| Home security systems come in two basic flavors, | | | | to walk away than struggle forward. |
| active and passive. Passive systems are | | | | An active system is characterized mainly by having |
| characterized as using a large percentage of motion | | | | sensors located on any possible access points for the |
| sensors inside the house, thus alerting the occupants | | | | house, such that an alarm sounds when they are |
| to an intruder only after they have breached the | | | | tampered with. For example, window sensors, when |
| dwelling. Active systems are designed such that they | | | | armed, will trigger an alarm when someone tries to |
| prevent intruders from entering the area in the first | | | | open that window. Similarly, door sensors will active |
| place, or at least provide an alarm while the intruder | | | | your alarm when the door is opened and the system |
| is attempting to gain access to the interior of the | | | | is activated. |
| house. | | | | To be a little more specific, a door or window sensor |
| One of these systems is much more beneficial than | | | | is basically two parts: a permanent magnet and |
| the other, and I don't think I need to go into great | | | | magnetic field detector. They are installed such that |
| detail to explain which one. Obviously, it is much more | | | | when the window is closed they are in close |
| desirable to stop an intruder from entering your | | | | proximity to each other. When the window (or door) |
| house in the first place than deal with them once | | | | is opened, the magnet moves away from the |
| they're in. A burglar can get away with a remarkable | | | | detector and the detector sends a signal to the |
| amount of goods in five to ten minutes that it would | | | | alarm system main panel. If the panel is armed, it |
| take for the authorities to arrive. If an alarm is | | | | triggers an alarm response. Whether that's noise, |
| sounded before they get into your house, they're | | | | lights, a phone call to a call center, or some other |
| 85% more likely to abort the operation because they | | | | response depends on your system. |
| have nothing vested in it at that point, and it's easier | | | | |