Smanos X300 plug and play alarm system

1. Introduction2. Unboxing3. Smanos Plug and Play alarm system4. Testing5. Final Thoughts6. View All Pages

The Smanos X300 is a capable home security system with a lot to recommend. The operation is simple, with a one press arm/disarm function, as well as having an SOS functionality should you require the alarm be triggered without the sensors being set off. It also connects up to a variety of useful tools to help expand the field of view.

Only a couple of those come with the device, so for full functionality we recommend expanding your sensor suite to include a camera and you may well want multiple door/window detectors to cover larger parts of your home or office.

The set up procedure for the X300 is a bit of a let down though. The poorly translated manual makes understanding what you are supposed to do a little difficult. The fact that the function to turn off the alarm is buried several pages deep, means that anyone setting this up without much prior experience, is likely to have a moment of panic when they cannot figure out how to turn the  alarm off.

The use of the traditional, large-scale SIM card for mobile functionality is a little bewildering, as they could have at least supplied a converter in the box. Although its requirement is mentioned on the packaging, it is in very small type.  I would like a network agnostic SIM card included with the package so that someone can use it right out of the box.

While there certainly is plug and play functionality without the SIM, the X300 is no way near as fully featured without it and it is a shame to think that many people may buy it, only to then delay them in setting it up while they wait for an old SIM card to arrive from Ebay.

Once in place, the X300 does perform well. The App is easy to navigate and intuitive in its functions. It provides a deeper level of access than you have without it and notifications are sometimes preferable to a blaring alarm. With the app you can customise all of that, letting you make the X300 security system truly your own.

The audio monitoring function is largely redundant as the quality is pretty sub-par, but all of the anti-tamper features are a nice bonus. Despite the stark physical presence, it would be very tricky for someone to take apart the Smanos X300 quickly to kill the alarm itself.

You can buy the Smanos X300 from Maplin for £180.

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Pros

• Loud alarm.
• Customisable through the back-end application.
• Wide array of sensors you can connect, two come in bundle.
• Alarm is near tamper-proof.
• No monthly fee, entirely self-managed.

Cons

• No bundled SIM card or credit.
• Requires old-style SIM card for use.
• Manual is hard to decipher.
• SMS text-only communication feels a little archaic.
• Audio monitoring quality is poor.

KitGuru Says: Although I may prefer the managed (and more expensive) iControl Piper, the X300 is still a very capable home/office security system with plenty of functionality and a great app. I just wish the set up was a little easier.

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