Cameras without the cloud: local recording, encryption, police requests and audio law
Where your camera and doorbell video goes, what end-to-end encryption really turns off, how police ask for footage, and why Washington's all-party consent law means turning off audio on outdoor cameras. Plus how local PoE and NVR systems work.
Does my installer need a license? Low-voltage, alarm and smart home work in Washington
Which L&I electrical licenses cover alarms, cameras, networks, AV, lighting control and gates (EC 06, 09, 10, 02 and 01), when a permit and Class B label are needed, what a handyman may legally do, and how to look up a license.
Door-to-door alarm sales in Washington: your right to cancel and contract traps
Signed an alarm contract at your door? How the FTC Cooling-Off Rule and RCW 63.14.154 let you cancel within three days, how to do it, the sales pitches Washington's Attorney General has acted on, and the contract terms to read first.
Matter, Thread, Zigbee and Z-Wave: a plain guide to local control
What the smart home standards are, which ones work without the internet, why you need a hub or border router, and the questions to ask an installer so your lights, locks and sensors keep working when the internet or the company goes away.
Own your security system: panels, installer codes and switching monitoring
Who owns the alarm panel, who holds the installer code, and what a dealer-locked panel means if you move or switch monitoring companies. With a checklist of questions to ask before you sign.
Professional monitoring vs self-monitoring in Washington: police response, false alarm fees and backups
What a monitoring center does, how Seattle's and Tacoma's alarm rules change police response, the false alarm fees cities publish (Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Federal Way), what UL listing of a monitoring center means, and why cellular and battery backup matter.