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Security Intelligence 4 min read

What Happens When You Try to Jam a Foxworth System

We tested our own system against professional-grade RF jammers. Here's exactly what happened — and why it didn't work.

Every security system has a weakness. For most wireless alarm systems, that weakness is a €200 radio jammer you can buy online. For Foxworth, we designed the system assuming someone would try to jam it. Then we tested it ourselves.

The test setup

We used three types of jammers against a full Foxworth installation:

  1. Broadband 2.4GHz jammer — the most common type, blocks WiFi and Bluetooth
  2. Sub-GHz jammer (433/868MHz) — targets traditional alarm sensors
  3. Combined multi-band jammer — simultaneously blocks 2.4GHz and 868MHz

Each jammer was activated from outside the property boundary (simulating a real attack scenario) while the Foxworth system was in armed mode with all sensors and cameras active.

Test 1: 2.4GHz jamming

What we expected: WiFi camera feeds might drop. Zigbee sensors might lose connectivity.

What happened:

  • WiFi camera feeds dropped within 3 seconds of jammer activation
  • Foxworth detected the WiFi disruption in 1.2 seconds
  • Automatic failover to wired camera feeds (PoE) completed in 0.8 seconds
  • Zigbee sensors failed over to 868MHz mesh within 2 seconds
  • Jamming detection itself triggered an “RF Anomaly” alert — the system recognized it was being attacked
  • Threat level automatically elevated to High
  • Noctua entered launch-ready standby

Net effect: 3.5 seconds of reduced camera coverage. System fully operational on backup paths. The jammer’s existence was itself flagged as a threat indicator.

Test 2: Sub-GHz jamming (868MHz)

What we expected: Traditional alarm sensors (door/window contacts on 868MHz) might lose connectivity.

What happened:

  • 868MHz sensor reports stopped
  • Foxworth detected the loss within 2 seconds
  • Sensors fell back to powerline communication via HomePlug adapters
  • RF anomaly alert triggered again
  • Combined with the first test’s 2.4GHz jamming data, the system correlated: multi-band jamming = deliberate attack
  • Threat level escalated to Critical
  • Noctua launched autonomously

Net effect: 4 seconds of sensor gap. System treated the jamming as confirmation of hostile intent.

Test 3: Combined multi-band jamming

What we expected: This is the worst case — both wireless bands blocked simultaneously.

What happened:

  • Both 2.4GHz and 868MHz went dark simultaneously
  • Foxworth detected the simultaneous disruption in 0.9 seconds
  • Wired cameras (PoE Ethernet) continued operating normally — they can’t be jammed wirelessly
  • Sensors fell back to powerline communication
  • UWB (Ultra-Wideband) short-range links remained operational — UWB’s wide frequency spread makes it extremely resistant to narrowband jamming
  • The system immediately classified simultaneous multi-band disruption as a deliberate attack pattern
  • Noctua launched within 3 seconds
  • All exterior lights activated
  • Security company received automated critical alert with the note: “RF jamming detected — possible pre-intrusion activity”

Net effect: The jammer triggered a more aggressive response than an actual intrusion would have. The attacker’s tool became their liability.

Why this matters

Most alarm systems fail silently when jammed. The panel doesn’t know its sensors are being blocked. It just… stops receiving signals. No alert, no escalation, no response.

Foxworth treats jamming as intelligence. The system doesn’t just failover — it interprets the jamming as evidence of hostile intent and responds accordingly. A burglar carrying a jammer intended to disable the alarm instead triggers the alarm’s most aggressive response mode.

The four communication paths

The reason jamming doesn’t work is architectural. Foxworth doesn’t rely on any single communication band:

  1. 2.4GHz WiFi — high bandwidth for camera feeds (jammable, backed up by PoE)
  2. 868MHz sub-GHz — long range for sensors (jammable, backed up by powerline)
  3. UWB (Ultra-Wideband) — short range, jam-resistant due to frequency spread
  4. Powerline (HomePlug) — communication through electrical wiring (impossible to jam wirelessly)

To defeat all four paths, an attacker would need to:

  • Jam 2.4GHz (easy)
  • Jam 868MHz (easy)
  • Jam UWB across its full spectrum (extremely difficult, requires specialized equipment)
  • Cut the property’s electrical supply (triggers backup battery + immediate critical alert)

The economics don’t work. The equipment to defeat Foxworth costs more than what most burglars could steal.

Want multi-band anti-jam security? Request a consultation.