Until about ten years ago, wired was the standard for "serious" alarm systems. Today only a fraction of our clients still pick wired — and that's not a fad. Wireless systems have caught up technically and even surpassed wired on critical points. These are the reasons we recommend them in 90% of cases.
1. No demolition work
A wired installation means: routing cable trays, drilling holes, opening ceilings. For new-build that's manageable — for an existing home it's a week of dust, plaster and chaos. Wireless: one installer, one day, no walls touched.
2. Encrypted and tamper-resistant
The biggest myth about wireless: "but can't you jam that?" True, for cheap generic systems from 2010. Premium brands like Ajax now use encrypted frequencies with a hopping protocol — if one frequency is jammed the system hops to the next in milliseconds. And it actively detects jamming attempts and instantly raises an alarm.
3. Much longer battery life than you'd think
Here's the second myth: "wireless = battery swaps = hassle". A modern Ajax sensor runs 7 years on a single battery. Hikvision AX Pro: 4–5 years. The app warns you a month before depletion. Swapping three batteries once every 5 years doesn't outweigh the install hassle of wired.
4. Easy to expand
Adding a garden room, pool or new garage in two years? With wireless you grab the app, add a new sensor (5 minutes work) and you're done. With wired: pull cables again, reconfigure the central panel, often book the installer back.
5. Full mobile control
Wireless systems were designed around their app from day one. Wired systems had apps "bolted on". The result: in a wireless system every function feels natural in the app (view sensors, set scenarios, manage users). In wired systems it sometimes feels like you're still talking to a 2005 keypad.
When is wired still right?
Honestly: wired remains a good choice for:
- **Very large buildings** (>500 m²) where radio signal must travel through thick walls or metal structures
- **Industrial environments** with high electromagnetic noise
- **Specific insurance requirements** for heavily classified objects (jewellers, banks)
For a normal home or business unit on the Costa Blanca, wireless today is almost always the best choice. Faster, cleaner, smarter, and on all critical points just as safe or safer than wired.
What we install
We mainly work with Ajax (premium wireless) and Hikvision AX Pro (very strong price/quality wireless). Both are EN50131 Grade 2 certified — sufficient for both insurance purposes and peace of mind. Which one fits you, we discuss in a free advisory visit.