X10 Home Security - X10 is a technology that allows you to remotely control anything that plugs in to the electricity in your house, essentially it requires no additional wiring - it uses the electric power wiring in your house to send control signals.

This system was originally offered by BSR, an audio equipment company. Over the years, the product line spun became a separate company, which is now called "X10 USA". The simplicity of the X10 system caused numerous companies to carry the product. X10-compatible equipment has been marketed by G.E., Radio Shack (Plug-N-Power), Sears, Stanley (Lightmaker), IBM (Home Director), Zenith, and others.

X10 Home Security Pros:

• X10 equipment is inexpensive.
• It requires no special wiring.
• It is easy to set up and use.
• Systems can be small or large - you can start with just a couple of pieces and grow if you like it.
• X10 is easily placed under computer control.
• A radio-controlled version is available and very compatible with the rest of the system.
  

X10 Home Security Cons:

• Other carrier-current devices can interfere with X10 communication, including wireless intercoms.
• X10 signals can be degraded, damped, or stopped by power-conditioning equipment, including power strips.
• There is no guarantee that an X10 command will get to its destination. If you send a command to turn off the heater, the command might get zapped by line noise and never have a chance to turn off the heater.
• The system is limited to 256 devices.
• Most houses are wired with two separate 110volt circuits. X10 signals sent from a control panel plugged into one outlet might not get to the lamp module plugged into the outlet across the room - if it is on the other circuit.
• It takes about a second to send an X10 command. While that command is being sent, you can't send another, or both commands will be lost.