Choosing the right baby monitor is not an easy process for parents as they have to consider many factors. As you can see, we will analyze the safety sector and which baby monitors on the market are the safest.
Not all wireless transmission technologies are the same
There are a few basic types of wireless technologies that baby monitors use. Below, you will see in detail the three main categories of baby monitors available:
Analog baby monitors
These use one of the main available radio frequencies (generally 49 mHZ or 900 mHz, according to Spruce) to transmit audio and video from the camera to the receiver.
The advantage to this is that it’s a long-standing technology, so it’s more affordable than a digital baby monitor. However, it’s not as secure as other technologies – anyone near you using a device on the same frequency as your analog monitor could start picking up your audio and video, or vice versa.
If you're experiencing interference on your analog monitor, there's usually an option to manually change the frequency to another one that's not in use. MomTricks reports that analog monitors may be better for those who live in rural areas away from people and sources of potential interference.
Digital baby monitors
These use a digital signal, which transmits and receives audio/video as a discrete number and not as a continuous pattern like analog radio waves (usually at the 2.4 GHz frequency).
The advantage of this type of signal is that it can be encrypted more easily, meaning that even if someone else is using a device that operates on the same frequency as your baby monitor, that person cannot easily see or hear the image/sound of your screen.
Some baby monitors achieve this by automatically switching signals in an attempt to prevent eavesdropping, usually with a technology known as Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). You can search Google for baby monitors using this term and you will find many options.
This technology works by rapidly changing – doing so in a seemingly random manner – the channel your camera and receiver use to communicate, making it difficult for anyone else to conveniently “encounter” your baby monitor’s signal and hear/watch you.
However, researchers found that a dedicated intruder could find and follow your signal – if the intruder was physically near you (range varies but we’re mostly talking about nearby homes) and had the right listening equipment.
Unfortunately, digital baby monitors still suffer from interference from other devices operating on the same frequency (especially those using the 2.4 GHz frequency, which is used by tons of modern devices, like wireless routers and Bluetooth headphones).
This interference may take the form of temporary connectivity interruptions to your display, but that doesn't mean it's easy for these other devices to hear or see your screen's streaming video.
Another downside to digital baby monitors, as with analog monitors, is that you need to have them in close proximity to maintain your connection – you can't check on your baby from too far away.
Some digital baby monitors use Digital Enhanced Cordless Communications (DECC), a type of wireless technology that offers less interference and may also come with encryption. But again, researchers have shown that skilled hackers can bypass it.
Internet-connected Baby Monitors
These offer the most complete integration with smartphones, computers , and other consumer gadgets. It's great if you want to get a notification on your phone every time your baby does something interesting.
These monitors also tend to have unlimited range, meaning that as long as the camera and the receiving device/phone are connected to the internet, you should be able to check on your baby from anywhere.
However, as with almost any “internet of things” device, WiFi baby monitors are vulnerable to hacks – if hackers can bypass the passwords then they can gain access to your device. These devices also come with their own firmware that can be buggy and may not update automatically, meaning that if a hacker figures out how to compromise a particular model, they could potentially gain access to all devices in that model line around the world.
Most of the hacks on baby monitors involve devices that connect to the internet, so we would recommend that you avoid this particular category.
If you absolutely must use an internet-connected baby monitor, try to find one that allows you to change the password and automatically updates with new firmware versions. If you use such a baby monitor, you should also update your home WiFi password and make sure that only people you trust know it.
Information source: lifehacker.com.au
