A wireless home alarm system is a must for any DIY home security system. A good alarm system will be easy to install, have an auto-dialer system for multiple emergency services, and be loud enough to alert you and anyone else of an issue. It should have several sensors that can be placed in windows and doors. If it can be linked to your indoor and outdoor wireless security cameras, that’s even better!
The truly great thing about wireless security alarm system is that you won’t need to tear up your walls and run wires throughout your house. Every brand and model of wireless alarm systems have their own way of getting power, but electrical plugs, batteries, and power supplies are much easier than having to get an electrician or other professional to get the wiring right in your walls. Wireless alarm systems are often the only way to have a truly DIY alarm system since you don’t need to hire anyone to put it in.
That does come with its own challenges. After all, anyone who has tried to hook up a new device to a wireless network knows how frustrating it can be. The quality of the sensors can vary quite widely, and you’ll find that you get what you pay for more often than not. Trying to mix and match different brands of wireless alarm systems, smoke detectors, window and door sensors, and security cameras in an attempt to get the most out of your budget is not the best idea, as brands often design every part of their line to work together. You will have to personally select, buy, and install every element of your DIY home security system yourself. With the proliferation of wireless networks, there are now a lot of options out there.
What are the best wireless home alarm systems out there? We’ve assembled a list that gives you an overview of some of them. There are a variety of brands here, at a number of price ranges and with various features. Take look at our breakdown to see if one of them will work with your DIY home security system.
1. SimpliSafe Wireless Home Security Command Bravo
This sleekly designed alarm system comes with a base station, a keypad, 4 entry sensors, a keychain remote, and one large motion sensor. The base station will send any signals it receives from your system to SimpliSafe’s 24/7 alarm monitoring center. The keypad serves as your way of interacting with the ‘brain’ of the system that’s located in the base station. The entry sensors can function as either door sensors or window sensors to detect when they’re opened. The large motion sensor has a range of 30 feet and a field of view of 90 degrees. You can mount any of these system elements with tape that is already in place or screws. The system settings can be fully adjusted. The system can be self-monitoring from SimpliSafe’s mobile app.
PROS
- You can integrate SimpliSafe HD Security Camera with this system. It has a quick and smooth setup, like the rest of the system. You can also integrate the manufacturer’s carbon monoxide detector, smoke detector, and glassbreak sensor later as well. These options are included in more expensive versions of the same system.
- You can opt to purchase SimpliSafe’s monitoring or monitor the system on your own app. There’s no subscription requirement, but it’s nice to have the option for more thorough professional monitoring.
- Installation is very easy and use is intuitive. SimpliSafe’s website is very helpful and they provide great customer service.
CONS
- The keypad does not light up. It’s far too easy to input your code wrong in darker rooms.
- It’s easy to activate the system with the keychain remote by accident. The buttons are very sensitive.
- The motion detector is not exactly pet safe. It’s very easy for your dog or cat to set it off and the system doesn’t currently have a “one-hit forgiveness” setting.
- The provided screws are weak, so you’ll have to use some you’ve bought yourself. The tape mounting is not very secure, so don’t use it.
Conclusion
This alarm system is a good option if you want a DIY home security system but also want to have affordable 24/7 professional monitoring. It has some annoying flaws that might be too annoying, especially if you have an active animal in the house or plan on having the keypad in a darker room. Being expand the system with additional features makes this a nice base to build your DIY home security system on.
2. Thustar Professional Wireless Home Office Security System
This DIY alarm system comes with 10 window and door sensors, 2 motion detectors, a panic button, four keychain remotes, and a keypad. There is a built-in rechargeable lithium battery pack which will send a message to your phone to let you know it is low on power. The motion detector has a range of 40 feet and a viewing field of 110 degrees. You can fully customize this system’s functions. It offers a number of arming modes: remote instant arming, outdoor host delay arming, indoor host stay arming, designated timing arming, and remote phone arming. You can program 6 numbers into this system. You’ll need to insert a GSM SIM card into the system card into the alarm to have it call anywhere.
PROS
- The large number of sensors man you can have the alarm system monitor a number of entryways. You can also easily expand this system.
- The alarm is very, very loud.
CONS
- The instructions are in badly translated English. If you aren’t very good with technology, installation is going to be a challenge.
- Needing a SIM card for the alarm’s phone capability is unusual. It doesn’t use an app like many other modern wireless alarm systems but sends you SMS alerts instead.
Conclusion
If you want a large number of sensors in one affordable box and a system that’s easy to expand, this one is a decent option. It is actually very easy to install and figure out, but the instructions are absolutely awful and generally useless. This is a good budget option for a home with a lot of access points.
A wireless alarm system should be the basis of your DIY home security system. The best DIY home security systems will have an alarm, cameras, smoke detectors, window sensor alarms, and door sensor alarms, all easily monitored. As you can see, there are a lot of different alarm systems you can use to fill all or some of these requirements. What you buy should be determined by a realistic assessment of your home’s security needs, your wireless signal, and your budget.
Use our guide to help you get started on your DIY home security system. Take a look at our other DIY home security system reviews to see what other options there are out there to help you keep your home and family safe.