Concord 4 & Uverse

[vegaskiller73]

New here and looking for help.

On Nov 5 I had Uverse installed. Since then my A*T system cannot contact the call center. I am being told that A*T doesn't work with VoIP, but I had Comcast digital voice, which is VoIP and had no issues. I, the ATT Tech and the A*T tech checked the wiring and everythings correct.
Wiring setup- from ATT homebase/modem the blue,blue-white lines feed the A*T panel. in the telco the orange/orange-white come back to the same wall plate and back feed the rest of the house for phones.

The ATT tech listened to the alarm call out. But for some reason right after the dialing, the alarm goes to a busy or off the hook tone. Effectively not calling the call center. The alarm panel does everything correctly and siezes the phone lines but never calls out.

I'm pulling all my hair out and getting no where and ATT says it's A*T issue and vice versa.

Any ideas why the call is going to busy/off the hook?

[ABLE1]

Hello and welcome to the Forum,

Well since I do not know what Uverse is I had to go look it up.  It appears to be FIOS.  FIOS is not the same as VOIP.

With all the N-E-W technology stuff being sent to peoples houses these days I am surprised that anything works. 

As to what the problem is, I would have to say the alarm panel communicator cannot communicate on FIOS due to a bandwidth, frequency, voltage, current, translation issue.  Any one of which or all of which will cause a breakdown in signal transmission.

You might want to consider getting a POTS (plain old telephone service) line just for the alarm panel and all will work just fine.

Just telling it like it is.  I hope at least in a small way the above has helped a bit.  Sorry, but that would be the long and short of it.

Good Luck!!

ABLE1

[Security101]

Ahh... the Uverse deal  

I'll just throw this in there, I've done a lot of em, make absolutely sure there's nothing else connected between the outgoing phone port on the modem and the control panel ring and tip and that your connections are clean, correct, and sealed (taped, beanied or something).

This should be no problem for your techs or yourself. Uverse does provide a workable dial tone but it must be isolated and direct to the panel or you will have similar issues.

To test - run a temp cable direct and see if this solves the issue (you will have to solve the other issue unless you want to use this cable as a new run to the panel and feed back to your phones...)

Good luck!

Jim

[vegaskiller73]

I've also read on another forum that this has been done and worked.
Inside the A*T box, the tech needs to adjust the program code from “CID� to “SEA�.

I found info on CID but nothing on SEA. I called my original installer and he said that my system is switchable but has never had any experience with SEA. They set all their installs to CID, he said.

Can someone explain what is the difference(or a place where I can read about them) between CID and SEA.
And if it is worth even trying?"

[ABLE1]

You should be searching for "SIA" not "SEA".

Google SIA Format Protocol

Ask your installer to contact someone that the Central Station.

Good Luck.

ABLE1

[vegaskiller73]

Now that makes more sense. Thanks for clearing up that. No the information makes more sense.

So does my panel and the central station ahve to have the same settings?

Also, I've heard someone locally had an issue with Uverse also and those techs narrowed it down to bandwidth. Does this make sense?

[ABLE1]

Well maybe Jim can chime in here to add more input on the Uverse issue. 

The main concern in the security field is reliability of communication.  If you are having problems now with communication and finally get to the point that your panel communicates to the CS(once) the next question is how reliable is it.  Or in other words how stable.  Will it be able to communicate every time especially when it is really needed.

If some computer geek at Uverse decides to change a parameter or something to improve the voice quality what happens to the security communication protocol??

Please keep in mind that Uverse primary concern is the VOICE Quality, TV signal, INTERNET connection speed and are less concerned about your alarm panel ability to communicate.

Your alarm installer is and should be concerned about one thing and that is your security panel communication.

However we are in this techno/hi-speed/give it to me now world.  The alarm industry is trying and is slow to adapt in some respects.  The biggest problem is most of the panels are using communication protocols that were developed before hi-speed direct to the house FIOS. 

That being said you might want to go back and re-read my original response to your initial question.  It may make more sense why I typed what I did.

Hope that makes sense.  Good Luck!!

ABLE1

[vegaskiller73]

I understand what you are saying and ATT offered to put my voice back on POTS. But I decided not to yet becasue of the features with their Uverse phone. I use them alot when not at home. If I go back to POTS, I'll lose all those. I would have to get a 2nd line.
I really would like to get to the bottom of this. Uverse is new in my area so this is some new issues with alarms here.
However, I had C*,cast digital voice, which is Voip, prior to Uverse voice and all worked right. All that changed was the RG. No wiring or anything was changed. The Uverse installer said everything should work as with the other company.
It all just doesn't make too much sense.

Worse case, I'll get the A*T cell.

[ABLE1]

Concerning the "digital voice" working.  It only works with a specific modem and certain settings that must be enabled otherwise it does not work.  Initially when they first started there was a lot of unknowns.  Once it got figured out it did appear to work.  However if the cable connection is not stable........................ well................

Then there is V*nage which uses a different modem and never works because of certain parameters that can't or won't be changed.

Again Good Luck.

ABLE1

[vegaskiller73]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I have to update.

After going back and forth with A*T and Uverse techs, it seems my alarm may get fixed. I've been off service since Nov 5. After hearing over and over from A*T that Uverse isn't compatible with A*T, I finally get a Corporate Customer Manager that listened.

Come to find out my particular panel isn't compatible. They tried to push a patch from the monitoring center but nothing happened. A service call was setup, but the tech ttold me he couldn't do anything that I needed to get the cell phone or go back to analog.

FF to today. I get a voicemail, which my Uverse phone system emailed me about(reason I won't go back to POTS), and saw that it was A*T checking to see if everything was taken care of last week. Long story short, nothing was done last week. So now I have a new service call setup and hopefully it will be fixed this time.

My A*T alarm system is a Concord Express that is about 4 y/o. A*T has to install a patch in order for it to work with Uverse. It may be best to have this done before Uverse gets installed. Not like I did.

Funny thing is I'm 1 of 3-4 that have had this issue.

[ABLE1]

I would be very interested to know what the term "patch" really is or means.

A software patch for the Concord 4 seems to be way out there in left field to think that A*T has the resources to come up with a patch or fix a eprom chip.

Somehow I can't imagine that GE would get that involved at this point in their short history.  

To do all that you describe for potentially 4 systems?

My honest guess would be that A*T may be upgrading your panel to some other model that may work with this Uverse thingie.

Just my opinion here.  I have been wrong before, once last year for sure.  And it happened right here on the DIY Forum.

Please post back with the results.

Good Luck!!

ABLE1

[vegaskiller73]

I will be watching everything this tech does. When done I will post back what was exactly done.

[vegaskiller73]

Well, got a call about 3pm. The tech fell sick or something. The manager wanted to reschedule the appointment. We got to talking and he told me his tech called GE and GE said my panel isn't compatible. Only option is cell phone. So I told the manager I'll take care of it.
Since Jan 14 2010, my account has been scheduled to cancel. This was the 3rd time for them to fix it. I'll find someone else.

Next week I'll get a call from A*T Service manager and explain what all went on.

[ABLE1]

And the SAGA continues..................................

[dpvwia]

I don't know why, but our Concord Express and Uverse service work fine together.  When we signed for Uverse, I specifically told them we had a security system before they came out, so maybe they took it into consideration somehow during their installation.