Friday, December 11, 2009

Comparing Wired Home Surveillance Systems To Wireless

By Craig Baca

Things have changed thanks to the digital revolution -- whether this will improve or screw up things is another matter entirely. Hard wired home surveillance systems used to be the only ones available, but more and more of the wireless systems have been turning up, many nowadays operating with all those features wired systems offer at a fraction of the price.

What is the deal with wired and wireless systems? How do you know which one is better for your needs?

Home Surveillance Systems: Hard Wired

If your home surveillance system is using physical wires to transmit information and uses the electricity in your home for a power source, then you are using a hard wired system. The wiring is fairly easy to hide and doesn't require much in the way of upkeep, and of course since it runs off your electricity there's no chance other appliances will run interference.

Good to go? Actually, there is a negative side to the argument for hard wired systems. First, unless you are a technical wizard, you're better off leaving installation and any troubleshooting to the professionals. Trying to do this on your own could result in loads of wasted times with either nothing to show for it, or an unreliable system that you have no way of knowing if it works or not.

If you choose to install a hard wired system, you're going to have to tear into your house. The best thing to do is to get a home surveillance system installed while your house is in the process of being built. If your house is already standing, you'll have to deal with the fact that your home will have scars from this experience.

Is Wireless The Answer?

When you use a wireless system, cameras and sensors communicate with each other through radio transmission, which can produce excellent results. Wireless systems can also do anything your hard wired system can do, without any messy install or damage to your house. Installation is incredibly simple -- all you really need is a manual and someone with the tiniest bit of technical knowledge.

The biggest complaint regarding wireless home surveillance systems is the constant interference. If your system is within a certain distance to other electrical devices, you can bet on troublesome interference that could be crippling. Wireless systems also have a bad reputation for being extremely sensitive too: the vibrations of a passing car playing very loud music can be enough to set it off, and if it for some reason broke down you'd have no way of knowing it until you tested it out for yourself.

As if those weren't enough negative sides, technology is always moving forward at light speed so there is no real guarantee you'll be able to buy the replacement parts you need if yours does die.

Hard Wired Systems Still Good For Important Safety Concerns

Wireless home surveillance systems are so simple to install, and they do run nicely even without wires as long as you can stay out of the range of interference. Hard wired systems are still the only reliable ones for long term protection.

Wireless systems will do just fine for simple setups, but if you're looking for serious protection that you can feel good about, the only way you're going to achieve that level of security is by paying a professional to install a good hard wired system in your home.

About the Author:

No comments: