As I mentioned in my last post, it has been a bit of a trick to get our Brinks security system working with our WOW UltraTV VOIP phone system. We only have one "phone jack" in the house, and that's the primary UltraTV box.
So for now, we have a bit of a jerry-rigged situation with a phone line running through the house connecting the Brinks box to the UltraTV system.
It also seems that, in recent years, there has been some serious consolidation in the home security world - Brinks installed this system when our home was built in 2008, and since then, they've been purchased at least once. Now, the only game in town is ADT.
ADT can make our system work over a regular phone line for $29.99 - or they can make it work over a cell signal, for the cost of a new system ($99.99) plus a monthly charge of $44.99. I'm going with option 1.
Option 2 does have its advantages, though - a newer security system could be armed and monitored via iOS, which is kind of our entire purpose of doing this blog. I'm just not willing to pay $100 upfront and then an additional $15/mo. for the privilege of running it all from my iPad. Not now, anyway.
So for now, we have a wonderful working security system - one that, granted, has all the branding of ADT's predecessor company - but it's not connected to our home automation system in any way, and (more distressingly) we don't have home phone service unless we flip the wires back to their original formation and connect the phone directly to the UltraTV box.
I'll get WOW! UltraTV HomeConnect up and running this week - and if it doesn't work flawlessly, I expect we'll be dropping everything in short order. The family complaints about UltraTV's less-than-intuitive menus are starting to grow.... and I'm one of the complainers.
Even if HomeConnect DOES work flawlessly.... it will have to be pretty awesome in order to top what I'm seeing from the new XBMC version.
Nice read! When it comes to security, people face a big dilemma. Today government is trying to provide a safe environment in which businesses can operate and citizens can live their lives, but all the efforts are useless. Sometimes tight controls and monitoring needed to provide security on personal privacy and liberty that is why hiring security guards has become essential today. Sharpedge Retail security services provide a greater piece of mind assuring that there is someone who will protect you from any hazard activity.
ReplyDeleteMost would say that the biggest benefit of having a home security alarm is the peace-of-mind that comes with it. Having a security alarm that is connected to a monitoring service can, in some situations, lower homeowner's insurance payments up to 20%. Many monitoring services will also offer a plan to monitor your home for fire, which some insurance companies will also take into account when deducing your premium.
ReplyDelete