Wired alarm: how to choose the right alarm system?
Do you want to protect your home, but still hesitating between installing a wired and wireless alarm? To make the right choice, it is important to understand how both types of security systems work. We have given you a compact summary of how a wired house alarm works and what advantages and disadvantages it has.
This is how a wired house alarm works
As the name suggests, wired home alarm systems are characterized by the presence of wires and cables to ensure all necessary functions. While a wireless alarm system and its accessories are operated via WLAN or a telephone network, wired alarm centres and their accessories are connected to one another by a cable system.
The heart of any security system is the control panel. The control centre, regardless of whether it is equipped with a control keyboard or not, manages the information sent by the sensors and detectors (e.g. motion detectors, outside detectors, opening detectors). These detectors are located in the monitoring zones of the alarm system, the so-called wired zones. A control unit is required here that activates the alarm siren in an emergency.
All information is then transmitted via cable installation. In contrast to a wireless home or GSM alarm, there are no radio waves, WLAN or batteries involved. As with a wireless or mobile alarm kit, the wired set often contains an alarm centre, a siren, motion detector and a surveillance camera. Ultimately, it is up to you to choose the security system that suits your home and your everyday life.
If you know that you want a wired alarm system, you should plan this when you build your new home. Since there is wiring between the alarm centre and the individual detectors, these are particularly suitable if you are planning to build your new house anyway. The locations of the detectors and the individual cables can be considered during the planning phase. Wire alarm systems are often the preferred choice, especially in the commercial sector. This is mainly because there are extensive installation areas and that there are greater distances between the individual detectors. Long distances are no problem for wired alarm systems.
The advantages of a wired alarm
Alarms like these are aimed at all those who are looking for a classic security product for their home that should not be dependent on radio waves or Wi-Fi. But why should you choose a wired alarm?
A clear advantage is the price. Since no radio transmitter is required here, the purchase price is often cheaper than for radio systems. In addition, wired alarm systems often score with their longevity and are particularly resistant to interference. Anyone who uses their cell phone regularly and is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi knows that this can be frustrating. With wired alarms, however, faults and power failures are a thing of the past. Since the individual components of these security systems are connected to one another by cables, the connection they need to communicate with one another is seldom interrupted. Correspondingly, wired systems are also effective for larger buildings, as the signals can be transmitted over long distances without any problems.
This not only means that the system works continuously, but also that the chance of false positives is significantly reduced. In addition, a wired alarm can cover a larger surveillance area than its wireless competitors, as wireless networks only reach a certain distance.
Thanks to its own power supply, there is no need to change batteries or recharge batteries. Once connected, the alarm will always remain in operation.
Wired or wireless home alarm?
The boom in wireless alarms is largely due to the mobility and ease of installation and use of these security systems. To install the devices, all you need to do is find a suitable place, mount the camera and attach sensors to doors and windows. Nevertheless, it is advisable, especially if you have no experience with this topic, to seek professional help.
Wireless alarms are not perfect, however. As already mentioned, the various components use a network to communicate with each other. That means they are prone to failure and can even be hacked, which in turn creates false positives and puts your safety at risk. They are also dependent on batteries. This means that you must keep checking that everything is really working.
In turn, the main disadvantage of the wired home alarm is the installation process and the work that goes with it. Anyone who already lives in a house and does not yet have an alarm system will find it difficult to install a wired alarm. Anyone who plans to do this will definitely have to look around for professional help, which is also reflected in the price. The same applies if at some point you decide to mount the alarm in a different location. You will hardly be able to do this without an expert.
So how exactly do the two variations differ in price? Buying the individual parts of a wireless alarm can be considerably more expensive than the purchase price of a wired alarm. However, since it is much easier to install a wireless system, whereas in the case of a wired alarm you have to resort to professional installation, the cost of installation tends to exceed the product price of a wireless alarm.
Another difference between the two models is the transmission of warnings. Wireless home, GSM or WLAN alarms keep you up to date with notifications on your smartphone. You can control the system remotely at any time and activate the alarm remotely. This is more difficult with wired systems. However, you can add a phone dialler to your wired alarm system and link it to one or more phone numbers. In the meantime, however, both wired alarm systems and wireless systems can be integrated into the smart home and linked to the smart home. However, you should not automatically assume that this is the case, especially in the case of wired alarms.
In some cases, as long as the system is not too old, you can connect it to video doorbells, for example. We encourage you to look at Nest’s smart doorbells. These also have the advantage that you as a homeowner can see from anywhere what is going on in front of your door.
Conclusion
Whichever variant you choose - security is the top priority for both wired and wireless objects. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, but they are reliable it just depends on your preference at the end of the day.