Wired vs Wireless Security Systems
Wired has no batteries and cannot be jammed. Wireless is what almost every retrofit uses, for a reason that has nothing to do with the specification sheet.
The Short Answer
Wired sensors do not have batteries to replace and cannot be jammed, which is why they are still specified in new builds and large properties. Wireless is what almost every retrofit uses, because running cable through a finished house is disruptive and the reliability gap in a normal home is small.
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The Full Comparison
Every row is a verifiable specification, and the advantage marker says which side wins it. Where wired loses, the table says so.
| Specification | Wired | Wireless |
|---|---|---|
| Power source per sensor | Drawn from the panel over the cable runAdvantage: left | Cell battery in each device |
| Battery maintenance | None at the sensors; panel backup battery onlyAdvantage: left | Every 3-5 years per sensor, staggered across the house |
| Radio interference | ImmuneAdvantage: left | Possible; panels detect and report jamming attempts |
| Range limits | Limited by cable length onlyAdvantage: left | Roughly 100 ft from the panel, less through masonry or steel |
| Retrofit disruption | Cable runs through walls, ceilings and floor voids | Adhesive or two-screw mounting, no cableAdvantage: right |
| Install time | A day or more in a finished house | 1-4 hoursAdvantage: right |
| Suitability for rentals | Not realistic | Removable without damageAdvantage: right |
| Moving the system with you | Cabling stays with the property | Devices unmount and travelAdvantage: right |
| Adding a sensor later | New cable run required | Paired from the app in minutesAdvantage: right |
| Behaviour in a power cut | Panel battery powers the whole loop, including sensors | Sensors run on their own cells regardless; panel on backupAdvantage: right |
| Tamper detection | Cut cable is detected immediately as a faultAdvantage: left | Device removal reports as a tamper; a dead cell reports as a low-battery fault |
| Sensor cost per additional opening | Cable run dominates the effort | Device onlyAdvantage: right |
| New build suitability | Ideal — cable runs before drywall at minimal effortAdvantage: left | Works, but wastes the one opportunity to wire cheaply |
| Large or outbuilding coverage | Handles detached garages and long runs reliablyAdvantage: left | Needs a repeater beyond roughly 100 ft |
| Typical service life | 15+ years; the cabling outlives several panelsAdvantage: left | 8-12 years, limited by radio standards moving on |
| What most homes actually get | New builds and large properties | Almost every retrofit |
Across 16 specifications: Wired leads on 8, Wireless leads on 7, 1 are level.
Details verified August 28, 2026
Choose Wired if
- The house is being built or gutted right now, and cable can be run before the drywall goes up — this is the only moment wired is the easy option rather than the hard one
- The property includes a detached garage, an outbuilding or a run beyond roughly 100 ft where wireless needs repeaters and each repeater is another thing to fail
- You do not want to be replacing sensor batteries in a dozen devices on a staggered schedule for the next decade
Choose Wireless if
- You are retrofitting a finished house, which is almost everyone — running cable through plastered walls and finished ceilings is a day of disruption to solve a problem most homes do not have
- You rent, or you expect to move and want the system to move with you
- You want to add sensors over time as you work out where the gaps actually are, rather than committing to a sensor map on day one
What the Spec Sheet Does Not Tell You
Four things that decide how this actually goes, none of which appear on a datasheet.
- The wired advantage is almost entirely available at one moment and then gone. During construction or a gut renovation, running cable before drywall is trivial. Six months later the same job means lifting floors and cutting into finished ceilings, and the calculation inverts completely.
- Battery maintenance sounds trivial and is not, at scale. Twelve wireless devices on 3-5 year cells means a low-battery notification roughly twice a year forever, each on a different device in a different room. The system tells you well in advance; the risk is that it becomes background noise you learn to dismiss.
- Legacy alarm cable in an older house is worth mentioning on the call. Abandoned four-core cable from a previous system is often intact and correctly routed, and a technician can test continuity and reuse it — which occasionally makes a partly-wired system available in a house where nobody expected one.
- Radio range degrades before it fails, which is the awkward part. A sensor at the edge of range works reliably in summer and intermittently once a door is closed differently or furniture moves. Repeaters solve it, and each repeater is another powered device to fail — which is the argument for wired over long runs.
Common Questions
Can wireless sensors be jammed?
In principle yes, and modern panels detect it — sustained interference on the sensor band reports as a jamming fault rather than passing unnoticed. In practice it requires equipment and intent well beyond opportunistic entry, which is what most residential systems are actually defending against.
Can I mix wired and wireless on one panel?
Usually. Most panels accept wireless devices alongside a wired loop, which is the normal path when a house has legacy wiring from an older system and you want to extend coverage without new cable runs.
What happens when a wireless sensor battery dies?
The panel reports a low-battery fault well before the cell fails, typically weeks ahead. The sensor keeps working during that window. The risk is not sudden failure, it is ignoring the notification.
Is the existing wiring from an old alarm reusable?
Sometimes. Old four-core alarm cable is often intact and correctly routed, and a technician can test continuity and reuse it. It is worth mentioning on the call if the house has an abandoned panel on a wall somewhere.
Does wired mean the system keeps working in a power cut?
Both do. A wired loop draws from the panel, which runs on its 24-hour backup battery. Wireless sensors run on their own cells and are unaffected. Neither depends on mains power for at least a day.
Work Out Which One Suits Your Home
The right answer depends on your floor plan, your housing stock and how often the house is empty. It is a five-minute conversation.
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