I need to get a basic phone line installed for my security system. Can anyone suggest a cheap company to go through in Raleigh?

12/20/2008 6:43:07 PM

You should be able to get a featureless line from AT&T for like $9 a month. Just tell them you want an alarm line

Is it for a business or residential? If it is residential, in Raleigh AT&T is going to be your only option unless you go VOIP. And NO ONE would recommend using VOIP for a security system line.

If it is for a business, there are several other carriers you can go with.

[Edited on December 20, 2008 at 7:01 PM. Reason : a]

12/20/2008 6:55:59 PM

For residential. Thanks!

12/20/2008 7:45:37 PM

damn really, $9?

every time i wanted to put in a land line, the bill was always more than $20 with no features.

verizon is ridiculous.

12/20/2008 10:02:08 PM

they classify alarm lines as different than featureless voice lines. however, that may just be if it is an add-on to existing home service. if you don't have a home voice line, and you just want an alarm line, it may be more. telecom is a fucking scam dude.

12/20/2008 10:22:20 PM

yeah it is. screw landlines.

12/20/2008 10:25:11 PM

it is so much better for businesses in telecom because there is competition. in the residential world, you are pretty much stuck with whatever LEC is in your area.

12/20/2008 10:29:33 PM

magicjack ?

12/20/2008 10:45:48 PM

nah, you gotta have a copper landline for an alarm. I mean, you don't HAVE to have one, but it is wise. If you don't have it on copper and the power goes out, so does your alarm system.

12/20/2008 10:55:33 PM

you could just get a UPS for the VOIP modem

12/20/2008 11:11:25 PM

yeah, that's an option too, mainly because I am sure the alarm system has a UPS. However, as unreliable as VOIP and those cheap ass little modems can be, I don't think I would want to trust the security of my home to it.

12/20/2008 11:12:58 PM

i would agree with you

regardless, if someone is good, it doesnt take very long to cut all the telecom cables outside your house

12/20/2008 11:17:21 PM

adt set me up with a cell connection for my house alarm. they installed this box in the closet and when my alarm goes off it calls directly to my cell phone and it doesnt have to be a local number.

12/21/2008 12:40:35 PM

why wouldn't it call the police?

12/21/2008 12:44:37 PM

it calls me first, as most alarms do and if i answer and say its a false alarm they ask for my password and nothing happens

if i dont answer, they send the police. if i do answer and give the wrong password (say, i was being forced to act like everything was ok) they would send the police

also i have a code i can type into my alarm that makes it stop going off but that alerts the alarm company to send the police because i am putting in the code against my will

i also have a panic button, that if i hit it, it will have the police come right away without calling me first to check

any alarm i've ever had growing up always calls the designated number first if the alarm is squawking to check if its a false alarm, no answer sends the police and as i said, an answer with the correct password makes nothing happen

12/22/2008 8:57:44 PM

^^ the alarm system doesn't call the police or her....she just worded it wrong i assume

the alarm system calls the alarm company which in turn calls her cellphone to ask her for a password to assure the alarm company the alarm is false - the cell system she's referring to is simply put there in case someone cuts your phone line (or you don't have one to begin with) and most companies charge an extra monthly fee for it

Quote :

"also i have a code i can type into my alarm that makes it stop going off but that alerts the alarm company to send the police because i am putting in the code against my will"

the only downside to this is that the default code for most alarm systems to do this is 2580 (or reverse) and right down the middle - anyone who isn't a first-timer knows this - most people never change them

Quote :

"any alarm i've ever had growing up always calls the designated number first if the alarm is squawking to check if its a false alarm, no answer sends the police and as i said, an answer with the correct password makes nothing happen"

i said it at the beginning of this post - but just so nobody is confused - alarm systems don't call people - they alert the alarm company and then the company calls the correct #

the only company that i'm aware of that even gets close to this is Next Alarm https://nextalarm.com/help/Wiki.jsp?page=NetAlarm with their NetAlarm Non-Dispatch Monitoring Service

12/22/2008 9:06:23 PM

^ ah.

12/22/2008 9:08:30 PM

i didnt realize that people would assume my ALARM was making phone calls.. seems ridiculous to me but thanks for clarifying omar!

12/22/2008 9:19:31 PM

I want att house phone for $9.

12/23/2008 1:44:29 AM

i'm glad i read this thread

12/23/2008 3:22:01 AM