Prequently Ask Questions
Intruder Alarms
Can alarms cope with pets?
Yes, alarms now have pet immune sensors. Our engineers will advise the best way of doing this when we assess your property.
Can smoke detection be incorporated into monitored alarms?
Yes, all new systems can have a fire zone indicator with a different sound tone to the normal alarm tone.
Can alarm systems include panic buttons?
Yes, they can include fixed or portable panic buttons, which are invaluable if there is an intruder in the house.
Who chooses the four digit code for the alarm panel?
You can – it’s not factory set and can be changed at any time.
How do I turn my alarm off?
Whenever you re-enter your house, your alarm will bleep. Just enter the code and it will switch off.
Can I set the alarm at night?
Yes, and we always advise you do. We will program the system to include only those areas of the premises that you want protected and exclude others for the ‘night’ setting. It is more disturbing to be burgled when you are asleep that when you are out of the house!
What happened if my alarm goes off?
The alarm will ring for a pre-programmed length of time before silencing and re-alarming itself. All you need to do is enter the code to stop it.
What happens if my neighbours just ignore my alarm?
We can link your alarm to your telephone line so that it calls your mobile, your office, your relatives, or a central monitoring station. That means someone is always alerted if there is a problem.
How will I know if my alarm has gone off whilst I’ve been away?
When you return an external strobe light will be flashing on the box to warn you that there may potentially be danger in the house. Also, the keypad will bleep differently to normal when you open the door.
Will the police automatically respond if a DIY alarm is going off?
No, they will only attend if the alarm is professionally fitted with a signalling device.
Can I regain my police response?
Yes, by upgrading your system to be DD243 compliant, please contact us for more information.
Do I have to change any batteries in a wired system?
No. All our alarms have rechargeable batteries. Our engineer will check these annually as part of the service agreement and change them when necessary.
Are wireless alarms any good?
It depends which one you get. They can be prone to false alarm from rogue frequencies. However, professionally supplied wireless alarms are far superior to those available in DIY stores and our engineers can detect rogue frequencies and test signal strengths, this minimising false alarms.
The sensors tend to be slightly larger as they must incorporate a decent sized battery, but you do have the advantage of taking it with you if you move house.
How long is my alarm guaranteed for?
All our alarms are guaranteed for the first year following installation – that includes parts and labour charges as a result of faulty equipment or workmanship. We also offer an extended five year warranty if you wish.
Do you service alarms that you haven’t installed?
This may be possible. It depends on the alarm system you have. Our engineers would need to discuss this with you before we can agree an annual service and maintenance plan.
Fire
I have just done a fire alarm test and the fire panel is bleeping. Why?
Check that the control key is in the right position.
When I do the weekly test, why can’t I just use the evacuate button on the panel?
Doing this does not test the system. It only activates the sounders from the panel.
We had a power cut and the panel went into fault. The power fault light was showing. The power is now back on but the panel is still showing a fault. Why?
Many fire panels have a latching fault feature. To clear the fault use the silence alarm button and then the reset button.
I accidentally broke the glass and don’t have a spare one. What can I do?
Turn the broken glass round (back to front) and re-insert it as a temporary fix.
I’ve had decorators in. They removed the detector / sounder to paint round it and the panel went into fault. Why?
The panel is designed to detect any disturbance to any of its detection or sounder circuits. To clear the fault use the silence alarm button and then the reset button.
CCTV
How do I download footage?
If you have an internal CD rewriter then it’s likely that the manual showing you how to do this is on the download section of our website. If you don’t have a CD rewriter, then please contact our Customer Services Team and they will be able to assist you.
My video needs servicing – what do you recommend?
It is our policy not to support servicing of VCRs. We would suggest that you upgrade to digital recording. Please call our Customer Services Team on 01865 782444 to discuss.
Can my CCTV system be viewed remotely?
Yes. It’s possible to view your CCTV footage via a dedicated monitoring station or via an Internet connection.
IP CCTV
What does IP Stand for?
Most prevalent transmission and switching technique being used today is IP (Internet Protocol) / Ethernet. IP / Ethernet was originally designed for the LAN but is also migrating into the MAN etc. This technology accounts for over 80% of all installed LANs today. In addition, over 90% of the devices in these networks are IP enabled i.e. they can be found by their IP address.
How is IP carried on a network?
IP really isn’t very fussy about how its packets are transported. The details of how an IP packet is carried over a particular kind of network are usually chosen to be convenient for the network itself. As long as the transmitter and receiver observe some convention that allows IP packets to be differentiated from any other data that might be seen by the receiver, then IP can be used to carry data between those stations.
Are all network IP cameras the same?
No, some network cameras have an embedded OS (operating system) as well as an embedded Web server. To be called a Network IP camera, the only requirement is that the camera connects to the network, and not a computer - an embedded OS is what separates network cameras.
Why choose a network IP camera over a web camera?
An IP Camera is a true networking device containing an embedded OS (Operating System), supports multiple users, and can be viewed using any web browser. It does not require additional hardware to operate and therefore has the flexibility to be located anywhere with a network connection. A web cam must be connected to a host computer, supports only one user at a time, and cannot be shared on a network. Only the host computer can access the web cam.
What is the advantage of the embedded OS?
Cameras with an embedded OS communicated directly with the user, the images or video is sent directly from the camera to the person accessing the camera. A Network camera without an embedded OS must rely on a third party server or a separate piece of software, meaning the images / video is sent to the third party server, then the user access the image from the third party server.
Do I need a public fixed IP address for each camera?
No, you of course, can have a real, public, static IP address for each camera, however, using just one static IP address for your router and a virtual server or port forwarding scheme, you can use many cameras with just one static IP and just about any router. Please also note that the IP camera must have an adjustable web server port (you must be able to change the web server port) to use multiple cameras behind a router.
What is Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)?
Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) or “Active Ethernet” eliminates the need to run power to devices on a wired LAN. Using Power-over-Ethernet, installers need to run only a single CAT5 Ethernet cable that carries both power and data to each device. This allows greater flexibility and significantly decreases installation costs in many cases.
Can network IP cameras use different lenses?
Advanced Network IP Cameras utilize CS-mount lenses, which can accommodate a variety of specialized lenses, such as wide-angle, fish-eye or telephoto lenses.
What does Lux mean?
Lux (1/10 of a foot candle) is a standardized method by which to measure a security camera’s sensitivity to light. The lower the number, the less light it will take to reproduce a clear image. For example: A securtiy camera that sees down to 1 LUX, means it generally has the ability to see an image during early evening hours or just before dusk. A security camera that’s down to .1 has the ability to see an image in let’s say, a well lit parking lot. A rating of .05, the ability to clearly view an image in a dimly lit area at night. A .05 image can usually enable a security camera to actually see better than the human eye at night!
Access Control
My access control locks don’t seem to engage - what should I do?
The break glass unit may have been operated and need resetting.
My access control system doesn’t appear to be working - what should I do?
Check if the green light on the reading device is on. If it isn’t, then check the power is on. If the green light is on, then you may need to reset the breakglass unit.
If it still doesn’t work, then please call our Customer Services Team on 01865 782444.
Can I operate an access control system for remote buildings from a single central location?
Yes – the control system can be connected to your network. It will allow authorised personnel to amend access rights, run numerous reports on users, track the use of lost or stolen cards and issue new or temporary cards.
Gates
My gates won’t close. What should I do?
This may be because something (e.g. mud, insects, branches) is causing an obstruction between the photocells (the beam between the two pillars). To check whether the photocells are working correctly, wave your hand in front of the pillar. You should hear a clicking sound. If there’s no click, then check for obstructions and if there’s no obstruction please call our Customer Services Team on 01865 782444.
Can I open my automatic gates manually?
Yes - you should have been issued with a key release that will let you open them manually.
Are there any other methods of opening my gates other than radio remote control?
Yes - we now have a GSM module that enables you to dial an access code from your mobile phone to open them.
Do you have any questions regarding security that you would like us to answer?
If so, email us your question.