The main question is... what security option is best for you and your family? The first thing we need to do is define some of the terms within the security business so we can have an intelligent conversation on what your best option is. We will be looking at what a "wireless security system" means and what a "cellular security system" is. Also, what options do you have if there is an existing wireless security system, a hard wired security system installed or your home has been pre-wired for a security system? And how does all this work with ADT Pulse that adds remote interactive services and home automation to your security system?
Wireless security systems can communicate to the central station via your standard phone line but over 80% of our security system installations now communicate to the central station via cellular communication. With many homeowners deciding to eliminate their home phone service most customers are getting the wireless security system with the built-in GSM cellular communicator. Cellular security provides a much better level of protection as it provides phone line cut protection and communicates alarm emergencies to the central station monitoring center four time faster than standard dial up (6 seconds vs 24 seconds).
If you have a pre-wired home or a home with an existing hard wired security system check out this blog post:
The term "cellular security system" is becoming more popular. Most often it refers to a security system that uses cellular communication to communicate to the ADT monitoring center. Wireless security systems have a GSM Cellular unit built into the control keypad and hard wired system have an external GSM cellular security device. Eighty percent of our customers are getting a security system installed with cellular communication as the primary means of communicating to the ADT central monitoring station.
You can add cellular as a backup and have your security system use your home phone as the primary means of communicating. This is necessary on some security system installations for two-way voice security monitoring to work. Our wireless security system can do two-way voice audio verification over cellular communication but our hard wired security system needs a standard phone to have two way voice. You can then add a cellular unit as a backup to protect you from burglars cutting the phone lines on the side of your home and disabling your security system from sending emergency signals to the central monitoring station.
The most popular security system option that our customers choose is the wireless security system with built in cellular communication and ADT Pulse Level 1 Monitoring. ADT Pulse gives you the ability to check the status of your security system, mobile arm/disarm, get text and email notifications of alarm events, see the history of all device and alarm events, set alarm schedules and automations. You will also get the interactive remote services software platform that gives you an ADT Pulse personal web portal to make it very easy to manage your home security system.
ADT Pulse Level I for security can be done using cellular communication with a wireless security system. When you add ADT cameras (Pulse Level II) with video monitoring or home automation (Pulse Level III) with automated door locks, lighting and thermostat control you will need to provide Internet service. This allows the ADT iHub gateway to communicate between all the different security devices of Pulse Level II and III and allows you to use your interactive remote services from your personal web portal and/or mobile devices. Our hard wired security system with Pulse monitoring needs an ADT iHub gateway for all ADT Pulse monitoring levels so you will need Internet connectivity.
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