(Added Jan 20/12) I bought 3 Sentinel Cameras and sent them all back after using them for a year or so because they broke.  Luckily I bought the extended warranty.  I waited months for the Sentinel cameras return because they were on back order.  The Active Home Software never did work properly.  I spent hours installing and uninstalling the video recorder drivers that never installed properly.  Trying to get help is another story.  If I would have known what I know now, I never would have bought from X10.  Very unreliable.

(Added Nov 2/11) X-10 is the worst company I have had the mistake of purchasing a security camera system from.  My last one was set up in 30 min.  I have yet to get this system to work and or run properly.  Don't get me started about customer service as they have NONE that is worth the money you will waste on this product.  Buy else where as this place is a RIP OFF.  I was never sent the proper order and when sent what I asked for it would not work with the system I paid for.  This Product IS JUNK>

(Added Oct 14/11) I recently bought an x-10 home security system. I have the one with the door monitors, motion sensor, and a lamp module. The actually working of the module is fine. It does need to be reset if electricity goes out for a long period. The problem is other people can get the remotes and hook into your system. I keep changing the codes, and will come home to find my security system has been disarmed or in a mode where it is unable to arm. I did have problems though with the motion sensor, so when I reset my system, I didn't put the sensor back on. I wouldn't recommend this system.

(Added Sep 20/11) X10 home security products are to be avoided at all costs.  Sure, they have attractive pricing and promise you nearly everything in their website advertising.  The TRUTH is is that most of the equipment they sell is inexpensive, Chinese merchandise and as such, NOT a good value.  Additionally, when their merchandise not NOT perform as advertised, you will spend countless hours jumping through hoops trying to get your money refunded.  I returned their merchandise 5 1/2 weeks ago, have had contact with their so-called customer support on a number of occasions and I am no closer to seeing my money returned as promised.  X10 does NOT honor their published return/refund policy.

(Added Sep 17/11) I originally bought this product from the manufacturer directly X10. What a mistake, the salesman told me it could have an exterior alarm but after two months of trying to make it work (Often I waited 5 to 7 days before someone got back to me) they gave up and told me it would not work and never should have been promised in the first place.  They also use an antiquated way of sending messages to indoor sirens that causes all sorts of problems.  Eventually, they offered a refund and I have been waiting over 3 months to receive it.  I think this manufacturer might be the worst and possibly the most dishonest company I have ever dealt with.

(Added Aug 14/11) very poor wireless camera picture quality. poor reception via the video module unless cameras are within line of sight of the base and the antennas are unobstructed. nightmarish customer service. prepare for multiple phone calls and delays and prepare to listen to hours or music while waiting for someone to actually answer. I regret ever wasting my hard earned money on this overhyped junk product. Shame on you x10 for false advertisement !

(Added July 4/11) THE SC1200 CONSOLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO INCOMING CALLS WHEN AN ANSWERING MACHINE IS CONNECTED (FACT) Regardless of what you've heard from X10 (on-line, in print, Facebook, etc) -- the SC1200 Console WILL NOT answer an incoming call when an answering machine is connected. X10 support said that my first console was probably bad; I purchased another, only to hear from X10 support that the SC1200 does not work with an answering machine (see caveat below). Caveat: Unless the X10's answer delay is set *precisely* to match your answering machine pick-up time (to-the-second); the problem: the console will announce "please enter pin" on top of your outgoing answering machine announcement. X10 needs to change their literature, where it states "If you own an answering machine... wait until your answering machine finishes its outgoing message..." (SC1200 owner's manual, pg 37). Going to test the system this week for range & stability and will post an update.

(Added July 4/11) I purchased some X10.com cameras and software to run the cameras. I called and emailed tech support over and over and still don't have the software running and X10.com refuses to give me my money back because I've been trying to get it to work for more than 30 days! The two biggest problems X10.com was never able to resolve: Vanguard software: is a memory hog and brings my PC to it knees. To get the cameras to function I had to run it on the same PC as Active Home Pro. Now all the macros that were working in Active Home Pro no longer work because of Vanguard. According to other users on the X10.com forum they've never been able to get Vanguard to work. MyHome software: I have a webserver running on port 80 and found out after many hours trying to get MyHome to work that it must use port 80. X10.com gives no way to configure the software to use any other port. My suggestion - don't buy MyHome if you are running a webserver on port 80. So here I am stuck with cameras and software that don't work and X10.com support won't work with me nor will the company refund my money. BUYER BEWARE !!!!!

(Added May 1/11) ATTENTION!!!, ALL X10 USERS OR PEOPLE CONSIDERING TO PURCHASE X10 PRODUCTS....(Read the Whole Review)

(Added May 1/11) I purchased four x10 cameras so I could view my home remotely while at work. It took several months to get the devices working, in fact I had to return and replace a transceiver before the vanguard softward could work. Next challenge was to connect to gate.x10.com in order to gain remote access, it never worked on any of my systems. I called customers service several times (spending no less than 40mins to 1 hr waiting each time), and could not get a reasonable solution, at best I was bombarded with loads of emails on troubleshooting. Finally, I had it and resorted to the iwatch mobile tool, and though its setup was relatively easier, I was very disappointed that I could only view one camera and not all four. To make matters worse, after about an hour or two, the remote view on my phone goes blank, and I don't have access to the camera. It's been a complete source of frustration for me and I would discourage anyone from using x10 vanguard cameras or iwatch mobile pro.

(Added Mar 22/11) I worked in the alarm business for over 10 yrs.  Let that be clear, I know what I am talking about and I know how to install a wireless low grade system like x10. All I want to do is let people know to keep shopping, plain and simple. I read reviews just like your doing now. Horrible cuctomer service, there may be 5 people working in the same office when you call if your lucky, and you have a little chance of getting a polite happy rep.  If you send items back for returns or replacements, make sure you call them and check on it every couple days, because they will sit on it until you do, and then pretend they know nothing.  Long story short -- shop elsewhere stay away from x10 -- there has to be better qaulity and customer service somewhere out there?  Good luck.

(Added Feb 11/11) I bought x10 6 camera pack (USD 289) expecting to be able to monitor my home over the Internet.  It was my mistake for not reading this site prior to the purchase.  Here is my experience after one month of using them: - xcam2 color camera is useless for indoor (only ok for daylight) - xcam2 black&white is useable - interference is terrible - no signal receive when the cameras are mounted upstairs - I can monitor max 2 cameras at the same time. After connecting the third one only can see two of them. (so what is the point of selling 6 camera pack when only you can make use of 2 at the same time - unless you want the other 4 as spare) - support is terrible. I call x10 on the phone and email and I rate their only 3 out of 10. In short useless. - I have not been able to register the software -Vanguard- despite calling x10 so many time. Without registering you cannot see the camera over the Internet. I gave up calling for support because it is a waste of time. I have already waste money buying these stuff and don't want to waste more time on them. - The pan&tilt kit is only a kid's toy. Not worth buying. - In short x10 camera concept sounds good but in practice it is not worth wasting your time on. It's only good as a toy if you want to explore security camera on your computer. In this case buy only 2 b&w cameras. I am willing to sell all of these stuff for USD 50 (buyer pay for shipping).  Mail to me if you want to know more about my experience. daotd@yahoo.com

(Added Feb 10/11) I purchased the X10 a year ago and have already replaced the console once because it would not dial out to my cell. I can hear the operator say "you have dial an unworking number.....blah, blah". I have comcast for my phone service. I have tried variations of the phone number and have tried the DSL filter. NOW, the phone will dial my cell, but unless I reprogram the numbers, it will NOT dial a second time. This is very frustrating. Why can't X10 get the design right so that the product works, as advertised ??? WHAT do I do now? Try another lousy-designed console?

(Added Jan 25/11) (Updated Mar 22/11) I have installed five X-10 Powerhouse security systems so far....(read the whole review)

(Added Dec 24/10) I recently installed two X10 Powerhouse Security Systems. I agree with the other reviews that it is easy to install the motion sensors and door/window sensors. I am testing various home alarm systems for my clients. X10 has some decent functionality and a great price point. The biggest disappointment has been that the voice dialer does not work at all. I tried the system using cablevision (NJ) and mediacom (Delaware). The system will not dial out with either phone service. In order to have a good alarm system, you MUST have a dialer that works effectively on today's digital phone systems. There must be some significant cost for X10 to not have figured this out yet.  I also installed AHP w/email alert. I will say that, after a few installation glitches, the email alert does work. There has been an average of a 3-4 minute delay on the email, but that could just be the server reaching out to my provider's email network.

(Added Dec 12/10) I have owned X-10 alarms for about 2 years now and I am shocked they do not work with Comcast Voice phone service. I used them for years with Qwest and had no problems. I like the X-10 system when it works. It is VERY easy to set up and functions well if you keep the batteries fresh and the motion sensors away from heat sources. When I got Comcast Voice the alarm would no longer dial out. When the alarm triggers and dials you hear an operator message saying "You have dialed too few digits". I have tried EVERYTHING to make it work, DSL filters, phone over power adapters, changing the location, plugging into the Comcast modem direct, nothing works and no one can fix it. Comcast couldn't fix and X-10 says "yea we know, sorry". I am very sorry to see this alarm go but I am forced now to buy elsewhere.

(Added Oct 29/10) I don't know which one is worst, their product or their customer no service. I bought their home security package and had to return it cause it never worked properly, when I called I was on hold for over 2 hours and decided to hang up and call later, next time was better; hold time: 78min.  Stay away from this company / product. I suggest you spend a little more and buy something better.

(Added Oct 29/10) Be Wary of ALL X-10 products.  The following is an excerpt of a letter I recently wrote to X10 outlining problems with their products....(read the whole review)

(Added May 27/10) I purchased my x10 security alarm system in 2008. The alarm system is easy to install and has worked OK. If you need to purchase something from x10 you can do so 24hours, 7days a week. With alot of customer support. But be WARNED, if you need something replaced. Let me tell my disaster. My main console for my alarm went bad and I decided, no big deal, I will replace it. I ordered a new one and it came in about a week. The problem is that it would not program at all. So ok,I will send it back to be replaced,the web site has very little information how to do this. After many calls saying no one is here to take your call and being on hold for hours.I finally was able to talk to a person that said it must be replaced. He gave me instructions on how to do this. I sent it and X10 received it 5/7/2010. I thought in about a week,I would be sent a replacement. Wrong. I finally called two weeks later and was told returns are only done on the weekends. Today 5/22/2010 I received an Email saying my replacement is being processed and will be Emailed when it is being shipped. So I am still waiting to hear. This is by far the worst service I ever have got from any company. So if you want to buy some thing,your in luck. But if you need service find another company.

(Added May 7/10) My mother (who lives out of state) became concerned when a sex offender moved into her neighborhood, so I purchased 2 different systems from X10 for her. The first was a motion activated floodlight/camera system for the exterior. The 2nd was an alarm system for inside the house.  After the alarm system was installed, the window sensors would go off randomly for no apparent reason, and would not shut off.  What happened after that was nearly 3 solid weeks of repeated calls to customer service.  Each time they would promise something (to have a tech phone her, to send her an authorization to exchange a part, to send her a Fedex label for product return, etc.).  Each time they failed to deliver on what they promised.  She called them no fewer than 12 times.  At one point (after about 6 calls) they claimed to have no record of her in their computer system. Eventually, she got so frustrated she just paid to ship both systems back to X10.  I am now waiting to see if they refund my money, or if I have to contest the credit card charge.  Either way, this was just unbelievably bad customer service.  I've read reviews that X10's systems are kind of nifty if you can get yours to work properly.  Just know you're probably on your own if you have any problems with it.

(Added Apr 21/10) I have a very basic X10 system now, and installed systems for my elderly relatives. I am not a professional installer, I am an Electrical Engineer. The system is not for all situations. You have to check ahead of time for interference from other devices. X10 communicates with the other components via your electrical system; which is not always clean due to other applicances, tvs, cordless phones, etc. X10 offers a device for this, but the average Joe/Jane is not going to pay $100 for a tester. Relative to the price point, the system performs very well. I sugguest you take the time to read the X10 forums before purchasing, others will post problems and pre installation checks you may need to perform to avoid future problems, to determine if an X10 installation is for you.  Just my two cents....

(Added Mar 29/10) Purchased the 6 camera setup from X10.  It would only show a clear picture when my and the neighbor's wireless was off, which wasn't acceptable.  Wrote 2 emails to their support staff, got nothing.  2 & 1/2 days in all the pictures got extremely static-e and pretty much useless. 3 days in, something failed, no pictures at all, another unanswered support request.  Returned it at day 4 or 5.  They put on my RMA sheet that I was an impulse buy. The cameras themselves were ok for broad daylight, but when it got slightly dark I had a useless image.  Everything just felt cheap and unfinished.  Software refuses to uninstall and liked to crash quite frequently during configuration changes (such as remove a camera it's monitoring at that moment and it would crash).  I don't know particularly why I expected that if I had 6 cameras I could monitor/see 6 cameras at once, but I did.  I did not expect that I was going to have the ability to only monitor 1 cam at a time and switch through them. For an in-house monitor the cats sort of thing I think this would be decent, but attempting to monitor the outside of a fairly small house it was not usable.  Also if you or your neighbor have a 2.4ghz wireless router or phone, it can wreak havoc with the picture - my wrt-54g and the neighbor's Belkin made snow on the pictures constantly, I tried changing the channels on both the wireless and the webcams and still could see the fight.

(Added Mar 29/10) You get a big bang for your bucks with this system.  Just be aware that wireless alarms operate in the same frequency band as all wireless PDA, home center wireless controllers, etc.  You get for what you paid applies with the X10. The Ademco wireless system I have for over 5 years never had false alarms but cost more. What wireless companies fail to specify is the receiver and transmitters exact frequencies and what steps they have taken to not be false triggered by other wireless devices; scrambler/descrambler, etc!  A big shortage of the X10 is that it does not have a smoke/IR detector.

(Added Mar 4/10) I purchased an X10 security system about 18 months ago.  I use 6 motion detectors.  It's all wireless.  Set up was fairly straightforward and easy.  I screwed up, had to start over, probably didn't take 30 minutes to set it up again.  Once up and operational, the system has served me pretty well.  The initial batteries in the detectors are still operating, haven't had to replace them yet.  There is one thing that you need to know though - false alarms - my Blackberry has set the system off in the middle of the night several times....I finally figured out that the signal from the Blackberry was the thing setting off the alarm.  After being awakened several times, it's a bit unsettling.  Also, the Video Sending unit that X10 sells - it too can set off the motion detectors.  So, at night I disable the Blackberry and disconnect the video sending unit....disabling the Blackberry is no big deal - the video unit, well that's a little inconvenient. Anyway, you just need to beware that it's possible for other wireless devices/frequencies to set off the X10.  This may include garage door openers too.  Their customer service is not very good - I had a question about the false alarms and some dude that sounded like he was half asleep basically couldn't tell me what day it was....no help at all....a real cement head.... This is not a bad system for the money.  I paid right around $225 for my package.  Once I worked the false alarm issue out, it's probably been worth it.  My main concern was to just have something that would warn me of an intruder at night - that's all - I have a 2 story house and could not hear a breakin downstairs if it occurred.  For what I wanted to accomplish, the system has been acceptable.

(Added Jan 9/10) My fiances father bought us an alarm system from made by X10 as a Christmas present. He has used a X10 system in his home for years and has been pleased; and with a break-in that occurred in our apartment complex, he thought it would make a good gift for us. Also lowered our renters insurance. The box contained a central alarm unit, remote control, two keyfob controls, one motion sensor, one lamp module, and six door/window sensors. Setup was a breeze. Unboxed the central unit and wired it up. Programmed the remote and the keyfobs in about five minutes. Unboxed the door/window sensors and mounted them accordingly and got them programmed one by one. They probably took 5 minutes a piece with screwing the units to the wall and mounting the sensor magnets. Then mounted up the motion sensor to watch our entryway and living room and got it programmed in.  Each time I installed a sensor I tested it to make sure it would trip the alarm, and each worked just fine. Tried to "break-in" and, as expected, the alarm went off, lights flashed and the high-pitched alarm makes it hard to determine where the sound is coming from. My cellphone immediately got the call from the central unit with my recorded message, and the other numbers programmed in also received the call.  Good little system, easy to setup.

(Added Dec 12/09) I purchased two wireless X10 Cameras with Pan/Tilt Pedestals.  The ease in setting this system up was ok for me because I am a retired electrical engineer.  I think that the average Internet savvy teenager could install this system in an afternoon including placing the cameras where desired.  The wireless link is robust in my house and the most distant camera passes through at least three walls and one floor.  My only complaint is with the Internet service port for streaming the cameras over the Internet.  Frankly, it is next to worthless unless the user has no immediate need to see the cameras.  I suspect that the X10 gateway is often overloaded thus service isn't always available.  If you have no need for immediate feeds these cameras are ok otherwise look for a Trend camera system connected to a real IP address server.

(Added Dec 4/09) I have used a wireless X10 alarm system for more than 2 years, and I like it. I only use motion sensors, not door/window sensors. The system isn't perfectly bulletproof, but it is VERY good.  The bad: Mine came with 2 lamp modules and one failed within 2 months. The 9V battery backup is only good for 1 day. I did have a couple of false alarms early on. Resetting the sensors fixed it. The idea that the neighbors will hear the alarm is nonsense.  The good: It has already chased off one burglar. I can sleep at night knowing no one will sneak into my bedroom, which happened to a previous tenant. This is cheap peace of mind.

(Added Nov 24/09) I've installed two X-10 systems now (one at my house and one at my girlfriend's house several years later - one year ago.). The total system cost is very low, but, you "pay" for it in terms of installation hassle (a full weekend) and reliability issues. Some sensors "refuse" to work, at all, upon installation. Even once you get the system up and running, some sensors will occasionally "balk" and you will then have to manually bypass them. However, overall, the system does work and the optional sirens are eardrum blowing loud. I recommend X-10 only in situations like mine or my girlfriend's, where you've beefed up security in the rest of the house (i.e. double deadbolts, steel bars on windows, motion sensing outdoor spotlights, etc.) and therefore, the X-10 system is just a backup in case the burglar makes it past all your other defenses. If you're situation is such that, other than locked doors and windows, you have to rely on an alarm system, then I advise that you get a professionally installed system or a do-it-yourself wired system. On the other hand, if you're on a really tight budget, maybe the X-10 system is right for you.

(Added July 7/09) I have used X-10 home automation products (like the lamp remotes, universal remotes, audio senders and computer mouse-remotes), and those products have lasted ten years so I decided last week to give x-10 alarm products a try.  After all, where else could I get 10 door/window and 2 motion sensors with lighting integration and 3 key fobs.  Everything was a breeze to install and works perfectly.  I've tried to "break-in" (defeat) the system and it was difficult.  My only difficulty has been in getting an add-on siren to work in an outdoor plug.

(Added Mar 6/09) If x10 put the money in product development they put in ads maybe they could have a product that actually worked. Poor customer support and lousy products just about says it all. Wasted 50 hours trying to make the junk work...shame on me.....

(Added Feb 17/09) In my last house I used the combination of a Napco hard wired alarm and X10 products.  Having home automation and security combined is an advantage to me.  My new house has wires for a hard wired system.  I installed some X10 equipment and will also be installing a monitored hard wired system.  Having security lights, flashing lights and extra horns will make the system even better.

(Added Jan 7/09) I was looking for an affordable, wireless surveilance system with remote access (internet) and e-mail alerts...  I found the Vanguard system.  Great Price for three cameras, software, and other necessary doo-dads.  That is where the fun stopped.  I have spent the last month setting up, re-setting up, tweaking, reloading, readjusting, re-configuring, calling tech support, writing to tech support, trouble-shooting device drivers, and on, and on, and on.  I guess you get what you pay for!  What a total piece of s--t!