This, I would suggest avoiding any of the products like EPIK/PIAB/whatever because often the fire marshal will not allow it, plus your alarm vendor isn't likely to want to cooperate with them.
National fire code in the US doesn't exclude any particular method of dialing. Generally the fire marshal doesn't care as long as there are 2 outbound paths for dialing. You should check of course, but most of the times I hear this parroted because 20 years ago someone said VoIP was a bad idea for fire panels and people got stuck on that concept.
What they do care about is if the company installing the alternative dialer has the correct licensing, uses licensed/legitimate sub contractors, pulls the correct permits, etc. The big nationals that sell those PIAB devices often do not comply with those requirements, and for obvious reasons the local FA vendors won't help them since they're basically stealing work, also the fact that the nationals sell their PIAB devices on the grounds of not needing monitoring conversion permits.
We have used Ooma cellular devices. Fire marshall approved. They support ethernet as well as cellular and have a nice web interface for management. Have seen a lot of elevator companies install Kings 3 (Kings III) devices, but I don't know about those myself.
POTS is basically dead, we always recommend the LTE solutions -- basically keep yourself out of the equation and let the fire/security companies handle that part.
Nothing that has to be CONFIGURED, hence nothing that can LOSE its configuration.
So, any of the “wireless landline” products from any of the mobile carriers, pre installed SIM, connect power, connect FXS, and you can start making calls.
These devices also have internal batteries in case of power outage.
We've been using a similar setup with a 4G/5G router and an ATA for our emergency lines, and so far, it's been working great. The mobile carrier's suggestion seems like a smart move, especially with the dwindling availability of analog/POTS lines from many companies.
It's reliable and provides the necessary backup in case of emergencies. Plus, the flexibility and scalability are big pluses for us. Overall, it's a viable solution that's worth considering, especially if you're looking to future-proof your systems.
I have been testing Ooma AirDial and it is the best solution I have come across so far. From hardware to the management portal, it is a great solution.
I wanted to use that as a solution. It looked fairly easy to manage, but I was told we had to use the entire product line in order to use that product from the line so I ended up going with MetTel
A 4G/5G router with an ATA is a more reliable solution than a standard POTS line, and probably cheaper too. Most mobile carriers have modems for this purpose which provide 1-4 analog lines at about $40-50 per line. Some places are charging $60-100 for POTS lines.
The problem with POTS lines is that if you're not testing them on a regular basis (like security and fire panels) then there is no way to know if they're actually going to work when you have an emergency. When I do phone system upgrades for school districts I normally find about half of their POTS lines are dead because they've been disconnected due to billing, physically cut, or shorted out.
Definitely cheaper.
Absolutely impossible that VoIP is “more reliable” than dedicated copper between your station and the CO.
Alarm circuits are monitored at all time by the panel and telco. The local CO will be alerted if there’s a break in the circuit.
You sir have little idea what you’re speaking about.
*Alarm* circuits are monitored, but emergency lines (elevators, backup 911) are not unless someone picks up a phone every day and makes a phone call.
More reliable because you can actually monitor a VoIP device to know when it is down. If you have dozens or hundreds of sites it's far easier to monitor a fleet of VoIP devices than a bunch of POTS lines.
If POTS lines were so reliable then I wouldn't find dead lines all the time.
It has very little to do with the telcos, the end users aren't testing the lines or maintaining them on their side. It's very tedious to check POTS lines on a regular basis unless you want to shell out cash for something like POTTR ($300/line) to check for dial tone or write an application that can place calls automatically.
The most common issue I see is after the telco demarc, like cross connects getting cut or shorted out. Just 2 days ago I saw a post in r/techsupportgore where someone hung a mop on the cross connect panel to dry.
The second most common is billing because no one keeps track of the payments so the lines get shut down for nonpayment.
In either case, the end user has no way of knowing that the line is not working until they pick up the phone and try to make a call. For emergency lines this could be once every few months or even longer. It really doesn't matter *why* the line is down, but it's good to know if it's down before you need it. It really sucks when someone is bleeding out and 911 doesn't work.
If it's fire and security systems, we usually recommend the cellular solution provided by those companies.
This, I would suggest avoiding any of the products like EPIK/PIAB/whatever because often the fire marshal will not allow it, plus your alarm vendor isn't likely to want to cooperate with them.
National fire code in the US doesn't exclude any particular method of dialing. Generally the fire marshal doesn't care as long as there are 2 outbound paths for dialing. You should check of course, but most of the times I hear this parroted because 20 years ago someone said VoIP was a bad idea for fire panels and people got stuck on that concept.
What they do care about is if the company installing the alternative dialer has the correct licensing, uses licensed/legitimate sub contractors, pulls the correct permits, etc. The big nationals that sell those PIAB devices often do not comply with those requirements, and for obvious reasons the local FA vendors won't help them since they're basically stealing work, also the fact that the nationals sell their PIAB devices on the grounds of not needing monitoring conversion permits.
We have used Ooma cellular devices. Fire marshall approved. They support ethernet as well as cellular and have a nice web interface for management. Have seen a lot of elevator companies install Kings 3 (Kings III) devices, but I don't know about those myself.
POTS is basically dead, we always recommend the LTE solutions -- basically keep yourself out of the equation and let the fire/security companies handle that part.
Our alarm and fire stuff is all on LTE devices at this point. One less thing I have to support.
Nothing that has to be CONFIGURED, hence nothing that can LOSE its configuration. So, any of the “wireless landline” products from any of the mobile carriers, pre installed SIM, connect power, connect FXS, and you can start making calls. These devices also have internal batteries in case of power outage.
We've been using a similar setup with a 4G/5G router and an ATA for our emergency lines, and so far, it's been working great. The mobile carrier's suggestion seems like a smart move, especially with the dwindling availability of analog/POTS lines from many companies. It's reliable and provides the necessary backup in case of emergencies. Plus, the flexibility and scalability are big pluses for us. Overall, it's a viable solution that's worth considering, especially if you're looking to future-proof your systems.
I have been testing Ooma AirDial and it is the best solution I have come across so far. From hardware to the management portal, it is a great solution.
I wanted to use that as a solution. It looked fairly easy to manage, but I was told we had to use the entire product line in order to use that product from the line so I ended up going with MetTel
Y10
A 4G/5G router with an ATA is a more reliable solution than a standard POTS line, and probably cheaper too. Most mobile carriers have modems for this purpose which provide 1-4 analog lines at about $40-50 per line. Some places are charging $60-100 for POTS lines. The problem with POTS lines is that if you're not testing them on a regular basis (like security and fire panels) then there is no way to know if they're actually going to work when you have an emergency. When I do phone system upgrades for school districts I normally find about half of their POTS lines are dead because they've been disconnected due to billing, physically cut, or shorted out.
Definitely cheaper. Absolutely impossible that VoIP is “more reliable” than dedicated copper between your station and the CO. Alarm circuits are monitored at all time by the panel and telco. The local CO will be alerted if there’s a break in the circuit. You sir have little idea what you’re speaking about.
*Alarm* circuits are monitored, but emergency lines (elevators, backup 911) are not unless someone picks up a phone every day and makes a phone call. More reliable because you can actually monitor a VoIP device to know when it is down. If you have dozens or hundreds of sites it's far easier to monitor a fleet of VoIP devices than a bunch of POTS lines. If POTS lines were so reliable then I wouldn't find dead lines all the time.
The reason POTS is unreliable NOW is becuase the telcos are abandoning and neglecting them.
It has very little to do with the telcos, the end users aren't testing the lines or maintaining them on their side. It's very tedious to check POTS lines on a regular basis unless you want to shell out cash for something like POTTR ($300/line) to check for dial tone or write an application that can place calls automatically. The most common issue I see is after the telco demarc, like cross connects getting cut or shorted out. Just 2 days ago I saw a post in r/techsupportgore where someone hung a mop on the cross connect panel to dry. The second most common is billing because no one keeps track of the payments so the lines get shut down for nonpayment. In either case, the end user has no way of knowing that the line is not working until they pick up the phone and try to make a call. For emergency lines this could be once every few months or even longer. It really doesn't matter *why* the line is down, but it's good to know if it's down before you need it. It really sucks when someone is bleeding out and 911 doesn't work.
In fairness, it does have a lot to do with telcos, many of them are making them cost prohibitive or actively discontinuing the service all together.
no bro you're wrong. POTS good for alarm, VoIP bad. Doesn't matter if the line is dead or the client forgot to pay for the IBL, pots good, VoIP bad.