Date: 11 Nov 92 01:11:27 MST
From: petrisko@evax2.engr.arizona.edu (William Petrisko)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Advice Needed on Telephone Security Systems
Reply-To: petrisko@evax2.engr.arizona.edu
Organization: University of Arizona, College of Engineering and Mines, Tucson
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 838, Message 5 of 5

> Lately there's been a rash of robberies in our area where the mode of
> operation has rendered most home security systems useless.  (I don't
> have the exact number of houses hit so far, and the cops here are
> understandably close mouthed about it.)

> Most houses hit have the breakers outside the security zone. Crooks
> snip the phone lines and cut the power off. If someone's home, the
> owner goes out to turn the power on and the alarm off. (S)he then
> walks back in with the crooks. If they are not home for (say for the
> weekend) crooks come back after 24 hour when the battery back up is
> drained for the siren. The alarm monitoring company is NOT notified
> since the phones are dead and that's the only lifeline back.

Padlock on the breaker box?

> My house was hit day before yesterday but we stayed indoors and used a
> mobile phone (luckily!! inside the house!) to call the sheriff.  No
> theft, but scared us witless when the both our regular POTS phones
> were dead. Also, we found on later examination that our cable TV coax
> was cut. (Why cable???)

> This brings me to the questions:

> a) Is there a secondary way of notifying a monitoring station that AC
> power is out AND that the phones are no longer functoning? Is it done
> on cable TV? or is there a wireless (radio/CB/cellular) transmitter
> for those people who do not have mobile phones?

There are several devices available.  I'm not sure where you are
located, but most major cities now have several radio-type devices
available for installation.  Also, there is a cellular interface that
automatically backs up your alarm -and- your house line in the event
of a line-cut.  The only part that might scare you is the price.
DEALER pricing on the radio equipment is several hundred dollars (plus
whatever the monitoring station wants to rape you every month), the
cellular box is $700 COST for dealers.  Plus a monthly with the
cellular carrier ...

> b) Any recommendations on such devices out there? 

It's been awhile since I've been in the security business, if you
really want to know, mail me back and I'll dig up some copies of
industry magazines and get back to you.

> c) Why were cable connections cut? Do some monitoring stations use
> cable coax for communications back to the head node for purposes other
> than cable TV channel $$$ monitoring?

Yep.  While in Tucson, I saw remnants of an alarm-cabletv interface.
Apparently, the cable co. was in the alarm business a few years back.
Nice idea, having a dedicated-line installed in the house already,
guess they couldn't handle it though.

> d) How can I hide the phone connections at my house or make the
> snipping a less than trivial process?

Rebuild the house and don't leave anything outside? ;) Or build some
sort of lockable "cage" around the telco protector, adhere it to the
wall with non-reversible screws.

> I would appreciate any advice.

Honestly, a cheap answer to your problem would be a small board (the
manufacturer name escapes me) that monitors the phone line voltage,
and connect it to the alarm so it trips the siren. It might trick the
theives into thinking that *someone* was notified ... besides, it
doesn't sound like these theives would stick around after cutting
wires and tripping the siren.  Another backup-battery in parallel (or
just a bigger aH in it's place) might make you feel more secure too.

The BEST solution would be the cellular backup AND the line-monitoring
board.  The cell-phone would back it up, and the line-monitor would
trip a zone (silent OR audible) that could notify the alco it was
running on the backup line.  The only drawback would be cost.

If you don't mind me asking, that kind of alarm are you using and who
monitors it?

Also (being in the business brings this part out), having an alarm is
no reason to shortchange the rest of your home's security (deadbolts,
solid doors, good locks on windows, lighting, etc.)

Hope it helps.


bill petrisko                    petrisko@evax2.engr.arizona.edu
   aka n7lwo   ...!uunet!4gen!warlok!gargle!omnisec!thumper!bill