URGENT NOTIFICATION RE ANALOGUE PONE LINES (PSTN) OR GSM MONITORING

URGENT NOTIFICATION RE ANALOGUE PSTN OR GSM MONITORING

Dear Customer,

Normal Phone lines (PSTN) are dying and has just had another nail put in its coffin!

The following is really important to your home/business and the service that we offer to you, our customers, especially existing customers still using PSTN so I would urge you to read the following:

ISSUE NUMBER ONE

You may or not be aware that as a result of ‘Eir’ upgrading from Analogue to Digital Exchanges, all Monitoring Stations (ARC’s(Alarm Receiving Centre’s)) have experienced issues with some signals becoming corrupted over Analogue PSTN lines or Analogue GSM (Mobile Phone Sim Card) diallers. This results in parts of the signal being corrupted or changed. This can result in incorrect signals coming into ARC’s, including incorrect Digi Account Numbers, incorrect alarm signal types, and sometimes completely unrecognisable signals. These can result in wrong customers being called, wrong alarm conditions reported, or no action being taken at all.

ISSUE NUMBER TWO

Some ARC’s have recently received reports from end users who have complained about extremely high phone bills from their service provider in the last month. It seems that the alarm panel cannot get an immediate handshake/kiss-off from the telephone service/exchange. If affected, the alarm panel can attempt multiple phone calls over various periods of time to get a delayed handshake or none at all. This has resulted in end users receiving an unexpected rise in their phone bill, in some cases by several hundred Euros.

This new development seems to coincide with the rollout of the new Digital exchange known as MSAN. It is important to note that this new issue has NOT been confirmed as a direct result of this new system and we are NOT claiming that it is the cause. Although, it has come to our attention that this issue was pointed out to ‘Eir’ during telecommunications testing with MSAN and PSTN alarm signalling, in tests carried out last year 2020.

ISSUE NUMBER THREE

Systems NOT connected to a Monitoring station but are connected to a phoneline for the ‘Self Monitoring’ of your Security Alarm System

The same as issue number 1 above – some signals becoming corrupted over Analogue PSTN lines or Analogue GSM (Mobile Phone Sim Card) diallers. This results in parts of the signal being corrupted or changed. This can result in incorrect phone numbers being dialled, incorrect alarm signal types, and these can result in wrong customers being called, wrong alarm conditions reported, or no action being taken at all.

 

ISSUE NUMBER FOUR – End of Life Equipment

HKC and other manufacturers of Security Alarms panels and monitoring equipment have stopped making the Digital Communicator that enables your system to interface with your phoneline. This means that if this item goes “faulty”, we cannot source a replacement piece of equipment anymore. HKC have also upgraded the ‘Wireless Quantum 70’ Control panel, meaning if your current panel goes faulty, it has to be replaced with the new version panel which has a Wi-Fi Monitoring transmitter built in.

 

HOW TO FUTURE PROOF YOUR SYSTEM / FIX THE ABOVE

It is now recommended that all alarm systems are DISCONNECTED from landline phonelines, because of the above issues. Depending on the make / model of your system, it may be the case that just a GSM / Wi-Fi plug-on unit is needed to communicate from your existing alarm system, for older systems the Upgrade of your Control Equipment will be needed, so it can take this new plug on GSM/  Wi-Fi unit.

 

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

If you are unsure re what Make/Model of system you have, and if you could be affected by any of the above issues, contact us and we can inform you about any current / potential issues you may have. For “Business” customers contact Sean Duggan on (087) 2551232. For “Domestic” customers contact Eleanor Lahart on (086) 2551232

Please feel free to call our office on (052) 61 21944 on any aspect of these issues or remedies we can offer to our customers.

Regards.

Sean Duggan

Technical Manager

Hall Alarms Ltd