Home Alarms: ADT or Brinks?

[chizzle]

Does anybody have experience with ADT and Brinks to help me decide which one I should use for my home alarm? I'm going to get a home alarm with a cell phone backup (no land line) and I'm trying to figure out which one is better (if either) and if there are any deals right now (discount codes, coupons, etc.).

I live in the Indy area, and am open to suggestions.

 

[Westside]

Brinks residential service was bought by ADT a couple of years ago. SO, that remove Brinks from the list. I switched from ADT to Circle City Security a few month ago and couldn't be happier.

 

[chizzle]

Brinks residential service was bought by ADT a couple of years ago. SO, that remove Brinks from the list. I switched from ADT to Circle City Security a few month ago and couldn't be happier.

I just saw that after I already posted... Is there anybody else I should consider? Are there any good deals out there right now? I thought they ran the occasional free installation / coupon deal, but wasn't sure.

 

[CathyInBlue]

If it's not hackable, by me, the monitoring company (maybe), and nobody else, then it's not installable in my house.

 

[melensdad]

ADT is the biggest name out there, but probably one of the most deceptive in how they advertise. (immediate phone calls to your home within seconds of a broken pieces of glass . . . not close to that fast in the real world)

No matter who you go with, you pay for it one way, or another.

In the long run it is MUCH CHEAPER to go with a company that sells you equipment outright. Companies like ADT are among the most expensive to have alarm your house but they make it seem very affordable. Monthly monitoring can often be found for about $15 to $20 a month (sometimes less). Wireless alarm systems are now reliable and easy to install, but don't consider wireless VIDEO. There are various grades of wireless, even within each manufacturer's line. Honeywell is among the best of the alarm systems on the market and many alarm companies use their products.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I tried Vivint, and although I was happy with their customer service, they had a heckuva time getting the system to stay connected with all the wireless devices in my unusual home, so after giving them 3 chances to come out and fix it, I gave them the boot. I ended up using Link Home Security, who was about to set the same system up with no issues, and in the couple times when we have had false alarms occur (MIL deciding to walk out on the deck at 5am, cleaning service showing up on the wrong day, etc) I have gotten a call from the monitoring station within 1 minute of my phone texting and emailing me that I have had an alarm occur. It's also a cheaper monthly bill than Vivint, ADT or the other services I looked into.

 

[daddymikey1975]

I had a very long time small mom and pop shop install my system.

I dictated what equipment I wanted, and how I wanted the install.

I also have my monitoring via internet connection. I get immediate text and email notification in the event of an interruption of this connection.

Further, monitoring is only $20/no and I have no contract.

My entire system is wited. Its a DSC panel and equipment.

I couldn't be happier.

 

[jwh20]

ADT = Corporate Scum

 

[cosermann]

Other. Installed my own and have it monitored by a UL listed company for $9/mo.

 

[Glock Fan]

ADT is owned by Tyco now. Do a google search on that company! Also, i have a very reliable wireless camera system through alarm.com. Check them out.

 

[Buck67]

Circle City Alarm. They are locally owned and prefer to hardwire the alarms instead of relying solely on radio waves. They are good people to work with.

 

[edsinger]

Ruger and Co.

 

[chizzle]

ADT is the biggest name out there, but probably one of the most deceptive in how they advertise. (immediate phone calls to your home within seconds of a broken pieces of glass . . . not close to that fast in the real world)

No matter who you go with, you pay for it one way, or another.

In the long run it is MUCH CHEAPER to go with a company that sells you equipment outright. Companies like ADT are among the most expensive to have alarm your house but they make it seem very affordable. Monthly monitoring can often be found for about $15 to $20 a month (sometimes less). Wireless alarm systems are now reliable and easy to install, but don't consider wireless VIDEO. There are various grades of wireless, even within each manufacturer's line. Honeywell is among the best of the alarm systems on the market and many alarm companies use their products.

I know you are from the Northern part of the state, but do you have any specific companies you'd suggest that are that affordable? Sounds like a potentially good deal.

 

[chizzle]

Circle City Alarm. They are locally owned and prefer to hardwire the alarms instead of relying solely on radio waves. They are good people to work with.

Sounds good. How much is the typical monthly monitoring fee? I submitted a request via their website.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I absolutely do not recommend having an alarm hard wired to a phone line unless its a POTS line (not VoIP). If you loose dial tone (happens with VoIP) and if the alarm goes off the alarm company gets a communication fault that is pretty much ignored and not a break in alert. I can't tell you how many homes I have been in and heard of that had so many issues caused by a hard wired alarm. Of all the people that have a wireless alarm I have never heard or seen a single complaint.

P.s. the above has been confirmed by an ADT tech.

I was at a home today and the customer has had all sorts or issues since her hard wired alarm was put in.

I'm not going to publicly post details but for 99% of the homes out there it is very easy for a criminal to know if the alarm is hard wired and incredibly easy for them to disable it. Yes the alarm will go off inside but the mo iterig company will never know...... I have disconnected dial tone from armed alarms at customer homes and left it that way for ours and the customer never got a phone call... Cops never showed.... The last one was circle city.

I have been hearing good things about AT&T digital life but don't think it is available in Indy yet

http://www.att.com/gen-mobile/press-room?pid=23652&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=35917

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I've been happy with ADT. They have a veteran's discount on both install and monitoring fees.

I've got both fire and burglar monitoring. As a heads up, entering the keypad code doesn't disregard the fire alarm and if you don't hear your phone...you get to meet some nice firefighters if your wife burns some chicken.

 

[shooter521]

I've been happy with ADT.

So have I; started with Brinks, then they became something else, now they are ADT. The alarm system came with the house; we just had to have it reactivated. The times we've had an alarm (either accidentally tripped it, or a real event), the confirmation phone call has come pretty quickly (within a minute).

 

[Cameramonkey]

Koorsen Fire and Security does a good job, and can even take over many ADT installed systems. (full disclosure I work for them in IT)

We cover pretty much all of Indiana. Locally owned and operated by the same family since 1946.

 

[Cameramonkey]

As a heads up, entering the keypad code doesn't disregard the fire alarm and if you don't hear your phone...you get to meet some nice firefighters if your wife burns some chicken.

Yep. State law. you cant call off the fire dept. I guess there were instances where the system would go off at the first sign of trouble on one end of the building, and the person disarming the system or answering the call in the other end would say "nope. I dont see anything or smell smoke. It must be a false alarm."

Hell, we have had guys trip the system in our building accidentally while they were working on it (they forgot to put it in "test mode" where NOTHING gets dispatched) and even calling the monitoring center and saying "look, I cut the blue wire accidentally. I guarantee there is no fire." doesnt always make the trucks turn around.

 

[Cameramonkey]

If it's not hackable, by me, the monitoring company (maybe), and nobody else, then it's not installable in my house.

Then go with Koorsen and PROBABLY Circle City. Just make sure they leave the programming manual behind.

I dont recommend it, but you CAN reprogram (hack) them yourself if you are smart enough to read the manual. Just be careful... Its not intuitive AT ALL. Do it wrong and you'll be paying for a service call for the techs to undo your damage. (speaking from personal experience LOL)