Ugh, I'm an idiot. Cheap as hell phone line?

Figgy

So I got sick of having to spend 2 hours on the phone with Bell to fix my bill every month. They seem to have the philosophy that adding random charges is a great idea, since a lot of people don't even read their bill (or open it). I then have to explain their mistakes to them as they play dumb, take down the reference number for the call, then call back a week later when the credit still hasn't been applied. Bell is terrible. Their customer service here is legendarily frustrating.

I am still on contract with them for my Satellite, but I'm now with a wholesale provider for phone and Internet. I got really excited for their TekTalk (voip) service because of the price and features, particularly the ability to block custom numbers--we get a lot of telemarketer calls. At least one per day. Aside for some initial hiccups getting everything up and running, and my misunderstanding about how other jacks in my house would work (read: won't), I'm satisfied.

However, because I was getting VOIP, I would have no actual phone line. This meant I couldn't have DSL, so I had to sign up for their dry-loop DSL. No biggie. Even with that premium, I'm paying less than I did with Bell for better service. Little did I realize, no phone line also meant no monitoring on my home security system! So, my alarm system works as intended except for the fact that it's not sending signals to ADT. I don't really care, that much, since ADT waits an ungodly amount of time before sending help anyway, you might as well not have monitoring. But I'm under contract with ADT until November for about $35/month.

My options are:

1) Pay $300 + another $10-14/month for a cell hookup for my ADT box so that it can reach their monitoring center. I'm not going to do this.
2) Pay $30/month until November for nothing, effectively. (Or $30 x the rest of my contract)
3) Find a cheap phone line to use for ADT exclusively

So, my question is two-fold. First, are there cheap, cheap, cheap phone lines out there that I can use? Something like $10/mo? Even one with no features and limited local minutes would work. It would only need to send a signal in the event of an alarm. Second, is that even possible? Did getting dry-loop DSL hooked up to my house somehow muck up my ability to have a phone line as well?

I'm in Ontario, Canada.

Ruckus

Have you talked to ADT about using the dry-loop pair for monitoring?

Additionally, how much would it cost to upgrade the dry-loop to an active POTS line for ADT to use?

Figgy

Ruckus wrote:

Have you talked to ADT about using the dry-loop pair for monitoring?

Additionally, how much would it cost to upgrade the dry-loop to an active POTS line for ADT to use?

According to ADT, my options are simply to have a regular phone line that they can use or install the cellular hardware.

After further research, I can do the following:

- Add a phone line from my new wholesale provider for $25 activation + $21.48/month
- Convert my dry-loop DSL to wet-loop, saving me $9.10/mo on that
- End result being an extra $12.38/month

I'd keep my VOIP phone and leave the basic phone line for ADT only, because the VOIP phone is only $25/month and includes unlimited long distance. Most family and friends are long distance for us. That's really the only reason we have a land line in the first place, as long distance plans on our cell phone would be really, really pricey. If I wanted to ditch the VOIP and upgrade the basic phone line with long distance + features, it'd be far more than an extra $25/month that I'm paying for my VOIP.

I was hoping there would be a really, really cheap local phone line option out there. Like $5-$9/month for something with next-to-nothing on it. Even 100 local minutes a month would be 90 more minutes than I need. I may have to end up going with this new plan, then. I may be able to convince my provider to drop the $25 activation fee if I ask nicely, etc.

taliosfalcon

I'm a bit confused as to why you need a physical phone line, a properly configured voip line should be pretty much exactly the same, if you buy an ata sip adapter for $50-ish you can plug analog phones into your voip line, can't you just plug your alarm system in that way?

bowen

Yeah. A voip line should functional equivalent to dumb devices like phones, answering machines, credit card machines, and security systems.

They want a dedicated one because if your power goes down, whoops no more protection. Which is bad, but not as bad as they make it out to be.

Assuming you're not getting robbed in a black-out or by high-profile cat-burglars who cut your power but avoid your phones, this shouldn't be an issue. Assuming it can dial out and make a connection that should be all it needs.

Figgy

According to ADT, they aren't able to use this VOIP line.

Right now, my phone is plugged into the Linksys VOIP adapter (Cisco SPA2012). The actual phone lines in my house will get a dial tone, but there is no service to them. According to one of the tech reps, I can re-wire my phone lines in the house so that I can plug phones into my regular phone jacks and get the VOIP service, but for now I haven't done that. It wouldn't change the fact that ADT says they can't use this VOIP connection, though.

bowen

You can probably cancel because the original contract probably said "telephone voice provider" and didn't say non-voip line or POTS line.

I mean technically it "works" but at the other end there's a slight delay and they usually don't allow it. Apparently ADT is the only one that doesn't work with voip period.

Figgy

bowen wrote:

You can probably cancel because the original contract probably said "telephone voice provider" and didn't say non-voip line or POTS line.

I mean technically it "works" but at the other end there's a slight delay and they usually don't allow it. Apparently ADT is the only one that doesn't work with voip period.

Cancel ADT, then? I'd do that, if I could convince my wife that ADT's monitoring isn't really adding any extra safety. What exactly do I say to ADT? I'm going to dig out my contract now.

Edit: Actually, it says ADT will review the initial setup for compatibility only, and they are not responsible for changes in the service made by me. Also, they hold ownership of the equipment until the contract is paid in full. I doubt I can cancel, otherwise you could have them install a system, sign a contract, and disconnect your phone line the next day. Free security system!

bowen

Assuming it works. I think the contract makes an assumption that you have a valid phone line, which you meet?

I'd double check the wording on keeping an active phone line and what your requirements are. See if you can't call customer retention and tell them you want to cancel because you can no longer use the security system with your current provider? Just don't mention voip, it's not really their business what you have, just that you have a phone line providing dialtone their equipment can use to make a connection. If it's delayed by a time frame that's outside their acceptable window, oh well, I'm betting the contract doesn't even mention that. They expect you to use the same provider for the entirety of your contract?

Other than that, I mean a security system is a good deterrent. It doesn't actually provide any real tangible benefit if someone decides to break in. You'd probably get the same results to put a sticker and sign.

Figgy

The contract is pretty clear in that ADT owns the equipment until the contract is paid out, and that they are under no obligation to ensure I continue using a compatible service.

tech_hunter

Yeah if you want to cancel your ADT contract early you have to buy it out for the remainder of the term or just keep paying for it.

I have ADT I am paying for at a house I don't live in, I had to move to a new place and the new house cant support a security system without a major overhaul which ADT would be glad to charge me for.

As it stands now I am paying 45$ a month for a security system in a vacant house. If someone else happens to move in and they get ADT service I am free and clear, the contract will be voided. There wouldn't be a charge to move the service to a new place if the equipment there was in working condition.

The only real value a Security system gives you is a bit of a discount on your renters or home owners insurance. Really if you have insurance there probably isnt a big need for a security system, in my opinion anyway.

Figgy

Thanks for the input guys but as someone who has had a break-in in the past, I'm not interested in your views on the value of a security system.

Right now I'm considering just doing nothing. Leave the monitoring charging me $35/month to monitor basically... nothing. The system still does what I want it to do, otherwise. I'd be paying another $12 and change for that monitoring and have to go through the hassle of setting up a new line just for ADT.

AtomBomb

Alarm systems not working with VOIP (or anything besides traditional copper) isn't unusual, even with an adapter. I don't know exactly why, but it's not BS.

At my work the fax machines don't always play nice with SIP ATA adapters, so we got analog converters boxes with dedicated numbers from the cable company to run them on. They work great for the faxes, but the alarm at one location (and it's even new, installed last year) would not work with them. Tons of troubleshooting until we just gave up and ordered a copper line from the telco. Now it works fine.

Eventually cellular is going to be the standard on all this crap, just like gas/water/electric meters. Right now they gouge you pretty bad on it though.

bowen

There's a delay in them. That's how they catch them. The alarm company waits for a response, if it's outside the acceptable window they assume you have mission impossible style robbers that are hijacking your alarm system with their own, or voip, and reject the connection.