How to Choose a Wireless Burglar Alarm: UK Checklist and Which Ajax Hub Fits
To choose a wireless burglar alarm, decide first who should respond when it goes off. Then check how it sends the alarm out if the broadband or power fails, whether the radio reaches every room, and whether you want photos of what set it off. With Ajax, that points to one of five hubs: Hub (4G) for smaller homes, Hub 2 for photo checks, Hub 2 Plus for larger sites and Hub BP where there is no mains power.
We are Zenith Security Co., a security equipment supplier trading since 2012 from a trade counter in Wolverhampton. We supply the Ajax wireless alarm range but do not fit it. Here is the checklist, using current Ajax specifications and UK rules.
Who will respond when the alarm goes off?
- You, through the app. Every hub in this guide sends push notifications and SMS, and all but Hub (4G) can also phone you. You or a keyholder decide what to do.
- A monitoring centre. The hubs report in SIA DC-09 and Contact ID, the formats alarm receiving centres use. Monitoring is a separate contract with a monitoring company, not something we provide.
- The police. Secured by Design says police will attend a monitored alarm that complies with the NPCC Security Systems Policy, which means a company approved by NSI or SSAIB and registered with the local force. BSI adds that only monitored systems aligned with PD 6662 can get the Unique Reference Number (URN) police response needs.
So a self-fitted alarm is for alerting you and your keyholders. If you need police response, or your insurer asks for an approved system, we can recommend a qualified installer depending on the job and area.
How does it get the alarm out if the broadband or power fails?
Look for routes out of different types. Two SIMs on different networks cover one network going down, but a mobile jammer could block both, so a wired route still matters.
- Landlines are going digital. Ofcom says BT plans to retire its old landline network by 31 January 2027, and digital landlines need mains power or a battery back-up. None of the hubs in this guide uses the phone line.
- 3G has gone and 2G is next. Ofcom confirms UK 3G networks are off. EE plans to start switching off 2G from May 2029, O2 from summer 2029 and Vodafone during 2030, with all 2G gone by 2033 at the latest. Hub 2 (2G) falls back on 2G SIMs, so for a system you will keep beyond 2029, pick a 4G hub.
- Standby battery. Ajax quotes up to 15 hours on the built-in battery for the four mains hubs here, with Ethernet (and Wi-Fi on the Plus) off.
Will the radio reach every room and outbuilding?
Ajax quotes Jeweller radio range in open space as up to 2,000 m for the hubs and 1,700 m for many devices. Walls, floors and metal cut that a long way, so treat it as a ceiling. The hub polls each device every 12 to 300 seconds (you choose).
For a detached garage or a long building, add a ReX 2 range extender (£158.07). Ajax says up to five can join one system, they relay MotionCam photos, and each can link back to the hub by Ethernet cable where radio struggles. Ajax names Hub 2 and the Plus as compatible, so check with us before pairing one with another hub.
Do you want to see what set it off?
Photo verification means a motion detector with a built-in camera takes a few pictures when it triggers, so you can tell an intruder from the cat before anyone drives out. Ajax sends them over a second radio channel called Wings.
- Every hub in this guide supports it except Hub (4G).
- Ajax quotes up to 9 seconds for the first photo, with 1 to 5 photos per series.
- MotionCam U, a wireless PIR with a built-in camera (£124.61), ignores pets up to 20 kg and 50 cm tall, according to Ajax.
- With a monitoring centre, ask whether its software can receive Ajax photos.
For live video, Ajax lists up to 25 cameras or recorders on Hub 2 (4G) and 100 photo or video devices on the Plus, including Ajax cameras and NVRs. If a camera records beyond your boundary, data protection law applies, as the ICO's home CCTV guidance explains.
How well does it resist tampering, jamming and hacking?
- Security grade. All five hubs here are certified to Grade 2 under EN 50131, and Ajax lists PD 6662:2017 against them. If an insurer asks for Grade 3, look at the Superior Hub G3 Jeweller (£391.85).
- Radio security. Encryption with a dynamic key and frequency hopping on all five; Hub 2, Hub 2 Plus and Hub BP also list device authentication and jamming alerts.
- Connected-device law. Since 29 April 2024 the UK PSTI regime has required connectable consumer products to have unique or user-set passwords, a way to report security flaws and a stated minimum period of security updates. Ajax lists PSTI UK (Schedule 1) compliance for the four mains hubs here and ReX 2.
Which Ajax hub fits your property?
| Hub | Routes out | Devices / users | Photos | Price inc VAT | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hub (4G) | Ethernet, 1 SIM (4G) | 100 / 50 | No | from £114.23 | Flats and smaller homes where app alerts are enough |
| Hub 2 (2G) | Ethernet, 2 SIMs (2G) | 100 / 50 | Yes | £161.53 | Photo checks on a tighter budget |
| Hub 2 (4G) | Ethernet, 2 SIMs (4G) | 100 / 50 | Yes | £228.45 | Houses and small shops wanting photos and 4G backup |
| Hub 2 Plus | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 2 SIMs (4G) | 200 / 200 | Yes | £268.10 | Larger houses, offices and sites split into many areas |
| Hub BP | 2 SIMs (4G) | 100 / 50 | Yes | £222.77 | No mains power: building sites, empty properties |
Two limits the table hides: Hub (4G) runs up to 5 automation scenarios against 32 or more on the others, and only Hub 2 Plus goes beyond 9 security groups (it has 25), handy when a shop, stockroom and flat above arm separately. Hub BP comes without batteries, so ask us which battery or solar option suits your site.
Should you buy a kit or separate parts?
A kit is the simplest start: Kit 19 S, built on Hub 2 Plus with key fobs, is £478.66. Otherwise start with the hub and add devices room by room, such as a KeyPad Plus that also reads Pass cards and Tag fobs (£116.54). Outside, use a detector made for it, such as MotionCam Outdoor, which Ajax says works from -25°C to +60°C. The same hub can run Ajax wireless smoke, heat and CO detectors too.
Our take
For a house where you want photos and a mobile backup that will outlast the 2G switch-off, Hub 2 (4G) is where we would start. Hub (4G) suits a flat where app alerts are enough. Move to Hub 2 Plus for Wi-Fi as an extra route, more than 100 devices or more than 9 groups, and keep Hub BP for places with no mains. Comparing brands? Our Hikvision AX PRO buying guide covers the same decisions for that range.
Send us a list of doors, rooms and outbuildings and we will put the parts list together. Call 01902 902251 or contact us. We supply the equipment and do not install it, but we can recommend a qualified installer depending on the job and area. We ship nationally to England, Scotland and Wales. Prices include VAT, delivery is extra, and prices can change.
Quick questions
Do Ajax hubs need a landline?
No. The hubs in this guide report over mobile SIMs and, except Hub BP, Ethernet, so the landline switch-off does not cut them off.
Which Ajax hubs work with MotionCam photo detectors?
Every hub in this guide except Hub (4G), which has no photo radio channel.
Can I fit an Ajax alarm myself?
Yes, for alerts to you and your keyholders. Police response needs an NSI or SSAIB approved company to fit and maintain it, with monitoring by an alarm receiving centre.
Is Ajax Grade 2 or Grade 3?
The five hubs in this guide are Grade 2. Ajax's Superior Hub G3 Jeweller is Grade 3.
Source: Ajax Systems blog: how to choose a security system (2017), with hub figures from current Ajax specifications for Hub (4G), Hub 2, Hub 2 Plus, Hub BP and ReX 2; Ofcom: your landline is going digital; Ofcom: switching off 2G and 3G; Secured by Design: alarm standard and NPCC policy; BSI: PD 6662:2017; GOV.UK: PSTI product security regime; ICO: home CCTV systems.
