Commercial Security

Burglary / Intrusion Detection

Hardwired vs. Wireless Systems

You may be wondering when you would need or want a hardwired system versus a wireless system, or perhaps even what the difference is.

Hardwired systems have wires that run back to the control panel from every device in the building. Wireless systems transmit signals to the control panel through the air eliminating the need for direct wiring.

Wireless components and control panels may be desirable in situations where there is no aesthetically pleasing way to run a wire back to the control or when there is no possible way to physically get a wire from a system component back to the control panel due to the way your building is constructed.

Tamper switches are built right in to most wireless transmitters making them very secure from manipulation by would be intruders. Also, wireless devices are fully supervised, meaning the system will periodically check to ensure that the sensor is undisturbed and still functioning. The main drawback to a wireless sensor is the need to replace batteries (which are also supervised by the system), however with today’s modern wireless transmitters, the need to change transmitter batteries usually comes about every 3-5 years. It is important to note that not replacing the batteries in your transmitters at normal service intervals (when your system identifies the need to) could leave your system vulnerable.

When hardwiring system components is possible, it is preferred as there is no need for battery maintenance of a wireless sensor eliminating the risk of putting off a required battery change. Hardwired devices are usually the most hassle free for businesses and should always be your first choice if feasible.

Note that you can certainly have circumstances where some of your devices can be hardwired and some may need to be wireless and that there are wireless capable controls panels that can handle hardwired zones as well as wireless.