Do I Need A Phone Line To Be Monitored?

No. Many people are deciding to drop their traditional telephone lines for cellular or internet providers.

Alarm systems are designed to work with many different types of communication methods. The most popular of these methods include a gsm cellular communicator, an internet communicator, a wifi module and dual communicators. Each of these communicators offers their own benefits.

A gsm cellular radio communicators signals use wireless digital transmission, just like a personal cell phone, to transmit alarm signals to a monitoring station. The digital transmission can carry more data at greater speeds than traditional phone lines and are generally tamper-proof. In the event of a power outage, the gsm cellular communicator has its own battery backup or uses the alarm panel’s battery backup.

An internet communicator connects via an Ethernet cable from the communicator to the router. The signals are transmitted via the internet. However, if power is lost no signals will be sent.

A WiFi module connects to the internet wirelessly. Once activated the alarm control panel will send signals via the internet.

The internet alarm communicator depends on the reliability of the internet service it’s connected to. Installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or battery backup for the modem and router so the internet service will not go down during a normal power outage is highly recommended. Or installing a dual path communicator. With dual path communication, the first path of communication is the internet. If for some reason the internet is lost, the gsm cell communicator will kick in and send signals.

The compatible communicators for the Vista series control panel are:

GSM Cell Communicators: GSMV4G, GSMX4G, and the Vista GSM4G.

Internet Communicators: 7847i (Vista 21iP has a built in internet communicator)

Dual Communicators: iGSMV4G, iGSMHS4G

The compatible communicators for the Lynx Touch series control panels are:

GSM Cell Communicators: Honeywell 3GL, GSMVLP5-4G

Internet Communicator: ILP5

WiFi Communicator - L5100-WiFi

Dual Communication - install both (wifi module and a cell)

The compatible Lynx Plus Cell Communicator - GSMVLP4G

The Lynx Plus Internet Communicator - 7847i

The compatible 2GIG Cell Communicators are:

2GIG 2GMV52-A, 2GIG GCCDMV-A, 2GIG - GC3GA-A

The compatible 2GIG Internet Communicator is the 2gig-go-bridge