[TriLUG] OT: Home Security without the phone line?

[Jeremy Portzer]

Steve Hoffman wrote:
> Actually, I currently have my home system (CPI) running through our vonage
> account just fine...we opted for the lowest possible package for like $17 or
> something / month and do a monthly test with the two way voice system and
> you wouldn't know it's on VoIP.  The phone trap works fine if we're on the
> phone and the system needs to take over (we have all our phones run to a
> central patch panel that has a security override trap to take over the line
> when the alarm needs it).  I did invest a few bucks in battery backups and
> threw the main breaker just to make sure it still works so if the whole
> house loses power, the cable modem, alarm and vonage router have about 6
> horus of juice (that's a calculation based on draw...I never actually waited
> more then 45 minutes...).  We've been doing this for probably three years
> now and haven't had a single problem.

Isn't one of the issues that the cable modem companies aren't going to 
provide as good service in terms of restoring power to their equipment, 
compared to telephone companies, in the event of weather disasters and 
the like?  Phone companies know that people rely on their service for 
alarms and other critical services, hence they have a lot of 
infrastructure to provide backup power to their COs and switching 
stations.  Over the years many people report that their phone service 
stays up during ice/snow storms and hurricanes when nearly every other 
utility fails.  So do cable companies necessarily invest the same 
amount?  Traditionally, cable TV and Internet hasn't been though of as 
nearly as important.

I don't know how this plays out in practice these days.  I suppose it 
depends if the cable companies are offering VoIP service that they are 
advertising as true landline-replacement or not.  This clearly varies by 
region and cable company.  But it's something to think about if you want 
99% peace of mind for your back-to-base alarm system.

--Jeremy