I am looking at getting one of these things in my house.  Which are better--wired or wireless?  Anyone recomend a good company?  

GunLvr

A wired 12 gauge?

A couple of wireless geese.  A neighbor has several, and they even wake me up when someone pulls in his driveway.  He has a couple of dogs (a pitbull and a JRT).  He got the geese after someone broke into his house, and he and the dogs slept through it.z

I would go with the wired system . I moved into a house 15 years ago and was robbed when I went back to do the clean up . I put an alarm system in the house and was broken into a couple of years later and didn't lose a thing . Keep it simple an overly complicated system will just cause problems . An alarm system will let you know if someone is trying to get in while you are sleeping . It also usually will scare someone away before much is taken .

I will second the wired system. The wireless will probably false alarm more often.

Hardwired System.

ALL perimeter openings.

Backup Radio transmitter to Central Station.

Radionics makes some of the best equipment!

My old man said, in the old days, you would just tie a shotgun to a chair and point it at the door or window.

My dogs wake me up with a car passing in front of the house. I think they make a good enough alarm. The rest is my job.

I will second the second for wired systems. I used to design and install both, back then Moose systems were my preferred, but things may well have changed (I still have a Moose system in my house now). I always went with perimeter wired contacts and usually at least one surprise inside (just in case), but do keep it simple and use the decals. Most criminals are not dumb, they will go somewhere else if they sense danger. I am responsible for a few going on club fed vacations...
What is mine, is mine, and I intend that someone must work to part me with it.
I'm sure things have changed, but the mindset is still the same- easy money, if they wanted to work, they'd get a job. And, I did do jobs for folks who had lost their beloved pets to poisoning, animals are easily defeated.

Actually, I'll vote for a wireless, if you get a good one.  Mine is an ITI RF18 and I have had it for three years with no problems.  In an industrial environment, wireless is definitely a bad choice due to the filthy ambient RF environment of most industrial areas.  Resi is a whole different ballgame.  Hardwired is better if you can do it without fucking up your house, but wireless is very flexible.  It's easy to install, and in an existing home that's usually an issue.  

Whatever you do, DON'T let those alarm company assholes talk you into leasing the equipment.  Those $99.00 deals you see advertised work like this:
 The alarm company retains ownership of the equipment.  In return for your $99.00, you get to sign a contract for 2-3 years monitoring at, let's say, $30 a month.  You think, and the salesman implies, that that means you're going to pay $30 a month for 3 years.  In fact, if you read the REALLY fine print, you'll see that the alarm company has the right to escalate your rate after a certain number of months, typically 12 or so.  If you complain about it, the answer you'll get is that it costs more to maintain older equipment so in order to keep servicing you they have to increase your monthly fee.  If you take exception to this, they can and sometimes will come and take out your system and sue you for the remaining balance of your contract.  Naming no names, Alpha Delta Tango has an entire staff of bottomfeeder attorneys in Colorado that do nothing but fuck people on deals like this.

Did they fuck me?  Nope...I used to work for them.

Caveat Emptor.

QS

I'd only use a wireless system if I couldn't wire the place (i.e. rental). The batteries are semi-pricey, at least for the unit I used ($10/remote sensor).  Prices for these batteries are now coming down, but $7.50 is no great improvement.

Read the contract carefully if you choose to have your unit monitored (you don't HAVE to - Put in a BIG horn, though). One place wanted 3 years and $35/year. When I asked why so long, they said to amortize the cost of equipment.  I pointed out that the unit was already wired and installed. They said they had installed it and needed to make a profit.

So I went with another company at $25/mo, 2 years contract.  They'll have to amortize my equipment some other way, I guess.

Another thing to consider is what you are trying to protect with your alarm.  Are you looking for security for you and your family or just your property.  Most alarm companies try to sell you a standard package that includes one motion detector and a contact switch for the front door and maybe back door.  That may be fine for protecting your property while you're gone, but the motion detector is virtually useless when you're home. If you're looking to protect your family, you'll need contact switches (or glass-break detectors) at each possible entrance.

Thanks folks!  I signed up this afternoon for a wired system--pretty extensive but hopefully we will have some good protection in ever-more dangerous Maryland.

GunLvr

Wait doesnt maryland have strict gun laws making crime illegal ??? Whats going on here you need more laws to stem the rampant criminality down there !!
But seriously tho DSC makes some nice stuff and provides rebadged stuff to all of the alarm co's and most of thier systems can use either wired or wireless sensors (as can most systems these days) Make sure they get the phone connections right and change and notate in the manual the default codes ( most installers leave the factory default codes the same to make service work easy but a big back door in your system as it is usually the model number )
And remember that a sounding alarmcan be an open invitation for the police to search your house. Overall aside from ease of install and battery replacement in sensors the only real diffrence is that it is possible- "possible"- to scan and remotely shut down a wireless system from outside the house but that is so unlikely and requires some really sophisticated equipment so its not much to worry about however they do false alarm alot more in todays RF interference rich einviornment.

Get all your windows rigged. Get glassbreak sensors, these are AWSOME. Get a cell back-up. And have it monitored.

We went with a hardwire system from Brinks.  We had a few problems with the glass breakage sensor at first, but it works just fine now.

Personally, I think that the most important component is the sign in front of the house!

I've had a Brinks system for over 2 years and their service has been great.
Be careful with the glassbreak sensors...
The last time I was watching the movie The Patriot I had the volume so loud it set the system off!

Well since it no longer matters guess I'll post anyway.

When I think of wireless I think of a cell-phone to connect to the alarm company/pd. - not a land-line that can be cut.

Sonitrol is the best alarm company out there.

You might also remember Lt Col Oliver North's answer to a senate committee when asked was it really necessary to spend $25,000 on an alarm system.  That answer was "Yes Sir."

We have a wired system from ADT.
Contact switches on all doors and windows with
motion sensors inside the house.
Monitored of course.
We live in a small community, so when the alarm is set off, LEO is only 5 mins. from our house.

I have been with ADT 16yrs. I am now a large commercial systems tech. One thing that always amazed me was the amount of people that pass on fire protection. The burglar will probably leave you a place to sleep a fire will not. Properly laid out smoke detectors and sounders could save your family. I like Motions and wireless panic buttons .A shock sensor on your safe is a good move as is Cell or radio backup to the monitoring center.

Snafu12 is right It doesnt take much to add a few smokes or even carbon monoxide sensors to the system and the cell or radio backup to the phone line is good since it cant be cut from outside (look what happened to the gunstore in PRK that had 250 guns stolen)and 2-5 minuites of quicker warning can be the diffrence between smoke damage and a smoking foundation or your life.

Yea, I agree with the poster about the sign in the front of your house. Stickers on the doors and windows too.
Lights, and inside lights on timers really work at night.
So does a nice "Beware of dog" sign on your fence... Get a big ass steel bowl to leave on your porch. Even if you don't own a dog.