Camera Only Useful if Wifi Stays Up?

As a point of order, the entry delay triggers a recording from all cameras as does the alarm so they would have to disconnect them before they could upload. Also, unless you set the cameras not to (which would not be advisable) the camera should have triggered motion recordings before the perp even enters so it's unlikely that the perpetrator or perpetrators could accomplish what you suggest . Assuming everything thing is working properly.

Additionally killing the internet will not stop the base station communication. Rationally one would think that lack of video from a location with video present would be prima-facia evidence something is up but I don't know this to be fact and government agencies cannot always be counted on to be rational.

@KRStrick, oh yeah you're right. The camera starts recording during the entry delay. I was getting confused with the change SimpliSafe made to the auto recording when arming the system. That was disabled.  That's good. So breaking in, then running to the office to tear out the wifi router will still end up with video of thieves in the house plus the alarm will sound.

On the other hand, many homes have the internet wire visible from the outside, where it enters the house. Snip snip, all cameras are down.  The alarms still sounds though. There wouldn't be video confirmation of the event, that's all.

@usmaak I guess that's how most security works.  Nothing is a perfect defense. No security system is unbeatable.  Rather, it becomes a matter of the security system  imposing a greater cost to the intrusion of your home in the hopes a thief will decide your house is not worth the effort.  

I think it's interesting how improving security can also become a game of whack-a-mole, in some ways.  For example, a while back I replaced all the deadbolts on our doors.  Now the deadbolts' strike plate is secured to the door frame with four three inch screws.  But then, what good is that if the door breaks at the hinges?  Or, well, every door to my house has either glass as part of the door itself or else there are sidelights.  So the deadbolt holds, but then someone can just smash the glass and unlock it.  I'd have to get that shatter proof film for all the door windows, but then, how much good does that do when I have lots of other windows easily accessible from the ground floor?

The great thing about the alarm, is that it takes a different approach from trying to prevent the intrusion physically and instead it provides a deterrent by threatening to detect and reveal to the police or the home owner that an intrusion is occurring.  Yeah I guess a high tech thief could get a couple types of jammers, cut the internet cable from outside, and have an accomplice down the road listening to the police dispatch frequencies.  But heck, if you have something so valuable in your house that you're going to have the Mission Impossible crew coming after the crown jewels you've stashed under your mattress, of course you need something other than a DIY system.   But in most cases, the folks breaking into homes aren't taking a high tech, organized crime approach.  The folks who ARE taking that approach are probably not going to bother with your average home - it wouldn't be worth the effort.

How about buying a Wi-Fi router with battery and mobile phone backup and storing it in a locked cupboard?

Assuming that such a thing exists? (why not?)

Otherwise, almost all alarm systems are equally vulnerable.

(most alarm "boxes' are by a front door and can usually be "taken out' by the same sledgehammer you use to go through the front door. In the long run, you can only rely on how good your monitoring is, and whether they have enough "clout' with the police to get them sent round as soon as the system "sets off'.

I guess in the USA, some police, in some areas of the country, might take this seriously and arrive fully armed like the cavalry of old times. But then again, in the USA, "perps' are frequently armed.

Over here in "limey land' the only way the police will take your call seriously is if you tell them that somebody has offended somebody who is LGBTQ**+--@@ community (or whatever the current acronym is for those who wish to be "identified' by their own particular brand of sexual whatever).

@paul.keith1

Bear in mind the SS camera and alarm are two separate things. If you have a monitoring plan the SS3 alarm system already has a battery backup and cellular backup.

The camera operates soley on WiFi and just captures recordings, it does not trigger the alarm.

Far as the importance of cameras, I have many on a separate system so, yeah, I think there is some benefit. But, let's face the facts, all a perp has to do wear a mask and they've rendered the video just a means to see what happened rather than a means to identify whodunnit.

@paul.keith1  While I have the older SS2 system that doesn't utilize wifi like the SS3 system does, I do have a UPS just for my internet devices (router, modem, etc.).  We have had the power go out for short periods and the internet stays up and working.  It's also nice to not have to worry about the devices rebooting every time the power flickers a little.  So even while sitting in the dark, my kids can stream movies on a tablet.  (I also have a larger/older UPS on my TV, satellite receiver and a few other devices that has kept those running for at least an hour before while the power was out.)

And while everyone has  a differernt environment with many different factors, my 3 Simpicams, doorbell pro and now the outdoor camera all work fine. Yes, the occasional video drop but overall extremely stable.

The simplisafe cameras were an after thought for us.  Hubby didn't want any cameras inside.... we have our hard wired 24/7 recording cameras outside..... but I finally convinced him we needed a couple inside (AND they were originally great fun as a cat spy cam!  funny things that boy used to do when we weren't home!). Eventually, as they were on sale on Best Buy we ended up with 9 (plus the doorbell!). However as soon as the internet goes out.... the cameras go red and are useless.....

that said.... I still want a couple outside ones to play with (and set up as hummingbird spy cams!  lol!)

but I just like "toys"

The simplisafe cameras were an after thought for us.  Hubby didn't want any cameras inside.... we have our hard wired 24/7 recording cameras outside..... but I finally convinced him we needed a couple inside (AND they were originally great fun as a cat spy cam!  funny things that boy used to do when we weren't home!). Eventually, as they were on sale on Best Buy we ended up with 9 (plus the doorbell!). However as soon as the internet goes out.... the cameras go red and are useless.....

that said.... I still want a couple outside ones to play with (and set up as hummingbird spy cams!  lol!)

but I just like "toys"