brokencircuit85
Member
I'm new, so bear with me. My home is pre-wired on windows, doors, and smoke alarms. I am looking for a cost-effective but functional control panel to install. I'll put in an audible alarm or siren of some kind, and wish to get an SMS and/or email alert in the event of an alarm condition.
I don't have a phone line, but I do have broadband internet (cable-based), and a Magic Jack (which I can experiment with using, if needed.)
I am investigating all of my options, (including paying a service for monitoring if it turns out to be cheaper,) and trying to come to the best decision. Ideally, I don't want to have a monthly monitoring fee, or have to pay for an additional phone line (wired or wireless). I want to use my internet connection solely for monitoring, and have complete control over how this setup is configured.
I am computer-savvy, and am comfortable in running a dedicated server to assist in this system's functionality, if need be.
I've read extensively on this forum, and I can see that the Elk M1XEP is a pretty functional add-on to Elk systems. Though, the Elk systems seem pretty pricey.
I was also considering finding a more traditional and cheap security system, and configuring it to "dial" my cell phone, by connecting it to my Magic Jack and just treating it like a regular old phone line. Some kind of audible voice dialog saying what zones are tripped, in this phone call, would be awesome. If that happens, it would be nice (though not mandatory) to have a way to remotely silence or disarm the alarm. But this, I know, can be tricky over a phone call, and so this is why a web-based solution (again, not nextalarm.com but a solution I can control and host on my own) sounds a lot more promising.
Ideas are appreciated. Thanks!
I don't have a phone line, but I do have broadband internet (cable-based), and a Magic Jack (which I can experiment with using, if needed.)
I am investigating all of my options, (including paying a service for monitoring if it turns out to be cheaper,) and trying to come to the best decision. Ideally, I don't want to have a monthly monitoring fee, or have to pay for an additional phone line (wired or wireless). I want to use my internet connection solely for monitoring, and have complete control over how this setup is configured.
I am computer-savvy, and am comfortable in running a dedicated server to assist in this system's functionality, if need be.
I've read extensively on this forum, and I can see that the Elk M1XEP is a pretty functional add-on to Elk systems. Though, the Elk systems seem pretty pricey.
I was also considering finding a more traditional and cheap security system, and configuring it to "dial" my cell phone, by connecting it to my Magic Jack and just treating it like a regular old phone line. Some kind of audible voice dialog saying what zones are tripped, in this phone call, would be awesome. If that happens, it would be nice (though not mandatory) to have a way to remotely silence or disarm the alarm. But this, I know, can be tricky over a phone call, and so this is why a web-based solution (again, not nextalarm.com but a solution I can control and host on my own) sounds a lot more promising.
Ideas are appreciated. Thanks!