Security Systems
How to choose a security system
Alarm or cameras
An alarm system deters and alerts, using sensors on doors and windows, a siren, and a notification to your phone. Cameras, wired CCTV or wireless, record and identify. Most properties end up with both, but if you are starting with one, an alarm is the better deterrent while cameras are the better evidence. A wireless system avoids running cable through a finished house, which is what makes it practical for most homes and rentals.
Sizing a system
Count entry points rather than rooms. A typical house needs cameras covering the front door, back door and driveway, plus sensors on ground floor windows. Add recording capacity for the number of days of footage you want to keep. Where mains power is unavailable, solar powered kits with 4G handle sites with neither power nor broadband.
Compare the types
 Alarm kit |  PoE camera system |  Wireless camera system |  Solar 4G system | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Does | Detects and alerts, siren and phone | Records four cameras to a recorder | Records four cameras to a recorder | Records four cameras over one SIM |
| Cabling | None, sensors are wireless | One Ethernet cable to each camera | None between cameras and hub | None |
| Needs broadband | WiFi, with 4G backup on this hub | Only to view remotely | Only to view remotely | No, the hub has its own SIM |
| Suits | A home or rental, first line of defence | A house you can run cable in, the sharpest footage | A house or a shed without a trench | A gate, a block, a site with nothing |
| See | Alarm systems | PoE systems | Wireless systems | Solar systems |
Buying guides
Security Cameras NZ Buying GuideWiFi, 4G, solar, wireless systems or CCTV
Security Camera System Buying Guide NZWhat powers the hub decides everything
Alarm System Buying Guide NZSelf-monitored 4G and WiFi kits
Solar Security Camera Buying Guide NZWhat runs through a southern winter
Related
Alarm Systems Wireless Security Systems 4G Security Cameras WiFi Security Cameras Security Cameras & Surveillance Equipment
Common questions
Can I install it myself?
Wireless kits are designed for it. Hardwired systems and anything monitored professionally need an installer.
Does it work in a power cut?
Alarm panels have backup batteries. Cameras need power, so consider a solar or battery model for critical positions.
Does it need monitoring?
No. These alert you directly. Professional monitoring is a separate service.
Cameras or an alarm first?
If the aim is to stop a burglary, an alarm: the siren makes someone leave and the alert reaches you while they are still there. If the aim is to know who it was, cameras. Most homes end up with both, and the 4G hub kit with a camera is the cheapest way to start with both at once.
Do I need a sign for security cameras in New Zealand? NZ law
For a business, yes. The Privacy Act 2020 applies to any organisation collecting personal information, and the Privacy Commissioner's CCTV guidance expects a stated purpose, a sign saying who operates the cameras and how to contact them, footage kept secure and only as long as it is needed, and a way for people to ask for footage of themselves. Leave audio off unless you have a specific reason and have told people. Cameras at your own home for your own security generally sit outside the Privacy Act, unless the recording would be highly offensive to a reasonable person; point them at your own property, keep them out of neighbours' windows, and never into a bathroom or bedroom.