To protect your treasure island, you need to know how your home security system is connected and whether it will work if the internet or power goes out.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about home security systems and how the NVR was connected to the internet but not about how the cameras were connected to the NVR. I was watching the national news from Halloween night with coverage of NBA and NFL player’s homes being robbed using WiFi jammers and the thieves knowing they were away during games.
Hackers are using WiFi jamming to disrupt a home’s network in an attempt to avoid triggering alarms and disabling security cameras. How your home security system is configured will determine whether it will work if the internet is disrupted or the power goes out.
The best home security systems will have hardwired components and use technology other than WiFi. ADT uses encrypted communication between components to ensure alarms are still reported during jamming attempts or routine WiFi outages. The newer ADT+ Base also has cellular connectivity as a backup system. If WiFi goes down, the system seamlessly switches to a secure cellular connection.
SimpliSafe also has a cellular backup connection if you have a professional monitoring plan. Vivent is a premium home security system and its primary connection is cellular.
Lithium batteries can power the locks, door sensors, window glass breaks, smoke and CO detectors if they are not hardwired. These require changing each year which can add to the cost of the monthly monitoring fee. I keep track of our battery changes to avoid having them die while we are away.
Effective camera systems should be hardwired for reliability, video quality and security. They will record regardless of WiFi connectivity and should have a battery backup like a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) for when the power does go out. The DVR/NVR should be hidden somewhere in your house along with all the connecting wires, cables and battery backup.
The DVR/NVR should also be hardwired to a TV or monitoring screen. That if WiFi connectivity is lost, you can still view the camera footage both live and playback on this screen. The existing wiring throughout our house allowed us to connect multiple TV’s on different floors to view the camera output with the professional installation.
If WiFi connectivity is lost including during power outages, you won’t be able to access the cameras with live views or recorded footage via the app on your phone. The cameras and DVR/NVR will continue to record as long as there is a functional battery backup. A home generator can add additional security.
Ring doorbells and security cameras can also be battery powered or hardwired but once internet connectivity is lost, they will no longer work. Cellular backup is only available with the Ring Protection Pro.
There is a lot of misunderstanding in how these home security systems work especially if you aren’t present and asking questions about how the equipment is connected during the professional installation or if you inherit a security system or self-install a retail one. This is evident on numerous Reddit feeds.
Understanding how your security system(s) work, where to access the camera feed if the WiFi and app viewing is disabled and how to build in redundancy will offer the best protection.
Some other things to know:
Don’t publicly announce that you are away (no one is home) on social media or via any other means. Where you live is no mystery. Even if you aren’t listed on Whitepages.com or any of the other data broker sites, your home address can be found in unsuspecting places like on a company LLC registration, public donation or anything that can be cross-referenced with your name.
Or just ask an AI search engine where someone lives. Some get it wrong, but others leave enough clues to figure it out. Search on your address too.
Make sure the screws holding your doors are long and heavy. We found several doors including an external one that had short screws.
Have motion sensing lights especially by your back doors or garage in areas that may not be lit. Even better, motion sensor lights with cameras. Lock garage doors, the newer openers lock from the outside and inside.
Best Wireless Home Security Systems of 2025
How ADT is protecting smart homes from Wi-Fi jamming – ADT