Next Alarm

I dealt with Nextalarm in NV for some time. They have no idea what your alarm does. You can tell them item point 1 is a motion when it's a door. You can tell them number 2 is a door, but it's a glass sensor. Point 3 is a motion when it's a window in the out-house. They have the worst record for mislabeling alarms, police show up because someone said the neck panic went off when it was just a motion outside set off by the cat. They don't see the alarm and depend on the customer to tell them what it is. I know one house being monitored that the home owner has half the points jumped bacause they still haven't ran the wires. It's a joke. Nextalarm = Next time get a real company!

I stick to the custom res. and small commercial but only if it's owned by the custom res. owner. Never really liked the commercial stuff, got out of it about 5 years ago.

Sounds like a great company to me. You guys can have the residential world, sounds like a lot of fun....another company dedicated to being wrong 98% of the time...there's a shocker.

Oh, yes. Thanks for the reminder. But doesn't that only apply to folks using VoIP. If so, then for most folks that shouldn't be an issue at present. In a few years when POTS lines become as rare as good advice from Olson everyone will have to find a VoIP compatible solution.

Regards, Robert L Bass

Oops. That's not what I was thinking of. Thanks.

Nope. It's quite obvious to me you haven't done your "homework" on the people you're "recommending" your customers use... Speaking of "homework", I'd suggest you read up on the Elk M1-Gold...

VoIP will never replace a POTS line. Canada has the largest per capita ratio of internet users of any country (even Belgium) but most alarmco's here won't use high speed internet as the primary means of communication without the POTS as a backup. Not many people are willing to put up with the "we're upgrading the hardware in your area and your cable internet service will be inoperative between the hours of 1:00 and 5:00 am." Of course, since you don't install or service alarms for a living, are rarely available for direct technical questions, and are currently "on extended vacation" *in Brazil*, you might feel differently...

No, it doesn't just apply to people using VoIP. The UL approved method for transporting Alarm signals over IP, combines an alarm manufacturers "router" specifically designed, and UL approved for this method. This method, is a good example of the poor security features found in a majority of manufacturers control panels. No message authentication. Signals can be intercepted, and the control panel satisfied that it actually talked to an alarm receiver, when in fact it never actually talked to the right one. Now I'm not a Rocket Scientist, but thinking cap on, what do you suppose the implications of this method would be? The risk at the residential level may be minimal, but commercially, and depending on the type of facility being protected.... Most dealers don't even realize this, most manufacturers think the risk is minimal.

if no message authentication from the cs reciever, what does a place like walmart that keeps cash overnite do. I can not believe that a control panel that connects to a phone takes for granted it has contacted the cs

The only thing, and again, it's NOT all manufactures control panels (only

99% of them), they listen for is "acknowledgement" tones, and a kiss-off tone for a successful communication session. The control panel has no capable means, other than format acknowledgement, that it talked to the right piece of equipment, let alone where it is physically located. No message authentication takes place, other than a correctly transmitted format. If it were CID, this transmission could be intercepted, and acknowledged without the control ever knowing who, or what it actually communicated with. There is no message authentication included in the packet, just tones from a receiver acknowledging a successful transmission of them, and that they were in fact correct.

For a growing number of business and residential users it already has. What you fail to understand is that (1) VoIP is a much more economical telecom solution than POTS; (2) alarm companies don't even have much influence, let alone control of what the telco's do; (3) there's a growing public interest in VoIP solutions. What all this means is that over the next few years we'll see more use of VoIP and less POTS. IMO within 5-10 years there will be fewer POTS lines than VoIP.

As lovely a place as Canada is, it is not now and never has been a leader in electronic communications.

Perhaps, but have you tried some of their wireless headsets? :^)

The same is true in the US... for the time being. You don't remember it but the same thing was said about digital communicators when the standard was leased lines. These days, with the exception of banks and such, you hardly ever see a leased line on a commercial establishment and they're all but completely gone from residential systems.

Regards, Robert L Bass

I agree with Roberts prediction. The wheels are already in motion. Buy Vonage stock NOW!

You're right there. I hope everyone takes their sweet ass time too. I've been using the Internet as a Primary means of communication since 02' With it I verify alarm signals in 3 to 5 seconds. It's terrible being false alarm free.

"Robert L Bass" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Hey Bozo,you better go out and learn a bit...

most electronic communication device that you use were designed here.

do you know why?cause we have a pretty big country with not much people on it..so to communicate we had to create technology..

Damn...I just cant understand how someone that know almost nothing,can think he knows so much..

Uh-huh. Sure.

I guess that would make Antarctica the world leader in electronic communications development, right? :^)

That much is obvious.

What's obvious to me is that you've single handedly managed to alienate another alarm professional.

Obviously ...... because he doesn't know anything.

What's obvious is that he's working towards a goal.

Yeah, can you just imagine ?

He takes pride in being a pair of "brown shoes" in a closet full of tuxedoes.

Frank,

You are right, those Elk M1 panels are awesome!

Martin

It's called a "paradox"...

I have been using NextAlarm since Jan 05, and so far no problems. However I don't think this kind of service is for the inexperienced alarm system owner. It's probably better suited for a DIY individual willing to invest the time to really study the manuals and get involved. In general there is some programming involved (unless you let them download the panel which I would _not_care to do), and as mentioned above, the data one provides (i.e., zone descriptors, etc.) determines to a large extent the accuracy of the monitoring service's response to an event.

For the price, and from a convenience point of view, I don't think an experienced owner could go too far wrong with NextAlarm. However they will _not_ show up at your residence at 0200 to check out the system, and in general they will _not_ provide all the services that a local, experienced, and well-regarded service is able to provide. An owner has to learn a little "alarm-speak" and should have a bit of background in low voltage wiring, etc.

I have a fairly new home that was hard-wired for all perimeter openings by the builder's electrical sub, but I chose to go "bare bones" otherwise. Later I set up additional modules and services and programmed my own system (somewhat painfully and with a few mis-steps) over a period of time. At this writing I know as much about it as just about anyone. This doesn't necessarily mean I will solve the next problem as well or as quickly as a professional doing this type of thing day-in and day-oat. But for someone like me (and probably the OP), NextAlarm will do the job and do it at a low price.