Obi200 + GV + Ademco Alarm Issues

[CGinCT]

My situation:  Comcast internet, Obi200, GV, Ademco alarm panel.
Wired professionally - phone goes from obi200 -> panel -> house phone - so that phone line is seized by panel when alarm triggered

GV configured under SP1 with alarm box checked (InBand DTMF)

Behavior - when alarm triggered, phone is indeed seized (house phones go dead) but panel can't seem to dial the alarm central station (it appears to try for 3-4 minutes based on how long the house phone is seized) but no calls appear in the history of both the Obihai web interface or the GV call history.

Yes - i am aware of the risks of the unreliability of voip, but i'd at least like to get it working to test it a few times.

My Q - are there any settings at the GV/Obi level that may be causing this behavior?

Any suggestions would be welcome and appreciated.

[SteveInWA]

Hi:

You're right; it's a risky solution, as you've already found.  If your panel is professionally monitored, I strongly recommend converting to a direct IP connection with a 4G LTE backup communicator.  That's what ADT uses now, for example.

As for your OBi, if you're attempting to use this with Google Voice, then go to the OBiTALK dashboard, click on the Google Voice SP, and check-mark the box to indicate that it is being used with an alarm system.  Note that this typically cripples the ability to use touch-tone entry on calls you place, so it's best to use that SP as a dedicated line for the alarm.

[CGinCT]

thanks Steve - that was very nice of you to respond - i very much appreciate it.

As for the check box - i did that on setup so sadly that won't fix the issue.  I dont think my panel supports direct ip - i wonder how much a new panel would cost for that.....

C

[SteveInWA]

AFAIK, there are no manual/expert settings that could make it work reliably, that aren't already set by checking that box.

If you have a monitoring contract, I suggest calling them to inquire about your non-POTS telephone options.  If you've been with them a few years, they might give you a sizable discount on the equipment (they make the very large percentage of their profit on the monthly fees, so it's in their interest to keep you as a customer).   That's what I did.  They may also be able to use your current panel, if it isn't too ancient.  There are IP gateways and cellular communicators that emulate the Ademco dialup protocol, and they can just be wired to the existing panel in some cases.

[CGinCT]

thanks Steve - again that was very nice of you to help me out.

That's what i will do - call my alarm guy and talk through the options.

much appreciated,

C

[SteveInWA]

My pleasure, and thanks for the feedback; so few take the time to do that here.

Let us know what you end up with, to help others here on the forum.