What Alarm Company Do You Use?

68sting

Active Member
I need to switch alarm companys and wondered what my options are. I have GE Concord Express and vontage for phone service. I had a contract monitored system through my installer who used ADT. ADT has changed there contract monitoring policy and he can no longer provide this service for me. He's a friend of mine and will help me reprogram my system. I have had no problems with this system and vontage by the way.
 
I also use NextAlarm.com. I like that you can login through the web and set the monitoring service in test mode without having to call anyone. You can also choose how you are notified including e-mail notification. They also seem to be quite competitive with their pricing structure. :)
 
I also use NextAlarm. I'm tickled by the fact that I can have my Elk periodically send test signals to them, and they send me an email confirming the test signal was received, so I know that I am still connected properly.
 
I also use NextAlarm. I'm tickled by the fact that I can have my Elk periodically send test signals to them, and they send me an email confirming the test signal was received, so I know that I am still connected properly.


Do you use an elk ethernet module? Or do you just use ABN? I am still trying to find out how to (if I can) use the M1EXP and nextalarm at the same time...
 
I also use NextAlarm. I'm tickled by the fact that I can have my Elk periodically send test signals to them, and they send me an email confirming the test signal was received, so I know that I am still connected properly.


Do you use an elk ethernet module? Or do you just use ABN? I am still trying to find out how to (if I can) use the M1EXP and nextalarm at the same time...

I beleive that NextAlarm is/was working on communicating directly with the M1EXP. I havent sen or heard anything in a few months though. Once they have that up and running I will do CS.
 
Whats an ABN or Ethernet module? Mine at the moment just hooks in to the phone line and my provider is Vontage.
 
ya, technically you're not supposed to use VOIP for the telephone connection since some signals might be lost, but so many people have had no problems with it. I guess you just have to try it out first. If it doesn't work for you, you can buy an ABN from NextAlarm which allows you to connect over the internet through the ethernet expander.
 
NA for me too. I have NA page me every time the system is armed & disarmed, so my "tests" are actually several times per day.

It's useful to know my wife had to arm/disarm the system 3x while packing up the kids for school - calling her then would basically be a baaaad idea.
 
NA for me too. I have NA page me every time the system is armed & disarmed, so my "tests" are actually several times per day.

It's useful to know my wife had to arm/disarm the system 3x while packing up the kids for school - calling her then would basically be a baaaad idea.

Sounds like you need more automation in your lives.............................. :)
 
I also use NextAlarm. I'm tickled by the fact that I can have my Elk periodically send test signals to them, and they send me an email confirming the test signal was received, so I know that I am still connected properly.


Do you use an elk ethernet module? Or do you just use ABN? I am still trying to find out how to (if I can) use the M1EXP and nextalarm at the same time...

I beleive that NextAlarm is/was working on communicating directly with the M1EXP. I havent sen or heard anything in a few months though. Once they have that up and running I will do CS.

I am waiting for this as well. Around the begining of the year Dan (I think?) from NextAlarm was saying it would be "soon" and that we could wait instead of buying the ABN. I guess it did not work out.
 
For the M1 to communicate directly with a central station using the internet, the central station must have a Osborne Hoffman 2000 receiver with a Ethernet card and the M1 is connected through a M1XEP Ethernet Module. Otherwise you can use the ABN from NextAlarm or one of the voice over IP modems like the Vonage Internet Modem and use the M1's telephone line communication.
 
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