Wireless Sensors: Recessed or Not?

[Squintz]

That depends on the type of modulation. For example think of your FM stereo... As you are driving through town you often get overlaping stations from different areas on the same frequency. Typically the station who has the stronger signal will be the station who frequency your radio locks on to.

So if you provide a signal then the one that is currently being transmitter by the security device then the receiver will lock onto the stronger signal and ignore the weeker signal. This has to do with different features built into the FM recevier the determine what is a signal and what is a noise and can ultimately filter out most noise and allow only the stronger signal through.

I am sure you have seen toy microphones that you can tune to a certain station and talk over your FM radio. It the same in theory. The closer you get to the antenna with the toy the better the chances are of you knocking out that radio stations signal and having your voice on the radio instead. If you had a powerful enough transmitter you could actually knock out the signal of a radio station i a large area and not just a radio siting next to you.

So I guess it depends on what type of receiver technology the device is using.

 

[Mike]

I'm going out on a limb on this but wouldn't they build into the tamper logic to not allow a supervisory signal more often than expected? Wouldn't this prevent the 'overwhelming' signal approach to fail (as white noise wouldn't work here would it?).

I'm not an expert or even deeply versed here, I'm just guessing that since these are out there and you don't see a lot of caution in using them or disclaimers or the like, that they designed them to be 'reasonably' secure.

Back to the earlier point, we are not protecting a gold mine, and I looked at it that the alarm is protecting against only a certain level of attack. Quite frankly, isn't it easier to just carry a portable ladder, jump up on the roof, and cut the cable and telephone lines? Why bother with jamming sensors and the like?

Unless you have a cell or radio link, your system has been effectively nullified other than the sounder of course (and couldn't you muffle this in some manner using foam or the like, but this wouldn't cover internal sirens)?

Is this the right way to look at it?

 

[Rupp]

Wouldn't it be nice if these would work with the W800.

Why do you want them to work with the W800?

Where did you find $8 dollar wireless hidden sensors? If your talking about the X10 door and window sensors then we are talking apples and oranges. The ones mention here mount into the door and are hidden from view. Can't say that about the hideous door and window sensors. Also these will not require a battery change every year as do the over sized door and window sensors.

 

[Rupp]

I'm going out on a limb on this but wouldn't they build into the tamper logic to not allow a supervisory signal more often than expected? Wouldn't this prevent the 'overwhelming' signal approach to fail (as white noise wouldn't work here would it?).

I'm not an expert or even deeply versed here, I'm just guessing that since these are out there and you don't see a lot of caution in using them or disclaimers or the like, that they designed them to be 'reasonably' secure.

Back to the earlier point, we are not protecting a gold mine, and I looked at it that the alarm is protecting against only a certain level of attack. Quite frankly, isn't it easier to just carry a portable ladder, jump up on the roof, and cut the cable and telephone lines? Why bother with jamming sensors and the like?

Unless you have a cell or radio link, your system has been effectively nullified other than the sounder of course (and couldn't you muffle this in some manner using foam or the like, but this wouldn't cover internal sirens)?

Is this the right way to look at it?

Come on Mike. We all know our security systems are just another man toy. Statistics show that if a perpetrator sees a sign of a security system it may push them to your neighbors house. Statistics also show that they, when alarmed, rarely if ever help catch the bad guys they are in and out too quickly. They are still fun to put together though and some insurance companies even give you a break on your rates depending on what part of the country your in.

 

[bfisher]

Not sure about a man toy... the biggest reason I've installed them?? makes my wife sleep better! She knows that the sign will prevent 95% of robberies (go to a different house), and if they miss the signs - a loud siren (multiple sirens) screaming and all the lights popping on in/around the house will scare away the rest.

I have multiple layers of security (starting with simple motion floodlights, to all door/windows, to glass breaks, to interior motion (only good when away)). Could someone bypass it? Sure... is it worth the work? nah...

 

[Mike]

Rupp, that is essentially where I was going with this (sorry if the examples may have given the wrong impression), in that we are looking for 'a reasonable level of security'. It's not going to defeat a concerted professional attack, but hopefully will cause a 'low-end' burglar to move on (to your point).

To tie this back around on whether the wireless sensors are secure, I was trying to say ' aren't they secure enough?' for what we are going to encounter. As long as its not like WEP security on a wireless router which a 12 year old with google can crack in less than 10 minutes, then it should be fine...

Anyone good enough to circumvent the sensors, is going to get in anyway(and probably has better things to do than steal things from 'normal' houses).

Man toy? This is serious business, work only for practical purposes (do you think I would be spending Friday night time on fun stuff?!)...just kidding

Per my note earlier, I'm hoping to start playing with it tonight so I agree completely... and I also seem to be fortunate that I will get a discount on my insurance for this (we won't go into the ROI on this savings...)

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Statistics also show that they, when alarmed, rarely if ever help catch the bad guys they are in and out too quickly.

I would very much be interested in looking at those statistics!