just asking (as I couldn’t find a post on this forum or a satisfying answer on the web):
Are there any software or physical solutions against jamming, as it would be possible for burglars to use jamming systems for less than 100 euros to neutralize sometimes sophisticated wireless security systems…
I saw the Gladys launch tutorial but I also saw that, for example, there are vibration sensors that would allow you to be more reactive than classic door opening detectors alone, what do you think?
In short, what are the measures to take to strengthen your home against new attacks?
Thanks again for (main)taining the Gladys project!
Great question, and you’re right to bring up the topic of jamming!
On jamming
Jamming is indeed a real threat to older wireless alarm systems operating at 433 MHz or 868 MHz without encryption or interference detection. Cheap kits sold on the web specifically target these frequencies.
The good news: modern protocols like Zigbee and Matter over Thread are much better suited for security use. Zigbee operates on the 2.4 GHz band with AES-128 encryption, and most importantly, sensors maintain a permanent connection to the coordinator by regularly reporting their status. If a sensor becomes abnormally silent (jamming, dead battery…), Gladys can alert you. Thread has the same characteristics. It’s not « anti-jamming » in the strict sense, but jamming will trigger a sensor loss alert rather than going unnoticed.
For further protection, some choose to add a wired siren or a hybrid wired/wireless alarm system as a complement.
On vibration sensors
Yes, this is an excellent additional layer. A vibration sensor on a window or door detects an attempted break-in even before it opens. You can combine:
vibration sensor (someone hitting/forcing)
opening sensor (door/window opens)
indoor motion detector (safety net)
All three together make the system much more robust.
General arrangements
A few principles that work well with Gladys:
Prefer Zigbee/Thread sensors for the reasons mentioned (permanent connection, mesh, signal loss detection)
Don’t rely solely on an internet connection to trigger alerts (since Gladys is self-hosted, you already have an advantage here)
Pair with local cameras to have visual evidence (if the camera is connected via Ethernet, even better)
Self-hosting is actually a security asset: no dependency on a third-party cloud that can fail.
You can have a local siren that triggers without needing the internet, for example.
If you really want to be able to receive alerts even if your internet is down, you can have a mobile line dedicated to your home automation to send SMS if your fiber is down, but it’s a lot of work for a fairly rare case
In doing some additional research, I came across this integrated device combining tilt, shock, vibration sensors, and door opening detection (via accelerometer), and this, presumably coupled with AI (internal to the box presumably)
2/ Much less expensive but which seems interesting to me: Vibration and tilt sensor: which can adapt to many situations, including door opening presumably MOES Vibration Sensor at 7.99
I will probably buy the MOES sensor because it’s not negligible to protect 3 times more joinery. I will follow your advice regarding the motion sensor.
A solution in case of a power outage (and therefore internet outage) would be to have a passive or active line-in UPS (or a mini UPS given the low power consumption of boxes and mini PCs) so that the box can keep running and Gladys can function for X minutes/hours to send information even in case of a power outage
For maximum security, that would be great. Burglars have no trouble cutting one or more fibers to disable boxes and home automation and anti-intrusion systems that work with the internet. The ideal would be to have means to:
