With a population of just over 56,000, Carson City, NV is a mid-sized city with all the amenities you would find in comparable cities around the country. Homeowners there have access to plenty of home security options. The question is how to find a good provider in Carson City.
Answering the question is not as hard as you might think. It is all about understanding the options. In fact, if there is anything difficult about finding a provider, it is making sense of so many offers. The starting point is deciding whether to look at every option or stick only with companies that have local operations.
Vivint Smart Home is just one example of a nationwide company that services Carson City. There are others. But there are also companies that sell their systems only online and without remote monitoring included. They are essentially DIY systems you install and monitor yourself.
Manufacturer, Provider, and Dealer
A good place to begin our analysis is discussing the differences between manufacturers, providers, and dealers. A single company can perform all three functions, but that is rare. The functions are separate in most cases.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Manufacturer – The manufacturer is the company that actually makes the security equipment. Manufacturers rarely provide installation or monitoring services. They just make security devices. They might sell their devices independently or hook up with providers willing to sell and install the equipment.
- Provider – The provider is essentially the security equipment retailer. Some providers only sell equipment with professional installation included. Others sell equipment to homeowners interested in installing it themselves. Providers may or may not offer remote monitoring.
- Dealer – A dealer is a small business that sells and services security equipment locally. Your average dealer represents a single provider or manufacturer. Users tend to be authorized by those providers and manufacturers as well. On occasion, you will find a dealer that represents multiple companies.
The differences between these three entities may be important to some homeowners. There are those who value the expertise of the local dealer. They would never think about purchasing a home security system directly from a manufacturer or provider. That’s fine.
Rest assured there are dealers in Carson City. But you will not find as many there as you would in a major city like New York or Los Angeles. Dealer options are organically limited in smaller cities.
Knowing What You Want
Another thing to consider is what you actually want out of your home security system. For starters, what do you want in terms of equipment? Your preferences may eliminate some home security providers from the equation. If they do not have everything you want, you are obviously not going to buy from them.
A typical entry-level home security system includes the following:
- Sensors for first-floor windows and doors
- One or two wireless video cameras
- A wireless hub for controlling equipment
- A smartphone app for remote control.
These are all things you are going to find available through almost every home security provider. They are standard. If you want more, you might have to look a little harder. For example, you might feel it is important that your system include wireless smoke detectors, wireless carbon monoxide detectors, and flood sensors. You might want a video doorbell, too.
You can get all of that in Carson City, and more, but maybe not through a local dealer. You might have to purchase your system online, from a company that offers a wider range of equipment choices.
Likewise, you might be looking at a couple of sites that offer most of what you want, but not all. Now you find yourself in a situation of having to mix-and-match components. You are going to buy most of your equipment from one company and the rest from another. Make sure all the pieces you choose are compatible with your chosen hub.
Adding Home Automation
Another thing that might affect your choices in Carson City is home automation. It goes without saying that people are investing in both security and home automation all at once. Doing so makes sense inasmuch as purchasing all of your equipment from the same manufacturer or provider guarantees seamless integration.
The smart speaker offers a perfect illustration. Most of us recognize the benefits of smart speakers as personal assistants. You can use a smart speaker to order a pizza or give you the weather forecast. You can use it to order flowers for your daughter’s wedding. You can also integrate it into your home automation and security system.
Coming home to a dark house with arms full of groceries? No worries. Turn the lights on with your voice. Just tell your smart speaker which lights you want on and let it do the rest. You can use your smart speaker to adjust the thermostat, lower the shades, and even lock or unlock the door.
That same smart speaker could become the command and control center for your security system as well. Issue a command and it will arm the system as you head upstairs for bed. Use it to activate and deactivate security cameras or control the security lighting you installed outdoors.
Here’s the point: a local dealer in Carson City may not have access to all of the equipment you are after. They might be able to get it, so that doesn’t necessarily disqualify them from the competition. The key is figuring out what you want before you start looking for a security provider.
Local Is No Longer Required
A couple of decades ago, everything related to home security was local. Homeowners worked with a local dealer representing a regional or national provider. Because there was no such thing as DIY security, everything went through the local dealer.
Today, local dealers are no longer required. You can look for a dealer in Carson City if that is the model that appeals to you. But if not, there are many other options to choose from.