It presents a prototype named >smart doorbell< based on low cost off-the-shelf components (such as IP Cameras, local area network facilities and smart phones commonly available in majority of house holds) which are driven by an application for android based smart phones allowing residents to monitor and converse with their visitors at the door, and to open or close the door regardless of their location. Moreover, the prototype was designed for interoperability with other smart home components, which is also rarely the case in the case of commercial systems.