When choosing an home security system, there are a few features that are absolutely mandatory in order to have an effect system in your home. Anything on top of this is just icing on the cake. Allow me to give you a list of the most important equipment and a brief description of what that equipment is used for.

Control Keypad

The control keypad is your cheif in command. If you do not have a quality control keypad then chances are you will experience a great deal of difficulty in managing your system. However, this typically is not much of a challenge as the large majority of home security companies have crafted stellar control pads. To the extent of my knowledge, ADT security systems have the absolute best keypad available.

Door Sensors

As I am certain you can gather from the name of this feature, the door sensors are the pieces of technology that arm the doors to your home. If someone attempts to open a door armed with a sensor while the system is activated, an alarm will sound and your security provider will be notified immediately.

Window Sensors

Once again, the name of this feature is a dead give away as to what it does. The window sensors are designed to detect any type of intrusion during the time that your system is armed. Exactly like the door sensors, if one of the window sensors is triggered an alarm will sound and your provider will be alerted instantly.

Motion Detectors

This is an ever increasingly important feature in a successful home security system. God forbid a burglar is able to bypass a faulty window or door sensor, you will still be secure with the motion detector as there is no way for them to bypass this feature without triggering the alarm.

If your home security system has these basic features, you have a recipe for loss and harm prevention. As I said before, most security companies have many additional features that can be purchased and taken advantage of. All of these additions will only heighten the level of security of your home; however, you should be sure that the basic  equipment listed above is included no matter what!

So, let’s get to the question.

Why Do Home Security Systems Have To Use a Phone Line?

Security systems have continued to use phone lines simply because it is the most reliable utility in nearly all houses. As oppose to a wireless signal or an internet connection, a phone line is the best bet as it relates to insuring that your system operates in the most effective manner possible.

Is There Any Other Way?

The answer to this question is very simply, yes. Over the past couple of years, there have been a few breakthroughs in this area.

There are many VOIP (Voice Over) systems that are now offering services that allow you to run your security system through their connection via the internet as an alternative to using a phone line. ADT security systems also has something similar to this that allows you to use the internet rather than a phone line.

My Prediction

It is my prediction that within the next 5 years all home security systems will be available with an alternative way to connect them. It almost seems absurd that they have not yet made the full transition and updates their systems along with the times. However, in their defense, a land phone certainly is the most reliable way to do it to date. Hopefully that will change soon.

In the meantime, you ill either have to succumb to the wrath of the mandatory phone line, or use the dreaded VOIP system, which adds an additional monthly cost to your tab.

Where to Start

When searching for a home protection system, there are few things that you will want to be clear about. This is to insure that you make the wisest choice possible as it relates to your new security system.

What to Look For

1. Equipment

You will want to make sure that the company you choose to go with offers the best quality equipment. This is to insure that your equipment will be trustworthy in the event of a home invasion.

The basics should include the following:

• Window and door sensors
• Motion detectors
• Control pad with 2 way voice panel
• 24/7 customer support
• Fire detectors

1. Experience

When searching for a security system company, you will need to be sure that the company has a great deal of experience to back their word up with.

It is very important that you do your research and read customer reviews about the company you are going with. The odds are that the longer the company has been around, the more quality their product and experience is.

1. Security System Options

You will want to make sure that the security system company you are considering has a number of different service options. This shows that the company is versatile and flexible when it comes to suiting the individual needs of all of their clients. A company that only has one or two different service options is probably very “Cookie-cutter” and not well developed as a company.

There you have it! These are the top 3 things to look for when searching for a home security systems company.

Good luck in your search!

This is EXACTLY why it is vital for you to be aware of the top causes of false alarms sounding when it comes to home security systems.

So let’s have a brief look at some of these reasons so that you can personally insure that your home security system does not sound falsely.

1. Unprofessional Installation

This is most likely the top reason for false alarms. Many times small companies will hire 3^rd party contract installers. The challenge that arises with these scenarios is that the 3^rd party installer is often times a very lazy person who has no vested interest in making sure that your home security system is installed with professionalism. This is because they get paid for the installation and once the installation is completed they wipe their hands clean of your situation.

So, you can avoid this scenario by insuring that the company you select for your home protection system provides their own installers rather than contract installers.

2. Unfamiliar Users

Next on the list is an unfamiliar user. What does this mean? This means that someone is using your alarm system but does not have the proper education and training to insure smooth operation. This typically happens with family members who are staying over, out of town visitors, or a house cleaning crew.

The best way to avoid this situation is to thoroughly train anyone who will be using your alarm system. I would suggest taking them through the process 3-4 before leaving them unattended with your home security system.

3. Owner Carelessness

This, by far, takes the cake as far as the top reasons for home security system false alarms are concerned. What typically happens is the owner will be extremely careless with how they operate their security system and the result is a very disturbing false alarm sounding in the middle of the night.

How to avoid this?

Be aware of every move you make when operating your home security system! The best way to do this is to give it your full attention to it.

Now that you have the top 3 reasons, you can use this knowledge to reduce the risk of false home security system alarms. Please do not disregard this information. When security system alarms sound falsely, it disrupts the entire system.

What Does a Standard System Come With?

A modern day standard home security system should include nothing less than the following list of equipment:

• Control Panel/Wall Keypad
• Window Sensors
• Door Sensors
• Indoor Sounders
• Window decals
• Yard sign
• 24 hour monitored dispatch center

All of the above pieces of equipment should be the most up to date and technologically advanced available.

Additional Services

In most cases, security systems will be equipped with devices to protect against “Rare threats”, meaning fire and gas leaks.

Additional services include the following:

• CCTV Video Cameras
• TV monitors
• DVR (digital video recorder)
• Medical Companion (for people with pre-existing medical conditions)

Not Just For the Home

Security systems are a must in offices too. Office protection systems provide a safe environment for your employees and protects against data theft, computers and furniture, as well as any other belongings that might be left in ones place of work.

Protect Against Fire

To protect against personal and material loss caused by fire, security systems companies also provide fire detection devices. This is one of the most vital elements for home and office security.

For Large Offices

For large office or warehouse environments, there are access control systems that disallow unauthorized entry. These systems also have very sophisticated tracking programs, which provide logged data showing anyone and everyone who entered and exited the building.

What Are You Waiting For?

Most people wait until it is too late to protect their properties and assets. Do yourself a favor and act now! There are many resources available to you at a very minimal cost. Don’t wait any longer. Now is the perfect time.

The Process

In order to answer this question, we will assume that some form of emergency situation is the cause of your alarm sounding. This could be any one of a number of scenarios ranging from a burglar to a fire.

So, once your ADT security system is triggered, a signal is sent to the nearest ADT center and received by a home security expert. This expert will then make an attempt to contact you. If the ADT representative is unable to make contact with you, they will then contact the local authorities and request a dispatch be sent to your residence.

This all happens within a matter of minutes and the response time on behalf of the local authorities is typically extremely prompt.

The Aftermath

What happens from here is that the authorities will act according to their standards in an emergency situation.

Now, this process should go very smoothly assuming that the sounding of the alarm is not false. Should a false alarm be triggered with no owner response, this could potentially be a costly error.

In most counties/cities, there are financial penalties if a false alarm is triggered numerous times from the same residence. Ultimately, the owner of the alarm system could loose their right to own a home security system if the problem persists.

Yes, it really is that simple! The process has been finely tuned into an extremely effective process that is designed to offer each and every home owner the most protective home security system available.

Now, that you have this information it would be very wise for you to investigate obtaining a home security system of your own.

So, let’s get right into it, shall we?

The question is as follows:

How are home security systems installed?

The answer to this question needs to be broken up into 2 parts. Because of the fact that there are wireless home security systems and wired home security systems, there are 2 separate installation procedures.

Let’s start with the most difficult and messy first.

Wired Home Security Systems

Obviously, these systems have wiring that needs to be installed into your home in order to render the system itself effective. So, these systems typically require that an installer drill holes into your walls in order to run the wiring from each individual window sensor, door sensor, motion detector, and smoke detector back to the control keypad.

This process is usually overly messy and most home owners become a bit frustrated at the fact that they now have holes in their walls. Never-the-less, the system serves its purpose which is to secure your home.

Wireless Home Security Systems

Now, these are all the rage! Welcome to the 21^st century where EVERYTHING is wireless!

Wireless home security systems are the simplest systems to install and they leave virtually no mess behind. All the installer has to do is attach the door sensors, window sensors, motion detectors, and fire detectors and voila! The installer simple activates the system and you are ready to go!

In Conclusion

Go Wireless!

This is my personal suggestion. Wireless home security system is much easier to install as well as much safer!

In order to effectively protect your family and property, you must be able to rely on the fact that there are some extremely effective home protection systems on the market. The level of sophistication you will receive will ultimately depend on what your pocket book can afford. There is a vast array of different systems on the market today. You can get anything from a self install system to a wireless system, a hardwire system, a silent system, or a sounding system.

Consider All of Your Options

There are a great number of different home security firms for you to choose from, ranging from small local companies to very large national/international firms such as ADT security systems (highly recommended, by the way).

I would recommend looking into both small and large firms to get a clear picture of what your options are. You can get the opinion of current customers of these companies ny reading reviews online and you can also get word of mouth reviews by asking friends and family.

You can also insure that you are going with the best available company, it would be wise of you to look each company up in the BBB (Better Business Bureau).

How About a Quote?

It would be very wise of you to get several quotes. Shop all of your options and make certain that you are %110 satisfied with your final choice. This way, you have nobody to blame but yourself if you are unsatisfied down the line. If you do your research and get fair, accurate, and printed quotes, you should know exactly what all of your options are by the time you are ready to make a choice. Choose carefully because most companies require some type of agreement.

Money Back Guarantee

If the company you are considering is as great as they say they are, they should have no problem putting their money where their mouth is. I would strongly encourage you to go with a company that offers a money back guarantee. This will hold them accountable. I know that ADT home security services offers a 6 month, no questions asked, warranty on their service.

To finish this up, I would like to remind you to not allow yourself to be bamboozled. With all of the resources available today, there is no reason this should happen to you. Remember, its your money and you are responsible for deciding where you spend it.

Vacation

This is probably the most popular time for burglars to strike. Let’s say that you and your family decide to take a summer vacation. So, you plan, pack, and away you go to get a little R and R for a whole week. Sounds great, right?

Well, if you are the family that has not employed a home security systems company, there could be a very tragic ending to this trip. Lets say that you come home from your trip only to find that during your week long escapade a savvy intruder had more than enough time to clear out your entire home.

I bet you wish you had home security systems now, right?

Let’s look at another scenario.

Armed Robbery

Now, what I want you to do is take a moment to yourself and consider the level of sanity that a person who would commit armed robbery possesses. This person is insane enough to commit a burglary in first place. Then they take it to the next level and commit the robbery while you and your family are in your home.

This could be a potentially fatal scenario if you do not have home security systems.

So, the point here is that all of these scenarios could be avoided if you would dish out the extra $40.00 per month in order to secure your home with highly advanced home security systems.

You do have an alternative to becoming the victim of theft. It is up to you to make the choice.

How It Works

When the security system is triggered the main keypad control panel will notify the closest ADT home security systems dispatch center. Once the signal is received by the dispatch team, these experts then make an attempt to contact you. If there attempt is unsuccessful they then notify the appropriate authority figures.

The Problem With Hardwire Systems

If your home security system is dependant upon land telephone lines, you will be in a lot of trouble if a savvy burglar cuts your phone lines. If your telephone lines go down, your security system is then rendered ineffective. Telephone lines can go down for a variety of reasons including but certainly not limited to having the phone cables cut by an intruder.

The Wireless Alternative

You can enable your home alarm system to operate independently of your telephone lines. This is the potentially life saving advantage that wireless security systems offer. If your homes land lines are disabled for any reason what-so-ever, your system will still send a signal to your monitoring team anyways. This type of system works on a secure wireless phone network. Should you opt to employ the services of a wireless system, you will have a reliable system that is not vulnerable to hardwire malfunctions

A wireless home security system is superior to a wired version because: no unsightly wires draped throughout your home; the system can be installed quickly; the system components can be reconfigured easily without re-wiring, and most importantly the security system can’t be compromised by cut wires. It’s important that your security system have the ability to be armed and disarmed from anywhere, conveniently over the phone.

In summation

Your home security system will only be sincerely effective if it is connected to a 24/7 expert security monitoring center.