D-Link DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security System Review | Perfect for the DIYer!

In the world of digital living and the Internet of Things, More and more devices and items are becoming ‘smart’. Even things like water sprinklers can be controlled from the tap of your phone. These days, finding a home security system is pretty easy, Just google ‘Home Security System’ and you will be amazed at how many DIY and WiFi systems there are available. Well today I am looking at one from D-Link, The DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security System which I have been pretty eager to get my hands on after they started teasing it on their social media late last year.

With that being said, Big thanks to D-Link for sending this kit out for review!

DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security System | What’s in the Box?

The box itself is pretty jammed pack with info, Ranging from the features to the specs.

Upon opening the main box you will be greeted with yet more boxes, But these actually contain the cool stuff.

In the box is the the DCS-8330LH Smart Hub/Camera, Which is the main hub to connect everything to, 1 DCH-B122 Smart Motion Detector and one DCH-B112 Smart Door Sensor.

I’ll start off with the DCS-8330LH Smart Hub/Camera. Included in its box is the Hub itself, An AC Power adapter and a mounting kit to screw it to a surface, Plus some documentation.

Next is the DCH-B122 Smart Motion Detector, Inside that box you get the Smart Motion detector, A 3M mounting kit with an extra piece of double sided tape and some documentation.

Lastly is the DCH-B112 Smart Door Sensor, in this you get the sensor itself, an extra set of double sided tape as it’s already applied to the sensor and some documentation.

Design and Features

DCS-8330LH

Design wise, the DCS-8330LH has the normal modern ‘smart’ look to it. It’s made completely from a white matte plastic with the D-Link logo printed on the side. On the base of the hub are two screw holes to either mount it down to a surface like a table or to the ceiling. Also on the base is the Micro USB Power jack, two rubber feet and the QR Setup code.

The actual camera is able to swivel up and down to give you the best possible field of view. On the camera itself is the speaker, reset button and Micro SD Card slot.

DCH-B122 Smart Motion Detector

The design of the DCH-B122 Motion Sensor is pretty standard. It is quite small and looks pretty discrete when mounted up on the wall. It has a PIR sensor in the middle and an LED status light at the top. Found on the rear is the QR Setup code which can also be found in the box of the DCH-B122 as well as the battery door to get access to the battery, A battery is pre-installed so just pull the plastic tab out to turn it on. Mounting it is super easy, just stick the mounting bracket on the wall and slot the sensor onto it-It’s that easy.

DCH-B112 Smart Door Sensor

The DCH-B112 Smart door sensor is a pretty compact and sleek looking sensor. It has pre-applied 3M tape on both the sensor and the magnet. A QR code is found on the bottom of the door sensor as well as in the box. The DCH-B112 also comes with a pre-installed battery and again all you have to do is pull the tab out. What I like about these sensors is that they have tamper detection. As soon as the sensor is taken off the mounting plate it sends a notification to your phone. On the actual sensor is also a manual button to open the door without it triggering anything.

DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security System | Features

AI-based Detection

Advanced, intelligent motion detection helps you customise how alerts are triggered for smarter home monitoring

ONVIF Recording

Connect to an ONVIF-compatible NAS/NVR or other storage device for continuous local recording, or a microSD card, your phone, or the cloud for event recording.

Smart Home Compatible

Works with mydlink Smart Home devices, Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant and IFTTT.

Built-in Smart Home Hub

Works with compatible mydlink Smart DIY devices.

True Full HD Clarity

1080p Full HD quality video at 30 FPS

Rich Notifications

Receive a snapshot and take action from your lock screen with a tap to call a designated contact.

Day & Night

See up to 5 metres in the dark

Remote Access

View from anywhere for free from the mydlink app.

Setup and mydlink App

Setting up all the included devices is really simple, Just go into the mydlink app and click on ‘Add a Device’. Doing this will take you to the screen to scan the QR code. This will take you through the steps of naming the device and picking the location as well as binding them to your WiFi. Make sure you setup the DCS-8330LH first as this is the main hub!

Once setup, Go and setup up some automations. I setup my DCH-B112 to make the camera start recording as soon as the door opens. Do this by going into settings and going to the automation tab and set up a new automation.

Once done, The DCS-8330LH will record a clip every time the ‘Front Door Sensor’ is set to open.

You can find these clips by going to the events tab at the bottom of the main screen.

Something else really cool is D-Link’s AI system in the camera, It will tell you whether it was a motion event or a person detected.

Performance

The DCH-8330LH is very reliable camera, as soon as the door opens or there is motion detected I get a rich notification straight to my phone. Setup was a breeze and using the mydlink app is really easy and simple.

Pricing

The D-Link DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security System is sold on the D-Link Australia website for $300 AUD. This really isn’t a bad asking price for a 1080p ONVIF camera with night vision and two security sensors. You also have to pay a monthly or yearly fee on D-Link Cloud recording if that is something you wish to use.

Specs

Conclusion

The D-Link DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security system is great for the avid home owner or tenant as it’s only stick on, It’s simple to setup and use and pairing this with something like the DCS-8220KT outdoor camera system you will have a pretty powerful security system at your fingertips.

Buy one from the D-Link Website

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Disclosure: The D-Link DCS-8331KT DIY Smart Security System review sample was supplied for reviewing but all opinions are of my own and not paid.