Wireless or Wired Burglar Alarm: Which Is Right for Your House?
Weighing up 868MHz wireless kits against cabled zones for period homes, extensions and new builds
Choosing between a wireless and a wired burglar alarm is less about which is technically better and more about which suits the property in front of you. Wireless kits, communicating over the 868MHz band from each sensor back to the panel, avoid the need to run cable through walls, skirting and ceilings, which makes them the practical choice for a home that is already decorated and lived in.
Wired systems, using dedicated alarm cable or sometimes Cat6, are still very common on new builds and extensions where cable can be run before plaster and flooring go down. Once fitted, wired zones do not rely on batteries at each sensor, only the panel's own backup battery, which some homeowners see as one less thing to think about, though it means more disruption if you ever want to add a zone later.
Many older and listed properties across Kent present a genuine dilemma, since solid walls, protected features and awkward loft spaces can make a wired first fix slow and sometimes intrusive, while wireless sensors can usually be fitted with minimal marking of the fabric of the building. An extension, on the other hand, is often the easiest opportunity to run cable before the room is finished.
Five Checks That Settle It
Work out your property type
Note whether your home is a new build, an older property, listed, or mid renovation, since this alone often points strongly towards one option over the other.
Check your walls and access
Solid brick, dot and dab plasterboard, or a difficult loft space all make wired cabling slower and more disruptive than in a house with easy stud walls and accessible voids.
Think about future changes
If you plan to extend or convert a loft later, consider whether a wireless system will let you add sensors more easily without reopening finished walls.
Understand the battery routine
Wireless sensors typically use long life batteries lasting a few years, so ask what type is used and how the system alerts you when one is getting low.
Ask about mixed systems
Some installs use a wired backbone with wireless expanders added for outbuildings or awkward rooms, giving a practical middle ground rather than an all or nothing choice.
Compare like for like on quotes
When comparing wired and wireless quotes, check they cover the same number of zones and detector types, since price differences often come down to more than just cabling.
How the Options Compare
Disruption during installation
Wired systems need cable routed through walls and ceilings, which can mean lifting carpets or drilling through finished surfaces, while wireless sensors are usually fitted in a fraction of the time.
Ongoing battery upkeep
Wireless sensors run on their own batteries, typically lasting a few years, which need monitoring and occasional replacement, whereas wired zones only depend on the panel's backup battery.
Suitability for older or listed buildings
Solid walls, protected features and restrictions on drilling make wireless the more practical choice for many period Kent properties, avoiding intrusive first fix work.
Timing around building work
An extension or full renovation is the ideal moment to run cable for a wired system, since the cost of doing so later, once walls are finished, is far higher.
Signal and interference
Wireless 868MHz signals generally cope well in most homes, but very large properties, thick stone walls or significant metal structures can occasionally need a signal repeater to keep every sensor reliably in range.
Not sure whether to go wired or wireless?
We will look at your property and give you an honest recommendation, not just push one option.
Team available now, no call centres, real engineer answers.
Points Worth Weighing Up
Worth a Conversation Before You Buy
Getting it right first time
Deciding on wired or wireless early, ideally before any renovation work starts, avoids the higher cost and disruption of retrofitting cable once a room is finished.
Guides People Read Alongside This One
- Video Doorbell or Full CCTV System: What Does Your Home Really Need
- Is Your WiFi Too Slow for CCTV? Causes and Fixes
- Understanding panel, sensor and bell box batteries, and what a low battery message actually means
- Pyronix Alarm Tamper Fault That Will Not Clear
- Hikvision NVR Hard Drive Error: Causes and Fixes
- Why the app cannot connect to your CCTV system remotely, and what to check first
Things Owners Ask Us Every Week
Wireless or Wired Burglar Alarm: Which Is Right for Your House?: common questions
Need Security or WiFi Help Fast?
Alarm installation, CCTV, access control, WiFi and repairs across Kent & South East London. Free quote in 60 seconds, call, WhatsApp or send a message.