Are Telkom upgrades affecting alarm system signals ?

[BCR]

Background to the problem :
Last night, got a code on alarm LCD panel & red flashing intermittent light.
Found out from our alarm co. that it meant the (test) signal wasn't getting through.
Was told to press a panic button, they phoned back to say everything was fine & signal was coming through OK.

Today :
Someone from their control centre phoned to say the RADIO signal was getting through but not the signal via the TELEPHONE LINE. We tested again, and that's apparently still the case.

Anyone here aware if the Telkom upgrades are affecting alarm systems ?
If so, which no. to phone & report this (10 ..... ? department ?), and what to say they must look for or fix at that DSLAM or wherever else they must sort this out at ?

In four years, we've not had an issue like this, and when the 384 to 1Mb upgrades took place, this didn't happen. We're still on 1Mb, so they shouldn't of started messing around with our individual line, yet anyway. But it may be something Telkom have done in upgrading the faster lines, to affect ours.

Other than this, the telephone & ADSL are still working fine ; We're on the THEESECOMBE (ETCE02) exchange, if that makes any difference.

Would appreciate some worthwhile advice.

 

[Zertop]

Background to the problem :
Last night, got a code on alarm LCD panel & red flashing intermittent light.
Found out from our alarm co. that it meant the (test) signal wasn't getting through.
Was told to press a panic button, they phoned back to say everything was fine & signal was coming through OK.

Today :
Someone from their control centre phoned to say the RADIO signal was getting through but not the signal via the TELEPHONE LINE. We tested again, and that's apparently still the case.

Anyone here aware if the Telkom upgrades are affecting alarm systems ?
If so, which no. to phone & report this (10 ..... ? department ?), and what to say they must look for or fix at that DSLAM or wherever else they must sort this out at ?

In four years, we've not had an issue like this, and when the 384 to 1Mb upgrades took place, this didn't happen. We're still on 1Mb, so they shouldn't of started messing around with our individual line, yet anyway. But it may be something Telkom have done in upgrading the faster lines, to affect ours.

Other than this, the telephone & ADSL are still working fine ; We're on the THEESECOMBE (ETCE02) exchange, if that makes any difference.

Would appreciate some worthwhile advice.

Personally, I doubt it - but then again, I am always open to learning. Anyway, check that all phones have working ADSL Filters on them, as I know as soon as one of those things break, all hell breaks loose!

 

[BCR]

Personally, I doubt it - but then again, I am always open to learning. Anyway, check that all phones have working ADSL Filters on them, as I know as soon as one of those things break, all hell breaks loose!

Thanks, but they've all had filters on them since "day one" of having ADSL here.

Edit : working filters may be another issue, but there's no noise on the line, or any noise other than usual.

 

[froot]

You're not supposed to have alarm systems on the phone line anymore. They cause masses of problems (Telkom techs list it as a massive headache). If you have a radio in your alarm system you can unplug the phone line from it.

 

[Electric]

What froot said.
I disconnected my alarm from the Telephone line years ago.

 

[BCR]

You're not supposed to have alarm systems on the phone line anymore. They cause masses of problems (Telkom techs list it as a massive headache). If you have a radio in your alarm system you can unplug the phone line from it.

I can guarantee you that if I have this setup, I'm one of tens-of-thousands who have it in PE like this, as I'm with about the largest alarm co. in the city.

I'll contact them to see what they have to say about your suggestion & what alternatives there may be available.
ie. apart from using the radio signal only, or is that the standard these days ?

 

[froot]

I can guarantee you that if I have this setup, I'm one of tens-of-thousands who have it in PE like this, as I'm with about the largest alarm co. in the city.

I'll contact them to see what they have to say about your suggestion & what alternatives there may be available.
ie. apart from using the radio signal only, or is that the standard these days ?

In the old days the radios weren't able to distinguish between panic signals and a normal alarm signal. So they used phone lines, which could.
But once the radio technology improved, the radios were able to do both. Hence phone lines being completely redundant.
And yes, the radios are now the standard for alarms.

 

[Electric]

I can guarantee you that if I have this setup, I'm one of tens-of-thousands who have it in PE like this, as I'm with about the largest alarm co. in the city.

I'll contact them to see what they have to say about your suggestion & what alternatives there may be available.
ie. apart from using the radio signal only, or is that the standard these days ?

ADT actually installed a radio for us and told us to not worry about the Tel line anymore.
In PE as well.

 

[BCR]

@froot & Electric - thanks for the added input ; I'll speak to mine.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Got a radio link as well. Choose to go radio rather than telephone as we didn't want a sky-high telephone bill.

 

[BCR]

Got through to tech dept. - was explained to me that they offer dual-monitoring & there's a choice to decide on telephone & radio or just radio.

To get rid of these faults, they're coming to also put in a Contact ID Radio, will take off the tel. signal at the same time all/only for the cost of a call-out.

So, should be resolved after Monday - thanks for the help.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Check your POTS filter.

And if you don't have one...there's your problem. It should be hooked up between the phone line and all analog devices such as telephones and in this case your alarm system, while your Router should go straight into the phone jack.

 

[BCR]

Check your POTS filter.

And if you don't have one...there's your problem. It should be hooked up between the phone line and all analog devices such as telephones and in this case your alarm system, while your Router should go straight into the phone jack.

@SauRoNZA -
You won't believe how much your note helped me out. I wasn't even aware that someone in my household had replaced a phone with a portable phone where the alarm/filter is situated, and not plugged things back in correctly, which set off the whole string of events, and a huge waste of time.
Reason being, there was noise at the one extension probably caused by an extension cable & they were trying to solve things, but caused other faults.

However, I learned some valuable bits of info. from eveyone's posts.

Now things are back in place, both the Radio & Telephone signals are going through to their control room.
Up to now, our line hasn't been the cause of infuriating Telkom techs., so will continue as we have until
it might be a problem in future.

Concerning high call costs, we're on the Telkom Closer-type plan which gives about 1,300 free minutes within SA each month, so if that is what some of the posts were referring to, we're covered in that respect.

Thanks all.