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Upgrade Your Existing Alarm System

Reactivate Alarm Monitoring

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Upgrading an existing security system doesn’t have to mean replacing everything which most alarm dealers will always recommend. Today’s devices and services not yet available when your system was originally installed can many times be added to these older systems. This includes both wired and wireless systems.

If you recently bought a home that already has a home security alarm system you may be able to save a significant amount of money by reactivating it yourself. You could use it as a “local” alarm meaning no central station monitoring and just rely on its interior and/or exterior siren. But of course you could also sign-up for affordable UL central station monitoring better protecting your family while taking advantage of the 10% – 20% annual premium discount most homeowner’s insurance carriers offer when monitored by a UL provider like us.

Activating alarm monitoring is something that can be done DIY with our help. It is actually not very difficult. We offer affordable POTS landline, VoIP, IP Internet and cellular communication options. Our pricing is far below what local alarm dealers and national security dealers such as ADT, Brinks, ProtectionOne, Vivint or Xfinity charge for real UL central station dispatch alarm monitoring – but with NO CONTRACT! No expensive multiyear commitments with SafeHomeCentral.

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Upgrading / Modernizing Your Alarm System Yourself (DIY)

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Why would you want to upgrade?

Remote control of your security system via smartphones/tablets/PCs
Eliminate landline connection to a central station saving telecom expense while increasing security with cellular connectivity
Remote management of lights, door locks, thermostats via smartphones/tablets
Integrate Amazon Alexa or Google Home with your home security system
Better manage your energy costs by managing temperature and lighting by utilizing “smart scenes”
Take advantage of affordable DIY alarm monitoring saving money month after month
Add video surveillance of your home knowing when kids arrive home, what pets are doing while home alone, watching over elder parents
Expand your security coverage adding wired or wireless sensors
Use wireless keyfobs or your smartphone making home entry even easier, especially when adding Z-Wave locks and lighting

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Why would you want to upgrade?

Remote control of your security via smartphones/tablets
Remote management of lights, door locks, thermostats via smartphones/tablets
Better manage your energy costs by managing temperature and lighting by utilizing “smart scenes”
Eliminate landline connection to a central station saving telecom expense while increasing security with cellular connectivity
Take advantage of discounted UL central station monitoring saving money
Add video surveillance of your home knowing when kids arrive home, what pets are doing while home alone, watching over elder parents
Expand your security coverage adding wired or wireless sensors
Use wireless keyfobs or your smartphone making home entry even easier, especially when adding Z-Wave locks and lighting

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The Professional Home Security Landscape

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Most local alarm dealers are unfortunately still living in the past and ignoring the vast DIY security market. They continue to charge an arm and a leg for installation and require customers to agree to a minimum three year alarm monitoring commitment.

Pro-grade security equipment from Honeywell, DSC, 2GIG, Alula, and Qolsys is readily available today along with extremely affordable, no contract alarm monitoring. If you have a professionally installed system upgrade rather than replace may be your best bet. The modern touchscreen systems such as the Honeywell Lyric are amazing but not always necessary especially when upgrade cost is a factor. Existing wired or wireless sensors may be reused even if replacing the main control panel. This is where the greatest cost savings comes in when modernizing, reusing as much as possible. Existing door, window, motion, glassbreak, and fire sensors can still provide excellent security. In-wall wiring does not go bad, unless of course chewed by a mouse!

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Cellular Upgrade For Alarm Monitoring

Affordable Cellular Alarm Monitoring for DIY

Land lines in homes are rapidly disappearing because of the high cost to maintain a phone line when frankly everyone in the home has a cell phone in their pocket. For many alarm owners they’ve kept this obsolete communication medium in their home just for their alarm system. Eliminating the POTS line and switching to celluar monitoring is actually a monthly savings, and increases security.

Tampering with POTS alarm

Phone lines are always at risk of being cut by an intruder before they attempt to break-in to your home. Land lines also have the added risk of being disabled by weather events such as a down tree taking down the communication path to your home during a storm or snow blizzard. Cellular of course has no wires to be cut and the “communicator” is generally powered by your alarm panel which has a backup battery in case of power failure.

If using a hardwired security system (regardless of brand) adding an external cellular communicator is possible and not difficult to install yourself. If staying with your existing alarm company they must make the change. If you are looking for less expense but just as reliable, maybe even more so alarm monitoring, changing the communicator may sometimes be necessary. Security companies such as ADT use proprietary cellular equipment which only they can use for alarm monitoring.

We carry a full line of cellular or dual path cellular/Internet communicators for both hardwired as well as all-in-one wireless security systems. When your model has a choice of communicators available we recommend going with an Alarm.com version. ADC has many more features than other services and we can make it affordable!

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Existing Cellular Communicator

In many cases we can reuse your existing cellular communicator as long as it is a 4G LTE model. If you have an older 3G model using either AT&T or Verizon they can no longer be activated with these carriers. This is because carriers are preparing for their 3G sunset (shutdown) in the next 18 months. If you still have active 3G service with an alarm dealer it will continue working until the carriers shutdown their 3G network but timing has no set date per region. However all 3G communicators MUST be replaced with 4G or 5G models soon and certainly if changing alarm dealers.

Note on existing ADT Cellular Communicators – These communicator even if 4G LTE models can ONLY send signals to an ADT data center / central station. If you are looking to get away from their high pricing and long contracts then a new cellular communicator is required. The good news is the existing alarm system and sensors does not need to be replaced, just the cellular communicator. These are easy to swap out DIY and we can guide you through the process over the phone.

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Existing Alarm System

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Cellular Communicator Recommendation

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Honeywell Vista-10P, Vista-15P, Vista-20P w/ firmware 9.12+

Vista-21IP w/ firmware 3.13+