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Using OBI for my old ADT security system?

Started by John_Q_Public, November 01, 2016, 08:55:50 AM

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John_Q_Public

I recently discontinued my two landlines.  Now my ADT security system periodically beeps to let me know it can't connect to the phone.  I didn't have any monitoring service anyway.  But now I have beeps!

So my question is, can I use an OBI device to fool my security system into thinking I have a real phone line?  So far I have not been successful.

Thanks in advance ...

SteveInWA

Do you still have a paid monitoring service contract from ADT?  If so, and if, and only if, you have an OBi 200 or 202 model (not a 100 or 110 model), and you are using Google Voice, you can use the OBi as if it was a regular (POTS) telephone line with your alarm panel.

If you no longer have monitoring service, you can still hook up the OBi to the panel, and yes, it will generate the -48VDC that the panel is complaining about now.

By the way, there is a setting for the panel's configuration that will disable the phone line warning beeps, but you'd need the installer code for your panel to change it... out of scope for this forum.

John_Q_Public

Thanks for the feedback.  I have an OBi 200.  I don't have a monitoring service contract and I will never want my alarm system to do any dialing.  I just want my alarm system to believe it has a phone and quit complaining.

Since my original post I "added the device" and I also saw that the firmware updated.

I'm probably an unusual OBi user.  I don't want to connect to anybody!  All I wanted is a dial tone.  I think I have this working now.

Newbie_User_Obi

Steve -

Can you direct me to references for using the 20o.202 model as if it was a regular POTS phone line with my alarm panel?

SteveInWA

Quote from: Newbie_User_Obi on November 29, 2016, 10:46:04 AM
Steve -

Can you direct me to references for using the 20o.202 model as if it was a regular POTS phone line with my alarm panel?

No, I can't.  However, the procedure is to log into your OBiTALK dashboard, click your OBi device, click the SP1--SP4 slot you want to use for the alarm, configure it with Google Voice, and check-mark the box that says "Use This Service for a Security Alarm Line".  This makes some <undocumented> changes to the SPx's configuration, including using in-band DTMF, that makes it more reliable as an alarm communicator.

I have ADT service, and I can confirm that yes, this does work, and no, it doesn't work reliably if you try to use a SIP VoIP service provider instead of GV.

Personally, I plan to ditch this approach and have ADT install cellular and IP connectivity, but the POTS method at least seems to work well enough when using GV.