Too bad this group doesn't have a real FAQ. I think this post would be a
good one to archive for general information. (Updated in the future as
things change.)
jc said:
Oh okay. The alarm dealer charges a premium because he's having to
cover the uplink line. The uplink account enables uplink harwdare to
communicate through them (like a network) to the CS.
Possible or worth it to try to communicate through normal cell
service?
No. Not with the disappearance of analog. Maybe some time in the future.
If there were a way to communicate through an existing cell
line (already in use on existing cell phone) that would be nice. But
clearly that's not going to be legal or easy as SIM cards should
restrict that.
Nothing illegal about it. I used to use an analog unit by Stealth Labs that
integrated a standard Motorola cellular mobile (car phone unit) with a
propritary daughter board for cell backup. You could subscribe through
Stealth Labs or use it as a family share phone on another cell provider
plan. It programmed with a standard Motorola Cell Phone Handset.
If you were thinking that you could take your hand held cell phone and plug
it into your alarm panel then its really is not practical, although there
are some docking stations for some that might make it remotely possible. I
have no experience with any of them, and I would suspect that the alarm
panel would be looking for better signal quality than is typically provided
by cellular voice service.
Uplink, Telguard, and many others work by translating the signals and
information from the alarm panel into a form that can be transmitted over
the digital control channels of the digital cellular network, and sending it
their signal processing center. At that location it is converted back to
standard alarm type signals and retransmitted over the telephone network to
the central station. They pay airtime to the cellular providers, they paid
to build their processing center, and they have to pay their employees.
They pass that cost onto the alarm dealer selling their units and service
along with a relatively modest profit per unit. The alarm dealer then
installs the unit in your premise, activates it, and tests it. They then
bill you for installation and monthly service. I don't know what other
dealers charge for this, but we don't charge much more per month than the
price of an extra line on a family share plan from your cell provider.
(unless you have a lot of signal traffic over the cell service)
Quit looking for back doors with your security and do it right. Even if you
do it yourself there are some things that are "the best way" to do it. In
this case a cellular data channel or data burst unit designed to go between
your phone line and your alarm panel is the "right way" to do it. I
personally have had better luck with Telguard units, but Uplink is much
cheaper for the hardware.
Another other options might be to place an IP reporting module between the
alarm panel and the POTS line. (POTS - Plain old telephone service) It is
less reliable than cellular IMO, but better than nothing. One advanatage is
that it is often no additional cost if your central station is already setup
for that particular IP reporting type of hardware.
For reliability under normal circumstances and my experience and knowledge
indicates them in this order. There are other services that may be
available and this is a general description, but for the average residential
customer I believe this to be the best array of options and order of
reliability.
POTS
Private Radio Network
Cellular
IP Network Module
Digital Phone (Not reliable)
VOIP (Not Reliable)
I mention the last two because some people in this group have claimed to
have some success with these in some circumstances. I list digital phone
seperate from VOIP as there are service provides who provide a non-VOIP type
digital phone service paired with other services such as cable.
--
Sincerly,
The guy who makes the final decision on who we buy from.
Bob La Londe
The Security Consultant
Bob La Londe - Owner
P.O. Box 5720
Yuma, Az 85366
(928) 782-9765 ofc
(928) 782-7873 fax
Licensed Contractor
ROC103044 & ROC103047
