Is your security system compatible with today’s new phone technologies?

Many of our customers have called with questions about an emerging phone service choice - digital VOIP (“Voice-Over-Internet Protocol”) phone services (like Comcast phone, Vonage, Charter, etc), and using it for their monitored security system phone communications.  Below you will find some information on this topic.  If you have questions about the information below or would like information on how to test your system, please call us at 763-783-9223.

 

The VOIP phone services are becoming more popular for wireless/internet based phone communications.  The Alarm Industry does not recommend using these services as the phone communication for your monitored security system and here is why:

1. VOIP phone services are internet based and your internet service often recycles or re-boots their computer servers in the middle of the night.  If you use VOIP phone services with your security system then during those times at night your security system does not have the ability the transmit signals to our Central Dispatch Station.  On average, the internet servers re-boot several times a month and the phone service will be down from 5 to 30 minutes at a time.
2. When this happens, your security system will alert you at the keypad that the phone service is unavailable, which can be an annoyance in the middle of the night.
3. VOIP phone service requires constant power in your home.  If you are without power, some VOIP phone service may not work and will not be able to transmit alarm signals.  Your Security system will operate since it has battery backup, but alarm signals would not be sent to the Central Dispatch Station.
4. If VOIP isn’t installed properly, your security system may not communicate properly with the Central Dispatch Station but you won’t know there is a problem.  There is a test that can be done to check if there is a problem- if you use VOIP phone services with your security system.  Please call us and we can walk you through this test that you can perform periodically to check for potential problems. 
5. The VOIP services are not regulated by the FCC or the Public Utilities Commission and many are not listed for Alarm or Life Safety systems.  Those are not required to use standard formats or to meet certain reliability standards, and are subject to change without notice.  This may lead to programming changes in your security system if you use certain VOIP phone services with your security system.
6. The VOIP companies are not required to inform you of these limitations in their phone services.

 

If you are interested in discontinuing your home phone service, we recommend instead that you use a GSM (“Digital Cellular Communicator”) for your Security phone connection.

The advantages of GSM include:

1. You will not experience regular ‘down time’ with GSM.
2. If you are without power in your home, GSM has battery backup and operates on a cell phone service so it will send alarm signals to our Central Dispatch Station.
3. The GSM works with your security system to provide reliable communications to Central Dispatch Station.
4. There are no cables or wires located outside your home that could possibly be tampered with.
5. Your Home Owner’s insurance company may give you a discount for having a GSM security service!

 

We strive to offer the best possible security services to meet your needs.  If you have any questions regarding these services or want to discuss the possibility of using GSM, please call our office at 763-783-9223.