Home Alarm and Vonage

Mike · 2005-06-19T03:41:39+00:00

I recently switched to Vonage and for awhile my home alarm system couldnot dial the monitoring station to check in, when I lost my local phoneservice. I recently isolated the home phone lines and can use them asbefore with multiple phones, but the home alarm still cannot call out.I've read a few ideas as to a solution :1) Re-program the alam to append a '#' at the end of the number itcalls. Assuming I can reprogram it at all.2) Some complicated rewiring to directly connect the Vonage router tothe phone lines.3) Ask my monitoring company to try to fix it, for a heft price.4) Drop the monitoringAnyone had success ?

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Bob Worthy 21 years ago

"Mike" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

I guess it is a situation of "What is one willing to sacrifice to save a few dollars"?, especially on an unknown. On Vonage's side, you can compare it to, "it's not a crime unless you are caught" or on the consumers side, "it's a great deal as long as you don't expect to much from it". I wish I could sell something that may or maynot work and have people go "ga ga" over it so that they can save a couple of dollars. "We have 911 service but it really isn't 911 service, its something close to 911 service as long as the cable or internet is working and there is battery backup and the person taking the call (just who is that person anyway) can understand where you are at, when you are choking to death. "Where you at? Iam in my kitchen. No, where you at? I told you I am in....choke..choke..choke..bang,clank,dial tone". Or, it is nice you trained your four year old to dial 911 when you are on the floor but you should have taught him his address, including city and zip code. IMO, it is nice to shop and save money on a new weed wacker, some new pots and pans, or a new piece of electronics for your entertainment. People get carried away trying to save money on every aspect of their life, especially when it comes to critical services. Yet, the same person will buy the best golf ball on the market trying to improve his game only to put them in the drink, Saturday after Saturday. Maybe that is why they need to save money in other areas. Remember ***stupid is as stupid does***

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Jim 21 years ago

Well at last!

The truth comes out. It was just written all over you.

Kidding aside. I hope you understand that most of the contributors here are professional installers. All of us have seen the results of taking short cuts with security and life safety. If you think of it as a form of (tangeble) insurance, rather than an appliance, you may think of it in a different light. You buy the best life and health insurance you can afford, and hope you never have to use it. If an appliance stops working when you need it......... well, you just get it fixed. With security and life safety, it has to work the first time and every time during the time that you need it. You don't want to find yourself saying "Whoops, jeeez my house burned down, maybe I should have ...... " or " Golly dear, those guys that invaded the house today, while I was at work, really beat the crap out of you. Maybe I should have ............." If you're going to have a security/life safety system, allow for those contingencies that would devastate you and your family. Other than that, you're only relying on a false sense of security, and nothing to back it. If you really, really think about it, would you rather have a working security/life safety system when you are home or when you're not home? And then, in that circumstance, how reliable would you like it to work?

Security systems are just that ........ systems. Made up of a hundred working parts and relying upon numerous events and occurences, in order to do it's job. Eash component has to work. (Choose quality equipment) Each sensor has to work ( Quality equipment and proper placement and application) *You* have to be totally familiar with the system ... and USE it and test it OFTEN. Communications has to be reliable ( Choice of Central station, technology used, police response) So many things have to work **just right** ......... and the failure of any one of them can allow a tragedy to occur. Therefore, it pays to not skimp on any part of it. From our point of view, as providers of this service, it simply doesn't pay to short change the client or allow them to short change themselves.

But ....... YOU make the ultimate choice and make the bet that a tragedy ISN'T going to take place. Look at your choices. Evaluate the odds. Consider the consequenses.

Unlike a card game though, you've got the option to reduce the odds of failure.

OK, ........Go ahead. Place your bet.

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Bob Worthy 21 years ago

Not trying to change your mind on this Mike, but there are those that visit this NG that just lurk for information. The only way to get the points across is to reply to the post at hand and put out there all scenerios for all to read. Some take it personally and others just read and find that there is more to consider than just a wonderful offer to save money. Those that leap before asking how deep is the water are common place. Making your own decission is great but remember there are those that make decission without knowing all of the facts and reading anything, has gone by the wayside. People don't get past the words, "SaveSaveSave, Discount, Free,

50-70% Off, Sale". How many people don't have security systems, even though they watch the news every night telling them they may not live in the safest environment any more? What percentage of sales calls are done after the fact? 95%-plus. What ever happened to being Pro-active? Don't buy it until after you need? I often wonder if it is a family decision or just one persons decision? >

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Norm Mugford 21 years ago

In my opinion, the internet is for entertainment, so is the cable company.......... Life Safety Assurance is required by the FCC for the Local Bell Operating Companies, not cable companies, etc. In an emergency, utility company phone service is restored to Police and Fire Departments, and Hospitals First, then on an descending priority, the city hall, county buildings, etc. Third priority are businesses, then forth residential service. You'll notice that DSL, VOIP and all those "premium" services were not mentioned. Neither were any of the "entertainment" features of the cable company, etc.

Use the cable and VOIP as entertainment...not life safety.....

BTW....A child died in Orlando recently, allegedly because when the child was choking, the parents could not get through to the Police on VOIP...I'm not sure who the carrier was. The VOIP carrier's statement was that the call went through and was active for over 10 minutes. The parents went to a neighbors house to call 911.....it was too late.

Just some information for your entertainment........

Norm Mugford

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