Home security systems used to all have similar design. Various sensors on doors and windows were wired through the walls and ceiling to connect to a main security panel that would alert you if someone tried to enter the home. As wireless systems became more common, the basic design remained much the same. Battery-powered sensors could now send a signal to a home security control panel without the need for a wired connection.


However, the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology has enabled home security to evolve in ways that had never before been possible. Wi-Fi networks have now allowed security systems to be integrated into the home in new ways, and give you greater options for remote monitoring and control.

Integration

Home security systems needed to be simpler when everything had to be connected with wires. Equipment was fairly segmented, with each device fulfilling its basic function while a control panel functioned as a main hub that kept everything working together. Wi-Fi networks allow home security equipment to work with other devices in the home. For example, a home security panel does not just monitor door and window sensors anymore. They can now also control your lighting, room temperature and even your home entertainment options. Instead of a wire connecting one device to another, a Wi-Fi connection connects everything to everything simultaneously.

This is what also allows for smart device control. Remote controls used to be very limited in range, and would only work for the devices for which they were programmed.

A Wi-Fi network is always functioning, and relies on radio waves to transmit data. The smart device, such as a cell phone, can therefore communicate with a Wi-Fi network using those radio waves. This allows you to use your cell phone as a remote control for your home security equipment from anywhere in the world you have Wi-Fi access. If you have home automation options, you can turn your lights on and off from across the country, and monitor home security cameras from across the world.

Vulnerabilities

Wi-Fi technology is not without its drawbacks. The easy access that Wi-Fi grants you in controlling your devices can also be used by someone else if you are not careful. Anything that you can monitor or control from a distance can be monitored or controlled by somebody else who knows what they’re doing. Since Wi-Fi networks are used to connect nearly everything in the home that is Wi-Fi enabled, someone could even use a vulnerability in a Wi-Fi enabled lightbulb to hack into a laptop or a home security system. This is not as simple as it sounds, but some criminals make their living out of stealing personal information in this fashion. This is even easier for them if you do not have an adequate password for your Wi-Fi network. This is the same reason that using public Wi-Fi networks can be dangerous. Public networks at coffee shops, restaurants and hotels can be monitored. Any information that is sent out over those networks can therefore be stolen by someone with the knowledge and the technology to do so.

It seems that almost any new piece of technology that gets released is now Wi-Fi enabled. Lightbulbs, refrigerators, microwaves, Blu-ray players, stereos and videogame systems all have Wi-Fi capability. Home security equipment no longer has to be its own separate system. This makes home security systems more accessible than they have ever been. As Wi-Fi becomes more common, the price of this technology also tends to go down. This means that home security systems are likely to continue to be more convenient and more cost-effective than they have ever been in the past.