Lasershield Alarm System

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 29, 2006 Posts: 2

I have been a Vonage user since they started and have had really good service and highly recommend them. I have a Cisco ATA186 modem connected to a node on my 4-port Netgear wireless router. All has worked great since installation. Basic service is DSL with no voice.

Recently, I purchased a Lasershield Alarm system which must communicate with a 24/7 monitoring service and so far has not been able to communicate. I have spoken to the Lasershield people and they advise that Vonage "compresses" signals which defeats their system.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thx...

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

Getting a different alarm company might be a good idea, since this one doesn't seem inclined to offer any real help.

If you're not ready to take that step, you need to determine whether the problem is in the basic wiring or in the alarm system. Normally alarms are wired so that they take control of the phone line when they're trying to communicate. When your alarm system tries to "call home", do your phones stop working? Is the alarm able to get on the line and try to communicate, or does that part fail completely? If it's able to get on the line, does it make a connection with the alarm company and then fail to communicate properly, or does the connection fail? If the latter, is it "dialing" the wrong number, or what?

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 29, 2006 Posts: 2

Steve:

Thanks for your reply to my problem. You may be right about the new alarm company...! I would like to work it out with Lasershield. I'm sorry that I can't answer your other questions as I am not a "techie". However, the Lasershield (see www.lasershield.com) seems to recognize that it is on line but does not send the signal to the monitoring service upon a test of the system. The Lasershield is a "closed box" device, so no way I can look or know what it is sending.

Any other comment are most welcome!!

Posts: 4777 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Aug 30, 2005 Posts: 4777

OK, but you can check some things without being a techie. First, though, you need to be able to get the thing to try to connect so that you can test. You can work out how to do that with the alarm company. Check and make sure that your other phones go dead when the alarm tries to connect. Assuming that they do, wait until the thing stops trying. Then go to the Vonage site and check your outgoing calls. See if the unit called the correct number.

Assuming all that's good, talk to your alarm company about transmission speeds and protocols. Perhaps changing protocols, inserting pauses in the transmission, slowing transmission, and so forth will improve the ability of your alarm system to communicate. Unfortunately, this sort of thing will take a lot of cooperation from the company.

How about your alarm system installer? That's usually the person who can help you most with this sort of thing. That said, you need to recognize that some alarm systems simply never do work well with Vonage, and we often don't understand why.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Dec 08, 2006 Posts: 1

Hi,

I stumbled across your forum post accidentally. I wish I had found it sooner. LaserShield is testing a new Voip solution for their security system. That will make it Vonage friendly. For Voip you need to make sure to use a back up power supply. LaserShield has built in battery back up. Your router doesn't. So far the solution is working well and we're close to releasing the beta units. If you phone LaserShield at 800-ALARM-55, ask for Mellow Honek, tell him Anthony Dohrmann told you to ask him to allow you to be a beta tester for the new Voip module (tell him to get Anthony on the phone if required), he can get you set up. We also have another solution that's a GSM module that's one of the most secure alarm communication methods in the industry. It's called the Cyclone. The Voip solution is named Sparrow. LaserShield may have already taken care of you, but just in case you didn't have your needs met, you now have an alternative.

I want to know that LaserShield provided you the best customer service, options and support you've ever had . If they haven't I will personally make some special provisions for you and your security in the future. You can reach me at the same number if you need more help.

Your truly,

Anthony Dohrmann
CEO/Chairman LaserShield Systems, Inc.

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Dec 07, 2006 Posts: 13

This security provider works with your existing alarm system and does not depend on a traditional phone line. Uses braodband, cellular and phone lines to connect back to their monitoring center. The cool thing is that all three communication paths are redundant and monitored - the sytem actually sends you and email or SMS if any one or all of the three paths are disconnected. Another cool feature is the ability to remotely control and monitor your alarm system via the web or your cell phone. The price is competitive to what I was paying ADT before - in fact a bit cheaper.

Check it our - http://ucontrol.com.