If they won't do it...with a Brinks system about all you can do is unplug the xfmr and the battery and put it to sleep.
btw...It probably can be done but they probably don't want the liablility...although they can't cover you as it is...good grounds to get out of the contract I would think...since they can't/won't perform.
it CAN be programmed as a local system, but brinks WILL NOT do it unless u out right BUY the system
i can understand why.
put it to sleep then.
| > btw...It probably can be done but they probably don't want the | > liablility...although they can't cover you as it is...good grounds to get | > out of the contract I would think...since they can't/won't perform. | >
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| >
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Nope. I'm only average. To you that may seem like genius though.
You think Fowler is an expert?!? Heh, heh, heh. :^)
Unfortionately.... I am back. First a quick recap since there are over
85 responses then I will update you on the status.Recap: My Brinks alarm was installed in 2002. I paid a fair price for it (including numerous motion, heat, fire, panic/pendant, remotes, door, latchkey, and glass break sensors) and have paid my $35/month monitoring fee every month since installed. About a year ago I switched to Vonage. Deep breaths those passionate about VOIP- my wife is from London and our phone bills were $100-$200 a month so paying $25 for vonage was verrry apealing so please cut me some slack. So I put my vonage and cable modem on a backup power supply and accepted the risk that an legitimate alarm even would happen (first of all, very unlikely) AND this would occur at the same time I had an internet hiccup on very reliable pinned up connection. Yes it could happen, its risk versus reward. Who would have thought I would be where I am today, but before I get to that... I chose to accept the risk, so let me move on. The VOIP connector was installed and everything "appeard" fine. Skip forward.... Earlier this year I starting getting either CP or CH errors (cant remember which came first). Every night my alarm would start beeping that it could not communicate. Many service calls, no surprise vonage to blame but the Techs said they could sort it out so I kept paying my monthly fee and let the have a go. Many service appointments later, no dice. Skip forward another 4 months to September 05 when I received a letter about configuration settings for vonage users. Again, all this time I am happily paying my monthly fee since I chose to move to vonage. I call brinks and they didnt have any "new" info, they were just reminding of the vonage policy we all have read. But they want to send someone out, so they do.
Update: I speak with the local manager and tell him if the system can not be monitored that is fine I will keep paying monthly but STOP the BEEPING! It starts every 24 hours and drives us nuts! They come out and install a new board but can't get the system talking over vonage (no biggie) but say the beeping will stop and CP and CH are gone from my display. Yipee! Next morning.... CP beeping is back. Spoke with local manager, says what they did should have done the trick but the tech is coming back again to make sure the CP error will stop. Next day.... ITS BACK! I did not read about the #99 trick until now but I am not sure I want to have them come out again. I have worked with the local manager and the tech has been out twice in two days... with the sole mission of stopping the CP error even if they can not get it to monitor. Even though I a to blame for switching to vonage (reminder: I am moving in a few months and will have an alarm analogue line in the new house which is why fixing the root cause or installing a line here is not something I want to do) for my $35 a month today and over the past three years all I want is for the CP beeping to stop. I feel like I am in an episode of lost with the Dharma experiment. I better get to sleep, the beeping will be back on schedule in the morning.
Because they are still mucking about trying to make it report over Vonage. Tell them to just program it as a non-reporting alarm system...that's the only way...unless their systems cannot be made local.
Either they are unwilling, or incompetant. Not sure which. The tech was here two days in a row and he (and his manager) promised they made changes so the system would not dial out. While my wife still likes to use the alarm at night (otherwise we would have just powered off)... tired of taking half-days off work for the brinks guy to keep tinkering with it. Its time to cut my losses and hopefully they will allow me out of my contract. Needless to say, I was planning on setting up Brinks in my new house and even though I would have an analog line and this would not be an issue, this experience has left a bad taste in my mouth :(
I'm surprised that a large company like Brinks would allow connection to VoIP given the unreliability and ongoing unpredictability of an alarm panel with the service as it is today. Just because it can be done, and works today, doesn't mean it will work tomorrow, not should it be done at all.
This is not a flame; just a genuine statement of amazement that Brinks would do that. I don't often agree with much of what ADT does in the residential market, but their position on VoIP connectivity with conventional alarms is clear and concise - don't do it...
RHC
You alarm guys are such idiots!
The jerk is PAYING brinks a monthly charge for monitoring! Brinks is going to do everything to maintain a monitored alarm. If that means visit after visit, that's what they will do because they have to provide the monitoring. They can't take his money for monitoring knowing it's not being monitored. Imagine if something happens, who;'s lawyers will be banging on Brinks door, waving the monitoring contract in their face.
Why not simply cancel service. Pay any amount owed. Buy the alarm so it's set as local. Problem solved. That or tell your wife to shut her trap and start emailing or writing letters. You not only do you want the cae and to eat it too, but you want them to bake it, serve it, and hold the fork to your mouth as well.
You alarm guys are stupid for even suggesting that any company should do anything that violates their own contract and puts them at risk. What a bunch of dopes all trying to make yourself look good to this cheap jerk!
Tell them you'll sign a release if they will just make it local till you move out.
He's moving in a month.
I suggest he offer to sign a waiver of liability (I doubt they'd accept that)...and have them make it local - I think he had said he's ok with being local for the rest of his stay in that house.
if he doesnt have a phone then they should just cancel the contract .. geez, all that for a simple alarm .. ?? Local alarm sounding is more important than monitored anwyayz ...
I've worked on many more and often they aren't find, Brinks usually sends SIA which is the worst format for VOIP
if they can't get it to work with vonage, they don't know what they are doing....i worked on 2 today, and they are working fine... the CH trbl is a upload problem, which cannot be done with vonage, and that's what they have to program it ....it sounds like they did.... the CH trbl is a "comunnication problem" that should NOT happen if they are able to test the system.....it sounds like what's happening is: (a)the panel HAS to dial out for them to clear the test, (if it does not, then they (tech) should not be leaving your house until the problem is fixed) (b) they are attempting to clear the test, but cannot, and are telling you everything is working....if the test cannot "go thru", then the panel will continously try to dial out, causing "cp" trbl......tell the manager, to check the history of the account, and see if they have been able to test the system... my money would be on NO.....i've been with brinks for over 7 years, and i can't think of ONE excuse to leave a customers house with the panel not working (short of no phones or no elec)....
Nothing about Brinks in the US amazes me... The local guys here are a different breed though...
While I can sympathize with your position as a technician being given direction to get them up and working at all costs, I don't believe that the company in question is truly acting in their clients best interests if they allow hookups to VoIP. These panels may show proper communication when they are initially hooked up but not continue to work over time (and possibly when they are really needed). Is that REALLY acting in their clients best interests, or is their insistence to keep on trying to do it in part reflecting the frustration that we all feel in not having a solution to this problem? Or more likely is it simply they are acting in their own financial best interests in not wanting to lose a client when they know there will always be some marginal company that will come along and do it with no regard for reliability ?
The best thing they could do is simply tell the client to get a proper landline or use some other alternative cellular medium. At least ADT has the moxy to step up to the plate and say it like it truly is....
RHC
i agree, i
well said
connection to voip is not a problem....i've done literally hundreds, and had not ONE problem...the only problem is with Vonage....it will not allow the panel to upload to the severs to allow the clock to be set.....that's all the upload is for.....we can test and respond to alarms just fine..no problems... unfortunatley, what brettjbyers is experiencing is a tech, and tech manager who (apparantly) don't know what they are doing.....but, that does happen, no matter what line of work or company you work for...you sometimes get idiots, or people too lazy to find out what the problem is..... when vonage first came up, we had all kinds of problems, and fortunatley, i was able to get a vonage tech on the phone who knew what he was doing, and we went round and round for about an hour, until we finally figured out a solution...since that day, i have not had a problem with vonage, except that they are a crap company....i agree, i wish brinks would just not allow it to be done, but they cater to the customers needs....the customer is everything, and the goal is to get the system working no matter what... no matter how long it takes....sometimes that can be a bad thing
Since this has been going on for sooo long and we are moving soon, I (being fed up) just told them to get the CP beeping stopped and I would be fine with that. The local manager said his guy was going to program a new board at the office (since it would not be able to upload at my house). Brought and installed a new board, next morning CP back. He came back again and said it should no longer try to communicate, next morning beeping back. "I" really don't know what else to do so I put a call into cancel my contract and left the manager a message asking for his support to let me get out of it. I really want to be a Brinks customer, and in the new house was planning on having all Brinks installed (with an analog line)- not I don't know what to do except cancel and start talking to ADT and others. I guess I am asking myself how many tries should I give them- especially when every time they come it's a 4 hour window I need to miss work.
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