Configuration and Settings is
The next section examines the location and configuration settings for each
type of sensor and the video surveillance components. You will discover the
features and requirements for planning zone layouts, setting up passwords,
locating keypads, as well as locating video surveillance cameras.
Zone Layout
Home security and surveillance systems are usually designed with certain
areas of the home designated as zones.
A zone can include interior motion
detectors or certain rooms or hallways. The use of zones has several purposes. It enables the user to arm only portions of the system, such as the perime-
ter doors and windows, while bypassing the interior motion detectors when
retiring for the night. When leaving the home, all zones, including the inte-
rior, can be armed as required.
A zoned security system layout is also used by the external monitoring service to know which sensor in a designated zone is causing the alarm.
If a sensor were to be reported as just sensor 3 zone 5, this could mean just
about anywhere at first. But if the sensor were reported as sensor 3 zone 5
perimeter, this would give the operator a better understanding that the vio-
lated area is on the outside of the premises.
Another reason for using a zoned
security system layout is the ease of troubleshooting if a sensor is reported as
a bad sensor. For example, if a bad sensor is reported as being in zone 3
perimeter, there is no need to troubleshoot sensors that are located in the
interior of the system.
Passwords
Passwords are used as a confirmation tool by most professional alarm monitoring service companies. They are used to avoid a police response when a false
alarm situation has been triggered accidentally while still ensuring that
the homeowner is safe.
The passwords are known only by the residents and the
monitoring station personnel. When an alarm condition is received from
the home at the monitoring center, the person on duty calls for a police
response to the home. However, this occurs only if the alarm is not reset in a
predefined length of time. If the alarm is reset at the keypad with the correct
code by the owner prior to the time limit, the monitoring station simply calls
the subscriber and asks for a password. The password response has two agreed
upon formats: One password is used by the homeowner to indicate the alarm
condition was accidental and no action need be taken by the monitoring station.
Another secret password is used if the owner is in peril or possibly held hostage
by a burglar. This password, when passed after an alarm condition has been
reset, results in a police response. This is the option used if the homeowner is
asked to respond to the monitoring station phone call by an intruder who
(hopefully) does not know the distinction between the two passwords.
Passwords are used only if the monitoring station needs to authenticate the
cause of an alarm condition when the residents are at home. Law enforcement
agencies can penalize homeowners for excessive false alarms.
Common sense should guide the selection of a security system password used with a
monitoring service. Never use family or pet names, birth dates, street names, or any
word found in the dictionary. The preferred password should include both letters and
numbers, and a password should be memorized and never be written down. Numeric
keypad codes should also avoid the use of birth dates or home address numbers.
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