Every alarm has a control panel, a keypad or app, detectors and a siren. The difference is how the detectors talk to the panel: through cables run in the walls and ceiling, or by radio. Plenty of modern panels handle both.
Ring 0421 772 661 to plan an alarm. Alarm installation is licensed security work in NSW; we hold Security Licence S00014414.
In a wired system, each motion detector, door reed switch and siren is cabled back to the panel, which powers them and supervises the connection. There are no detector batteries to replace, and a cable connection isn't affected by radio interference or range. Wired systems have long been the standard for professionally installed alarms.
The cost is in the installation. Running cable to every sensor takes time, especially in finished homes with no roof access or with solid masonry walls. It's ideal during a renovation or new build when walls and ceilings are open, or in older homes where the roof space gives easy access to most rooms.
Renovations and new builds, homes with good roof or subfloor access, and owners wanting the lowest ongoing maintenance.
Rooms with no cable path, such as rear extensions with flat ceilings, which may suit a wireless detector instead.
Wireless detectors communicate with the panel by radio and run on batteries. Installation is quicker and much less disruptive, which suits finished homes, apartments and rentals. Adding a sensor later is usually simple. Some brands, such as Ajax, are built mainly around wireless devices and app control.
The trade-offs are battery replacement (the panel or app will warn you when batteries are low) and making sure every detector is within reliable radio range of the panel, which can be harder through double brick. The panel itself still needs mains power and a backup battery.
Finished homes, apartments, renters who may take the system with them, and people who want to add sensors over time.
Long or masonry-heavy homes where some detectors may need a repeater or wired alternative.
Hybrid panels accept wired and wireless devices together. That lets you wire the easy rooms and use wireless detectors where cabling would mean cutting into finished walls. It's also a sensible path when upgrading an older wired alarm: keep the good cabling, replace the panel and add wireless devices where needed. Brands like Bosch and Ness offer panels that work this way; check the specific model.
Whichever type you choose, the panel needs a reliable mains supply and backup battery, detectors placed to avoid false alarms from pets, heaters or curtains, a siren where it'll be heard, and a walk test of every zone before handover. If your panel ever loses power or starts beeping, see alarm panel no power. Our home alarm installation guide covers monitoring and app options.
Quality wireless systems use supervised, encrypted radio links. The bigger practical issues are batteries and radio range, which good installation addresses.
It varies by device and use. The panel or app warns you when a battery is getting low.
Often. If the cabling is sound, a new panel can reuse it, with wireless detectors added where needed.
Panels have a backup battery that keeps the system running for a period. Wireless detectors run on their own batteries.
In NSW, alarm installation is licensed security work. We hold Security Licence S00014414 and Electrical Licence 332956C.
NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 332956C · Fully insured · Since 2016 · Based in Hurlstone Park
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