Synopsis:
I have a DSC alarm system which cannot communicate with the central station
over my Fusion voice service. The system uses a modem (to talk SIA alarm
protocol), and it doesn't seem to be able to complete the modem handshake with
the alarm central station.
The same equipment worked when the line was AT&T service (which did not have
ADSL). The switch to Fusion used the same pair used by AT&T.
My alarm installer talked to the tech support guy at the central station, and
he stated that Sonic is VOIP, and that these alarm protocols don't work over
VOIP. I checked with Sonic tech support, and the tech stated that Fusion service
is not VOIP.
Equipment:
DSC PC1864 alarm panel
RJ31x jack
ZTE 831 ASDL modem
Z-splitter
The phone line comes in to the MPOE (which is in the garage), goes to the
splitter, and then the phone side goes to the RJ31x, and then to the alarm
panel. Ie:
MPOE <--> splitter <--> RJ31x <--> alarm panel
What I've tried:
First experiment:
I verified the RJ31x by taking a phone off-hook and causing an alarm
event. The phone went dead while the alarm grabbed the line.
Second experiment:
Switched alarm protocol from SIA protocol to Contact-ID protocol.
This works. I'd switch to Contact-ID, but my alarm company doesn't
recommend it (apparantly it's slower and more complicated to setup).
Third experiment:
Switched back to SIA, then I had Sonic disable ADSL, disconnected the
modem, bypassed the splitter, so the circuit looked like:
MPOE <--> RJ31x <--> alarm panel
No joy. The alarm panel still couldn't talk to the central station.
Also, all the house wiring is new. Voice quality on Fusion is excellent.
What I've heard:
SIA protocol is based on the old Bell 103 FSK protocol, running at 300 or
110 baud. Contact-ID is based on DTMF.
Goggleing this issue finds a lot of problems where the alarm panel affected DSL
throughput, or the DSL interfered with the alarm. Given that the problem
persists even when DSL is turned off at the Sonic end and my end of the line, I
think this is a different problem.
So the question is, why isn't SIA getting through? I think the house wiring is
pretty clean (since it's new), so I think it unlikely to be the problem.
Is there anything in the voice path in the CO or beyond which could interfere
with the 300 baud Bell 103 (SIA) protocol? I assume at some point my voice
line terminates at a codec. Could there be an issue there?
Any help would be appreciated. The installer has given up (at least on SIA via
my voice line), and the central station tech lead is sticking to his claim
that Sonic is providing me a VOIP line, and therefore can't be used with an
alarm system.
Thanks, Stu
I have a DSC alarm system which cannot communicate with the central station
over my Fusion voice service. The system uses a modem (to talk SIA alarm
protocol), and it doesn't seem to be able to complete the modem handshake with
the alarm central station.
The same equipment worked when the line was AT&T service (which did not have
ADSL). The switch to Fusion used the same pair used by AT&T.
My alarm installer talked to the tech support guy at the central station, and
he stated that Sonic is VOIP, and that these alarm protocols don't work over
VOIP. I checked with Sonic tech support, and the tech stated that Fusion service
is not VOIP.
Equipment:
DSC PC1864 alarm panel
RJ31x jack
ZTE 831 ASDL modem
Z-splitter
The phone line comes in to the MPOE (which is in the garage), goes to the
splitter, and then the phone side goes to the RJ31x, and then to the alarm
panel. Ie:
MPOE <--> splitter <--> RJ31x <--> alarm panel
What I've tried:
First experiment:
I verified the RJ31x by taking a phone off-hook and causing an alarm
event. The phone went dead while the alarm grabbed the line.
Second experiment:
Switched alarm protocol from SIA protocol to Contact-ID protocol.
This works. I'd switch to Contact-ID, but my alarm company doesn't
recommend it (apparantly it's slower and more complicated to setup).
Third experiment:
Switched back to SIA, then I had Sonic disable ADSL, disconnected the
modem, bypassed the splitter, so the circuit looked like:
MPOE <--> RJ31x <--> alarm panel
No joy. The alarm panel still couldn't talk to the central station.
Also, all the house wiring is new. Voice quality on Fusion is excellent.
What I've heard:
SIA protocol is based on the old Bell 103 FSK protocol, running at 300 or
110 baud. Contact-ID is based on DTMF.
Goggleing this issue finds a lot of problems where the alarm panel affected DSL
throughput, or the DSL interfered with the alarm. Given that the problem
persists even when DSL is turned off at the Sonic end and my end of the line, I
think this is a different problem.
So the question is, why isn't SIA getting through? I think the house wiring is
pretty clean (since it's new), so I think it unlikely to be the problem.
Is there anything in the voice path in the CO or beyond which could interfere
with the 300 baud Bell 103 (SIA) protocol? I assume at some point my voice
line terminates at a codec. Could there be an issue there?
Any help would be appreciated. The installer has given up (at least on SIA via
my voice line), and the central station tech lead is sticking to his claim
that Sonic is providing me a VOIP line, and therefore can't be used with an
alarm system.
Thanks, Stu
