BT Broadband & home alarm systems don't agree!

Jo4

I received a phone call today from BT offering BT Yahoo Broadband for £15.99 for 6 months and then £26.99 by dd or £27.99 otherwise for a further 6 months. In other words you have to take out a 12 month contract. The problem for me and possibly a lot of people on this site is that your home alarm system will not work if you have broadband installed. I only found out when I asked and the fella said he had to check with his supervisor. Apparently your fax machine will work but alarms don't. Apparently it is something to do with redcar. :-/

Does this make sense to anyone or does anyone know what redcar is? Does anyone have BT broadband installed if so, does it affect your home alarm system? Is this the case with all broadbands?

rwgibson99

You're not in Teeside are you?!

Sounds like someone's pulling your leg. What exactly is the claim? That an electrical signal passing through cables in your house is going to affect the Infra-Red motion sensors in your rooms, and/or the magnetic contact switches fitted to doors and windows? Or that your alarm can't make a call to your mobile/monitoring station because of the lack of ADSL filter on its extension?

Jo4

You're not in Teeside are you?!

Sounds like someone's pulling your leg.  What exactly is the claim?  That an electrical signal passing through cables in your house is going to affect the Infra-Red motion sensors in your rooms, and/or the magnetic contact switches fitted to doors and windows?  Or that your alarm can't make a call to your mobile/monitoring station because of the lack of ADSL filter on its extension?

I live in N. Ireland. The alarm will not be able to make the call to our mobiles.

rwgibson99

The alarm will not be able to make the call to our mobiles.

You need to find out why. Your alarm system will be connected to your phone line. Having an ADSL installation means that every phone device (handset, fax machine, modem) has to have a "filter" fitted to each socket. Surely you could connect a filter to the alarm's cable too? Or is it hard-wired in somehow?

Jo4

You need to find out why.  Your alarm system will be connected to your phone line.  Having an ADSL installation means that every phone device (handset, fax machine, modem) has to have a "filter" fitted to each socket.  Surely you could connect a filter to the alarm's cable too?  Or is it hard-wired in somehow?

Something to do with "Redcar", it affects signals from broadband.  The alarm is like the internet/phone/fax machine, it just connects into the phone socket.  BT offered to fit an extra phone line so the alarm could then phone our mobiles, at an additional cost of course!

dog_2

I can only give an answer from my own experience.

I'm in Northern Ireland on broadband, with a house alarm that dials my mobile if it is set off.

It works fine. I did quite a bit of research at the time and I think the main problem with house alarms are the monitored type (ADT / Chub and so on).

I did take a bit of a risk when the broadband was installed but luckiy for me everything worked fine. I did think about putting a micro filter from the alarm to phone line but this turned out not to be required.

This is my experience - I wouldnt claim to be an expert!

onzey

Is "redcar" actually "Redcare" and something to do with this by any chance

http://www.redcare.bt.com/homemonitoring/#

Jo4

I can only give an answer from my own experience.

I'm in Northern Ireland on broadband, with a house alarm that dials my mobile if it is set off.

If you don't mind me asking what make is your alarm?

Welliesorter

I did quite a bit of research at the time and I think the main problem with house alarms are the monitored type.

I'm not an expert either but I do know that the difference is that Redcare alarms constantly monitor your phone line. The advantage is that if the line is cut (a burglar might do this to prevent you calling for help) the alarm company is alerted because there's no signal on the line.

If you have a Redcare system (or you're talking to someone who has) you can sometimes hear a slight chirrup on the line.

gk172

I have the yale alarm which you set to dial 5 numbers if the alarm goes off and i have tellywest broadband and never had a problem with any of them working together, infact i have 4 phones and one alarm hooked into my telephone line

Welliesorter

I have the yale alarm which you set to dial 5 numbers if the alarm goes off and i have tellywest broadband...

If it's Telewest broadband, it's almost certainly a cable modem, not ADSL. The important difference is that it works on cable TV: it's separate from your phone line.

I don't think Jo will have a problem if she has the same type of alarm as yours, ie one that simply dials out when it goes off.

Redcare is a different system altogether and, as far as I know, it's only available on a BT line.