Re: Slomins vs ADT vs Brinks vs any other home security system vendor

["Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

R.H.Campbell wrote:
> I assume what you mean is you have DSL service over a conventional land line
> (as opposed to "dry DSL"). And the answer is "it depends". Most alarm panel
> makes do require a special DSL filter on the line in order to communicate
> properly along with the DSL "hash". A good one is made by Excelsius (sp?).
> There are a few panel makes that most often absolutely need a filter (DSC
> for one) and a few that don't need one (Paradox almost never). You'll know
> when the panel is tested to the station; it won't get through, so will
> require the filter immediately. I have found in a couple of instances where
> with the aging of the components of the board (I'm assuming here), the panel
> will suddenly need the filter to work properly. So if in doubt, install it
> !! (note, the conventional DSL filters given you for the phone will NOT work
> for the alarm panel....)
>
> The plus side to installing a DSL filter even when you strictly don't need
> it for alarm transmission purposes, is that it allows the actual DSL signal
> through even when the alarm panel has seized the phone line (and cut off the
> telephones). So if you're doing a multi megabyte download at exactly the
> time of the early morning when the panel decides to call the station to
> check in with its test signal, with a filter, your download is not
> interupted. Without a filter, your download is toast !!
>

Robert, here's a little input for you and everyone on DSL.

I had to do a service call for a customer because her painter had
removed some contacts from her windows. When done with the service
call, just as routine, I called central, put the system on test,
hooked my buttset, to the panel phone lines and hung it on the panel
box within listening distance,without specifically listening to the
dial tone and tripped a zone on the panel. The call went through. Not
disarming the panel, I tripped another few zones, one at a time. Now I
begin hearing the panel redial. It gets through, I figure a busy or
whatever. So again, without actually putting the handset directly to my
ear, I trip another zone. It doesn't get through again. It tries again
and doesn't get through again. I pick up the handset and hear the DSL
"hash tone". Sure enough, the customer, hadn't heeded my warnings in my
Newsletter and had DSL installed for her computer hookup. I took the
opportunity to experiment and sure enough. Sometimes it gets through
and sometimes it doesn't.

I put on a DSL filter and it worked everytime.
Conclusion. If it's got DSL on the line ...... put a filter on it,
regardless if it gets through when you try it.

Sent out a special notice on bright yellow paper with the next billing
to notify everyone about the problem and that they had to notify me to
send them or install a filter.