Recommendation for home security system monitoring in the bay area

[philip1970]

Hello,

I'm new here so I apologize if this question was already asked before.

I have a DSC system already installed at home. It has a phone line, apparently ready to be connected to a monitoring company.

Does anyone know a good (professional, reliable, trustworthy) monitoring company in my area? I live in the Sunnyvale/Mountain View area in the bay area in California.

Neither A*T nor the alarm company can work with my existing DSC hardware.

Thank you in advance!

- Philip

[Repairguy]

Is your existing system a proprietary system from the installer?  If not, any monitoring company should be able to connect to it.  I know for a fact A*T can.

[philip1970]

I have asked both A*T and the company and neither is able to monitor my existing DSC security system. For them to monitor, they'll have to change my control panel.

I'm looking for someone that can use just my existing DSC equipment without change, just hook up the phone line, and subscribe to the monitoring...

Thanks!

[philip1970]

Oh, BTW, to be more precise. my existing system is DSC Power 832 (PC5010). It has two control panels, some motion detectors, and some window/door sensors.

[Repairguy]

Make sure you are talking with a corp. A*T office and not a reseller or dealer.  That panel is capable of contact ID communication which is the format used in their new installs.  What is the reason they are giving you of not being able to use it?

[philip1970]

Yes, I made sure both guys are from the corporate and not a reseller. They both wore badges and assured me that they were from the corporate.

As far as I remember, the reason was that "the DSC panel is not capable of talking to their monitoring center. They need to install an new panel (Honeywell?) to be compatible with their monitoring service...

They both mentioned that these two companies will probably end up using very similar hardware...

[Security101]

"We don't need no stinkin badges"

Both the DSC and the Honeywell talk the same to just about any central any where!

I too know for a fact A#t does it and I would assume Bay does too...

Now, are you going to let them adjust the programming? I wasn't clear with your post when you said "they'll have to change my control panel" are you talking the board or the programming?

Programming would be required (phone #s, account #, communication parameters, etc.)

If you have no luck with them, I'm sure you have some local smaller established co out there that could figure it out

Jim