How to Build a DIY Smart Home Security System With Raspberry Pi That Will Keep Your Home Safe

Building your own smart home security system with Raspberry Pi is a great way to automate and secure your home without breaking the bank. With some DIY skills and basic coding knowledge, you can set up a system that rivals professional installations in functionality. In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to build your own Raspberry Pi home security system from start to finish.

What You'll Need

To build your Raspberry Pi home security system, you'll need:

Hardware

• Raspberry Pi - The brains of your DIY system. The Raspberry Pi 3 or 4 is recommended for best performance.
• MicroSD card - To store the operating system and software for the Raspberry Pi. Get one with at least 16GB of storage.
• Power supply - A 5V micro USB power supply to power the Raspberry Pi.
• Camera module - Allows you to add video surveillance. The official Raspberry Pi camera module is recommended.
• Motion sensor - Detects movement and can trigger cameras or alarms.
• Door/window sensors - Detects open doors and windows.
• Alarm siren/strobe light - Sounds an audible alarm and flashes lights when motion is detected.

Software and Online Services

• Raspberry Pi OS - The operating system for your Raspberry Pi.
• Home Assistant - Open source home automation software to control everything.
• MQTT broker - A communication protocol for IoT devices. Mosquitto MQTT is free to use.
• Livestream/FTP server - To store video recordings in the cloud.

Setting Up the Raspberry Pi

The first step is setting up your Raspberry Pi with the necessary software:

Installing the Operating System

1. Download the Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit) from the Raspberry Pi website.
2. Flash it onto your microSD card using balenaEtcher or Raspberry Pi Imager.
3. Insert the microSD card into your Pi and connect the power supply.

Securing Your Pi

1. Change the default password for the "pi" user to something secure.
2. Enable the firewall sudo ufw enable to block unwanted access.
3. Change the default SSH port from 22 to something else for extra security.

Installing Home Assistant

1. Follow the installation guide for Home Assistant Supervised on a Raspberry Pi.
2. Once installed, access the Home Assistant web interface at your_pi_ip:8123.

Setting Up an MQTT Broker

1. Install Mosquitto on your Pi with sudo apt install mosquitto.
2. Configure it to allow anonymous connections.
3. Test it is working by subscribing to a test topic with a MQTT client.

With the core software set up, it's time to add devices to your system.

Connecting Security Devices to Your Pi

Here are some common security devices you can integrate:

Door and Window Sensors

• Connect door/window sensors to your Pi's GPIO pins.
• Enable the internal pull up resistor to detect contact state.
• When the reed switch opens, it will trigger an alarm in Home Assistant.

Motion Sensors

• PIR motion sensors can also connect directly to the GPIO pins.
• Detect motion will trigger the camera module to start recording.
• Restrict zones and sensitivity to avoid false alarms.

Camera Module

• Connect the official Raspberry Pi camera module.
• Stream and record video feeds using the ffmpeg integration in Home Assistant.
• Save video clips to Google Drive or an FTP server when motion is detected.

Alarm Siren and Strobe Light

• Connect a 12V alarm siren and strobe light to a 5V relay module.
• Activate the alarm from Home Assistant automation when a sensor is triggered.
• Flashing lights and loud sound will deter intruders.

With all the hardware connected, it's time to work on the software and automation side.

Configuring Home Assistant Automations

Here are some key automations you'll want to set up in Home Assistant:

Trigger Camera Recording

When motion is detected
Then start recording camera feed for 60 seconds

This will capture footage of any movement.

Activate Alarm on Intrusion

When door opens and motion detected
Then sound alarm siren and strobe lights

Only activate the alarm when a door is opened and motion is detected to avoid false alarms.

Text Homeowner on Event

When alarm triggered
Then send SMS text to notify me

Get notifications on your phone whenever your alarm is triggered so you can take action.

Email Video Clip on Motion

When camera starts recording
Then email video clip to yourself

Have video clips automatically sent to you so you can review footage.

With automations like these, you can monitor your home and get alerts to potential threats.

Adding Remote Access and Monitoring

To monitor your home security system from anywhere, here are some options:

• VPN into your home network - Access your Home Assistant dashboard securely over the internet.
• Home Assistant Cloud - Pay for a secure cloud connection to remotely control your instance.
• IFTTT - Integrate your DIY system with other IFTTT-enabled smart devices and services.
• Port forwarding - Open specific ports to access Home Assistant or camera feeds remotely.

Just make sure to use strong passwords and enable 2-factor authentication for any remote access. Monitoring your cameras and system from your phone is a great bonus!

Tips for a Secure and Reliable System

Follow these tips for best results:

• Place motion sensors strategically in entryways, hallways, and other key areas.
• Angle cameras to capture clear face shots of intruders.
• Use ZoneMinder or Shinobi as dedicated NVR software for more robust camera management.
• Enable HTTPS and alert notifications so you are aware of any system events.
• Back up your Home Assistant configuration for easy recovery.
• Only give access to trusted household members to control the system.
• Test your system regularly and tweak as needed to reduce false alarms.

With some effort, you can build an affordable DIY security system tailored exactly to your needs! Let me know if you have any other questions.