Integrating Wired Devices into a Wireless Security System with the IQ Panel and IQ Hardwire

You do not have to rip out an old wired alarm to get a modern wireless security system. A hardwire module connects your existing wired door contacts and motion detectors to a wireless touchscreen panel, so you keep the sensors that still work and add new wireless devices where you need them. Sting Alarm uses this approach to upgrade homes and businesses to the Qolsys IQ Panel 5, our standard panel.

How a hardwire module works

Older alarm systems ran a wire from every door, window, and motion detector back to a metal control box. Those wires and sensors often still work fine. The problem is the old panel: no app, no instant alerts, and often a phone line connection.

A hardwire module sits where the old panel was. The existing wired zones connect to it, and it talks wirelessly to the new touchscreen panel. Qolsys's current module, the IQ Hardwire PG, adds eight hardwired zones to IQ Panels, including the IQ Panel 5, over encrypted PowerG wireless (manufacturer specification, checked 2026).

The IQ Panel 5 itself has a built-in cellular communicator, and we install a backup battery so the system stays online during a power outage. See our smart security panels page for more on the panel.

A typical business upgrade

Here is a common scenario we see with retailers and other small businesses.

The problem

A family-owned retail business has an aging alarm at each location. Several employees share the same alarm code and keys, so when cash or merchandise goes missing, there is no way to tell who opened or closed the store. The old system has no instant notifications, and the owner only finds out about problems after the fact. Theft is hard to track, and trust between the owner and staff suffers.

The solution

Each location gets an IQ Panel as the control center, with the existing wired sensors connected through a hardwire module. Because the working sensors and wiring stay in place, installation is faster and costs less than a full replacement.

New devices, such as a smart water valve or additional sensors in areas the old wiring never reached, connect wirelessly. Each employee gets a unique code, so the owner can see who arrived, who left, and whether anyone was in the store after hours. The Alarm.com app puts store cameras and real-time notifications on the owner's phone and computer.

Key benefits

• Faster installation by reusing working wired sensors
• Lower installation cost than replacing everything
• Real-time notifications on your phone
• Arrival and departure records for every employee code
• Cameras, alarm, and access in one app

Upgrade your wired system

Whether you have an older wired alarm at home or across several business locations, we can often keep what works and modernize the rest. Sting Alarm has served Las Vegas since 2003 and now serves Phoenix too. Request a free quote or call (702) 737-8464 for a system review.