Hello, I am new to this forum.

I have been looking over many intercom systems and generally the features list almost never includes the information I want.

I’m looking to install a doorbell intercom system and I am still deciding if I want a camera or just audio.

Some requirements for either will be to…

Activate the device at the front door from any of the receivers in the house such that the guest doesn’t have to touch the device. Or, have the door microphone (or camera) always on transmitting to all monitors in the house.

2 way, full duplex, audio between the door device and one, or all, the units in the house. ( still need to think this through as how it would work with multiple monitors. Maybe Push to Talk at a monitor activates it for some minutes.

If WiFi, security is key. I do not want anyone outside my house to have access to either audio or video from any device inside the house. I understand this precludes seeing someone if I am away. This probably means there will be no app on my phone, or an app only for setting up the system, then the app can be disabled.

Some nice things would be…

Wireless Wifi preferred over wired. Wired, of course is the most secure and reliable, but most difficult to install. I WiFi, it’d be ideal if the network credentials could be put in via USB or some other method not an app on the phone. I don’t really trust apps on the phone to not share private info with manufacturers or third party data brokers.

If the devices use WiFi, I will go into my router and set the devices to a static IP, then block those IPs access to the cloud. In this way, the devices can only talk to each other.

There is always proprietary wireless (not WiFi.)

If a camera system:

I want the camera always on or at a minimum a way to turn it on from a unit in the house.

A dedicated monitor in one of the rooms, but having monitors in multiple rooms would be good too.

Perhaps motion activation might work.

If an audio only system, I want…

To be able to hear, in my kitchen or all receivers, any conversation happening at the front door so guests do not have to touch the intercom to turn it on.

Or, failing that, be able to turn on the front door transmitter from any of the receivers in the house, again without the guest touching the device.

It’d be nice if the system could record video to a local desktop computer server.

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read through all this, I know I am not a normal user.

Mark.