"AT&T Home Security System - Changing the Monitoring Station Phone Number"

 By Ron Stultz

11 October 2009

Updated: 14 Dec 2010

Summary: the AT&T security system telephone autodialer (automatically dials a monitoring station) inside the Central Controller (CC) can not be updated for a new monitoring station phone number without having a special AT&T programmer device, which are very rare. Most monitoring companies do not have the required AT&T programmer. But perhaps, if you inquire, your desired monitoring station company can install a new autodialer in the CC and then program it for you.

Background:

Inside the AT&T security system central controller (CC) is a phone dialer. This dialer calls the phone number stored in it of the defined monitoring station at any security system event such as a "trouble alert", detection of smoke, motion detection or a window or door intrusion. Data sent to a monitoring station by the AT&T system is in a format that all monitoring stations can recognize.

The monitoring station phone number in the AT&T dialer is stored in erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM). EPROM was used because once a phone number is stored, it can not be lost due to a complete loss of power to the central controller (house power gone and CC internal battery backup drained).

Now EPROM is great but without a special AT&T tool, namely the Model 8710 Digital Communication Programmer, you, the home owner, user, or a monitoring company can not reprogram the monitoring station phone number. Most, if not all, security system monitoring companies have never heard of a Model 8710, much less have one to use.

You want to or have to change system monitoring companies:

As I said above, the autodialer inside the AT&T CC can not be reprogrammed without a special AT&T tool but as the AT&T autodialer inside the CC is a separate board/component, it can be removed and replaced with a new autodialer provided and programmed by a new monitoring company. I have seen one CC modified in this way. Thus when making contact with a new monitoring company, see if they can perform a phone dialer swap out for you. There is nothing fancy about how the CC connects to an autodialer.

Don't need monitoring services:

The AT&T security system does not have to be monitored to be used. Yes, the police or fire department will not be automatically dispatched (via a monitoring company) but the system will still sound all internal or external sirens attached to it.

Just want to be alerted that there is a problem when you are not home:

And so what does a monitoring station do for you? At a system event, they will phone call you first and then if you do not answer, either your local police department or fire department. And when the AT&T system was sold, that was the only way, a remote, third party could be notified of a problem in your house but today, most people have cell phones they carry with them everywhere. So the AT&T system can be modified for a new, user programmer, autodialer that will call any 10 phone numbers you want and playback a user recorded voice message. With this modification, your cell phone can be called to alert you and then you can call the fire department or police.

AT&T Home Security System - Conversion to a Programmable Auto Dialer