When it comes to designing and installing security measures for our customers, we approach each and every home and business we secure as a unique application. Of course, this means listening to people’s specific concerns and addressing them as best as possible. Additionally, it also involves using the technology that best suits each property we secure. We have many options when it comes to the security products we install. One of the most pressing choices we make for much of our equipment lies in comparing the pros and cons of installing hardwires versus wireless security equipment in each and every application. In today’s post, we’ll provide an overview of this comparison when working with two of the most prominent types of security systems we offer.
First, we’ll look at this dynamic when comparing hardwired and wireless burglar alarm technology. These systems make up a very large portion of our overall security installations. Since burglar alarms represent one of the most effective and universal types forms of security, this should come as no surprise. From there, we’ll shift our conversation to another huge component of the security industry in the form of surveillance. We’ll look at the pros and cons of both traditional hardwired cameras as well as their wireless counterparts. Now, let’s dive in with a comparison of hardwired versus wireless security alarm systems!
Hardwired Versus Wireless Security Alarm Systems
When it comes to securing your home or business, few measures provide the security of a monitored alarm system. These security systems create a blaring siren response upon detecting a breach. Additionally, their connection to our monitoring service also creates a police dispatch when necessary. When designing an alarm, we want to give you the best security experience possible. While many people consider hardwired alarms “old-fashioned,” we certainly prefer them in certain situations! Here, we’ll review the differences between the hardwired and wireless alarms, as well as where we like to utilize each.
Hardwired
As their name suggests, hardwired security systems have low-voltage wires running from the security control panel to each individual system component. This option represents the first type of system available. Many customers assume that with the availability of wireless communication technology, hardwired systems must be a thing of the past. However, hardwired systems do still offer some advantages over wireless systems under certain circumstances.
For example, a hardwired system has far fewer batteries that will need replacing. Individual sensors that require power get that power from the control panel in a hardwired system, so the only battery to replace is the system backup battery. In contrast, a wireless system has batteries in every single device that must be replaced every 3 to 5 years. While this is not a frequent occurrence, it is something to consider. Additionally, hardwired alarms allow us to install contacts quite a distance from your alarm panel. Recent wireless technology offers long-distance radio communication. However, it still has its limitations. Installing a hardwired alarm allows us to install contacts farther away from your panel than a wireless system. For this reason, we generally install hardwired systems in large commercial properties.
Alarm contacts using wireless technology, such as this model by DSC, allow us to install security in places where running wires would prove difficult or even impossible.
Wireless
Wireless alarm systems have been in vogue for 2-3 decades now, so they are no longer the “new technology” that they were at the turn of the century. Now that these systems have fully immersed themselves in the industry, it’s easier to more accurately judge their advantages and disadvantages. The biggest and most obvious advantage to these systems lies in the ease of installation. When a contact or sensor can communicate to the control panel wirelessly, you can design a system for the best security possible without having to worry about opening walls to get wires to tough sensor locations.
Of course, this allows us more flexibility to install security in more applications. Furthermore, it allows us to install contacts in places where we couldn’t run wires. This gives us more freedom with sensor placement. Finally, installing wireless systems generally saves customers money. While wireless alarm components on their own cost more than hardwired ones, this potential savings generally gets eliminated once we charge for the time it takes to hardwire a system. For this reason, we install wireless alarms when customers want to watch their bottom line. Next up, let’s turn our attention to another type of security in the hardwired versus wireless security comparison!
Surveillance System Options
Surveillance Systems have grown in popularity quite a bit in recent years. As camera technology has improved, the price point for installing surveillance has actually decreased. This unique combination of added security for a reduced cost has certainly helped drive this boom. Additionally, the advent of wireless smart camera technology allows us to install cameras in areas we previously couldn’t. However, we still prefer hardwiring our surveillance systems in more cases than not. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each type of installation in this section.
Hardwired
Traditionally, installing cameras involves running wiring from a centralized recorder to each camera location. These wires transmit video back to the recorder, where we can have it stored as long as you need. This means that hardwired cameras record at all times. Of course, for high-security situations, we certainly prefer this. We can connect the recorder to your network for remote viewing. However, if the network goes down, this event will only affect remote viewing, while onsite recording still takes place uninterrupted. This differs from wireless smart cameras, that rely on a network connection to record video at all.
Whenever possible, we greatly prefer to install hardwired cameras. In most commercial applications, we certainly utilize completely hardwired camera systems. This type of setup allows for a consistent and reliable surveillance experience. Since each camera sends video back to the recorder through a dedicated wire, the video quality stays quite high at all times. This differs from the video quality of smart cameras, which can fluctuate based on the strength of the local Wi-fi signal. When video quality and reliability matter, hardwired cameras provide the best available security and experience.
Alarm.com smart cameras allow us to install cameras in locations where we could not install hardwired cameras.
Wireless
With the disclaimers about wireless smart cameras included above, you may wonder why we install them at all! Well, for starters, some applications do not lend themself well to a full hardwired installation. Many older homes, for instance, make terrible locations for running wiring. Additionally, the cost of a surveillance recorder and the labor cost of running wiring adds up quickly. Installing smart cameras can provide security for those on a tighter budget.
When it comes to storing and viewing footage, these types of cameras often operate quite differently from their hardwired counterparts. For starters, residential smart cameras generally record only upon detecting motion. At that point, the video footage often gets stored in the cloud for a short period of time. This allows customers to view stored footage for at least a week, and sometimes up to a month, after an event.
Additionally, some smart cameras, such as our preferred Alarm.com model, can also connect to a Wi-fi-based recorder to store more footage. However, this Wi-fi connection does not create as consistent recording as a hardwired recorder. When the Wi-fi connection falters, the recorder does not record until the signal strength improves. Obviously, we do not recommend that you rely very much on a system of wireless cameras. However, if you want to install cameras to occasionally check on your pets or some similar endeavor, they can get the job done.
Deciding Which Hardwired Versus Wireless Security Measures Work for You
We hope that this post helps you in your decisions when comparing hardwired versus wireless security options. Moreover, we also encourage you to contact us with any questions this post may raise for you. We will happily answer any and all security-related inquiries. Moreover, we also invite you to take advantage of our free site survey program. We offer complimentary security audits and equipment quotes to both new and existing customers alike. Over our 36-plus years in business, we’ve helped over a thousand customers create the security, and the user experience, that fits their unique applications. We’d love to work with you to create this security as well. Together, we can create a complete plan to keep your entire property as safe and secure as possible!