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InstallAlarm.com |
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Other monitoring methods and issues If you plan on self monitoring you may have several options depending on the panel you choose. Newer more advanced panels will allow you to send pages, call cell phones and play voice messages, send email, send Instant Messages (IM), and control the system through dial-up connections. They may also provide online status reporting through web sites or have built in web servers! These are the jewels! Though less common, they are growing in popularity. Systems from Companies like HAI include some of these capabilities but may require a dedicated PC (or at least one left on all the time). These "broadband enabled" systems use the growing popularity of DSL and cable modems to increase your visibility into the system. Some even support live or near-live video feeds although you can do this without the security system through 3rd party products. Be wary of vendors and installers who do not have a good understanding of security as it relates to broadband networks. Hacking into your computer is painful enough. But these new systems could expose us to a new breed of hacker that could disable your security system or worse. Diligence and a thorough understanding of the technology are required. Much of the same technology used to protect you PC can be applied to protect these systems but some additional measures should also be applied. Your vendor should make recommendations to secure these systems which at a minimum should include a hardware firewall. |
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