There is an ongoing story that consumer VoIP services can cause your home security alarm system to malfunction or not work at all. A news article here, brought up the problem with customer phone systems in Canada who were using Primus but Vonage customers in the U.S have complained too. And a number of sites have popped up offering suggestions to help deal with the problem. The situation isn't all that surprising as the nature of VoIP has left other emergency services wanting - for example, e911. According to the Allied Fire & Security firm firm, some of the reasons VoIP and security systems may be incompatible include:
* VoIP requires continuous power. If you lose power, you will not be able to use any phone connected to VoIP. More importantly, the security system will not send a signal to your monitoring center.
* Software changes to the alarm system or updates from the service provider could render they system useless.
* VoIP does not offer the same quality of service as direct telephony connections do. There are problems with connectivity, security, disability access, and emergency access.
* Many VoIP connections may not properly handle outgoing calls from fax machines, TiVO boxes, satellite television receivers, conventional modems or fax modems. These devices depend on conventional voice-grade telephone lines for some or all of their features. What can be done? Well some service providers offer workarounds offering a cell or second hard line alternative. But hardwired land lines seem to be the most solid answer for now anyway. Have you had any problems?
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VOIP and burglar alarms
I own a burglar alarm company so I have lots of experience with VOIP and burglar alarms. We have every customer's alarm transmit a weekly test signal to show confidence that a real alarm signal could get through to the central monitoring station. Every single time one of our burglar alarm monitoring customers switches to Vonage VOIP, their burglar alarm stops communicating with the central monitoring station. If a customer switches to one of the other VOIP services their system stops communicating until a service call can be performed to rewire the phone connection into the alarm communicator using a less secure method than was previously available when we had a standard copper wire phone line with POTS (plain old telephone service). Software upgrades, code changes, area code changes, any updates are not possible once a customer switches to VOIP service since the line isn't good enough quality to support data downloads.
Misuse of the wrong transport
Basically the people trying to run alarm signaling and testing over VOIP are misunderstanding the transport.
There is a reason that one is supposed to order a dry pair for an alarm system.
You are sending an analog signal to a device that is also analog and expecting a certain resolution in the signal tone in order to do its job.
With VOIP, you are sending an analog signal, into an adapter that turns it into digital using a lossy codec to maximize bandwidth efficiency. On the other end, that now degraded (in this context at least) signal is converted from digital, back to analog. A voice is still quite intelligible, however tone signals may be changed enough that electronic devices won't recognize them as authentic.
An analogous situation would be a recording studio complaining about poor quality albums that are being produced the following way.
digital tape tracks -> mp3 encoding -> mp3 playback -> recorded to tape again. You are losing the original quality in the middle. It's simply not the correct way to transfer this data.
This is simply a case of misunderstanding the signal path and using the wrong transport for the data that is being passed.
You have provided the most
You have provided the most clear, easy to understand explaination of the process that I've ever seen! Thank You! You stopped short of making a recommendation for resolving the dilemma. Please, by all means, share your solution!
Alarms and Vonage
Hi Alarmpro,
I have a question regarding your statement about VOIP and Alarm Monitoring. Why can’t a solution be found that allows the alarm system to update over a internet connection and let the VOIP solution be for alarm signaling?
If a client has VOIP, then they have IP, or internet access. Would that "weird out" a lot of people? (You know: big brother is watching over the internet etc.) Just how much updating is required on an alarm system? With the exception of occasional updates, isn't it pretty much a set it and forget it? (Forgive me; I'm a different type of tech, not an alarm tech.)
Jeff
Thanks for ur sharing!
For me,I've got one and experience that undergo you described.yes,it's really a good devices though I didn't know 2 much about it's theory.My family used it 2 protect our home and we even bought another motion sensor alarm.My mom like dong such thinger ,but IMO it's unnecessary if we set a more perfect and crucial law.
I install home security
I install home security systems for a living, and whenever we have a customer who has VoIP we just install a cellular unit that sends signals without a hard line. I understand that there are few alarm companies that promote or even carry the cell units. But they're easy to install and they don't cost that much more. They have their bonuses besides. Thiefs many times will cut phone or power lines. A cell unit with a 24 hour battery will send signals anyhow.
What are some of these Cell units?
What are some of these Cell units? Every time I talk to a security rep they want to charge big bucks for this. Do you have to incur some cell phone plan or mobile broadband plan in addition to the security monitoring service? You are paying $25 up to $50 dollar a month already. Does this mean an additional $35 just on cell service too? I am just looking for cheaper alternatives.
I sell security systems for
I sell security systems for a living. Cell back-up systems are very reliable and arent that much more to install in your home. If you go to the right company. My company still does free installation and only charges 5 dollars more a month for cell back-up. We also offer voip services. Also,cell back-up is a safer alternative to a regular lan line service.
Alarm instulation
I don't have a home alarm system because we just moved into our new home and I am aquiring VOIP this week. What is the best, safest, less expensive and most reliable alarm system out there today that works properly with VOIP?
Thanks
ADT
I SELL ALARMS SYSTEM FOR ADT.ADT WORK WITH ALL IVOP PHONE SYSTEM EXCEPT FOR VONAGE..VONAGE IN UNRELAIBLE.IF YOU LIVE IN OR AROUND KANSAS CITY I CAN HELP U.IF NOT I CAN POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
GARY-ADT MAN