Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
lovebug18
Newbie

My house is prewired for a home monitoring system.  I rent the house, but my landlord has continued to pay for the alarm system because she is under contract.  I switched to FiOS last spring, but since then, the landlord has given me permission to use the home monitoring system.  I noticed that the Verizon installer unplugged the box to the home monitoring system when he installed FiOS.  When I try to simply plug the home monitoring system back into the electrical outlet, I get a loud beep that repeats every few seconds and the home monitoring keypad lights up "trouble".  Am I able to use this system with the FiOS phone service, or will I need to go back to a regular landline to use my alarm system?  Since my landlord is paying for this, I would certainly like to be able to use it and not incur any additional costs.

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
jmw1950
Specialist - Level 2

There is no reason FiOS should be incompatible with alarm systems. Essentially all that FiOS does is to move the digital conversion process back from the Central Office into your home.  At the telephone jacks it is the same as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).  I'd check with the supplier of the home monitoring system to see if there are any known issues, or how to identify the specific cause of the Trouble indication (exactly what the system doesn't like about the phone line).

There have been some issues with phones that rely on the stuttering dial tone as a voice mail indicator and certain make/models of ONT (Optical Network Termination).

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
hokie
Enthusiast - Level 3

Thought I'd pass along some feedback in case others are wondering about FiOS Digital Voice with home monitoring systems.  I hooked up my pre-wired system and had no problems using FiOS Digital Voice.  The service I chose was able to program my box over the phone, and my system passed the test calling out to the central monitoring station.

The only downside would be during an extended power outage, but I expect the backup battery in the alarm would end up giving out about the same time as the backup battery for Digital Voice.

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
phinney5350
Contributor - Level 1

Hi, If your phone service is still regular dialtone from Fios,  everything should work fine. BUT if you changed your telephone service to Digital on Fios, you may encounter some problems. Not all Fios dialtone is digital, in fact most are not. Digital is simply VoIP. If the Verizon tech unplugged the alarm system, he/she  should of explained why. If they did not, call back to repair to remedy the problem at no cost to you and make sure they send Verizon techs & not a contracter for Verizon. Good Luck

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
TxWireHead
Newbie

Depends on the the service doing the monitoring, as well.  I spent a few years working in an alarm monitoring environment.  At one point, all the cellular backup systems had to go digital, as the expense of monitoring analog-based wireless became prohibitive.  I suspect that the same will eventually happen with wired systems, as well.  There is a difference in the equipment used to receive and interpret the signals.  Many monitoring companies are now also accepting signal over IP.  This will likely become the standard transmission method for alarm signal, with telephone systems (wired or wireless) relegated to backup status.

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems-if you are NOT SURE - DO NOT ANSWER.
c_etude
Enthusiast - Level 1

"It should be fine" means you don't know. If you are not sure, please don't answer.  FIOS is VERY expensive. Please don't put people through this and then later find out they still need their landline for their security system.  FIOS and phone lines are like apples and oranges.  CALL your verizon rep and ask THEM. Get their names and document who you talked to.   If FIOS is depending on Voice over Internet, then your standard burglar alarm won't be compatible.   You will need a digital wireless burglar alarm system, which costs a lot more a month (about double) than a standard lineline.  However, this may be a savings because a landline (local only) is about $39 a month (without caller ID).  On the other hand, FIOS has a lot of hidden charges Verizon won't tell you about, especially if your contract expires--most what I seen the "promotional cost" expires after ONE YEAR than defaults to the standard pricing the following year.  In other words what is advertised and what is actually charged are totally different.    There is something ELSE you need to think about before disconnecting your landline: When 911 is called, a standard landline will tell the operator your home address immediately. Anything wireless or cellular will require GPS technology - in other words you need to tell them your address.  If elderly people are living in the home I would keep the standard landline because seconds do count in an emergency.   ALSO FIOS gets hit by lightening or if the power goes out you won't have a phone. 

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
c_etude
Enthusiast - Level 1

Problem is - that's NOT the way it is right now. 

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
c_etude
Enthusiast - Level 1

FIOS and home monitoring are NOT compatible--ask the Verizon tech to verify; note VoIP also has a standard dial tone and they are ***NOT** compatible with standard landline monitoriing systems. 

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
c_etude
Enthusiast - Level 1

Is yours a landline monitor? DIgital monitoring it doesn't matter what kind of phone system you have but you have to pay double for it (monitoring fees). 

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Re: Is FiOS Phone compatible with home monitoring systems?
Kestrel3
Contributor - Level 2

It works fine for me with FIOS digital voice, and also worked fine before I had digital voice through regular FIOS land line.

No problems with alarm monitoring center.

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