Alarm Panel Recommendations

Alarm Panel Recommendations

WARNING: Because our phone service relies on your internet connection, EMAK Telecom cannot guarantee that alarm panels will always work reliably. You may face communication issues and if your internet goes offline, alarm communication with your monitoring service will be impossible. Please verify all of your local and municipal regulations with regards to alarm, security, fire and other monitoring services in conjunction with VoIP. Please consult with your installer for more information and provide them with a link to this page. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact our support directly for assistance.

Quick Recommendations

We will cover technical details below, but the main main recommendations that alarm installers should follow when installing alarm panels on a VoIP line:

  1. Always set the alarm panel to use the Contact-ID (CID) report format.
  2. Ensure you have the phone line polarity wired correctly (if not, reverse TIP and RING wires)
  3. Install an Ethernet module so the panel may communicate over the internet
  4. If reliability is of utmost importance, you MUST either use a traditional Bell/Telus landline or cellular module. Additional costs will apply for the landline or cellular line.
  5. Older panels (>10yrs) may have greater difficultly dealing with VoIP lines. Consider upgrading the panel.

Alarm Communication Protocols

There are 3 major alarm report formats:

Contact-ID (CID): This is the recommended protocol. Most panels made in the last 10 years will support Contact-ID. Rather than placing data calls, CID relies on DTMF tones similar to when you press a number key on your phone. It sends the digits very quickly to communicate information to the monitoring central. For a more detailed explanation of the protocol, see this page: https://li0r.wordpress.com/contact-id-protocol/

SIA: Originally created by Ademco, this is the default protocol out of the box on most panels. SIA works well with traditional landlines and all centrals can receive reporting in this format. Calls made in this format sound like fax calls (screeching/popping sounds while the call is active) and they are actually “data” calls, similar to how a fax machine functions. These calls often have very poor success rates with VoIP lines.

4/2 and 3/2: This is a very old protocol that is similar to Contact-ID, however rather than using DTMF it uses pulse tones similar to old rotary phones. While centrals can usually receive these signals, it is poorly supported on VoIP and even on traditional landlines it is being used less and less as it is slower and less reliable than both SIA and CID.

Alarm Panel Manufacturers

In the Canadian market, there are 3 major panel manufacturers: Tyco DSC, Honeywell and Paradox. The cost of upgrading these panels varies wildly as does the monthly cost of cellular service.

Tyco DSC

Tyco DSC is by far the most common panel installed. Almost all of these panels will support Contact-ID. They now offer new panels which include ethernet on the board without requiring an expensive upgrade module (HS3032 / HS3128) and these can be a good choice if communicating over Ethernet. For retrofits, you may be able to purchase either Ethernet or cellular upgrade modules. Costs vary from $150 to $350 for these retrofit modules depending on model and supplier.

Cellular modules are locked to the Rogers network and you should expect to pay anywhere from $7 – $20 per month more if selecting this option. The monthly cost to the end-user will vary based on the cut taken by the following parties:

Rogers > Connect24 > Monitoring Central > Dealer > End-User

Honeywell

Honeywell modules are also popular but are also usually the most costly with both expensive upgrade module costs and additional fees. Like DSC, most of their newer panels will support Contact-ID. Retrofit modules will cost between $250 – $400 to allow for Ethernet or cellular communication depending on model and supplier.

Cellular modules are locked to the Bell network and you should expect to pay approximately $30 per month in addition to your monitoring fees. This cost are passed along by the following parties (Honeywell takes a large cut):

Bell > Honeywell > Monitoring Central > Dealer > End-User

Paradox

Paradox is a smaller local manufacturer based in Quebec but is becoming more popular over time. Virtually all centrals in Quebec support Paradox panels today, but please verify with your dealer first if installing a Paradox panel. Paradox can be dramatically cheaper than DSC and Honeywell. Expect to pay about $75 for an IP750 Ethernet module and $150 for a cellular module.

Paradox does not lock cellular modules to any specific carrier so it is possible to use any SIM card, however monthly charges will apply. It is possible to obtain low cost data SIM cards for alarm panel use. Please contact sales if you would like to purchase an alarm SIM.

Posted on April 30, 2020

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