VoIP and Home Security Systems Don't Get Along

coondoggie writes "Here is a story about consumer VoIP services that can cause your home security alarm system to malfunction or not work at all. There have been problems with customer phone systems in Canada who were using Primus but Vonage customers in the U.S have complained too. A number of sites have popped up offering suggestions to help deal with the problem."

Comments

This one smells

[kilodelta]

It smells because there are easy solutions to the problems. First of all, you can supply backup power to your ATA and not have to worry.

Secondly you should wire your setup as RJ31X so the alarm system can cut in and take control.

Thirdly - you can set your bandwidth so that fax and modem signals will work. Better yet, how come no alarm company has an IP based monitoring setup? Be pretty simple to do with VPN's, etc.

Finally the E-911 issue was resolved a long time ago. I have full E-911 service through Vonage.

All this leads me to believe that ILEC's are behind these stories. They're losing business left and right to less expensive VoIP carriers. And Verizon for one is in a particularly bad spot, their little fiber build out isn't generating the returns they expected.

Re:This one smells

[Lumpy]

Firstly voip does NOT WORK for data modem calls. which alarms rely on.

Secondly, alarms are mad so frigging cheap that only ONE exists that is IP ready..... That's ADI. Problem is most alarm companies cant handle such an advanced alarm and most people buying one want the $99.00 special not the $1500.00 ADI system + 1 hour programming.

Thirdly, if the alarm buyer was not a cheapskate they would opt for the cellular connect module and forget the land line. It's another $159.99 plus and extra $5.95 a month for monitoring fees to pay for the single 1 minute call it makes every night.

Most home alarms out there installed are utter crap. The ADT junk is incredibly outdated and horribly low quality. People want cheap fake peace of mind, they really do not want to spend real money on security.

Surprised?

[evilviper]

Is anyone (here) surprised by this? It seems painfully obvious to me, that most such services obviously wouldn't work. That this guy wasn't notified BY THE SECURITY SERVICE that his alarm system wasn't functioning for over a year, speaks volumes about how useless that service really is.

It's only too easy to cut a POTS line, or tie it up by dialing-in to it, which is exactly what any competent burglar will do... Maybe with a (pre-paid?) cell-based service, your alarm will have a fighting chance, but not a lot even then.

Wireless monitoring...

[spiritraveller]

works great, doesn't require any phone line, and has gone down in price recently.

POTS lines are no longer needed.

Re:so what else is new?

[timeOday]

I had to bet my home on it, I'd go with TPC over VoIP. In fact, personally, I've stuck with TPC landline because of E911, because my landline has always worked during NYC blackouts even when my cellular phone didn't

I dunno. Before plugging my VOIP service into my home circuit, I of course had to disconnect my home curcuit from the phone company. I can tell you it was very easy; I just opened a plastic box on the side of my house and unplugged it. If you're worried about "bad guys," a cellphone might be better.

In type type of general emergency likely to kill cellphones (or Internet), I don't think you have great odds of contacting the police and getting a swift response anyways. You're worried about the Internet as a shared bandwidth link? Well 911 and the police are shared resources, too. I can tell you plenty of folks called 911 from the WTC, or when New Orleans flooded, and it didn't help them much.

If you're worried about a random Internet or cellphone outage at the same time as a random burglary, go ahead, but for me personally that's on the other side of "lightning strike."