In most cases the equipment was free, but you had to commit to a multi year monitoring contract as part of the deal. There are still a handful of security companies such as ADT, Slomin's, and Vivint, that will send a consultant out to your house to configure a system specifically tailored to your home and then send a team of professionals to install everything, but more and more companies are offering do it yourself DIY home security solutions. DIY home security systems come in all shapes and sizes. Some systems come with an LCD panel that serves as the brains of the system. The panel is typically installed on a wall in a central area of your home and connects wirelessly to your home network. Most of these panels use capacitive touch screens and contain multiple radios that allow them to wirelessly control Wi Fi, Z Wave, Zigbee, and Bluetooth sensors and home automation components.