ObiExtras Alarm Monitoring

[msboucha]

Hi all,

Can anyone elaborate on the setup/configuration of the Alarm Monitoring feature in ObiExtras?  I haven't found any documentation on this.  I ran a trial of ObiExtras a few months ago and the trial ran out before I had a chance to interface with my alarm panel. It wasn't clear what the settings in the web interface of ObiExtras should be, the configuration of the alarm panel software, nor the physical connections between the Obi device and the actual dialer in the alarm panel.

Thanks for any info you might have on this.

[paulzak]

Im also anxious to learn more about this feature. Does it require any reconfiguration of my alarm system?

[SteveInWA]

I don't recommend you do that.  It is based on using Google Voice as the telephone service for your alarm panel's dial-up communicator.  To do that, you'd have to dedicate a Google Voice account for that sole purpose, and not use it for regular telephone calling.  I don't consider it reliable enough for that purpose.

This is 2018.  The alarm monitoring companies are all moving off of dial-up, and converting to a combination of direct TCP/IP communications via a gateway device, and/or cellular radio communicators.  You can do so much more with these solutions, including remote monitoring of the status of your alarm, viewing security cameras, and remote arm/disarm of the system.

[Betta]

I think it is targeted at those who have the traditional (wired or wireless) - as in Honeywell - systems who are presently connected to someone like ADT. Ideally, one should not be required to change anything beyond changing phone/account numbers on the panel. Then connect the telephone (outgoing) wires to a ATA and get the Alarm signals sent to your IP device (PC/Smartphone, email, Text etc.,). This is also likely a lower cost method since it preserves your existing sensors/wiring  etc.,

[SteveInWA]

I think it is targeted at those who have the traditional (wired or wireless) - as in Honeywell - systems who are presently connected to someone like ADT. Ideally, one should not be required to change anything beyond changing phone/account numbers on the panel. Then connect the telephone (outgoing) wires to a ATA and get the Alarm signals sent to your IP device (PC/Smartphone, email, Text etc.,). This is also likely a lower cost method since it preserves your existing sensors/wiring  etc.,

Sorry, but no.  You cannot get an ATA to work reliably with an alarm panel, without using the special modifications OBiTALK applies to Google Voice configurations.  It is an outdated, unreliable solution.  As for ADT, I am an ADT customer, and my system uses redundant paths to their monitoring centers:  direct IP connection, and 4G LTE backup.  That is their default method for communications now.  No mo POTS.