions we go through with you for every option.

  • Everything in writing

    The installation price, the monitoring fee and how often it is billed, the length of the agreement, any discounts, the warranty and how to cancel. If a promise is not in the contract, ask for it to be added.

  • Who owns the equipment

    Whether you buy the equipment, pay it off over time or lease it, what happens to it if you cancel, and who pays for repairs and upgrades.

  • Who monitors, and how

    Whether the provider runs its own monitoring center or uses a third party, whether the center calls you before or after it contacts the authorities, and what happens if it cannot reach you.

  • Power and internet outages

    Whether the hub has a backup battery and a cellular connection, and which features stop working while the internet is down.

  • Moving and early cancellation

    What happens if you move before the agreement ends: whether the service can transfer to your new home, and what leaving early costs.

  • Local alarm rules

    Some cities and counties ask you to register an alarm system, and some charge fines when police respond to false alarms. Check with your local police and fire departments.

  • Video storage and subscriptions

    Where camera video is stored, for how long, and whether recording history or smart alerts need a separate subscription.

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  • Independent, with more providers

    We work across national providers, regional networks and specialized suppliers, so you compare what serves your address instead of one carrier's offer.

  • No extra Simexa markup

    You get the plans and promotions available through the provider's channel. Provider taxes and service fees may still apply.

  • Quick help, in English or Spanish

    Immediate confirmation when you ask, and our team contacts you within 1 hour during business hours. We coordinate the order and setup with the provider.

Questions about this service

Do I need professional monitoring?

Not always. Self monitoring sends alerts to your phone and leaves the response to you, which can work if you reliably see and act on them. Professional monitoring adds a staffed center that can request emergency response when you cannot. We explain the monitoring plans Vivint and ADT offer at your address so you can decide.

How does professional monitoring work?

When an armed sensor trips, the hub sends a signal to the monitoring center. An operator reviews it, usually tries to reach you or your contacts, and requests emergency response if needed. The exact steps vary by provider, so ask whether they call you before or after contacting the authorities.

What happens if the power or internet goes out?

Many hubs have a backup battery that keeps the system running for a time during a power outage, and a cellular connection can still send alarms when the internet is down. Vivint's Smart Hub, for example, has built-in cellular and battery backup. Wi-Fi cameras and some smart home features may pause during an outage, so ask what each package uses before you choose.

Which home security providers can Simexa help with?

We offer home security and smart home options through participating Vivint and ADT programs. Vivint pairs 24/7 professional monitoring and professional installation with indoor and outdoor cameras, smart locks and a Smart Hub with cellular and battery backup. ADT offers professional monitoring, cameras and smart home control from its app. Available with select providers and qualifying equipment or monitoring plans. We confirm the specifics for your home before you choose.

Is there a contract?

Many security plans include a monitoring agreement, equipment financing, or both, and some last several years. We explain the length, the cancellation terms and what happens to the equipment for each option before you choose.

Do I own the equipment?

It depends on the provider and plan. Some sell the equipment outright, some spread the cost over monthly payments, and some lease it as part of the service. Ask what happens to the equipment if you cancel or move.

Will my existing smart devices work with a new system?

Sometimes. Systems support different wireless standards and brands. Matter aims to make certified devices work across brands, but Vivint systems do not support it natively, and support elsewhere varies by device. Tell us which devices you already have and we will check compatibility for each option.

How do I keep my cameras and account secure?

Replace any default password with a strong, unique one, turn on two-step verification for the app account, and keep automatic updates on. If you do not need to view a camera away from home, switch off its remote access.

Does Simexa add a fee to my security plan?

No. There is no extra Simexa markup: you see the pricing available through the provider's sales channel. Equipment, installation, monitoring fees and taxes from the provider may still apply, and we point them out before you choose.

Does Simexa install or monitor my security system?

No. Simexa is a sales and coordination partner. The provider you choose, or its authorized contractor, installs the system and provides the monitoring, and your billing, equipment and technical support are with that provider. In an emergency, your monitoring center or 911 comes first.

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Enter your address and a Simexa specialist will confirm what reaches it. No extra Simexa markup: you get the provider's available pricing.

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