ADT Command Review, Pros & Cons and Specs 2022
THE BOTTOM LINE for ADT Command
If you are looking for a professionally monitored smart home security system that offers everything you need for maximum security, matching class-leading customer service, ADT Command Worth the premium price.
ADT Command PROS
White-glove customer service experience
Large list of security and home automation devices available
Integrated support for third-party Z-Wave devices
Excellent mobile and web app experiences
ADT Command CONS
Expensive with initial installation costs, monthly subscription, and early termination fee
ADT COMMAND SPECS
Upfront Costs Start at $599
Monthly Fees Start at $59.99
Professional Installation Required Yes
Monitoring Contract Required Yes
Environmental Sensors Yes
Cellular Backup Yes
Power Outage Backup Yes
Z-Wave/ZigBee Yes
IFTTT Support No
Voice Assistant Compatibility Google Assistant
A few years ago, I reviewed ADT's Plus Home Security and Automation system, giving it our Editors' Choice Award for Smart Home Security. ADT is a plus out for everyone but those who do not yet have cellular service or it is bad. Everywhere, the company is now offering ADT commands. The service offers everything that Pulse does, as well as many additions, ie ADT now owns all the sensor hardware and end-to-end so it offers a much smoother, intuitive experience. However, there is a downside to this plus, it is the most expensive professional surveillance security system we have ever tested.
Compared to the winner of our Editors' Choice for DIY Security Systems, the Abode iota, which starts at $ 279 per kit and ??? 8 per month for monitoring, feels the ADT Command's starting price of $ 599 and the ???? 59.99 monthly service stratospheric. ? Even compared to other services that are also installed by technicians, such as Vivint Smart Home, ADT comes out on top. In addition, the premium you pay not only gives you a state-of-the-art security and automation solution that is fully installed for you, but it also gives you amazing life for your contract life. Also provides personalized service.
The thing that sets ADT apart is not only that everything works, it's that you also get a level of customer service that I have never experienced before, contacting human help. With multiple methods no matter what your problem is, and the response time is much more immediate. For me, this helps make the ADT command more cost-effective, and the winner of the choice of editors for smart home security systems.
ADT command plans and pricing
Let's get the pricing details first, as this will probably be your biggest hurdle with the ADT command. There is no way around it: the system I reviewed is expensive. Although you have some options.
I tried ADT's Command Custom Home package, which is one of the company's top home automation and security offerings. The service requires at least two visits from ADT sales representatives and technicians, one to assess your needs and develop your system needs (and perhaps set up your financial support), And the other is to actually install the system. My system included a smart lock as well as modifications to some pre-installed thermostats, which required ADT to bring in subcontractors to handle electrical and locksmith work. Expect the installation to take up most of your day.
This version of the ADT command has all the bells and whistles, so I chose to review it. My total installation for the original ADT Plus system was over $ 3,000, and the command upgrade was another $ 1,422.99. Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like ADT aint for me either.
In addition to the initial installation, there is a monthly subscription fee that may increase as you add more devices. In my home, which covers approximately 3,000 square feet, we have two command control panels, four cameras with motion sensors, four smart thermostats, a smart door bell, a smart lock, two smart lights, windows and broken glass sensors. A host of, installed smoke. And on all three floors are carbon monoxide sensors, two flood detectors, and a Google Nest Hub smart display, and my monthly charge is just a hair's breadth of $ 80 per month.
What I like most about the Command Custom Home system is that, apart from all the tech, it comes with the Gold Service package (all custom home installations do). Not only does it provide you with a dedicated 24/7 phone support number that a person will answer with a two minute wait time, I got both the cell phone number of the sales representative and the lead technician. When I asked if it was just because I was writing a review, the sales representative showed me his cell phone contact database, which contained more than 2,000 names. ADT does this for every custom home customer. Now, if something goes wrong on a device (which I'll be notified by email and SMS alert) or an alarm goes off that I don't think should go off, I can either respond immediately. I can call the support number or my sales representative in person for help.
If the cost of a custom home is too high for you, ADT also has a command system starter kit that includes a command panel, three door or window sensors, and a motion detector. It starts at $ 599 with installation and various promotions are usually available. It is still installed via ADT and you can modify it to include different devices as you need, although doing so will increase your costs.
ADT's standard monthly monitoring fee, which includes all your smart home and video services, starts at $ 59.99. However, you can only choose an alarm monitoring service that starts at $ 38.99 per month. There is also a landline monitoring service that starts at $ 28.99 per month. If you're not ready for a command system and just want a DIY system with ADT monitoring, ADT Blue is always available, starting at $ 19.99 per month.
As mentioned, ADT has a number of options to make the cost of this wonderful initial installation even more delicious. An internal financing program, called FlexFi, lets you distribute your monthly charge between 12 and 60 months with 0% interest and no down payment. You can also go for the 3-Pay option, which lets you pay nothing and divides the install price into three equal amounts over a 90-day period. If you are OK with paying the full price right now, you will still have to pay half in advance and pay the other half when the installation is complete.
You have the option of a 12- to 60-month contract, although your representative will press you for the most common 36-month period. Honestly, after doing all the work on my house, I would like it at least for that length anyway. If you want to opt out early, you'll be charged an early termination fee.
One step above the pulse
As I mentioned above, my first ADT experience was the last generation Plus system. This includes some software and third party device issues, which the command not only solves, but also takes to the next level.
In fact, when ADT evaluated my Plus installation before installing the command, the technician noticed that many Plus devices (window sensors and cameras) could still be used with the command, allowing my upgrade installation. Will reduce costs. However, once the installation technician arrived (a different person), he realized that for the full command experience, ADT would have to rip and replace the Plus system. If you're in the same boat, your installation cost will be lower than what you paid for the Plus, but at least one for upgrading and reinstalling every device in your home. There will be taxes for the day.
Another thing you will need to do during the installation is to reset your ADT credentials if you are a former Pulse customer. Our process began with resetting passwords from the website, then using them to log in to updated mobile apps. Unlike Plus, the new Command Control app now uses multi-factor authentication when changing passwords, which is a good thing. Updating my wife's phone follows the same pattern, with the added step of making her a new user on the command system because she was only listed under Plus. One of the more confusing aspects of logging in for the first time using Website Console is that ADT puts all of its product logins on one page, so you need to know the name of the product which You want to access.
I like the interface of the website best for setting up how your system will work. It's the easiest to look at, well-designed, and ADT has added a lot of small features with Pulse compared to what I've experienced before. For example, under Activity Log, you can now group events, export logs if you want to see them in another app, and compile or extend events by day. Everywhere you come across new features that are different from the Plus, ADT has added pop-up description tours, so you should be aware of all the new features before you use them for the first time.
Once installed, you will find that the command does everything that pulse, and adds many features along the way. For one thing, the software experience, including your web interface, is brand new. Unlike Plus, which uses software developed by ADT, the command software (called Control for both mobile and web versions) was developed by Alarm.com, but is for ADT only. This turned out to be a good move, as I found the interface to be more sleek, the shortcut controls more accessible and centralized, and the camera's instant viewing experience better.
Plus, ADT is reselling Nest devices for thermostats, smart doorbells and more. The problem is that the Plus software does not directly support these devices. You need to set up your Nest account and manage the hardware using the Nest app, which means not only multiple downloads and configuration sessions, but also multiple logins and passwords. In command, ADT's software covers all your devices in one app. Okay, almost an app.
The mobile control app (available for Android and iOS) lets you view and adjust all your smart devices. You can see who's at the door and talk to them, adjust the thermostat, turn the alarm on and off, and more. However, the command also forces you to download another app, called MyADT, where you monitor the status of your account. Next up is the web interface, where you can also view the status of the account and access your devices, but this is the only place where you can perform some advanced options, such as the new video analytics feature (this But more below). The three apps are a bit small, though at least you can share a set of credentials in all of them, which you can't do with Plus.
The new apps also have some additional functionality, partly because ADT now controls all devices end-to-end instead of sharing them with a third party. For example, under the Pulse's Nest system, the doorbell only allows the camera and talking functionality. In command, those capabilities are available, but you also have the option of a button directly on the doorbell screen that lets you instantly lock your door or set a panic alarm.
The two main new features are Senses and Video Analytics. Plus it lets you automate things like turning on the smart light in front of your front door at a specific time, so it's always on when you get home from work. The command does the same, but extends it to something called ADT Ccenes. You can configure it in the control app or website console and basically create your own custom one-button button. So for example, you can create a scene that adjusts your thermostat to a certain temperature with one click activation.
There are also previews of how you access the command's geofencing feature. So let's say control realizes that everyone in the house is a mile away from home (they all have to install controls on their phones with geographic location) and you leave your garage door open. Granted, you can configure a scene. Where the system notifies you that the garage door is still open or automatically shuts off if you have an ADT garage sensor installed. You can create similar scenes for other sensors or your primary alarm.
Video analytics is probably my favorite new addition to the system. At the time of this review, you can only do this using the web version of the control, perhaps because you want a good sized screen. Once your cameras are installed (and they need command cameras that are registered by a technician to enable analytics), you can log in to Control and select the video on the left navigation bar. Are From there, click Recording Rules, then click Add New Roll. Now you can choose one of your cameras. You get two buttons, one for the ground zone and one for the trip wire. You can also choose the size of the items you want to detect with the camera. This defaults to large, but you can increase it to very large or drop it to medium or low, and if objects of this size appear, the camera will react and start recording.
If you select the ground zone, as I did for my deck camera, you will see the image that your camera is covering with a green square at the top. Then I can change the shape of the square to cover only the part of the deck I want - the part in front of my back door. Now the camera will only react if an object of the size I selected enters this area. You can go ahead and specify what you want the camera to notify you via email or text. Here you can choose person, car, animal, or "other", which means any unknown. I only chose people for the backyard deck camera, because my house is in the woods and I don't want text whenever I pass by a deer.
Trip wire is the only basic thing except the adjusting field, you get a straight line. I placed it on top of my driveway, pointed to the direction of the house, and selected people and cars as targets. So now if a person or car pulls into my driveway (not outside of it) the camera reacts, records and sends me an alert.
Plus there are cameras, but they lack that kind of granular adjustment. Since I'm so close to the road, Plus was constantly taking video clips of cars driving down the street from my house, but the camera's motion sensor was close enough to see them. It's over now that the camera knows where my driveway ends. And just like the Plus, these cameras are dedicated to cloud storage where you can keep your clips for up to 30 days and review them at your leisure.
Notable system hardware
While you'll probably be manipulating most of your ADT using a mobile app or website, the next best thing is your command panel. I had two installed at different ends of my house.
The Command Panel lets you turn Master Alarm on and off, view all of your devices, diagnose, and ignore device alarms if you think they are off for the wrong reason. There are also fire, police, and "personal" immediate access panic alarms, which translate to something else, usually a health emergency. Finally, a new camera has been created in the panel that takes instant pictures of everyone standing in front of it when the alarm goes off. This is great, but the panel was seldom mounted on my 6 '2 "body holder, so keep that in mind when installing.
I run a test alarm on the panic system and find that you'll receive a call from ADT Monitoring in about a minute or less (which is enough time to stand there listening to some very loud alarms right now.) )? When I spoke to some of the executives in charge of ADT monitoring centers, they told me that senders undergo sensitivity training, which is separate for police, fire and health calls. That's why you have three buttons instead of just one: You are being routed by someone who is getting the right training to handle your call. If you hit the police, for example, the person calling you from ADT has undergone police sensitivity training, so he knows how to hear the pressure in your voice. So if you say you're okay, they can still call the police if they think Hannibal Lector is holding a knife to your throat while cooking fava beans on your stove.
These executives also told me that the ADT needs to maintain an extensive database of local alarm ordinances that outline how alarm responses need to be. For example, in my area, pressing the police button gives you a call to ADT and then to the police. If it's a fire alarm, local law, on the other hand, says ADT must contact my local fire department before they call me (so it's not something I want to push accidentally). These rules vary from place to place, which is why ADT always tracks them to ensure compliance.
A small hardware feature that I liked about the Plus, though it made me sloppy remembering my alarm codes, is that it comes with a small quarter-sized plastic token that you can enter with your key. Can be attached to the ring. Open your door and swipe the token across the panel, and the alarm will go off automatically. Originally, the command did not have this feature, but when I installed, ADT had about a second. The new token is shaped like a car fob, with alarm buttons to activate and deactivate the alarm. I don't like this token version, because the token is too small and I already have a car fob, but it's still a one-button control that you can use without logging into your phone's control app or panel Can be used without hitting once. You are inside
As mentioned above, if you have a Plus now, you are looking at a complete replacement for all your devices including alarm sensors, locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, cameras and everything else. I decided to add an additional outdoor camera and a new indoor camera. I kept the indoor camera in the garage because that place was otherwise non-monitored. All cameras can support the video analytics feature mentioned above as long as your technician registers them as such. They also have both day and night modes that start automatically.
Plus uses a Smart Door Bell and a resale thermostat from Nest. ADT now has its own version of these components and they are fully integrated into the command control software.
The Smart Door Bell looks exactly like Nest and works the same way, except for the software improvements mentioned earlier. Also note that most ADT smart sensor devices are not permanently connected. So if you want to add a different Z-Wave door bell, for example, you just pop the existing one off your wall and put a new one. Generally, I wouldn't do that because the ADT devices are very good, and it wasn't clear from the sales pitch that you would continue to pay for the ADT doorbell as part of your contract even if you changed it.
This brings up another point for existing Plus users: ADT does not replace all devices that come with Plus. Some are easily disabled and then new devices are installed, with the notable exception of broken window and glass sensors, cameras, doorbells and locks. However, I still have old smoke on the roof and carbon monoxide sensors and a plus central switch box in the basement. The command doesn't need any of these, so it's just closed and hanging on the wall. Similarly, new smoke and monoxide detectors are now installed alongside the old ones in the roof. I also have a cable connection to my office from the Plus Central control box which I have now plugged in, but it does not touch ADT as part of my command installation. Replaces the backup cell connection box with ADT Plus, because the command is an all-cell system. The company also changed the box from AT&T to Verizon, as there is now better coverage in my area.
Your next notable command is to add hardware optional, Google Nest Hub. This is the only third party mediation tool you can get from ADT. Plus and the initial version of the command was standardized on Amazon's Alexa, and you can still get it to work with the command, even though you're doing it yourself. The new Google Nest Hub is what your technician will install if you want a smart display from ADT today.
Using Nest Hub, you can turn your alarm on and off, lock your door, adjust your thermostat, and control any smart lights, all with voice commands. Through I'd love to see it extended to the cameras, so I can take a quick look around the house on the big screen from my phone, but it's not currently supported.
For my installation, I had to download the Google Home app separately, create a personal Google Account (I didn't have one yet), then configure it to view ADT devices within the Google app. I tested it on alarms and door locks when the technician was at home (giving orders like "Hey Google, lock my door") and after about 30 minutes of shaking everything was fine. But a few days after Tech left, I tried to access Lock and other smart devices again, and Google didn't know who I was talking about. Although I was logged in to both ADT Control and Google's Home Apps, my device seemed to be disconnected.
Thanks to ADT's Gold service, I just called my sales representative and a tech was sent to my house to rearrange everything. This may sound lame for a tech geek like me, but for an 85-year-old lad, like my mom, it's a must, and especially in this case, as you really misdiagnosed the problem. Of Turns out, since I don't usually use a smart speaker, I didn't know that Nest Hub would only respond to very specific phrases. I was using more natural language and it didn't fly. I advised ADT that in the future they may have phrases for users who did not communicate regularly with the smart assistant at home.
It's worth noting that, at the time of my installation, ADT's integration with Google Home was only a month old. While everything was really working, I called my Gold Service 800 support number before the tech came out. The sender was very responsible, but he had little experience with Nest Hub so he was not very helpful. This means that if you are on the fence, you may want to submit this post a few months later to allow ADT to remove the links. You can still install the command now and choose to add Nest Hub later.
Your last hardware concern is not the ADT device, it's your own Wi-Fi network. While the command is an all-cellular system for monitoring, most smart devices use it to connect to your home's Wi-Fi. This means you should definitely practice good wireless security. If your network is hacked, bad people don't necessarily have ADT alarms, but they can potentially wreak havoc with Wi-Fi dependent devices. And if you're one of the few Americans who doesn't have a Wi-Fi or Internet connection, ADT Tech will contact local ISPs for you and help you access the Internet and set up a network. However, working with the ISP and dealing with them is still your job.
On the cellular service side, the command will work on 3G and above. If your area does not have good coverage, ADT will sell you Plus, as it is a landline capable system. Wherever there is cell coverage, however, your only option is command.
If you want to add some more hardware to your ADT system, the command leaves the setup process up to you, but the app has the option to connect to third party Z-Wave devices.
Advanced smart home security
Overall, I have no complaints about the ADT command system other than its cost. The hardware options are great, the software tools are sophisticated, the Gold Glove Gold service is the best I've experienced, and almost everything you can expect works. Compared to Vivint, another superior choice, ADT is slightly more expensive but offers superior customer service. Ultimately, it's the most advanced home automation and security system you'll ever find nationally, and it wins the Editor's Choice Award for ADT Command PCMag for Smart Home Security Systems. If this is all there is to it, and you have the budget for it, then this is the way to go.
For a more budget-friendly alternative, you may want to consider taking the DIY route. As mentioned earlier, ADT Blue also offers, which allows you to start small and add ingredients as needed. You can choose to self-monitor your home using the mobile app, or pay $ 20 a month for 24/7 professional monitoring. SimpliSafe is another great choice with affordable hardware and reasonable monthly monitoring fees that you don't need to contract. For more on this, check out our story on ADT vs. SimpliSafe.
No comments: