Elk Intoduces Central Station Alarm Over Internet

I haven't really looked into the rate of comms failures from the IP panels. Automation will log most of these, and alert the dealer about it in an automated report, so its effect on call center operations is minimal.

We currently use the 685 receiver in conjunction with the 7810iR, although there are plans to change that. We receive Alarmnet signals by IP first, then by cellular radio, and finally by dial up. The radio and dial up require a 685 so we keep them in service.

I think that the biggest reason that dealers are hesitant is because of the known reliability of POTS compared to residential broadband. However I think that IP backed up by cellular radio would be a satisfactory system.
 
Digger,
I think the jury is still out on how well IP Monitoring is going to work. If the Ethernet/Internet connection goes down it will be known in the premise and the central station within a couple minutes.

With the digital dialer you never know how bad the connection is until a monthly test call is missed, if you are set up for test calls.
 
Spanky,

I am aware of the premise/CS annunciation etc. I was curious as to how the CS addressed the lost comm's. As D505 noted they just let the automation system log the lost communication.

I think that there is a misconception that the CS will address a lost communication with the premises. I still like the IP over a DACT.

BTW I discussed this with an former coworker of yours AL D. the other night. He said to say hello.
 
Right now we log the lost comms, and the dealer gets it on a report either daily, weekly or monthly, it's up to them. There's no reason we couldnt make a call out to the premise, or email/sms a message out to the dealer or end user. It all comes down to what the end user and their dealer request.
 
Spanky said:
If the Ethernet/Internet connection goes down it will be known in the premise and the central station within a couple minutes.
I think Spanky's point was the the premise panel would be aware of the situation almost immediately and could alert the homeowners/occupants. I assume this is radically different from how well a dial-up line is monitored/tested. Of course this is assuming the people are home to be notified or there is a backup communication method.
 
I'm still a little confused. Is elk offering a monitoring service or is it just capable of talking to existing monitoring services? If its the latter then can someone compile a short list of service providers?
 
ELK's panels are capable of communication to a CS if you use the ethernet module. The CS needs a specific receiver with a specific line card.

I have been trying to track down a CS that has the correct receiver myself since I feel that the IP Monitoring is the way to go.

When I track one (or more) down I will post them. I havent had a lot of time to devote to this at the moment.
 
Squintz, the Elk controls can be monitored via two methods, phone and Ethernet. Some people are using a VOIP service, but from the Elk perspective, this is still phone monitoring since it plugs into a phone connection, not an Ethernet connection.

And so far, we have not found any central stations that will support this feature and work with DIYers.
 
If there was a central station that would work with DIY'ers, how big do you think that market would be?
 
I spoke with ELK today and mentioned to them that I was having a hard time finding a CS that would work with DIY and has the necessary receiver etc. My contact there said he would see if they could put a list together and put it up on here.

My guess is that it might be a short list at first since not many have the specific receiver and line card until the popularity takes off. I think that the ELK panels will start selling significantly and also the ethernet modules with the ELK-RM and the soon to be released Touchscreen. If you buy the ethernet module for the Touchscreen and or ELK-RM you might as well use the IP rather than phone. Especially since not all panels work with all VOIP systems.

If I remember correctly the Caddix ethernet system needs the same receiver. I am not sure if HAI has ethernet yet.

If the price was fair I would probably be one of the first customers. I am almost done with my install and my system is nice and stable. I work in the industry (I am not an installer although I was a commercial fire alarm tech years ago) and have a decent knowledge of the products and I am a firm believer in IP alarm transmission methods since I started working with them about 4 years ago.

What would the approximate rate be? I assume your are a UL Certificated CS.......
 
Time to revive a REALLY old thread? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I have the Elk XEP. It is on a UPS. The Elk M1G has its batteries. I have batteries and UPS's galore. My FIOS has a battery, and the feed for the ONT is on its own UPS. I don't want to add an "ABN" (NextAlarm) to draw more power or create more clutter.

Has anyone successfully identified a list of DEALERS that support IP monitoring via the OH200E receiver? Why do third party CS' refuse to provide a "locate a dealer near you" feature on their sites? It seems if I can find a supporting 3rd party CS, then I could search for a participating local dealer. It just shouldn't be this hard -- or am I making it hard on myself?
 
In one of my CEDIA reviews, I mentioned a company which supposedly supports the M1 XEP, but I forgot to follow up with them. Spanky, can you tell me more about this new protocol? Will it require new hardware?
 
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