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Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:38 pm
by Luz.Lopez90
Apparently Security Networks hinged off our Lan Line. So after I installed Ooma the security system is no longer working. I called Security Networks and they said they have to come out and install a "cellular unit" which they said costs $325.00 to get the security system back up and running. Does anyone know of a way I can hook our security system up to work with the Ooma? Security Networks wants to increase our bill $10.00 a month and extend our contract another year to come out and fix it!! I appreciate any feedback. I would like to try to do this myself if possible.

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:56 pm
by murphy
You would have to run the Telo Phone port to the place where your land line used to feed your house so it goes through the alarm panel first. You also have to disconnect the wires from your previous land line phone company.
Search the forum for discussions of alarm systems. It may or may not work with Ooma.
I kept a budget land line for my alarm system.

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Wed Nov 24, 2010 7:34 am
by DTMF
My alarm company installed a box on my system for $99 and $3/month that enables it to connect to their monitoring center using my Internet connection, rather than my VoIP.

Your company's cellular approach has its advantages. Burglars can't cut the wire that connects the phone to the outside world from outside the house.

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:04 am
by Luz.Lopez90
ok.

Well, this will be a great start. I really appreciate the feedback!!

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 9:02 am
by EricJRW
DTMF wrote:My alarm company installed a box on my system for $99 and $3/month that enables it to connect to their monitoring center using my Internet connection, rather than my VoIP.

Your company's cellular approach has its advantages. Burglars can't cut the wire that connects the phone to the outside world from outside the house.
That's very interesting... I was about to point out the use of the term "Lan line" in the original post, but apparently you can use the Internet for monitoring.

That being said, I do think it is phone (port) related (if it's not, then I do think the networking issue can be resolved).

Most alarm systems take the copper pair from the NID (the place the wire for phone service comes into your house) straight to the alarm panel, then run another pair back to the NID, where the phone (POTS) is distributed to your house. This is done so that when the panel needs to dial out, it can cut off the phone to the house and have direct access to the line (without this, if someone was on the phone, the system could not dial out, and that's why this method is used).

I suspect VOIP solutions can be used for monitoring, but it may be required for the panel to dial *99 first (to turn off compression and echo cancellation). However, you now have multiple points of failure for your alarm system (your Internet provider, the equipment they provide, your ooma hardware and lastly the ooma service). A failure in any one of these means your system is no longer monitored. And you are still exposed to having your wire cut, either accidentally or on purpose.

I think using a "cell guard" solution is the right way to go. The cost is easily paid for in the savings from cutting the telco cord. Also, if you are no longer under contract, you can often negotiate a better deal with your current alarm company (meaning a new contract) or with a new company (who wants your business, and a new contract).

Good luck.

PS. Luz.Lopez90: If you do want to try to use ooma for monitoring, I can go into more detail. If your alarm panel truly is using the Internet (it has an 8-pin Ethernet cable plugged in), then if you could describe how the ooma has been connected to your existing equipment, I'm sure we can sort that out too.

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:37 pm
by woodenshoes
@EricJRW and anyone who has advice on using my OOMA with my security system, which is Monitronics.

I am using a Telo. From what I'm gathering it sounds as if my best bet, in order to use OOMA and my security system (read: no more ATT, which is already disconnected), is to hook up the OOMA physically at the junction box coming into my house.

If anyone has any diagrams which they could share, I'm into this project for 4-6 hours so far, and not getting very far.

Also, my TIVO, although seemingly dialing out, and connecting and downloading, disconnects at the last step, saying the call was interrupted. I'm out dialing using *99 prefix, and it still happens to disconnect.

Any ideas there would be huge.

Thanks!

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 8:41 am
by EricJRW
wooden,

A few question:

1. Do you know if there is a wire from your junction box that goes directly to your alarm panel? If so, how many pairs of wires are in it?

2. Do you know how many pairs are in your house wiring? This would be what is distributed from your junction box. Also, how many wires go to your house from the junction box?

With this I might be able to tell you how to get the dial-tone from your ooma to your house and alarm panel.

Eric

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:05 am
by woodenshoes
Thanks Eric -

1. There is a wire directly from the junction box, and it has red, green, yellow, and black. I assume that is "two pairs" right?
2. From the junction box, i have two sets of lines - one is the old, dead, AT&T line, that is now distributing dial tone throughout the house. The other is my Earthlink, DSL, dialtone. Both lines have the above described "two pairs".
There are a total of, I think, three lines, from the junction box, as the last DSL technician was confused, and he ran a line directly from the junction box, to the dual outlet with both RJ connections (one outlet for the DSL plug (and the line he ran), and one outlet for the dead AT&T line, which the Telo is now plugged into).

Does that help?

Thanks so much.

For what it's worth, although I'm getting dial tone to all jacks, my TIVO still doesn't like something, and continues to disconnect, with a "Failed" message, despite going through almost all steps to download data. I've tried everything I can find, including DSL filter (it's not on the DSL line, so why the filter, but I tried anyway), and I"ve tried inserting pauses, as well as the *99 prefix, still no luck.

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:48 am
by EricJRW
So what I'm thinking is this...

You are correct that you want to distribute your ooma dial-tone from the junction box (jb) to the rest of the house. For your alarm to work properly, you'll need to let it have first access to the ooma dial-tone (odt).

This means using one of the pairs of the house wiring to get the odt to the jb. I would suggest "line 2", which is typically the orange pair. At the phone jack nearest the ooma, you will need to either a) re-wire to use line 2, or buy another jack to use as line 2 (or you can buy a wall-plate with two jacks). This is used to get the odt to the jb. You will connect this pair to the red/green wires that go to your alarm panel. The black/yellow pair is the "return" from your alarm panel and this is what you will want to distribute to your house. Since line 1, typically the blue/white pair, is distributed throughout your house, connecting this to the black/yellow pair should get the job done. If there is more than one blue/white pair being distributed (in the jb), you can tie them all together.

Hopefully this is clear, if not, I can create a diagram... But I'll have to do it by hand and scan it, as it would be rather time-consuming to use mspaint for this... Maybe you can create a diagram from the description... If it's not clear, I'll be happy to do it.

PS. I'm assuming standard wiring colors... The one to be most sure of is the alarm panel... After getting this wiring done, be sure to run a test with the alarm company, especially to verify when the alarm panel dials out, that it "seizes" your phone line... Meaning if you pick up your home phone, hear dial-tone and trigger the test... You should loose dial-tone.

Hope all this makes sense.

Re: Home Security System no longer works

Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 10:41 am
by woodenshoes
Eric - you are a king for helping me out. I will be testing this proposed solution out during the weekend, and will report back in. In the meantime, many thanks!