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lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ
1 edit | reply to karimkb
Re: VOIP for home securit system?
said by karimkb  :what happens if theres a power outage or dsl is down? I guess those r the disadvantages of using this type of service? You should never have an alarm system without wireless backup anyway. I use AlarmPath as a wireless backup. »www.alarmpath.com Any intruder with half a brain is going to cut your phone line before the break-in rendering your system useless. We had a series of break-ins in my neighborhood were the intruder did just this to the alarm systems. They ransacked the house, hauled off a cartload of stuff and the alarm did nothing. This isn't something that the big alarm companies like to point out but your system is giving you a false sense of security without some sort of wireless backup connection. Alarmpath is nice in that it is two way ackowledged. This means that when signals are sent they are acknoledged by the receiving side. Some wireless backup systems simply send the wireless report and hope it got there. | |
karimkb
join:2004-10-23
Stone Mountain, GA
2 edits | Yes, i am considering nextalarm* (if paid full year, its only $9 a month) w/ a dryline broadband and no phone line, which will save me about 40$-45$ monthly, was just wondering about power outages etc, and the wireless option lestat provided, for which i have some questions:
Is alarmpath a monitoring company or does it just provide the hardware for you?
Is there a monthly fee for alarmpath or just the hardware that works w/ your monitoring comapany? If so, whats the fee.
So can i just cancel my phone line all together and just use alarmpath?
thanks | |
lestat99
join:2000-08-04
Piscataway, NJ
3 edits | said by karimkb :Yes, i am considering alarmpath (if paid full year, its only $9 a month) w/ a dryline broadband and no phone line, which will save me about 40$-45$ monthly, was just wondering about power outages etc, and the wireless option lestat provided, for which i have some questions: Is alarmpath a monitoring company or does it just provide the hardware for you? Is there a monthly fee for alarmpath or just the hardware that works w/ your monitoring comapany? If so, whats the fee. So can i just cancel my phone line all together and just use alarmpath? thanks The way AlarmPath works and all wireless backup for that matter is that they receive all of your alarm signals over wireless back to their site. From there they send it out over the PSTN to your central station monitoring company. With this type of setup they are completely independent of the monitoring company that you chose. NextAlarm, BTW, does support the use of AlarmPath.
As far as the fee is concerned. You purchase the wireless hardware upfront which also includes two years of wireless service. After that they bill you on a yearly basis. The fee will vary based on the local installer.
Yes, technically you could just cancel your phone line and use alarmpath. Just be aware that AlarmPath will only send Burg and Fire signals to the monitoring company. If your panel sends our test messages, low battery notices, arm/disarm messages, etc this wouldn't be carried by AlarmPath. So the best bet is to have a primary reporting method, either the PSTN or VOIP and use AlarmPath as a backup. BTW, when your alarm trips the signal goes out simultaneously over both your primary reporting path and AlarmPath. In most cases the wireless signal will reach the central station before your panel even has a chance to dialout.
Also, the AlarmPath hardware on your end uses the battery backup on your panel so it will still work during a power outage. Just make sure that your battery is big enough to handle both.
There are other options for wireless backup, mainly control channel cellular. I did some research and AlarmPath had the best technology, best solution at a competitive price when you factor in equipment and recurring costs. AlarmPath doesn't sell directly to endusers but they will refer you to a local installer. Also make sure if you live in a rural area that you are within the wireless footprint of AlarmPath. They have a coverage map on their website.
»www.alarmpath.com/services.php
Bottom line was that I wasn't willing to make the investment in a security system without wireless backup. This was regardless of VoIP. What would the point be of purchasing an expensive security system and pay monthly monitoring fees if the system can be disabled by using a pair of wire cutters outside your house? This also has the side benefit of backing up a VoIP reporting method if your VoIP service goes out. | |
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