cellular phone method for monitoring?

[apostolakisl]

I use Telular, Uplink and also Connect 24. We've formerly used Alarmnet.

Cellular sites typically have some form of backup battery bank/generator, so the point regarding power failures is typically moot. The only item that does happen, unfortunately more often than most realize, is sites go down for maintenance/upgrades, which happens usually overnight. If you can hit multiple towers within your cell, typically not an issue, but if you're marginal to begin with....

The C3 unit has a 2 watt separate antenna that you can mount for max signal strength. Probably other units are similar. But the point is that unless you are in the fringe area of service, you should be able to pick multiple towers.

 

[Del91574]

The C3 unit has a 2 watt separate antenna that you can mount for max signal strength. Probably other units are similar. But the point is that unless you are in the fringe area of service, you should be able to pick multiple towers.

Depends on your area of the country. In a flat terrain, you may be able to hit multiple towers, but in a mountainous area, especially with dense foliage, the ideal of being able to hit multiple towers at all times with ample signal just isn't always possible.

Not a game changer or a sales point for a product, as the FCC levels the playing field for all the transcievers out there. Only thing a remote antenna gives you is the ability to mount it in a different location than the main transciever, it doesn't improve reception, and from experience, remote antennas tend to make reception worse because of the cable length that is attached to it.

Using a yagi or omnidirectional is a different ballgame, but I'd be hard pressed to see one on a C3.

 

[gizzmo]

I have used several radios but had such a bad time with the DSC 3060 transmitters it caused me to drop DSC altogether. The transmitter would lockup and upon waking up weeks later would dump any previous alarms. I now use alarmnet and have very good results.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[Del91574]

DSC also had a very bad run of 3060's that might have been what you've experienced. I forget the exact sequence, but generally it caused the Motorola chips to blow out, no field servicing.

I was soured on Alarmnet and their spotty coverage in my area, lots of dropped signals, so I migrated to Uplink and Telular.

 

[gizzmo]

Alarm-net is on AT& T gsm network not sure about uplink or telular. I used a telular sole path on a fire panel and it has been a disappointment.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Del91574]

I'm not 100% sure who Uplink uses for a provider, however I've been able to get coverage literally almost everywhere, no matter who the carrier is. As I said, in my area ATT's cell coverage, while "academically" there on paper, real life has proven otherwise.

While I don't really like DSC's build quality on the majority of their products...well it really shows across all the Tyco owned companies, but that's another argument, it's been a relatively decent unit in our area. Barring the tiny screws for the enclosure, steel is nicer than plastic and running flex or a pipe to the unit is also nice.

The only thing about all the other vendors besides Uplink is you need to be tied to a CS that supports that vendor, or you need to be a sub-vendor, otherwise you'll be stuck. I can send Uplink to any CS and be "invisible" to them as to the communicator out there, and port via IP or POTS into them.

 

[lupinglade]

At least here in Canada when power goes out, cable does not. Cellular actually is more likely to go down first (battery backups run out on towers).

 

[AMROCKS]

I have a "Home Phone Connect" from Verizon Wireless that seems to be alot like the HAI C3. Basicly it is a cell phone with a pots connection that when connected to a traditional land line phone it will give you a dial tone and function just like a land line. Has anyone had any luck using one of these for a phone line connection for security monitoring?  I know with the C3 it will handle data from the OP2 and send it accross the cell network instead of it making a dial tone phone call, but with the Home Phone Connect in theroy I should be able to connect just like VOIP or a standard land line.  I don't have an Omnipro II just yet but Im about to place an order very soon for a new house and I will not be putting in a land line.. we use the home phone connect for that.  Any thoughts?

 

[Del91574]

At least here in Canada when power goes out, cable does not. Cellular actually is more likely to go down first (battery backups run out on towers).

This is the exact opposite around here (as discovered during Sandy and the other storms). I'm going to discount the VDSL and fridges that are installed on poles.

The cell towers typically have UPS or generators, but the cable providers are dependent on power for their network nodes and repeaters. While you may appear to have signal, it's usually only because a local node has power but no ability to get back to the CO. Once the towers lose power, the only variable is how much fuel or UPS they have....which varies due to area.
 
For the "connect" device, the largest item to consider is the backup battery the unit itself has. That's going to be one of the weak links.

 

[AMROCKS]

For the "connect" device, the largest item to consider is the backup battery the unit itself has. That's going to be one of the weak links.

 
I do plan on using a UPS for the OPII and other equipment as well as the home phone connect.  I can make sure that I have a solution for the power, Im just trying to make sure that I can use that device as a security monitoring connection.

 

[AMROCKS]

Found this on the Verizon Wireless website:
 
NOTE: Home Phone Connect may not be compatible with certain home security systems. Please check with your home security system provider to confirm the compatibility requirements of your home security system. Home Phone Connect is not compatible with fax machines, DVR services, credit card machines, medical alert services or some High Speed or DSL Internet services. Please contact your service provider to determine if Internet service is available as a standalone offering.
 
So.... I'm not sure how to take this... " may not be compatible with certain home security systems"   I wonder if HAI would tell me the truth (if they even know) if the omnipro II would work with it being that they would want me to buy a C3 from them.

 

[Del91574]

I think it comes down to the VZW unit probably has zero settings for the DTMF tone length and a few other items which would negate it's use for those items listed.

 

[StarTrekDoors]

Found this on the Verizon Wireless website:
 
NOTE: Home Phone Connect may not be compatible with certain home security systems. Please check with your home security system provider to confirm the compatibility requirements of your home security system. Home Phone Connect is not compatible with fax machines, DVR services, credit card machines, medical alert services or some High Speed or DSL Internet services. Please contact your service provider to determine if Internet service is available as a standalone offering.
 
So.... I'm not sure how to take this... " may not be compatible with certain home security systems"   I wonder if HAI would tell me the truth (if they even know) if the omnipro II would work with it being that they would want me to buy a C3 from them.

 
 
It's not as much about the Verizon service as it is about the monitoring service.  Some of the alarm monitoring services do not work well with cellular links, no matter the carrier.  A couple I've contacted have refused to allow cellular monitoring and mandated a POTS (standard analog) line.  Verizon's disclaimer is that while their service is adequate for some purposes, they basically don't guarantee it will always work.  Ask the monitoring service for their opinion because they may already have customers in that area working with Verzion or whomever.
 
I was disappointed the C3 would not provide SMS messaging.  A decade ago, Visionic security panels had a Visonic cellular module (add-on option) that could send SMS text messages, which was and still is really cool plus didn't require a PC, plus software, plus xyz..... The C3 is simply a cellular to analog convertor and leaves out all the cellular advantages with exception to working as a substitute analog line.  As well, many of the monitoring services will not allow connection by the C3 either, so again, it's up to the monitoring service to support the desired configuration.
 
Anyway, in some areas, cellular to analog convertors of most any brand work well.  In the mountains, we've installed external high-gain cellular antennas to compensate for low signal strength which have thankfully solved many a problem or two.  My hope is that someday, native IP monitoring will be available for the HAI that will allow direct connection without need of cellular.  Congress has mandated that every home in the US is required to have "available" an Internet connection and because AT&T and Verizon filed with the FCC that they were going to decommission POTS lines starting in 2009 as part of their efforts to meet Congress' Internet "available" requirement, the reliance on POTS should move reliably to IP and/or cellular.
 
In major metropolitan areas, power generation and power backup has been expanded and will continue to be with this change in dependence, meaning fiber, dsl, cable, and cellular will all have greater survivability. If anything, most installs should have dual methods - such as analog primary, cellular backup, or IP primary, analog backup - something.  A small UPS battery backup will power a fiber ONT for several days, a cable modem for as long if not longer, a cellular module for some time.  Of course buying a $30 UPS is different than purchasing a $100 UPS, but it's all about risk and risk mitigation. When the lights go out on our street, we still have lights, because we chose not to live in the dark - and it cost money to have that choice. When we explain to our customers it about taking the chance - is it a short power outage, a long one, do you need backup communication, and how do we power one or both means for an extended period.  When customers realize they will lose service due to power outage, they are or are not willing to pay for the "chance" they will or will not take. Offering all the possibilities for reliability means the customer can choose to which level to have reliability.  Buying the C3, or into Telguard, Uplink, or whatever hardware or service means buying some means of protection from power outage or telephone line cut "provided" cellular strength is acceptable and supportability by the monitoring service is possible - right? HAI couldn't know the truth for your location because that's not what they do. HAI would tell you the truth about how the C3 works.  Keep in mind HAI is just selling you a simple convertor and suitability to your purpose - how you use it and how well it works - is up to you.

 

[tmbrown97]

This is an interesting topic - and my exposure over the last couple years has changed... 1) I've worked closely with local telcos and have been educated on their requirements from an e911 standpoint and what's required for backup; I've also worked with some national wireless phone providers (I personally did some tower upgrades for the biggest carrier) so I've been in quite a few tower base stations.  I can honestly say that there's no clear winner - it depends on the disaster.  For instance, FCC regulations require far better backup power sources for POTS providers than cellular - but that still requires that the uplink paths be unaffected.  For cellular, they always have generators and batteries, but not the 4 levels of power backup that Telcos have; however, many of the ones I serviced had multiple paths of backbone that didn't require in-ground fiber connectivity.  So in a power-grid failure, POTS wins - but in a massive earthquake or something that could disrupt in-ground fiber, cellular might win.
 
Things also differ by geographic area... it's not hard to search youtube and find where local cable providers have come out after a storm and used a crappy chain to bolt a little tiny generator to a telephone pole and run an extension cord up to their equipment to keep the area internet on.  It's really quite pathetic.  Especially when they spend the next week topping off gas off and on to keep internet going.
 
We are in a crappy flux =  POTS is so antiquated, yet certain industries (healthcare!) can't get away from it for Fax; or Alarms for monitoring... evolution is seriously lagging.  By now, alarms should be connected to our internet connection which has a 4G data card add-on from our cellular provider for ultimate backup.

 

[Del91574]

I partially agree Work, but in actuality I've had more issues over time with TCP/IP based connections for hardware compared to a POTS or leased line....just the nature of the beast at this point in time. While it may improve, until the service is regulated and mandated to maintain a certain QOS, you're up to the guys that are driving these systems and nodes off generators and extension cords and hoping for the best.
 
When Sandy blew through here, we lost almost every TCP/IP based system that was on a ISP, but the local fiber ring fared OK, less power issues. After the storm, cabling issues aside (with all the trees and like) the general NE had about 2/3 of the cellular towers down (firsthand knowledge) which introduced a whole new set of issues to contend with.