jkno

I completely agree with you, it's a single story detached garage so anything in there is accessible and easy to disable. I had the soundbomb left over from years ago so it didn't hurt to stick it in a corner to throw out 112db at the same time as the main sounder. It would take seconds to disable but it's also a distraction/unexpected to a would be intruder.

This is the bit where I'm struggling. Mimic is perfect in terms of the scenario (and it would be easy to trigger a physical output), but I can't work out how to turn the Mimic into a reported com via the COM-IP/ARC (Configured using SIA codes). Without the 24 hour or using AreaB (separate arm/disarm) I can't figure out how to get the alarm to communicate zone active.

It’s been expanded, had panel/sounder battery replacements and a new PSU over the years but that’s part of general maintenance. I just haven’t touched the com-ip since. The sound bomb is pretty pathetic but to create a decent amount of deterring noise inside a small space (garage) while the main sounder is doing it’s job, it’s one more thing to deter; a master blaster is overkill for this and it would be me or the other half that would be on the end of it than a would be thief. I’ve not seen any alternatives such as a mini sounder. The sound bomb is on one of the outputs. For the config I’m looking at it’s purely notification of the garage being opened when we’re in the house and the alarm is unset. The ideal/long term is a roller shutter door, set the garage to Area B and use an output to prevent the door being opened without unsetting the alarm to prevent FA. But for now, just knowing the sensors has been triggered beyond chime is the next best option.

I’ll need to check in the morning how the com-ip is setup. I haven’t touched it for 9 years (it’s nice when things just work) Would zone mimic be via a custom output? I’ve got system outputs configured for sound bombs and I’m confident on the general premise. It’s getting a distinguishable message sent when it’s activated that I’m drawing a blank.

I'm running a Texecom Premier Elite 24 that I've had installed for 9 years and it's been a brilliant setup (apart from the occasional spider induced FA or washing setting off external sensors). I'm aiming for a configuration on one of the zones that I'm not sure is possible or requires some left field thinking with the ARC notifications on the COM-IP module. The alarm is currently setup and functioning exactly as intended with push and email notifications to myself via the ARC. What I'm after is a zone active notification when the alarm is unarmed on a specific zone. The zone (garage) has a duel tech PIR: I want to be notified when the zone is activated in both an armed and unarmed state; but to only trigger the alarm itself from an armed state. I considered setting it up as Area B that is currently not in use, but I can guarantee I'd set it off by forgetting. The best I've got at the moment is enabling chime 3 on the zone. Is what I'm aiming for even possible?

I've looked at and used Montex and Texebase and need to decide whether I work with them or miss them out completely. I want to step it up a notch combining Email, SMS alert groups via a single service that makes decisions rather than having multiple COM modules performing different or the same decisions. The simplest options would be to write a simple SMTP interceptor on the application that receives the messages from Texbase but that adds more hops and points of failure into the process. Ideally you would have 1 application that handles the response from the COM module, makes the decision based of the applied rules and send the alerts. That application would also need to be monitored to ensure it's responsive for an event.

Your wireless kit looks really impressive (One of the few I would trust if wired wasn't an option). I use your wired systems in my own home and have been really impressed. Just need to sit down and write my own monitoring software for it. I don't question the integrity of the good companies out there developing wireless systems, merely they integrity of the core component hardware available with the progression of technology. You could it's a similar risk plugging any form of com device into a panel.

I completely agree with you. No DIY kit is going to compare but people buy either on price or because they offer bells and whistles not easily available in the professional market. Knowing the software and security industry pretty well it would take a hell of a lot to get me to move from wired to wireless. It wasn't all that many years ago wireless WEP encryption was seen as secure, that got hacked pretty quickly due to the ongoing development of hardware and software, WPA replaced it which also got broken, WPA2 superseded WPA which has also been broken. Nothing is forever with security it's an ongoing arms race and unfortunately some of the best people at security are on the wrong side. Some of the best systems in the world built by the best minds have been broken either by technology, a greater mind or sheer luck. We would be naive to think a grade or a EN standard protects us when they are created by people as flawed as you or I.

Smash and grab, cutting cables, cutting coms etc... are all aspects that can be designed out of a system of a location or made extremely hard (if you're willing to spend enough time, money, knowledge) again cost vs reward. No-ones going to disable a grade 3 system, cut through 10mm plate steel and drill through reinforced concrete to get a £200 TV. However as the cost comes down and you can download a tiny application and run it on consumer hardware that will essentially disarm certain alarm systems with a click of a button. With encryption what's unbreakable now becomes child's play as time passes. It sounds like some of the consumer aimed manufacturers do the bare minimum and can be bypassed with minimal effort/equipment, but the question is how advanced is the technology in the G2 systems and how long before they too become easy targets. I guess your average home is never going to become a lucrative target for high tech thefts and anything worthwhile is going to be on a higher grade system and additional security procedures.

Interesting read from cyber gibbons. However it doesn't cover the effect of technology evolving but the alarm panels remaining in place on the same technology. Un-stealable cars 5 years ago are being driven off peoples drives with a basic laptop and software download off the internet because of wireless keys. How long is it before the same is happening on homes/businesses. I guess it comes down to cost vs value. Crooks aren't going to invest huge amounts of time and money to break protocols that don't guarantee them a high return on investment.

I stumbled across this article the other day (sorry if it's already been posted/discussed) http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-07/24/home-alarm-hacking With computing technology improving at an insane rate and top of the range cars being stolen off peoples drives with nothing more than a laptop. Does anyone question the security of wireless alarm systems and the longevity of the security process in place on these systems? If BMW/Land Rover etc.. spend millions on wireless key encryption methods surely we need to question if any current wireless alarm technology will be hackable by nothing more than a 15 year old kid with a laptop with a fast GPU and internet connection in a few years?

No offence taken, the wiring once you get your head around FSL/EOL is actually really easy (on an install as basic as this). There's so many more variables with the programming even with help of software like Wintex. I overcomplicated things by going from timed exit to entry/exit and caused problems trying to resolve the issue of the fault on full set. Thanks for the help I'm all sorted now, just got a COM-IP to install down the line, looking at writing some monitoring software using an SMS API over ethernet with 3/4G backup.

Sorted the issue it somehow I managed to select Area B for Zone 2 (Hallway PIR) when debugging and adding the additional exit settle time which was the initial issue. Because I've disabled Area B for pretty much everything, including the keypad it looks like it wasn't arming the PIR because Area B was still unarmed. Is common practice in a single area setup and a multi area alarm to disable the disused areas on each Zone/keypad or to leave them all enabled? I've got no issue for paying for professional help, but like I said it's a bit of a project for me more than trying to save a few quid. If cost was a concern I'd have stuck a consumer grade wired/wireless system in.

I've increased it to 15 seconds will find out when I get home if it's worked. The part 1 set isn't triggering the entry at the moment when I go downstairs (used to pick me up after a few steps) I walked downstairs in full visibility of the sensor this morning and waited a good 5-10 seconds in front of the keypad without it triggering. I'm using Texecom Premier Compact QD sensors. Couldn't justify anti masking for home. Either there's gremlins in the system or I'm the gremlin.

There's an exit settle time of 8 seconds shouldn't this prevent the the PIR trigger from causing a fault?