# AT&T DSL with ADT Security



## drpjr

I'm being told by ADT that using AT&T DSL requires a "special" filter that only they sell. Using the "regular" filters AT&T supplies won't work.:nono2: Anybody have any knowledge about this?


----------



## scooper

A DSL filter is a DSL filter - try it out. If it doesn't work, THEN get ADT's "special" filter.

Even better would have been to have AT&T do your house as a splittered arraingement.


----------



## chrpai

True that special considerations must be make, false that only they sell it. Basically the way I've done this before is to have a DSL / VOICE POTS splitter at the demarc. You then have the shortest home run possible from the splitter to a dedicate outlet labeled DSL. On the voice side you wire it up to an RJ-31X jack and plug the alarm panel into that. This way the alarm system can seize the line in case of an emergency. Past the RJ-31X you break it out to all the phone(s) in your house.

In this configuration it's very important to never plug a regular phone into the "DSL" jack as 1) it's not filtered and 2) it's upstream of the alarm inter connect.

There are various other solutions out there also but this is the way I always rolled prior to having a FTTP connection.


----------



## harsh

A better approach may be to ask ADT about getting a cellular calling device for your alarm system.


----------



## Grentz

harsh said:


> A better approach may be to ask ADT about getting a cellular calling device for your alarm system.


Usually costs more, and they still like to have a landline in most cases.


----------



## MikeS

do a search for Z-A431PJ31X

It is an alarm panel filter.
We have ADT and AT&T.
We had called up ADT, and they stated that "ADT can install it for whatever price, but if you look up this part, you can get it on-line for much cheaper).

don't remember where we purchased, but digikey.com sells for around $28. homeTech for ~33.

others more, others less.
You should have the RJ31 demarc jack near where the panel connects it. it is as easy as unplugging the panel from the demarc, plugging into the filter and plugging in the filter..

Hope I was helpful.
Mike


----------



## tgater

MikeS said:


> do a search for Z-A431PJ31X
> 
> It is an alarm panel filter.
> We have ADT and AT&T.
> We had called up ADT, and they stated that "ADT can install it for whatever price, but if you look up this part, you can get it on-line for much cheaper).
> 
> don't remember where we purchased, but digikey.com sells for around $28. homeTech for ~33.
> 
> others more, others less.
> You should have the RJ31 demarc jack near where the panel connects it. it is as easy as unplugging the panel from the demarc, plugging into the filter and plugging in the filter..
> 
> Hope I was helpful.
> Mike


This is the same part ADT would use. However if they don't install it and you do, more than likely they would not be liable should something happen and the signal not get to their central station and if insurance companies and lawyers get involved it would be and easy win for ADT. Being the owner of a company that installs systems we all have language in our contracts pertaining to such things as DSL VOIP lines.


----------



## hdtvfan0001

drpjr said:


> I'm being told by ADT that using AT&T DSL requires a "special" filter that only they sell. Using the "regular" filters AT&T supplies won't work.:nono2: Anybody have any knowledge about this?


I got 6 free DSL line filters with my AT&T DSL service.

Not sure why they are charging for these little guys now...


----------



## durl

Does ADT charge more to monitor a DSL or "cell phone" system? My current alarm company charges a LOT for the parts plus something like 20% more per month to monitor the different setup.


----------



## chrpai

Personally I would just skip the alarm company. Seems to me all they do is sell fear and take your money with lengthy contracts.


----------



## elaclair

We have the most reliable alarm system available. doesn't require any special wiring or modifications to windows and doors.....Of course, we DO have to feed and walk it.......


----------



## HDJulie

We recently purchased an alarm system online. It is wireless & uses a cellular connection. The company is called FrontPoint. For about $500 we got the control panel, 3 door alarms, 2 motion detectors, & 4 glass break sensors. We pay more a little more for the monitoring -- $39 a month -- but that includes web access & a great iPhone app. We get alerts about certain events sent to our phones. We can arm & disarm the system from the website or from the app. The motion detectors work great. I was skeptical because they are just small monitors that you can sit anywhere. We have one on each mantle. The cats don't set them off but we definitely do. My husband is going to get 2 more window break sensors & 2 more door alarms for his shop/man cave. We've already tested & know the wireless will reach that far. We don't know for certain that the glass breakage sensors work -- kind of hard to test that -- but everything else works so I'm happy. I love that one glass break sensor covers an entire room.


----------



## dsw2112

HDJulie said:


> ...We don't know for certain that the glass breakage sensors work -- kind of hard to test that...


There are glass break testers that you can purchase to test the functionality and set the sensitivity (if yours have that option) of the sensors. Most of the online retailers should carry them.


----------



## HDJulie

Oh, excellent. I'll look into that. I don't know if ours has a sensitivity or not. I know they have a tamper detector. Thanks for the info.


----------



## Chazon

elaclair said:


> We have the most reliable alarm system available. doesn't require any special wiring or modifications to windows and doors.....Of course, we DO have to feed and walk it.......


LOL - we have the same type alarm system - And the bonus is that it's compatible with DSL, VoIP, Cell, really any phone system


----------



## hdtvfan0001

I just happened to have ADT our here yesterday to follow-up on installing a replacement sensor (a decade onld unit) in one location.

ADT installed our system originally 10 years ago, and AT&T (formerly Bellsouth here) handles our Internet & land line phone service.

Since the install went quick and smoothly...I had a few minutes to ask the ADT tech (who was clearly very experienced) a few questions.

He indicated that home security systems over the next 12-24 months are going to undergo some significant changes and improvements, including the addition of both new web-based, as well as mobile-based capabilities. He commented "the day of even having a keypad in the home is about to disappear soon". It will also include montioring of HVAC and other systems.

In the mean time, ADT and AT&T DSL service can co-exist just fine together, and both companies seem poised to work to make that continue.


----------



## HDJulie

I already have web-based & mobile-based capabilities & I can do everything to the system from either method. It is fantastic.


----------



## hdtvfan0001

HDJulie said:


> I already have web-based & mobile-based capabilities & I can do everything to the system from either method. It is fantastic.


Yeah..its out there...but very new. Its going national very soon.


----------



## kevinwmsn

I have a DSL filter on my home security system and it works fine. Anybody knows if they have an option to go out via the internet over network connection instead of the phone line?


----------



## wingrider01

elaclair said:


> We have the most reliable alarm system available. doesn't require any special wiring or modifications to windows and doors.....Of course, we DO have to feed and walk it.......


like alarm systems, the early warning give me time to load the street sweeper before I confront the person trying to break into my house or my car


----------



## armophob

drpjr said:


> I'm being told by ADT that using AT&T DSL requires a "special" filter that only they sell. Using the "regular" filters AT&T supplies won't work.:nono2: Anybody have any knowledge about this?


Once the dialtone is filtered using a adsl filter, the ADT box can use it just like any other dialing device. Don't let them BS you.
The common alarm company mistake is to make the wiring outside at the demark point go through the alarm system first, then feed the house. If the phone line is not filtered at that point, then the alarm system may have troubles dialing out.


----------



## harsh

When weighing the additional cost of the cell connection, you must also consider the possible savings of not having a land line.


----------



## dsw2112

armophob said:


> ...*The common alarm company mistake is to make the wiring outside at the demark point go through the alarm system first, then feed the house*. If the phone line is not filtered at that point, then the alarm system may have troubles dialing out.


To be clear, the bold above is the correct way to connect an alarm system to the landline. A proper install will result in a two pair run from the demark to the alarm panel as this is the only way to achieve "line seizure" during an alarm event. Plugging an alarm panel into a standard house feed will not result in proper "line seizure", but is unfortunetely how many connect the panel. The demark should feed the panel, then the panel should feed the house...


----------



## hdtvfan0001

dsw2112 said:


> To be clear, the bold above is the correct way to connect an alarm system to the landline. A proper install will result in a two pair run from the demark to the alarm panel as this is the only way to achieve "line seizure" during an alarm event. Plugging an alarm panel into a standard house feed will not result in proper "line seizure", but is unfortunetely how many connect the panel. The demark should feed the panel, then the panel should feed the house...


I sure hope so...because then I'm in good shape.


----------



## armophob

dsw2112 said:


> To be clear, the bold above is the correct way to connect an alarm system to the landline. A proper install will result in a two pair run from the demark to the alarm panel as this is the only way to achieve "line seizure" during an alarm event. Plugging an alarm panel into a standard house feed will not result in proper "line seizure", but is unfortunetely how many connect the panel. The demark should feed the panel, then the panel should feed the house...


This was true before DSL and Vrad service was introduced. And would still be true if the alarm company placed dsl filters at the alarm box after install.
But it happens all the time now where the alarm is installed this way with no regard to other provided data services running over the phone line.


----------



## dsw2112

armophob said:


> This was true before DSL and Vrad service was introduced. And would still be true if the alarm company placed dsl filters at the alarm box after install.
> But it happens all the time now where the alarm is installed this way with no regard to other provided data services running over the phone line.


It's still true, but the correct install should include the DSL filter. "Line seizure" is an incredibly important aspect of an alarm system, and can only be achieved through a direct feed from the demark to panel (panel then feeds home.) Installing any other way can get an alarm company in trouble, especially if they tout a UL install (UL requires the above setup.)

A secondary option, to utilizing the DSL filter, is to place the DSL signal on the home's second line (if available.) By segregating the DSL from the "phone" line any DSL problems can be mitigated.

Either way is viable, but sacrificing the direct demark to alarm panel feed should never be an option. When dealing with alarm systems it's considered a safety issue.


----------



## armophob

dsw2112 said:


> Either way is viable, but sacrificing the direct demark to alarm panel feed should never be an option. When dealing with alarm systems it's considered a safety issue.


My quick comment on this subject was not meant to start a p***ing contest between a telephone guy and an alarm tech. But I think if any dedicated criminal knew the first thing about phone lines he would slam an axe into the wall below the outside demark anyhow, eliminating either circumstance we have produced.

This why I bury my and all my friends and family's lines into the house. It is inconvenient for a service call, but a better bet for security. I also leave the abandoned outside telephone access visible for any potential criminal to have a false sense of hope and time.


----------



## dsw2112

armophob said:


> My quick comment on this subject was not meant to start a p***ing contest between a telephone guy and an alarm tech. .


Huh? I thought it was a respectful discussion, and I'm not an alarm tech....



armophob said:


> But I think if any dedicated criminal knew the first thing about phone lines he would slam an axe into the wall below the outside demark anyhow, eliminating either circumstance we have produced.. This why I bury my and all my friends and family's lines into the house. It is inconvenient for a service call, but a better bet for security. I also leave the abandoned outside telephone access visible for any potential criminal to have a false sense of hope and time.


Most modern alarm panels are able to sense a cut phone line and trigger an alarm condition. I would bet that most alarm techs either do not know this option is available, or do not know how to enable it though... I'm in full agreement that burying the phone lines is a great way to go though. The visable phone line on my house is actually a tamper wire tied to my panel


----------



## durl

chrpai said:


> Personally I would just skip the alarm company. Seems to me all they do is sell fear and take your money with lengthy contracts.


I didn't see the need of an alarm company either until my house was robbed. Although they didn't take much (because I didn't have much to take back then) it was still an eye-opening experience. They even took the orange juice out of my fridge, drank it, and left the carton in the middle of the living room floor. It was bad enough that they took my stuff, but to make themselves at home in MY home really ticked me off. Now that I have a family, we'll always have an alarm system.

The commercials that show someone trying to break in while a woman and daughter are in the house alone may be over-the-top. Still, I would guess most people were like me and don't even think about an alarm until something bad happens but I guess that doesn't make for a effective commercial.


----------



## kfcrosby

chrpai said:


> Personally I would just skip the alarm company. Seems to me all they do is sell fear and take your money with lengthy contracts.


Until one realizes that the $500/year you pay for monitoring usually gets you in the neighborhood of an $850/year discount on you homeowners insurance.... at least in my case it does.


----------



## armophob

dsw2112 said:


> Huh? I thought it was a respectful discussion, and I'm not an alarm tech....


Sorry about the assumption. I've been in too many spirited discussions with alarm guys I guess.

After working for the phone company for several years, I am sold now on getting a cellular back up panel. I am pricing them now. 
During hurricanes we can go for weeks with no power and no phone. Makes you want to sit home on the porch with a loaded gun.



durl said:


> I didn't see the need of an alarm company either until my house was robbed. Although they didn't take much (because I didn't have much to take back then) it was still an eye-opening experience. They even took the orange juice out of my fridge, drank it, and left the carton in the middle of the living room floor. It was bad enough that they took my stuff, but to make themselves at home in MY home really ticked me off. Now that I have a family, we'll always have an alarm system.


Ditto. I ended up throwing everything opened in the fridge out.


----------



## RASCAL01

chrpai said:


> True that special considerations must be make, false that only they sell it. Basically the way I've done this before is to have a DSL / VOICE POTS splitter at the demarc. You then have the shortest home run possible from the splitter to a dedicate outlet labeled DSL. On the voice side you wire it up to an RJ-31X jack and plug the alarm panel into that. This way the alarm system can seize the line in case of an emergency. Past the RJ-31X you break it out to all the phone(s) in your house.
> 
> In this configuration it's very important to never plug a regular phone into the "DSL" jack as 1) it's not filtered and 2) it's upstream of the alarm inter connect.
> 
> There are various other solutions out there also but this is the way I always rolled prior to having a FTTP connection.


This is the set up that I have. I bought it on Ebay. Easy to install and have had no problems. This is not the free filters that the phone company sends.


----------



## dsw2112

armophob said:


> Sorry about the assumption. I've been in too many spirited discussions with alarm guys I guess.


No sweat, I figured as much :lol:


----------



## drpjr

Wow. I was gone over the weekend and am quite amazed at the number of responses to what I thought was a pretty benign inquiry. Who knew.:lol: There are several posts I want to respond to but first let me back up and explain my circumstance and why I am interested in the filter.

I currently have C* internet but AT&T has finally got their fastest speed to my house. They also are offering no contract and a $200 gift card. I thought I would give it a try. After a month if I don't like it I can quit and keep the $card.

I had ADT installed a couple of years ago (after a burglary of course:grin and was able to talk to the installer at length before the install. As a result I fished a 4/pair phone line from the demarc to the ADT panel. I used one pair from demarc to supply panel and another pair from panel back to demarc and hooked that to the POTS line. Which brings me to the issue of filtering.

I initially called the national ADT# and was told about the need for "their" filter. I want to thank MikeS for the filter part# and dsw2112 for the ADT panel info/ alarm website. (http://www.diyalarmforum.com/). It saved me a lot of footwork. I also called AT&T and was told I absolutely needed a filter and they would have to send a tech to install it for about "cough" $150. No thanks.

Today I emailed Excelsus the manufacturer of the filter for an explanation of the difference between the panel filter and the regular dsl filter. It appears they supply both ADT and AT&T. No response yet. I also called my local ADT dealer/installer and surprise, surprise I get a whole different story. He says there is no need for any filter at the panel.:eek2: They have not used any in years. Any dsl "data noise" cannot trigger or impede line seizure in the event of an alarm. The filters are for any dsl/data/static noise during the use of the phone only. The most important issue is to have the ADT panel on the line side (before any phones, dvrs, faxes etc) of the POTS.

He was adament that they have never had an issue without a filter. He says if I don't believe him he will sell me the filter for $40 and an "I told you so" when I find out I don't really need it.:lol: Or if it makes me feel good use one of the regular AT&T dsl filters. He also told me to go online start downloading a VOD movie, surf the net then call ADT with my cell and trigger a "medical" (silent) alarm. It won't fail.:nono2:

Now all I have to do is decide whom to trust, the people trying to sell me or the guy warning against it. The only thing I have to lose is all my stuff.......EDIT: I just realized this was my 500th post. I think I got my monies worth.


----------

