If you have multiple locations with our systems that you need to control and monitor, instead of logging out of one site and logging into another you can have multiple locations on your device at the same time.

There are numerous app cloners and virtual apps that will allow you to run the same app more than once in the Android Play Store. The ones that we have tested all seem to work except for the push notifications. If you want to have push notifications for more than one location at the same time on your device, there is one that has been tested: App Cloner by AppListo. The push notifications work for all of your locations and sites and you can stay logged in on all of them. You will get notifications on arming, disarming, alarms, etc. simultaneously. You can even change the icons on your device so you can differentiate between them.

If you don't need the push notifications, the other similar apps will work fine such as 2Face - Multi Accounts by Cheetah Mobile.

App Cloner by AppListo is ad free, and if it works for you, consider making a donation to the developers which is under Settings>Donations in their app to help support the project.

*Apple devices currently do not support running the same app more than once.

This would be a continuation of the previous blog post regarding the pros and cons of having a landline. After the first post regarding the subject, we received many inquiries regarding going "wireless". Although there are still many advantages of having a landline as discussed earlier, we are now going to look at the flip side of that coin. 

The main reason that  people "cut the cord" is for the money savings. After the many taxes and fees associated with having a landline, the cost of having one could usually averages $40 - $50 per month! That is a lot of money when you also have a cell phone in your pocket. Now that most wireless carriers have unlimited plans, watching those minutes is no longer an issue. You can now get a nationwide unlimited plan for around $50 per month, about 1/2 the price of the larger carriers. nTelos, which is headquartered in Virginia, uses their own infrastructure as well as the national Sprint infrastructure for nationwide unlimited coverage so you get the same nationwide service for less. We have used them since the 90's and have been very pleased. We also feel good about supporting Virginia based business's which keeps jobs and investment here. Another hidden tip is you can use a new or existing Verizon or Sprint phone and have it flashed (programmed) to nTelos. Combine these 2 tips together and that is a savings of about $100 PER MONTH or $1200 per year savings! Who wouldn't want that?

As for your alarm system, if there isn't a phone line we will switch the communication path so it is communicating over IP, WIFI, or cellular service. When we use the cellular service, it is independent of your cell phone and we are connecting directly to the cell towers. It does cost a little extra due to the fees from the cell carriers to use their network, but the net savings from dropping your landline outweighs it. 

Determine if you need a landline from the points in the previous post. If you determine that a landline is not for you, contact us and we can schedule switching your communication path.

It has come to our attention that many of our customers, after moving into their home, call their internet service providers to have their cable, phone, and internet services activated. We have noticed that many times the technician will leave their modem and/or their eMTA box (the box for your land line) on a floor somewhere, in a bedroom, or worse just sitting on a kitchen counter. If you have a structured wiring smartbox, then these should be installed at that location. With structured wiring, all of your phone lines, data lines, and cable lines terminate at this one location. When the modem is installed there, you can activate all of the phone jacks in the house, activate the data ports, and correctly split and amplify the cable signal. When the modem is installed in an incorrect location, sometimes you only get to activate one cordless phone or it's backfed to the smartbox by being plugged into a wall jack. Not only is this unsightly, but it limits the distribution and causes you to buy un-needed equipment such as network switches that you might not otherwise need. Therefore, installing the modem in an incorrect location only saves the technician a little time in labor.