I wanted to replace Vivint for security in my home. I like the cameras but not the service. And I started having trouble with the doorbell which Vivint said required a full system upgrade. Cancelling the service cancels access to the cameras so I needed to change them first. I used ChatGPT to review all of the available options and looking at the pros and cons of each against the others. From that (and additional research) I chose Wyze. Wyze has nearly everything needed to build a home security system without requiring an annual fee. But I can add a limited annual fee if I want to which gives me additional continuous recording benefits.

The one item it does NOT have is an electronic door lock which has a key for backup entry. Also the electronic lock cannot be remotely opened unless you are within Bluetooth range of the door so both of these eliminated Wyze for the electronic lock. I have used U-Tec before and like it so I made that one substitution.

Wyze Installation

My goal was to use the camera placement that Vivint had and to use the tracks they used for their PoE cords with the Wyze cameras. I added a 256Gb memory card to each camera which yielded me about 2 weeks of continuous recording. The cameras also have both a microphone and a speaker so that you can talk to anyone through the camera. It was relatively easy to install and resolution is very good.

One issue is that the USB power line for Wyze has a flat USB C connector at the end that is wider than the holes used for the PoE power lines with the Vivint cameras. The solution is to use a ¼” drill to widen the holes (but they don’t need to be taller). I filled the holes with silicon sealer after installation which is what Vivint did.

I read that if you have a long run from the camera to the outlet, USB loses power quickly and that the solution is to use a PoE device and an ethernet cable which holds power for a longer distance. I decided to try this approach since I had the Zinwell PoE device already.

I purchased a DSLRKIT Active PoE Splitter from Amazon for $10 and a 3’ Ethernet cable. I connected the cable to the existing Zinwell PoE device and attached the splitter to the end of the cable. The splitter has a USB connector and I connected the large end of the Wyze camera power cord to that connector. It works fine.

I ordered a Wyze wired doorbell camera with chime to replace the Vivint camera. The first issue is that Wyze has decided not to allow memory cards in their doorbell cameras. Their argument for this is that the camera is easy to steal so the card wouldn’t help. But this is a bogus argument. The Vivint camera has a set screw at the bottom making it hard to steal. The Wyze camera does not. A set screw would solve the “easy to steal” problem.

The camera points at the street. There are many reasons to want to have two weeks of recording of events that happen in the street. The camera wouldn’t be stolen and the recording would be valuable. You get the recording if you buy the annual service. So that is obviously the reason they don’t do it. They have disabled the camera to drive the annual service. I don’t see any other reason for this decision. They should instead make the service valuable on its own merit, put a set screw in the doorbell, and add a memory card slot like all the other cameras have.

One issue I ran into with the installation is that the Vivint doorbell camera is larger than the Wyze doorbell camera. I solved this by putting a white single outlet cover over the hole and installing the Wyze doorbell camera through that opening. It fits but it points out another problem with the Wyze wired doorbell camera. The Vivint doorbell camera has attachment screws at the standard locations for electrical outlets and switches which match the holes in the cover. The Wyze camera has a nonstandard spacing. Since it is larger, I drilled another hole in the cover plate to get it to fit. But that is another thing Wyse should fix to make their wired doorbell camera more valuable.

Finally, I replaced the electronic door lock with a Ultraloq U-Bolt lock with a WiFi extender. The app supports locks at multiple physical addresses so, when added it, it doesn’t interfere with my other locks in other properties. And it has a key in case the batteries die when I am out of the house.

The Wyze app for my iPhone takes some getting used to but there are many videos on line about it and the video from all of the cameras is very good.

Overall

Overall I give the Wyze cameras 5 stars. They are inexpensive, with the memory card they provide continuous recording, they have person detection and you can scroll through the video on the card to review the event if the snapshot taken is not clear, and all of this without an annual subscription.

However, I give the Wyze wired doorbell camera only 3 stars. It has nonstandard screw holes requiring some adaptation to install, it has been disabled for no reason that I can determine other than to drive sales of the annual subscription, and it doesn’t have a set screw to make it difficult to remove. It has good video and it calls you when someone comes to the door. However, if your phone is on silent, you can miss that there is someone at the door. This has happened to me already.

Finally, I don’t believe that any battery operated electronic door lock is useful without a key for alternate entry and I don’t believe that any electronic door lock that can’t be remotely controlled with a phone app is useful. So 1 star for their door lock. But 5 stars for the U-Tec U-Bolt. My wife loves the autolocking feature (30 seconds after being unlocked, it locks itself). So I left that feature on.

After getting the Wyze cameras installed I cancelled the Vivint service and declined their upgrade and lower cost offers. However, I still got billed the next month and had to work with the credit card company to get that charge removed. So if you are replacing Vivint, make sure you check for this after you cancel with them.

Follow Up

I was very excited to read about the Wyze V2 Doorbell. It has a better camera, a wider angle, and it can be installed with a memory card for motion recording. Just what I was originally looking for! I went out and bought one along with a 256Gb card. The camera works great and has the ability to scroll through continuous recordings even if an event isn’t triggered.

Now the bad news – it doesn’t connect to the chime I was using with the V1 doorbell. And the one I installed won’t connect to the house mechanical chime AND Alexa can’t see it so I can’t use Alexa as a doorbell. So, it is a great camera but a disgustingly bad doorbell.

More bad news – SD the card is on the outside of the doorbell and not the back so anyone standing in front of the doorbell can just remove it. What is up with that?

And, yet, even more bad news – the doorbell does not attach solidly to the wedge like the V1 did. You can just pull up on it to take it off and carry it away with you.

What is wrong with these people? The Wyze product management process is HORRIBLE. The V1 worked great, had it’s own chime, couldn’t be easily removed, and did everything but continuous recording. All it needed was a set screw and a memory card (inserted behind the doorbell). But NO, that’s not what V2 is. It’s a better camera and a worse doorbell. Add that to the obvious issues with their electronic door lock and I have to wonder what is going on in their product management group?

I eventually got the doorbell to connect with the existing chime but that chime is so quiet you can hardly hear it in the house. And I got a huge number of false motion alarms at night due to headlights passing by even with a low setting and blocking out the entryway in the app (which didn’t seem to work with the V2 doorbell).

In the end I took out the Wyze V2 Doorbell and memory card and reinstalled the V1 doorbell. At least I have a doorbell that chimes. And I won’t have as many false alarms from headlight motion anymore. So 1 star for the Wyze V2 Video Doorbell.

At my other property I used the Kasa KD110 doorbell. That seems to work well. I’ve been able to eliminate false motion detection from road traffic and I get continuous recording. That property has old Arlo cameras and I am considering replacing them with Kasa cameras so that I stay on a single ecosystem. However Kasa doesn’t have an electronic lock and I’m using U-Tec there as well so I might stick with the Wyze cameras because I like them so much.

One last note: When I got back to my house after an extended vacation, the batteries in the U-Tec door lock had died and did not respond to the code. I am so glad I had a key to get in.